has it got to be OSR?

[steve115cbr]

Advise please? I have a very strong 14x12 colony that was so full and busy that I had to put my first super on before the beginning of April! I now three very heavy supers on the colony which are pretty much full of un capped honey, yet the nearest rape seed field I know of is a least 2 miles away? My question is, does this amount of honey this early in the season have to be OSR or could it just be general flora honey? The reason I ask is I don't really want to extract this amount of un sealed honey if it is not OSR but I don't want to leave it if it is OSR that is going to set unless I remove it? What do you think.

 

[oliver90owner]

I don't really want to extract this amount of un sealed honey if it is not OSR

Check to see if the moisture is OK. I have found OSR in frames granulating already (extracted same day as removal from hives).

I would recomend any honey that is OK for water content to be removed and extracted if there is any chance of OSR present.

the nearest rape seed field I know of...

Be sure! (1) it is the nearest field of OSR and (2) they haven't been visiting it. If you are totally confident on those two points, then by all means, leave it!!

Regards, RAB

 

[Hebeegeebee]

2 years ago there was a field of OSR exactly 2 miles as the bee flies. I got plenty of OSR honey.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

There's no reason why couldn't be general wildflower honey (depending on where you live I guess).
I've got a single brood national with two full supers on and there's no rape round here for miles and miles.

 

[gavin]

Rape honey is pale and has a sort of glassy look about it when in uncapped cells. Little colour at all. The other honeys at this time tend to be an amber colour. The bees will go far to get oilseed rape.

 

[steve115cbr]

thanks everyone. checked the supers just now and all three are fully capped so i've put on a forth and will be getting the extractor out of the attic for tomorrow morning!