Harvest or add more supers

[Beagle23]

Evening all

I've just inspected my hive and was surprised to find that the second super I recently added is almost full with capped honey. This has caught me off guard as the bees have been farm more productive than I anticipated.
Should I add more supers or is it OK to harvest one or both supers this weekend?

Thanks

 

[pargyle]

Evening all

I've just inspected my hive and was surprised to find that the second super I recently added is almost full with capped honey. This has caught me off guard as the bees have been farm more productive than I anticipated.
Should I add more supers or is it OK to harvest one or both supers this weekend?

Thanks

Source of forage ? Rape ? Get it out of there quick ..

Anything else ... OK to add another super if you have drawn comb .. if not probably better to spin it out and give them the empty super back.

 

[Beagle23]

Source of forage ? Rape ? Get it out of there quick ..

Anything else ... OK to add another super if you have drawn comb .. if not probably better to spin it out and give them the empty super back.

Don't think it's rape. The closest crop I've seen around here is the other side of Leatherhead so 6 or 7 miles. We have two Quince orchards very close by and I see a lot of my bees heading in that direction as they leave the garden.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

My quince hasn't blossomed yet !!

 

[Beagle23]

My quince hasn't blossomed yet !!

I hear that things are different up north

 

[Gilberdyke John]

My quince hasn't blossomed yet !!

Strange, mine has.

 

[pargyle]

Don't think it's rape. The closest crop I've seen around here is the other side of Leatherhead so 6 or 7 miles. We have two Quince orchards very close by and I see a lot of my bees heading in that direction as they leave the garden.

Fruit tree blossom honey is lovely .. if you think it's coming from the quince I would get it off and spin it if it's ripe. You may be pleasantly surprised at the taste - good candidate for the honey show !!

If you have quince orchards that close you are very lucky ... what do they do with the fruit ? I struggle to find quince for sale in the shops and I know of only one quince tree in my area - it's a forgotten fruit to some extent these days but my Quince and Rosehip preserve has a very loyal following.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Evening all

I've just inspected my hive and was surprised to find that the second super I recently added is almost full with capped honey. This has caught me off guard as the bees have been farm more productive than I anticipated.
Should I add more supers or is it OK to harvest one or both supers this weekend?

Thanks

Move quickly whichever way you decide. Don't let them get the idea they're running out of space and start swarm preparations.

 

[Beagle23]

Fruit tree blossom honey is lovely .. if you think it's coming from the quince I would get it off and spin it if it's ripe. You may be pleasantly surprised at the taste - good candidate for the honey show !!

If you have quince orchards that close you are very lucky ... what do they do with the fruit ? I struggle to find quince for sale in the shops and I know of only one quince tree in my area - it's a forgotten fruit to some extent these days but my Quince and Rosehip preserve has a very loyal following.

The area I live in was all orchards until the end of WW2, then they were destroyed to create housing. However a few pear and quince orchards exist between here and the M25.

I don't see it in the shops either and I've no idea how you would source it, though clearly the local orchards sell to someone. I may stop by this afternoon and see if anyone is around.
I've tried quince preserve but I can't remember how it tasted. I think I'll take one of the capped frames and harvest that (my curiosity is peaked), but otherwise I'm going to leave the rest and add a third super and see how quickly the bees can fill it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Fruit tree blossom honey is lovely .. if you think it's coming from the quince I would get it off and spin it if it's ripe. You may be pleasantly surprised at the taste - good candidate for the honey show !!

If you have quince orchards that close you are very lucky ... what do they do with the fruit ? I struggle to find quince for sale in the shops and I know of only one quince tree in my area - it's a forgotten fruit to some extent these days but my Quince and Rosehip preserve has a very loyal following.

We have a quince tree and I struggle to use the fruit most years. You can come and help yourself.

 

[drex]

SUrrounded by OSR but it is so dry there is very little flow on. No rain for last 5 weeks.

 

[Cussword]

The field next to my old out apairy is full of rape... Why not last year.

 

[pargyle]

We have a quince tree and I struggle to use the fruit most years. You can come and help yourself.

Thank you ,,, I may well take up that offer ..

There's quite a lot you can do with quince - it makes an apple pie or tart move to a whole different level with some quince added (You can freeze quince as they will only keep until they start to soften). Quince jelly goes well with meat and cheese. Poach them in a sugar syrup or honey syrup .. need about 40 min to soften - fantastic with a dollop of ice cream - save the poaching liquid and either reduce it down to a thick sauce (great over a dish of ice cream or in yout breakfast porridge) or just add some to fizzy water with a few ice cubes and a sprig of mint - very aromatic and refreshing.

But.... the very best I've found ...Quince and rosehip preserve ... just out of this world on a fresh croissant or hot toast.

 

[madasafish]

We have a small quince bush to feed the local owls and pussycats..

I
The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five-pound note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
"O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are!"

II
Pussy said to the Owl, "You elegant fowl!
How charmingly sweet you sing!
O let us be married! too long we have tarried:
But what shall we do for a ring?"
They sailed away, for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-Tree grows
And there in a wood a Piggy-wig stood
With a ring at the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose,
With a ring at the end of his nose.

III
"Dear Pig, are you willing to sell for one shilling
Your ring?" Said the Piggy, "I will."
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon

Edward Lear

 

[YorkshireBees]

Evening all

I've just inspected my hive and was surprised to find that the second super I recently added is almost full with capped honey. This has caught me off guard as the bees have been farm more productive than I anticipated.
Should I add more supers or is it OK to harvest one or both supers this weekend?

Thanks

Personally with just 1 hive I would recommend extracting at least 1 of the supers. Why leave it on if it's capped already?
Personally with more hives I tend towards extracting when I reach a certain number of supers ready but that is just due to my extracting setup and time.

Only word of caution is to make sure they have enough honey either in the brood box or a super to tide them over if (as currently in my location) the weather turns cool and the bees cannot collect more nectar.

** At the others regarding Quince, I had never heard of it until a few years ago when a friend from abroad gave me a jar of homemade Quince jam (preserve) which tasted absolutely wonderful!

 

[Somerford]

I'm planning an orchard and quince is on the list, as well as pear, apples, plums, medlars, meribels and replanting a hedge to an edible hedge

 

[colinc]

I'm planning an orchard and quince is on the list, as well as pear, apples, plums, medlars, meribels and replanting a hedge to an edible hedge

I like hedges, not sure I could eat a whole one though.

I am incredibly jealous of you orchard plan. It sounds amazing.


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[pargyle]

I'm planning an orchard and quince is on the list, as well as pear, apples, plums, medlars, meribels and replanting a hedge to an edible hedge

Damsons are good for hedging and I think that Damson jam is probably one of the nicest jams ... Mind you, last year I made Damson and Blackberry (after taking the seeds out of the blackberries) and that was absolutely gorgeous. If you buy cultivated thornless blackberries and set them on wires or trells in front of your damson hedging ... you have the best of both worlds.

 

[alldigging]

Damsons are good for hedging and I think that Damson jam is probably one of the nicest jams ... Mind you, last year I made Damson and Blackberry (after taking the seeds out of the blackberries) and that was absolutely gorgeous. If you buy cultivated thornless blackberries and set them on wires or trells in front of your damson hedging ... you have the best of both worlds.

blackberry jelly is superb.
I have two damson trees in my garden. I got about five damsons last year. Should have planted the trees when we moved in!

 

[Erichalfbee]

You can make blackberry jelly with honey instead of sugar. It's not quite as thick as the stuff with sugar but is gorgeous.