Heather predictions this year

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Ling looking very good here with me in the Mournes, lots out in flower but still more to come, very quiet though with the bees. Not that many years ago when it was well into August and early September when they had a flow on here that late so hope yet???
 
bugger up extraction
I walked in Hankley heather this morning and though all sorts of flying things were on it, I wasn't overwhelmed by the number of honey bees. Ling looked lovely and the air was warm and moist.

Had a look through the bees and found BBs not only full of sealed bell, but stacks of fresh ling coming in.

It was then that I found a major mistake: in the rush several weeks ago I forgot to check that supers were unwired, so the ling is going into wired combs, when I wanted it for cut comb.

The only method I can think of to avoid the extraction b*****ation is to wait until the heather ends (but before the ivy starts), put on a box of unwired combs, then a CB feeder with a small hole and the honey on top. A lot is uncapped at the moment, so they ought to take it down (but will probably argue about it).
 
The ling heather honey has started to flow today in the Conwy Valley, north Wales. 8pm and my hives at home are roaring. A few more warm days and we should get a crop.
Pic shows ling on Conwy Mountain last week.
 

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The ling heather honey has started to flow today in the Conwy Valley, north Wales. 8pm and my hives at home are roaring. A few more warm days and we should get a crop.
Pic shows ling on Conwy Mountain last week.
Great. Save me a jar at the honey fair.
 
Was up tonight around 7 and the bees flying strong and some with supers that will be filled in the next day or two. Any with broods as supers are around half full so looking good at the minute, gives the weather here staying not so bad also. Fingers crossed.
 
Crossed over the Black Mountain to the castle this afternoon not a peep of the Mountain purpling up neither North or South of carn Cennen
It was looking quite a nice colour driving home from work last night through cwmgors looking over at the mountain but nothing on the hills from ponty to cwmgors yet.
 
I walked in Hankley heather this morning and though all sorts of flying things were on it, I wasn't overwhelmed by the number of honey bees. Ling looked lovely and the air was warm and moist.

Had a look through the bees and found BBs not only full of sealed bell, but stacks of fresh ling coming in.

It was then that I found a major mistake: in the rush several weeks ago I forgot to check that supers were unwired, so the ling is going into wired combs, when I wanted it for cut comb.

The only method I can think of to avoid the extraction b*****ation is to wait until the heather ends (but before the ivy starts), put on a box of unwired combs, then a CB feeder with a small hole and the honey on top. A lot is uncapped at the moment, so they ought to take it down (but will probably argue about it)
On my rounds yesterday we were up on one of the hills , 930am bees are mad on the heather hopefully it lasts for a few days , fresh nectar in the white super comb.
I took three brood boxes of summer honey of some of the wbc colony’s .
 
Normally an apple press but this year I will be trying out a MG heather honey press that I bought from a beekeeper in England. Its a sturdy looking piece of kit.
I’m using a apple press , I was looking at a heather press that was for sale in south Staffordshire but I think I missed the boat on that one .
 

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