Heather 2021

[Erichalfbee]

Just love the pure white cappings from Heather honey. Save them and make into show wax - it’ll win you prizes which you can add to your credentials as a bee farmer!

Not just heather though. Any newly drawn foundation with capped honey will have gorgeous white capping....at least mine do

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not just heather though. Any newly drawn foundation with capped honey will have gorgeous white capping....at least mine do

got some blinding cappings on a load of new frames/foundation I extracted early this month - trouble is with this new drawn stuff though is you get a lot of fine wax 'sawdust' in it which quickly clogs up a double strainer.

 

[elainemary]

Visited my colony up on the moor for the first time since I took them to the heather 9 days ago. Wasn't sure quite what to expect as a bit higher than home (1400 ft) and weather has been pretty poor since they've been there. Yesterday was drizzle all day, today too and 14C when I arrived. They were flying strongly though, bringing in heather pollen. Had a quick look in the super and was surprised to find it nearly full. None of it capped yet but v busy with bees. I spotted a few cells with a black substance in the bottom. No poppy fields up here or anywhere nearby, so wondering what it might be. Could it be fungal spores, as low variety of pollen up here? Anyone recognise it and can suggest what it might be? Shame as it will spoil the look of cut comb, assuming it gets capped!

 

[Bazzer]

Visited my colony up on the moor for the first time since I took them to the heather 9 days ago. Wasn't sure quite what to expect as a bit higher than home (1400 ft) and weather has been pretty poor since they've been there. Yesterday was drizzle all day, today too and 14C when I arrived. They were flying strongly though, bringing in heather pollen. Had a quick look in the super and was surprised to find it nearly full. None of it capped yet but v busy with bees. I spotted a few cells with a black substance in the bottom. No poppy fields up here or anywhere nearby, so wondering what it might be. Could it be fungal spores, as low variety of pollen up here? Anyone recognise it and can suggest what it might be? Shame as it will spoil the look of cut comb, assuming it gets capped!

Pollen from Rosebay willow herb is very dark and there is usually some of that around

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have customers who ask for pollen in their cut comb.

 

[Swarm]

I agree with Bazzer.
If the comb has been spoiled send it my way

 

[Bryang]

What a transformation, last time I saw that mountain side it was devastated.

There was no heather showing there last year, I was surprised to see it this year... Isn't nature wonderful??

 

[Mabee]

This is only my second year so not been thinking much about heather honey and colonies are small but bees have been really busy last week and noticed this on my morning walk, hills less than a mile from hives! Just put Apivar on so guess I timed that wrong, will leave the heather honey for the bees this year and plan better to utilise this next year!

 

[elainemary]

Pollen from Rosebay willow herb is very dark and there is usually some of that around

Thanks Rosebay is blue & this is jet black. Think I’ll have to take a sample and put it under a microscope to try & understand what it is!

 

[elainemary]

This is only my second year so not been thinking much about heather honey and colonies are small but bees have been really busy last week and noticed this on my morning walk, hills less than a mile from hives! Just put Apivar on so guess I timed that wrong, will leave the heather honey for the bees this year and plan better to utilise this next year!View attachment 28016

Beautiful pic

 

[Curly green finger's]

Thanks Rosebay is blue & this is jet black. Think I’ll have to take a sample and put it under a microscope to try & understand what it is!

I can't think what it would be it would have to be some think flowering on the Moor? Intriguing though Elaine.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Perhaps Somebody has opium poppies hidden away somewhere

 

[Curly green finger's]

Interesting day looking at the Heather sites.
And the apiarys I didn't think would be able to fly to the Heather they are the buggers spent most of the day taking bloody supers back out.
Two of the demaree I took down extracted and put brood boxes back on are filling up three quarters full and centre frames starting to be capped also with a super below and brood/half for queen's to lay in.
A site I haven't visited for just over two weeks needed supers.
They give me the run around I'm telling you.
From the valley they are hitting the mynd all up hill and probably 1.5 to 2 miles away probably more.
Also four fields of this next to two apiarys.
Mixed white, red clover, vetch, dead nettle? And some other nectar rich flowers that haven't flowered yet.

 

[elainemary]

I can't think what it would be it would have to be some think flowering on the Moor? Intriguing though Elaine.

Have taken a swab with a cotton bud today. Raining tomorrow so will have a look under the microscope and see if it gives a clue! Bees were flying well today on the moor and had a quick look in the brood box. 2 queen cells, aghh! Took them down, early stage, don’t think supersedure, 9 frames of brood. I saw queen laying, plenty of eggs. Hoping the second super
I added helps. Will need to check again next week

 

[elainemary]

Interesting day looking at the Heather sites.
And the apiarys I didn't think would be able to fly to the Heather they are the buggers spent most of the day taking bloody supers back out.
Two of the demaree I took down extracted and put brood boxes back on are filling up three quarters full and centre frames starting to be capped also with a super below and brood/half for queen's to lay in.
A site I haven't visited for just over two weeks needed supers.
They give me the run around I'm telling you.
From the valley they are hitting the mynd all up hill and probably 1.5 to 2 miles away probably more.
Also four fields of this next to two apiarys. View attachment 28019View attachment 28020
Mixed white, red clover, vetch, dead nettle? And some other nectar rich flowers that haven't flowered yet.

Im
Finding this season all apiaries are flying to the heather. Even in the town in the valley bottom which is normally a good balsam site. Familiar smell, amber gel amd brilliant white comb being built which signifies heather. It’s going to be.a pain to extract, with part frame summer blossom honey and part heather

 

[Curly green finger's]

Have taken a swab with a cotton bud today. Raining tomorrow so will have a look under the microscope and see if it gives a clue! Bees were flying well today on the moor and had a quick look in the brood box. 2 queen cells, aghh! Took them down, early stage, don’t think supersedure, 9 frames of brood. I saw queen laying, plenty of eggs. Hoping the second super
I added helps. Will need to check again next week

Fingers crossed the space helps only time will tell, I've had to split one single colony today, a single with 9+ frames 5 cells found and queen present so removed queen to a nuc on the same site and knocked cells down to one good one, they are on there second super first one capped, had a look at the double brood top boxes getting very heavy but plenty of emerging brood and space. I don't really trust just looking in between boxes for cells, but its quick enough to look at one or two of the middle frames of the top Brood Box and assessing for space.


Im wondering its all well and good trying to keep them tight with the supers on the Heather but I've given some a third of comb today.

 

[Worker bee]

Steve, not great at my heather site near Blaenavon either due, I think, to low rainfall in the critical month of July, which parched the heather that grows over the old spoil heaps. That leaves just the heather on undisturbed peat, which didn't look too bad around July 25th. But not expecting a great result this year.

Someone told me the critical month for the heather and rainfall was May and it rained the whole month of May here. Mine are pooing it in the hives on the good days

 

[Curly green finger's]

Someone told me the critical month for the heather and rainfall was May and it rained the whole month of May here. Mine are pooing it in the hives on the good days

Same here a really good flow never heard that about the rainfall in May?
I think the cold damp conditions has helped all Flora.

 

[elainemary]

Someone told me the critical month for the heather and rainfall was May and it rained the whole month of May here. Mine are pooing it in the hives on the good days

Yes definitely heard about the rainfall in May being key, rained here too. Will be good next week as humid with all the rainfall and 20C-21C (which means about 17C for me up on the moor at 1400ft!)
A heather expert I know near Whitby is a 3rd generation heatherman. He told me back in June, that this year was closest to 1975, looking back at his dad's records. It rained back then all May (but was a warm August). Had 5 supers on every hive by September! Can only dream

 

[elainemary]

Fingers crossed the space helps only time will tell, I've had to split one single colony today, a single with 9+ frames 5 cells found and queen present so removed queen to a nuc on the same site and knocked cells down to one good one, they are on there second super first one capped, had a look at the double brood top boxes getting very heavy but plenty of emerging brood and space. I don't really trust just looking in between boxes for cells, but its quick enough to look at one or two of the middle frames of the top Brood Box and assessing for space.


Im wondering its all well and good trying to keep them tight with the supers on the Heather but I've given some a third of comb today.

Problem is getting them mated up on the moor though, certainly where I am as no other beekeepers around & I reckon chances of her making it back from a mating flight at this altitude unless a v calm day will be slim. Plus I'd like to get them back home 1st week In September!