Heather 2021

[Curly green finger's]

You met his wife then?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Just avoid putting thin foundation on if very warm / hot weather, if we get any in mid august, it collapses if very hot as v fragile, found from from bitter experience. Best to get drawn in ‘normal’ weather. Ling is just opening into flower in my area, flow should start in about 10 days.

There the frames Im using elainemary, well there the only ones I have left to make which I'm doing now.
I've put two extracted supers on the double brood and I'm now off to move more Colonys, I have 4 Heather sites dotted about on the South Shropshire hills, I hope I get some Heather honey because this will be the first proper season I've really concentrated on it with any gusto!
If I don't then at least I've found some lovely sites for the future.
Even found some short cuts through roads I didn't know existed and some hidden Heather I didn't know about as well... Good luck to anyone else taking hives to the Heather

 

[Amari]

View attachment 27475View attachment 27476View attachment 27477View attachment 27478
Just finished moving more colonys to St Mary's common, I'm moving more tonight..
Photos were taken half hour ago..... I'm buzzing...the Heather is looking lovely it rained last night but it's bogy ground anyway.

Ah, you have both bell and ling out together, like us in Suffolk (post 46)

 

[Curly green finger's]

Ah, you have both bell and ling out together, like us in Suffolk (post 46)

It's lovely isn't it .
The hives are on the edge of it.
100 metres away, the hives I'm moving tonight are going there to.
At work on the stiperstones there is both flowering but heath mynd has only ling.
All this years queen's
Tomorrow is going to be a nice day here finger's crossed the weather is kind because my summer crop hasn't been that good.
I've possibly got another estate to look at nr catherton common just up the road.. After driving around and speaking to folk!

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've condensed these colonys to single brood 2020 (special black queen's)
For the Heather.. As to try a few different methods.
I had a phone call today and a farmer is giving me access to his farm nr these colonys so some more sites on the cards.. I've had enough of moving colonys now for one season.

 

[peterbees]

That's an interesting link.
1. Author mixes ling and OSR 50/50 and labels as 'Heather blend honey'. Reduces danger of fermentation of pure ling and preferred by customers because less strongly flavoured.
2. He places first tray of Apiguard on hive a week or two before extracting. He doesn't mention possible thymol tainting.

Re my piece about Heather Beekeeping quoted here, I remove the honey supers at the heather, then fit the first Apiguard tray at the heather, then bring the hives home. Thymol is never in the hive when honey supers for harvesting are on the hive.

 

[Amari]

Re my piece about Heather Beekeeping quoted here, I remove the honey supers at the heather, then fit the first Apiguard tray at the heather, then bring the hives home. Thymol is never in the hive when honey supers for harvesting are on the hive.

Ah, thanks for that clarification, apols that I misunderstood.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I wanted to just show you these photos of two colonys that I've condensed from double brood into one single brood box.
Both colonys have 10 frames of brood with frames of food either side of the nest the supers above are both drawn comb and the first super has some uncapped honey in, the capped super frames have been extracted on site and then returned to the colonys, both queen's are 2020 black queen's.
I wanted to add the frames that have brood also have stores at the edges so any incoming nectar will have to go above.
I've also left supers of foundation above the crown board which are sn5 frames with wired standard foundation.
I wanted to try this method along side my 2021 queen's in single brood to see what happens and to compare what happens..
I've been rereading Manleys book tonight on honey farming that bloke is a legend.
The book I have came from Plymouth library but perchased from Northern books and was given to me as a present.

 

[Swarm]

Drove around some heather sites today, Blaenafon is is looking very disappointing.

 

[elainemary]

Started re-reading heather books after enthusiastic posts from @Curly green finger's. My favourite is ‘Heather honey: an anthology of works’ by Northern bee books, with contributions from some experienced heather men (Francis Sitwell, Brother Adam, Colin Weightman, Peter Schollick).
Tony Jefferson wrote the practical guide & based on the north York moors. Know him through being part of our wider Yorkshire BKA. He visited my bees a couple of seasons ago when I set up a talk and demo with him for our local association. Showed me how to set up a hive and lots of top tips. I have a spare copy of his booklet Mark, if you’d like it send me your address and I’ll post to you

So here’s a little snippet from the anthology for potential heather goers on the climatic conditions, for those of you who’ve got the urge to take bees to the heather:
“The most outstanding characteristic of ling is its ability of yielding in minimum temperatures, when no nectar could reasonably be expected from any other flowers. Instances are on record when it secreted heavily after a hoar frost. I remember in 1923 when the maxima never exceeded 67F (19c) throughout the flow. We nevertheless obtained a crop in quantity and especially quality, left little to desire. Nothwithstanding, nectar is secreted most liberally with night time temperatures not less 42F (5c) and day between 70-78 (21-25). I conclude a humid atmosphere with a drift of air from a southerly direction is essential for a heavy flow as any other factor”…In most seasons it lasts but a few days. The most protracted was 26 days without cessation. Although brief, no other honey plant in Britain yields as profusely when conditions are favourable. Instances of stocks with gains of 10lb in the space of a few hours” Brother Adam. (This ties in completely with my short experience - last year a colony at home filled 2 supers from 10 - 20 Aug with humid 20-25c heat, then abruptly stopped)

Lots more like this, love reading the wisdom of older beekeepers.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Wow! Elaine I will pm you can't really talk much now but will message you later as I'm trying to hive up double nucs to take to the Heather after being at work, I moved these today to Heather.
I will explain what I've done with this lot later.
With in the time I moved three of them and went to collect the other three they were working the ling not loads but they were collecting nectar.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Cider press
I was wondering if this would work as a honey press.

 

[Murox]

Cider press
I was wondering if this would work as a honey press.

I use a 'junior version' when I crush and strain so I am sure it will work; however I cant vouch for heather honey but don't see why not, a hydropress will of course.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I use a 'junior version' when I crush and strain so I am sure it will work; however I cant vouch for heather honey but don't see why not, a hydropress will of course.

Thanks I have a budget of £300-£500 to buy a honey press it seems the cider presses are cheaper.

 

[Amari]

Cider press
I was wondering if this would work as a honey press.

I use T's budget press. It looks similar to your link.
Economy Honey Press
They also do this one
Stainless Steel Honey Press

 

[PeaBee]

Bell has pretty much finished with just odd patch not browned. Ling mainly a week or two off but some patch already buzzing in north yorks

 

[protheroe]

Cider press
I was wondering if this would work as a honey press.

I use a large fruit press,it will hold two 30lb buckets of heather/wax mix.Its a lot of work.Flows quickly to start but then you need to put some serious pressure on it.After the initial quick flow of honey it become a slow job of having to open the press to break up the wax and honey and press again.This needs doing a few times until you end up with a flat cake of wax.Youll also need a straining cloth inside the press because without it the press will get blocked quickly and as heather is pretty much unstrainable it will be full of wax.I use a large press cloth for cider making.A hydro press is expensive but will make life much easier from what ive read in the past

 

[ericbeaumont]

View attachment 27763
Bell has pretty much finished with just odd patch not browned. Ling mainly a week or two off but some patch already buzzing in north yorks

In between the heavy showers Surrey bees were flying well on bell heather this afternoon.

Crossed the road and walked into it: bell only 5% brown and ling already purple.

Ling has not produced before; this might be the year. May extract the bell and get cut comb on.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I use a large fruit press,it will hold two 30lb buckets of heather/wax mix.Its a lot of work.Flows quickly to start but then you need to put some serious pressure on it.After the initial quick flow of honey it become a slow job of having to open the press to break up the wax and honey and press again.This needs doing a few times until you end up with a flat cake of wax.Youll also need a straining cloth inside the press because without it the press will get blocked quickly and as heather is pretty much unstrainable it will be full of wax.I use a large press cloth for cider making.A hydro press is expensive but will make life much easier from what ive read in the past

Hi protheroe, thanks for your reply, the hydros are expensive but I'm wondering between me and work theres quite a few colonys on the Heather, it might be worth investing in a hydro.
Can I ask what temp would be good for the extracting room. Hive temp 38c?
I've been watching a few videos of using a loosener machine and then spinning out but still i think it would better to press?

 

[protheroe]

The proper agitating machines are expensive.You would need a lot of hives on heather annually to justify cost unless you have money and space spare.Try scraping back to foundation and pressing.It works well.If you're dealing with too much heather honey annually then invest in better equipment