Heather 2021

[Curly green finger's]

I finally finished extracting - well pressing this evening so jarred some directly from the press. I have some in the bucket waiting to jar, whats the procedure compared to normal honey ie cling film? Do I leave it for the bubbles to rise etc?


Does it look like proper heather? Not as dark as Curlys and quite a few air bubbles.

View attachment 28488

Looks good to me
Edit: as to jarring I'm using a fine siv and Im not having to use cling film there doesn't seam to be any need as the fine siv is enough.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Wonderful. You must have lots then. It’s a great start

No not loads. I will say that production colonys have produced 120lb all season from 6 frame nucleus. Forage has been constant from the end of April untill first week in September if the ivy flowered earlier it would be longer.

 

[Curly green finger's]

This morning going to jar up.

 

[elainemary]

Extracted and sold my heather honey from home apiary. Both colonies produced 2 fully capped supers. Sold in a flash. Have kept some from my colony I took directly onto my local moor for Xmas gifts.

Particularly proud of my first 3 sections. Only took me & the bees 3 seasons to make - year 1 got the comb drawn but not enough honey in; year 2 the bees filled with pollen and removed it; year 3 they filled and sealed the honey.

My mission next year is to learn more about sections and cut comb, v rewarding and sells well

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Looks good to me. The bubbles won't rise - a unique feature of ling honey.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Extracted and sold my heather honey from home apiary. Both colonies produced 2 fully capped supers. Sold in a flash. Have kept some from my colony I took directly onto my local moor for Xmas gifts.

Particularly proud of my first 3 sections. Only took me & the bees 3 seasons to make - year 1 got the comb drawn but not enough honey in; year 2 the bees filled with pollen and removed it; year 3 they filled and sealed the honey.

My mission next year is to learn more about sections and cut comb, v rewarding and sells well

They look really good elaine, I've not been asked for sections, I don't know much about them or how much they sell for.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That comb looks great. Wonderful colour.

 

[Into the lions den]

They look really good elaine, I've not been asked for sections, I don't know much about them or how much they sell for.

Cut comb approx double jarred price per gram/oz...Sections really rare and bees dont like them...and are about double again.

So....at bulk rates...and for approx 8oz....bulk 2.00, cut comb 4.00 sections 8.00. Retail rates MINIMUM double that. A traditional section, white cappings, well filled, of heather honey will be around 20 quid. I doubt there will be more than 2000 produced in the entire country.

 

[elainemary]

They look really good elaine, I've not been asked for sections, I don't know much about them or how much they sell for.

You put them in a section frame in a super - 3 sections per super frame. I'm giving all 3 away to my 3 sisters at Xmas. I've heard they can command good prices c £20 each, but I guess only to connoisseurs who know what they are.
Most people I sold my few pieces of cut comb to hadn't heard of it & didn't know what to expect. The taste sold it though - have to be at an event ideally when you can give the tiniest sliver as a tasting, that secures the sale!
I've asked someone I know in North Yorkshire who has been taking bees to the heather for 3 generations if he will arrange a workshop on Sections and cut comb for early next season. He's on it! Can't wait.

 

[elainemary]

Cut comb approx double jarred price per gram/oz...Sections really rare and bees dont like them...and are about double again.

So....at bulk rates...and for approx 8oz....bulk 2.00, cut comb 4.00 sections 8.00. Retail rates MINIMUM double that. A traditional section, white cappings, well filled, of heather honey will be around 20 quid. I doubt there will be more than 2000 produced in the entire country.

Just saw your post after mine, it's a good price isn't it, hoping to get better at it next year!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Cut comb approx double jarred price per gram/oz...Sections really rare and bees dont like them...and are about double again.

So....at bulk rates...and for approx 8oz....bulk 2.00, cut comb 4.00 sections 8.00. Retail rates MINIMUM double that. A traditional section, white cappings, well filled, of heather honey will be around 20 quid. I doubt there will be more than 2000 produced in the entire country.

Thanks itld for your insight.
That's a good price, I will spend some time reading up on sections.

 

[Poly Hive]

Back in the 30's some Irish beekeepers were taking 2-300 sections per hive off clover. They were known as section bees as they could take serious crowding and not swarm. Long lost by now I suspect.

PH

 

[Brenda]

Back in the 30's some Irish beekeepers were taking 2-300 sections per hive off clover. They were known as section bees as they could take serious crowding and not swarm. Long lost by now I suspect.

PH

The Art of Section honey was passed on by older Beekeeers long ago. Sections are colder for Bees to work on, therefore you require more bees and a new Queen so swarming can be averted. Willie Smith’s “Art of Beekeeping” is the answer.

 

[Brenda]

The Art of Section honey was passed on by older Beekeeers long ago. Sections are colder for Bees to work on, therefore you require more bees and a new Queen so swarming can be averted. Willie Smith’s “Art of Beekeeping” is the answer.

Incidentally he is the old Smith of the Smith Hive.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Incidentally he is the old Smith of the Smith Hive.

Can you checker board sections with foundation would that help?

 

[Curly green finger's]

The Art of Section honey was passed on by older Beekeeers long ago. Sections are colder for Bees to work on, therefore you require more bees and a new Queen so swarming can be averted. Willie Smith’s “Art of Beekeeping” is the answer.

Another book to look out for

 

[Poly Hive]

No the bees have to be seriously crowded for the square ones. What I did find was the circular comb sections were much easier to work with and the bees were a lot happier filling them completely. The main issue with the square ones is the corners are often left unfinished. Hence the invention of the round style. Unfortunately though they do involve rather a lot of plastic.

PH

 

[Curly green finger's]

No the bees have to be seriously crowded for the square ones. What I did find was the circular comb sections were much easier to work with and the bees were a lot happier filling them completely. The main issue with the square ones is the corners are often left unfinished. Hence the invention of the round style. Unfortunately though they do involve rather a lot of plastic.

PH

That figures Pete when you look at Heather frames they tend to not have honey stored at the edges.

Edit: brood frames more so than super frames .

 

[Poly Hive]

https://rossrounds.com/ross-rounds
Oddly the Richard Taylor book they recommend was the moment for me when I realised that what was totally normal elsewhere did not marry up with what is normal here.

PH

 

[Curly green finger's]

https://rossrounds.com/ross-rounds
Oddly the Richard Taylor book they recommend was the moment for me when I realised that what was totally normal elsewhere did not marry up with what is normal here.

PH

In what way didn't it marry up?