As tbe colony I supplied to Becky in a polynuc 2 months ago had been the most successful hive in the association training apiary and had mostly filled and capped a super and started on a second, plus the hives in that apiary are required to treat for varroa this month we felt it was time to harvest the crop.
Accordingly I loaned her my rhombus clearing board and she put the full super on top of the hive with the rhombus beneath it and the just started super between the rhombus and the queen excluder yesterday evening. We met up at the apiary at lunchtime today just before the Apiguard dosing demonstration was due to start.
The rhombus had done it's job, just one lonely bee left in the top super. We rapidly removed the super, covered it with a large polythene bag and put it in the boot of the car.
The dosing demonstration was given and then we drove back to my place where my extraction equipment was set up and waiting. I demonstrated uncapping with a bread knife then watched while Becky continued the task. Cranked the extractor, reversed the frames (tangential extractor) and cranked again until the frames were empty.
Becky completed the super and put the empty super back in the car out of the way. I loaned her a honey bucket with valve and a double stainless steel strainer and she strained the honey from the extractor into bucket. Lid on and into the car to take home to settle before jarring.
The honey will hopefully remain liquid as the entire crop was created after all OSR was finished flowering. While filtering it presented as a true golden colour, very mobile, 18% water and a very pleasant taste with overtones of citrus.
All in all an encouraging start to a new beekeeper I think.
Accordingly I loaned her my rhombus clearing board and she put the full super on top of the hive with the rhombus beneath it and the just started super between the rhombus and the queen excluder yesterday evening. We met up at the apiary at lunchtime today just before the Apiguard dosing demonstration was due to start.
The rhombus had done it's job, just one lonely bee left in the top super. We rapidly removed the super, covered it with a large polythene bag and put it in the boot of the car.
The dosing demonstration was given and then we drove back to my place where my extraction equipment was set up and waiting. I demonstrated uncapping with a bread knife then watched while Becky continued the task. Cranked the extractor, reversed the frames (tangential extractor) and cranked again until the frames were empty.
Becky completed the super and put the empty super back in the car out of the way. I loaned her a honey bucket with valve and a double stainless steel strainer and she strained the honey from the extractor into bucket. Lid on and into the car to take home to settle before jarring.
The honey will hopefully remain liquid as the entire crop was created after all OSR was finished flowering. While filtering it presented as a true golden colour, very mobile, 18% water and a very pleasant taste with overtones of citrus.
All in all an encouraging start to a new beekeeper I think.
