Heather - How much, and how close do you need to be?

[TomH]

The heather/moorland around here is patchy at best but it is there.

I've never taken bees to heather or had a heather crop before, but I have a potential new apiary site, predominantly in arable/grazing land. The closest heather/moorland is about 400m away, with around ~60 acres of moorland/heather within 1000m.

I've watched some of the BMH videos about preparing bees for the heather, and aware I probably need to move sharpish, this week really. Question is, am I wasting my time, is it too far/too sparse to get a predominantly heather crop from?

I suppose the real answer is don't know until you try, probably only got 4 colonies that would be big enough to take advantage, so suppose it's no great loss if it doesn't work out, but just wanted to know if i'm dreaming or not!

Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Try. But according to @Into the lions den you should have been there ten days ago.

 

[TomH]

Thanks Dani - yes I did see that on Murray's twitter account. To be honest, I have no idea how far on or gone it is down here, will have to go for a wander this evening and find out I suppose.

 

[Wilco]

Ours wasn't in bloom a week ago (down South).

400m fine, they'll fly up to a couple of miles for it but the further they fly the less that gets back.

Do you have a plan for extracting it? It's a sticky pain even if it is a great honey.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Ours wasn't in bloom a week ago (down South).

400m fine, they'll fly up to a couple of miles for it but the further they fly the less that gets back.

Do you have a plan for extracting it? It's a sticky pain even if it is a great honey.

I got heather honey from a local common at one of my apiaries which is 0.7mile from the nearest heather

 

[TomH]

Ours wasn't in bloom a week ago (down South).

400m fine, they'll fly up to a couple of miles for it but the further they fly the less that gets back.

Do you have a plan for extracting it? It's a sticky pain even if it is a great honey.

Thanks for the info, will have a look around here and see where it's at, I can't recall seeing much in bloom so far, but must admit I haven't been out too much the past week or so.

In terms of extracting, I have access to a heather press. Plan was (if I get any) just to scrape the frames back to the foundation, and put it through the press.

I got heather honey from a local common at one of my apiaries which is 0.7mile from the nearest heather

Ah that's interesting, thanks. Will be a bit of faff moving colonies, but sounds like it could be viable at least.

 

[ericbeaumont]

heather/moorland

Moorland is better than heath for holding water leading up to the heather season - bell in July, ling after that into August, and there'll be no nectar without moisture.

Like Neil, I have bees as close as I could get to West Surrey heath (a field 200 yards away) and in a dry year nothing comes in. Given water in May, it's nearly all bell, nearly no ling.

This year may be a washout, but dandelion honey on that site this spring was a welcome novelty.

Give it a go, Tom. Even if not much comes in it'll be useful practice for future years, and you are on moorland.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Moorland is better than heath for holding water leading up to the heather season - bell in July, ling after that into August, and there'll be no nectar without moisture.

Like Neil, I have bees as close as I could get to West Surrey heath (a field 200 yards away) and in a dry year nothing comes in. Given water in May, it's nearly all bell, nearly no ling.

This year may be a washout, but dandelion honey on that site this spring was a welcome novelty.

Give it a go, Tom. Even if not much comes in it'll be useful practice for future years, and you are on moorland.

And also add to there winter stores which helps with not having to feed so much , mine are going up to moorland next week colony’s are a mix mainly all this years queens some swarms and some double brood .

 

[Ian123]

I checked a bit of heath near me there’s no colour yet I’d suggest first week in August and with any luck some rain just before, warm temps are good for the heather but heathland can dry out fast!

 

[elainemary]

Heather in bud here (south Pennines) last 3 years flow has been 14/15 August for 1-2 weeks. Maybe will start earlier but i’ll be checking regularly from next week. Mine at home fly directly to the heather as only a fields flight to the Pennine way. But will take a couple of colonies directly onto the moor for the pure stuff

 

[TomH]

Moorland is better than heath for holding water leading up to the heather season - bell in July, ling after that into August, and there'll be no nectar without moisture.

Like Neil, I have bees as close as I could get to West Surrey heath (a field 200 yards away) and in a dry year nothing comes in. Given water in May, it's nearly all bell, nearly no ling.

This year may be a washout, but dandelion honey on that site this spring was a welcome novelty.

Give it a go, Tom. Even if not much comes in it'll be useful practice for future years, and you are on moorland.

Thanks Eric for the advice and encouragement, I will give it a go. Like you say, good experience either way.

Just got back from scouting out the site, can get hives about 200m away. Will be a bit of effort on my part getting them there, but I never did mind a bit of graft. Looking at it, there are just a few little patches of purple beginning to show, so guessing I need to move quickly?

My plan was to proceed as per the BMH video advice, pick strong colonies, clear them down into single brood or brood and a half, move them to the heather, add super(s) of foundation and feed for a week, and leave them too it, keep checking for space and see if anything comes in?

Given the comb will be lost during extraction, if I get that far, I suppose it makes more sense to give them foundation and feed, rather than sacrificing valuable drawn comb?

 

[peterbees]

Thanks Eric for the advice and encouragement, I will give it a go. Like you say, good experience either way.

Just got back from scouting out the site, can get hives about 200m away. Will be a bit of effort on my part getting them there, but I never did mind a bit of graft. Looking at it, there are just a few little patches of purple beginning to show, so guessing I need to move quickly?

My plan was to proceed as per the BMH video advice, pick strong colonies, clear them down into single brood or brood and a half, move them to the heather, add super(s) of foundation and feed for a week, and leave them too it, keep checking for space and see if anything comes in?

Given the comb will be lost during extraction, if I get that far, I suppose it makes more sense to give them foundation and feed, rather than sacrificing valuable drawn comb?

See my notes on taking bees to the heather Heather honey
Good luck.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As for how close you need to be - mine bring in a not insubstantial amount from heather nearly two miles away when there's a good flow on

 

[ericbeaumont]

few little patches of purple beginning to show

In Surrey it was opening 2 weeks ago, but nothing was coming in.

clear them down into single brood or brood and a half, move them to the heather, add super(s)

Might be better to add supers before going, to give them travel space. It would also give you the chance to ram them into one BB.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Given the comb will be lost during extraction, if I get that far, I suppose it makes more sense to give them foundation and feed, rather than sacrificing valuable drawn comb?

Go for cut comb?

 

[lindsay s]

Thanks Eric for the advice and encouragement, I will give it a go. Like you say, good experience either way.

Just got back from scouting out the site, can get hives about 200m away. Will be a bit of effort on my part getting them there, but I never did mind a bit of graft. Looking at it, there are just a few little patches of purple beginning to show, so guessing I need to move quickly?

Good luck with your move and let us know how you get on. The heather here is not very dependable and none of our beekeepers rely on it for a crop.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Fingers crossed that the storms forecast in the south liven it all up.

 

[elainemary]

Thanks Eric for the advice and encouragement, I will give it a go. Like you say, good experience either way.

Just got back from scouting out the site, can get hives about 200m away. Will be a bit of effort on my part getting them there, but I never did mind a bit of graft. Looking at it, there are just a few little patches of purple beginning to show, so guessing I need to move quickly?

My plan was to proceed as per the BMH video advice, pick strong colonies, clear them down into single brood or brood and a half, move them to the heather, add super(s) of foundation and feed for a week, and leave them too it, keep checking for space and see if anything comes in?

Given the comb will be lost during extraction, if I get that far, I suppose it makes more sense to give them foundation and feed, rather than sacrificing valuable drawn comb?

Best to draw the comb on an earlier flow. The last thing you want is sucrose in your newly drawn supers, mixed with the heather. I would not feed for the first week, what if the flow starts whilst you’re feeding? I’d just make sure they have one good comb of stores when you take them & the foundation should be drawn with the heather flow. Then plan next year to get it drawn on the spring flow

 

[Into the lions den]

Try. But according to @Into the lions den you should have been there ten days ago.

For the Bell yes...it is now quite well through..the heat has crucified it but where it is under trees it is still ok.

In the driest areas the ling is holding for water. Having looked as if it would be early it has now lost about 10 days. In the moister areas in the east it is about 5% out already and you need to be there as it will race past if things turn warm again. Gamekeeper in Donside reckons all finished and back to brown by 10th August. In the drier places it has not progressed in the last 2 weeks but once rain comes will go like a rocket.

Hope it holds...we suspended migration in the heat....only half way through the big move. Thinking to restart tomorrow.