Heather starting to flower.

[Thymallus]

It appears to be an exceptional year on the western edges of the NY moors this year. Some hives I took up simply to gather their own winter stores are giving a very welcome surprise surplus.
Normal service will be resumed next year

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Looking over towards the Black Mountain on the way back from Amanford today and for the first time this year the heather on Creigiau and Pen Taircarn looks exceedingly vibrant - a bit too late? just wondering now whether by bees are ignoring the HB nearby and making the two mile trek to the heather (some of the pollen coming in looks suspiciously like it) just hoping it's mixed enough with the other stuff to extract next week!

 

[snelgrove]

Drove back from Scarborough over the Yorkshire moors near whitby, heather in full bloom and looks very colourful, my own bees are on weardale supers were drawn and half full a fortnight ago so am hoping for big things

 

[Thymallus]

I'm hearing of keepers moving their bees from near Whitby to the western sides of the moors as it's not yielding much over on the east. It's out and very colorful. But I also hear there is a lot of heather beetle in that area which isn't helping.

 

[Millet]

I was on the Yorkshire Dales 2 day's ago near Leyburn and the Heather is full of bumble bee's.. if i ever get another hive i have access to a large area of fell land full of the stuff.. i even dug some up while i was there to put in planter's as the flower's look that nice..

 

[AndyTh]

Sadly mid Wales hasn't been exceptional this time. My 10 hives have struggled in the cool, damp weather. Half my hives have Half-filled supers, the rest have none. Hoping for warmer weather after today, there were 4-5 unopened buds on the heather spikes so a week or so more flower to come.

 

[biglongdarren]

Took a run up to the hives today and they have about a good super and a half on each at the minute,the heather is still looking good too.

Darren

 

[TOBY-3652]

went to mine on fri and could hardly lift them only been there 3 weeks put another super on 2

 

[Into the lions den]

I wish....not as bad as it was in the eastern part of the range, but in the west the heather only opened a few days ago and not go the bee power left to get much, its now so late that only once in 65 years father and son have we seen appreciable honey come in so late. Going up the A9 tomorrow to Aviemore area to check if anything has come in in the last few days... there was still nothing last Wednesday.

Feeding nucs locally today, and for the first time in a couple of weeks they had a strong flow, mostly from balsam but also something else very musty smelling. Not ragwort, and a lot of cherry red pollen coming in.

 

[nantmoel]

The one hive I have down in my garden were out working until it was almost dark today, the mountain behind me is purple with heather, they were busy as hell when I got home at 5:30 and all heading up towards the heather. When I inspect next I hope will be able to smell that distinct heather aroma.

 

[beeno]

The one hive I have down in my garden were out working until it was almost dark today, the mountain behind me is purple with heather, they were busy as hell when I got home at 5:30 and all heading up towards the heather. When I inspect next I hope will be able to smell that distinct heather aroma.

Hi nantmoel,
Could you please describe the aroma of heather nectar and taste of heather honey. Think I got a lb of the stuff! I have seen the honey described as tangy, but that does not help with lime about. Thanks

 

[Obee1]

Hi nantmoel,
Could you please describe the aroma of heather nectar and taste of heather honey. Think I got a lb of the stuff! I have seen the honey described as tangy, but that does not help with lime about. Thanks

That should be a good test of his creative writing skills! So come on nantmoel- how does it taste and smell?

 

[nantmoel]

Hi nantmoel,
Could you please describe the aroma of heather nectar and taste of heather honey. Think I got a lb of the stuff! I have seen the honey described as tangy, but that does not help with lime about. Thanks

Well its a very pungent aroma, its hard to describe but has a very sort of non floral aroma, in fact as dull as this sounds if you have ever walked through the heather you know the aroma. I hope this helps? Do you know its a bugger to extract?

 

[nantmoel]

That should be a good test of his creative writing skills! So come on nantmoel- how does it taste and smell?

How did I do? I forgot taste! Heather honey has a very strong taste in fact some people don't like it as they say its too strong for them. Its quiet dark as well.

 

[Thymallus]

Earthy with a subtle herb like scent, not flowery.

 

[beeno]

Hi nantmoel,
Have slept on a bed of heather many years ago, but did not notice the scent. Not that interested in heather until I became a beek which changes everything. I just had a sniff of my jar of honey and definitely not floral. Did not want to break the surface of the jar to taste it as it is still 'jellifying' I think. I do crush and strain so did not notice any difficulties at the time, but air temperature was very high. This jar of mine started out same colour as all my honey this year amber, but is gradually getting darker, jellified, air bubbles that wont rise to the top - a bit of a mess really.

 

[beeno]

Earthy with a subtle herb like scent, not flowery.

Lemon Thyme?

 

[Goodwood]

Good flow still on up in the Preseli "mountains" here.
Heavy burnt toffee scent rising up from the hives as the bees make drunken flight lines down from the mountain, tumbling onto the landing boards.
Great fillip to the season

 

[protheroe]

Weather's been nice the last few days so checked hives earlier and the stronger hives have filled and mostly capped a super each,if only the weather would stay good for a while but rain coming in again.flow is a whole month behind from last year and I thought it wasn't going to happen.

 

[Hivemaker.]

flow is a whole month behind from last year and I thought it wasn't going to happen.

Certainly a late heather flow here as well, very busy filling every space with nectar, not much brood now in any of the colonies, even the mini nucs are chocker blocked with heather honey, going to need to remove a few frames from the brood boxes and give empty combs for the queens to lay up, and to be able to feed them.