Emergency feeding

[jeff33]

We had heavy rain and intervals of incredible sunshine today ... it was warm enough for me to work up a sweat at the allotment digging over a section ready for the squash plants to go in. My bees were flying when it wasn't raining - very busy and making the most of it - then a mad rush to get back into the hive and within minutes it would cloud over and down came the rain. How do they know ?

They must feel the change in temperature which is quite big as soon as the sun is clouded over?

 

[Curly green finger's]

What’s left in your neck of the woods?

6 fields of osr just coming into flower crab apple just opening as is the maple, harwthorne, sweet chestnut was being worked on Monday.

 

[Hachi]

Goodness, local honey should be £20 1lb this year! My main crop is spring honey and there is literally none this year. I shall be glad just to keep my three hives alive; good luck to you Curly with all those colonies. What a year to become a beefarmer!

Ahh but has he applied?

 

[Antipodes]

I tend to think of you guys being "behind" us. So the summer we just had, you are about to get...potentially.
Last spring here was cool being a la nina year. I didn't personally see a spring crop. Come December (June), the prickly box was not quite the "best ever" but was "very, very good". Late summer February honey (your August), saw the best flow in 7 years. Yesterday it was 21 C and an amazing 22c in the upper Derwent Valley with just a week until winter. I still have some drones in hives.
Spring queen rearing was abysmal but autumn was much better. With the rain you are getting now, you never know your luck in the coming months

 

[pargyle]

They must feel the change in temperature which is quite big as soon as the sun is clouded over?

But the sun was still shining when they started piling back in ? Then the raind started and it clouded over ... they must sense a change in atmosphere but I don't think it's temperature - atmospheric pressure changes perhaps ?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Ahh but has he applied?

To be a member of the bfa?
Does one need to be a member?

 

[Erichalfbee]

6 fields of osr just coming into flower crab apple just opening as is the maple, harwthorne, sweet chestnut was being worked on Monday.

Do you mean horse chestnut?
I drove up to The Lake District a few days ago and I must say there are far fewer fields of OSR than I remember. If you're into the honey you're lucky to have some. The weather is picking up next week.
We have quite a bit of Hawthorn but it's an exceptional crop. The conditions have to be just right and they rarely are. I'm hoping all this rain will be good for the clover of which we have masses

 

[Monbees]

[QUOTE="Erichalfbee, post: 768727
We have quite a bit of Hawthorn but it's an exceptional crop. The conditions have to be just right but rarely are. I'm hoping all this rain will be good for the clover of which we have masses
[/QUOTE]
Interesting that you say hawthorn is an exceptional crop Dani. I always have masses in the field s around but rarely see bees working it and wondered why. What are the conditions needed?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Does one need to be a member?

No but.....,
Public liability insurance (your BBKA one will probably now be void)
Substantial savings on things like glass jars
savings on various other things such as vehicle insurance, equipment etc. etc. etc.
Good network of members always ready to support
help with selling surplus honey
List goes on and on
No brainer really

 

[Curly green finger's]

No but.....,
Public liability insurance (your BBKA one will probably now be void)
Substantial savings on things like glass jars
savings on various other things such as vehicle insurance, equipment etc. etc. etc.
Good network of members always ready to support
help with selling surplus honey
List goes on and on
No brainer really

Thanks for that, I can get a good price on equipment, jars, its the networking which would benefit me.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Thanks for that, I can get a good price on equipment, jars, its the networking which would benefit me.

Hi Mark,
I thought I could get a good deal on jars before I joined. Let's say I was pleasantly surprised. I just about saved my membership fee with my first order.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hi Mark,
I thought I could get a good deal on jars before I joined. Let's say I was pleasantly surprised.

I applied as you know but I let it go laz for T. C. HONEY.
our application will go through my employer now i will have to remind them.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Interesting that you say hawthorn is an exceptional crop Dani. I always have masses in the field s around but rarely see bees working it and wondered why. What are the conditions needed?

By exceptional I mean that conditions have to be right and they often aren't. The honey is lovely, dark and to me has toffee undertones but I'm sure @masterBK will be along with a proper gustatory description
It has to be hot and I'm almost sure the flowers just give one shot of nectar so if it rains it's gone.
The last time I got Hawthorn honey was 2013....maybe it's time then?

 

[The Poot]

By exceptional I mean that conditions have to be right and they often aren't. The honey is lovely, dark and to me has toffee undertones but I'm sure @masterBK will be along with a proper gustatory description
It has to be hot and I'm almost sure the flowers just give one shot of nectar so if it rains it's gone.
The last time I got Hawthorn honey was 2013....maybe it's time then?

This year we can but hope....

 

[Swarm]

Interesting that you say hawthorn is an exceptional crop Dani. I always have masses in the field s around but rarely see bees working it and wondered why. What are the conditions needed?

I've heard stories regarding Hawthorn, one was a seven year wait between decent nectar flows. I think, like most plants, it depends on temps and moisture. We have had plenty of moisture, all we need now is this plume we are promised will bring some long awaited heat. In 2018 you could see the nectar in the flowers.
I am in the middle of jarring a bucket of Hawthorn honey, (my last one ) it's darkish, thick, pungent, rich in flavour with an Almondy aftertaste. Easily my favourite.

 

[pargyle]

Do you mean horse chestnut?
I drove up to The Lake District a few days ago and I must say there are far fewer fields of OSR than I remember. If you're into the honey you're lucky to have some. The weather is picking up next week.
We have quite a bit of Hawthorn but it's an exceptional crop. The conditions have to be just right and they rarely are. I'm hoping all this rain will be good for the clover of which we have masses

Must be Horse chestnut - the Sweet chestnut does not flower until June/July time ... I've loads of Horse chestnuts around me and they are all in full bloom although the weather hasn't helped and the high winds early in the week took a lot of the blossom off.

 

[jeff33]

That's what I had last year then. The clear one is my usual spring honey (dandelion) and last year's one was really thick and dark with a lovely deep flavour.

 

[Hachi]

I applied as you know but I let it go laz for T. C. HONEY.
our application will go through my employer now i will have to remind them.

So you're just the hired help? Confused . com ??????

 

[Curly green finger's]

So you're just the hired help? Confused . com ??????

Both

 

[Earthboy]

That's what I had last year then. The clear one is my usual spring honey (dandelion) and last year's one was really thick and dark with a lovely deep flavour.
View attachment 26229

I love dark honey, pungent and full-bodied.

At one point, I planted buckwheat on my ten acre and produced dark honey, which I dubbed "Axle-grease" honey. The darker the honey, the more antioxidant it contains.



"... the darker the honey color, the higher the phenolic and flavonoid contents and the antioxidant levels, which are critical in counteracting free radicals responsible for triggering the aging process and diseases such as hypertension and high blood cholesterol and diabetes (General Medicine, 2014; Food Chem. 2007). "

https://www.benefits-of-honey.com/dark-honey.html