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Keep spare cassettes ready for your next harvest.

HiveKeepers cassettes hold the comb and honey within your HiveKeepers frames. Each cassette holds approximately 165 g of honey and is designed to be opened with the Cassette Tool, emptied in the Micro Honey Harvester and returned to the hive for reuse.

Having spares on hand lets you replace honey-filled cassettes during a hive inspection, then take your harvest home for extraction.

Why keep spare cassettes?

• Swap full for empty. Replace harvested cassettes straight away, giving the bees space to build and store more honey. No need to leave the hive with an empty space in a frame.

• Harvest smaller batches. Remove individual cassettes as the honey becomes ready.

• Save time. No need to rush back to the apiary to fill in the gaps in a frame.

• One cassette size across the range. Fits both the four-cassette half-depth frame and the eight-cassette full-depth frame.

• No manual uncapping. Used with the Micro Honey Harvester, there is no need to cut away the wax cappings.

• Food-safe materials. Made for direct honey contact.

How to use it

1. Prepare new cassettes. Before first use, heat up some beeswax till molten. Get a small new paint roller and light coat the cartridge surface with molten beeswax.

2. Fit them into a HiveKeepers frame. Place the frame in a compatible honey super during a nectar flow.

3. Harvest when ready. Remove honey-filled, capped cassettes and replace them with spares.

4. Extract the honey. Open each cassette with the HiveKeepers Cassette Tool and load it into the Micro Honey Harvester as instructed.

5. Return and reuse. Reassemble the emptied cassettes and return them to the hive for the bees to clean, repair and refill.

Specifications

Frequently asked questions

Will it fit both HiveKeepers frame sizes?

Yes. The same cassette fits the four-cassette half depth frame and the eight-cassette full-depth frame.

Can I put it in an ordinary honey frame?

No. It needs a HiveKeepers frame designed to hold the removable cassettes.

Do I need the Micro Honey Harvester?

Yes. The cassette holds the comb and honey; the Micro Honey Harvester extracts it. The Cassette Tool is used to open it before extraction.

What happens to the wax cappings?

They do not need to be removed manually. After harvesting, return the reassembled cassette to the hive for the bees to clean and repair the comb.

How much honey does one cassette hold?

Approximately 165 g when filled, although the amount varies with how the bees draw and fill the comb.

See the system in action

Watch the HiveKeepers honey-harvesting explainer

How to clean up your HiveKeepers cassettes

Tutin safety in New Zealand

HiveKeepers equipment does not detect or remove Tutin. If the honey is harvested between 1st Jan and 30th June in an area that could have the Tutu bush, make sure Tutin risk has been managed using an appropriate option in MPI’s guidance before eating or sharing.

Read Beequip’s guide to tutin risks in New Zealand honey

Open your cassettes, ready for harvesting.

The HiveKeepers Cassette Tool separates the two halves of each cassette before extraction in the Micro Honey Harvester.

Lightweight and comfortable to hold, it is purpose-made for HiveKeepers cassettes. Keep one with your harvesting equipment or have a spare on hand.

Key benefits

• Made for the job. Opens HiveKeepers cassettes ready for loading into the Micro Honey Harvester.

• Comfortable grip. An ergonomic design for handling one cassette or a full frame.

• Compact and lightweight. Weighs just 26 g and takes up little space in your kit.

• Fits the whole range. Use with cassettes from both the four-cassette shallow frame and eight-cassette full-depth frame.

How to use it

1. Remove a honey-filled cassette from its HiveKeepers frame.

2. Use the Cassette Tool to separate the cassette halves, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

3. Load the opened cassette into the Micro Honey Harvester as instructed and extract the honey.

After harvesting, reassemble the cassette and return it to the hive for the bees to clean, repair and refill.

Specifications

See it in action

Watch the HiveKeepers honey-harvesting explainer

Frequently asked questions

Do I need this to open the cassettes?

The Cassette Tool is the purpose-made tool for opening HiveKeepers cassettes before extraction.

Will it work with both frame sizes?

Yes. Both HiveKeepers frame sizes use the same cassettes, so one tool works across the range.

How many do I need?

One tool is enough for normal harvesting. A spare can be useful if you share equipment or want to keep one in your beekeeping kit.