Almost florescent yellow honey

[Hachi]

I've done a trawl of the site looking to identify my honey I'm extracting right now.

It's a really bright yellow in colour when going through the extractor but when you get 30lb in a bucket its a golden amber colour. Lovely tasting, no bitter after taste and the cappings are pearly white.

The hives are located on a arable farm any idea what it could be please? Oh and its the first time I've had it with my hives being there some 6 years.

Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sounds lovely.
Have you looked round the arable farm?
Maybe time to buy a drone?

 

[Millet]

My bees have access to around 30 acres of conservation land..15 acres of that are covered in thistle which I would say gives me 80% of the honey I get which is similar colour to the honey you describe.

 

[Erichalfbee]

My bees have access to around 30 acres of conservation land..15 acres of that are covered in thistle which I would say gives me 80% of the honey I get which is similar colour to the honey you describe.

Walking in the Usk valley recently I was suddenly surrounded by the most wonderful sweet scent. It took me ages to pinpoint it. It camefrom a large patch of pale lilac thistles. I never knew thistles could smell so nice.

 

[Millet]

Walking in the Usk valley recently I was suddenly surrounded by the most wonderful sweet scent. It took me ages to pinpoint it. It camefrom a large patch of pale lilac thistles. I never knew thistles could smell so nice.

They smell lovely and the scent carries a long way on the breeze.

 

[Hachi]

Sounds lovely.
Have you looked round the arable farm?
Maybe time to buy a drone?

Ha! One more item I buy classified as a "toy" by SWMBO will see my life take a very bad turn for the worse, although I like your thinking

 

[Ian123]

Could be ragwort but probably to late for that?

 

[Curley]

Well there is absolutely masses of Ragwort in full blossom but I understood it was a source of unpalatable honey? So perhaps not likely?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well there is absolutely masses of Ragwort in full blossom but I understood it was a source of unpalatable honey?

That was my understanding too.

 

[Beefriendly]

Well there is absolutely masses of Ragwort in full blossom but I understood it was a source of unpalatable honey? So perhaps not likely?

Depends what percentage it makes of the total crop. Nearly all my summer blossom are multi-floral.
It is supposed to be a yellow honey IIRC, so may be a large part of your crop. One way to be sure is take some honey and look at it down a microscope and see whether there is ragwort pollen present.....I know ......easier said than actually done....... but as it's a "knobbly" pollen should stand out. Bit like Lime pollen very easy to identify in your honey.

 

[For want of a better word]

Well there is absolutely masses of Ragwort in full blossom but I understood it was a source of unpalatable honey? So perhaps not likely?

Ragwort and Solidago can give a hint of yellow.... smells a bit like cat pee..

You don't have an M&Ms factory nearby?

 

[beeno]

I've done a trawl of the site looking to identify my honey I'm extracting right now.

It's a really bright yellow in colour when going through the extractor but when you get 30lb in a bucket its a golden amber colour. Lovely tasting, no bitter after taste and the cappings are pearly white.

The hives are located on a arable farm any idea what it could be please? Oh and its the first time I've had it with my hives being there some 6 years.

Thanks

ITLD referred to dandelion honey as yellow and smelling like old socks. My bees are brining in loads of dandelion pollen at the moment.

 

[Ian123]

I’ve seen the odd dandelion out but really it’s a spring flower are you sure!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ve seen the odd dandelion out but really it’s a spring flower are you sure!

Beeno probably means Hawkbit
Plenty out at the moment
I've never seen honey bees on it mind, but if they do use it, it might explain yellow pollen

 

[ericbeaumont]

Well there is absolutely masses of Ragwort in full blossom but I understood it was a source of unpalatable honey? So perhaps not likely?

Bees work ragwort readily and it produces very yellow comb and cappings. Don't believe all you hear about the unusual taste of honeys: as BF says, in the mix it won't make a difference.

Sunflower honey is traffic-light orange, but I've not seen the colour of cappings. Maybe there's a farmed crop near you?

 

[Popparand]

Pulicaria dysenterica aka common fleabane produces bright yellow honey and also stains frames bright yellow almost fluorescent.

(There's a picture on a thread from September last year. Sorry, I tried to copy and paste it but it didn't work )

 

[Erichalfbee]

Pulicaria dysenterica aka common fleabane produces bright yellow honey and also stains frames bright yellow almost fluorescent.

(There's a picture on a thread from September last year. Sorry, I tried to copy and paste it but it didn't work )

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=43068&highlight=Fleabane

 

[Hachi]

No to all the above. Honey smells like honey should, tastes like it should, looks like it should.

Wish I had a drone now but will ask the farmer what he and his neighbours have been growing.

 

[Popparand]

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=43068&highlight=Fleabane

Much obliged Eric****

 

[ericbeaumont]

The cappings on Hachi's combs are white, which excludes ragwort and fleabane (they turn comb and cappings yellow). Don't reckon solidago grows in sufficient quantity to influence comb and cappings, so the options are limited. Sunflower is a very, very luminous deep yellow honey, so it would be interesting to hear what the farmers are up to.