There are three types of processed honey: extracted, comb and chunk. Extracted honey is in liquid form, and it’s the common form of honey found in grocery stores. Comb honey is sold in its natural comb form, and chunk honey is a mix of liquid and comb honey.

In order to extract honey, you need special equipment, which can cost $500 or more. However, you can buy the following equipment used and spend less.

• Uncapping knife
• Uncapping tank
• Extractor
• Strainer
• Storage Tank

If you decide to go the extraction route, you will have to familiarize yourself with these tools. It’s also important to note that this process isn’t the most convenient or inexpensive way to enjoy honey from your backyard bees.

The cheapest form of processing honey is comb honey. It’s a great way for new beekeepers, because it’s a simple and straight-to-the-point procedure. All you have to do is remove the entire comb away from the frame and cut it into smaller sections for storage. Just don’t forget to freeze the comb overnight to kill any residual wax moth eggs or larvae. There is the option to purchase special comb honey supers that produce round or square one-pound portions, but it’s not necessary.

Processing your backyard honey can be an easy afternoon activity that doesn’t take up hours of your time. So if you’re interested in beekeeping, there are parts of it that the whole family can take part in and pitch in.

It’s not impossible to keep bees in an urban or suburban neighborhood, but you have to take precautions so the bees don’t become pests to your neighbors. A couple solutions include building a fence that is at least six feet high or planting tall shrubbery. This forces bees to fly above people’s heads when they are leaving or returning to the nest. In addition, it keeps the beehive out of view and protects it from the weather.

Honeybees also need to collect water, so you need a water source to prevent them from going into the neighbor’s yard. Small water gardens with floating plants are an easy fix, but you need to place them at least 20 feet away from the hive. If you already have a small pond or creek on your property, this is sufficient.

Swarms can be a problem too, but if you have a young queen less than one year old, it can reduce this issue. However, you will have to replace the queen with another younger one each year. Or you can setup a bait hive about 100 feet from their old nest. This will discourage them from setting up a new hive in the neighbor’s yard.

Some other issues to keep in mind are the species of bee and any laws outlawing beekeeping in your community. The Carniolan bee is a common bee used in the northern U.S. while the Italian bee is popular in the southern U.S. and Mexico. Taking these safety precautions will keep neighbors at ease and your honey pots filled.