Honey analysis

[enrico]

Just got my analysis results back from the national honey monitoring scheme. They didn't give me a list of plants for my spring sample for some reason but it seems my main crop in my summer honey is turnip!!!! Must be grown for animal feed fund here somewhere!
Anyone else got theirs?
E

 

[masterBK]

Turnips harvested for animal feed not allowed to flower. Maybe grown for seed? Or could it be turnip rape ?

 

[Jimmy]

It could be a green manure cover crop.

Mine came back with a majority of Vicia field beans any fields of which I was blissfully unaware. The honey itself I had down as OSR due to local forage known about, colour, speed of granulation and taste. There is some brassica in the mix according to the pollen DNA analysis.

I think it's worth remembering that the analysis is of the pollen via DNA sequencing and doesn't necessarily reflect the nectar source.

 

[ics19]

Yes, we had an unexpected Turnip Brassica rapa amount (around 7%) for the summer sample, but it's a generic label so could be something like Field Mustard. Our main count was Bramble (around 43%), which was far more expected.

 

[Beefriendly]

Yup, got mine back today as well.

Garden Apiary was mainly clover, bramble and balsam (a July to August Harvest)) plus lots of tree pollen's from alder, silver birch and even some lime!!, lots of other stuff like turnip, woad, hogweed etc etc.

One out apiary near woodlands (again a July to August harvest) in an agricultural landscape came back as mainly Brambles (65%), clover and lots of other stuff, but no balsam. Can almost describe this as a monofloral honey. (see ££££ signs flashing before eyes ) But no balsam here, despite the river bank about 1/2 mile away being full of the stuff. Presumably the bramble nectar is more attractive at that time of the year.

All interesting eye opening stuff.

 

[Ian123]

Just got my analysis results back from the national honey monitoring scheme. They didn't give me a list of plants for my spring sample for some reason but it seems my main crop in my summer honey is turnip!!!! Must be grown for animal feed fund here somewhere!
Anyone else got theirs?
E

How long did it take them to get you the results.?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes got mine too
Fascinating array of 28 pollens. More meadowsweet pollen than anything else though honey largely bramble and clover. There are two types of Tilia... never knew there was any around.
There was lots of weld. Had to look that one up. There’s a very talented lady further up the valley who makes and sells Welsh Blankets. I wonder whether she grows it for dyes?

 

[Angry_Mob]

Something wrong with my result:
Total taxa in the sample 0

 

[Jimmy]

I had some hemp (!) in my 2018 sample. That was from an apiary about 1km from a garden centre, otherwise in rural agriculture/ villages.
The 2019 spring sample from a different apiary on a top fruit (apple + plum) orchard had lower diversity, no hemp and interestingly no Malus.

 

[enrico]

How long did it take them to get you the results.?

I sent the spring one off in may. That was the one that had no results.i think they forgot to post it. The second one was August.they only published them all today!
E

 

[enrico]

Turnips harvested for animal feed not allowed to flower. Maybe grown for seed? Or could it be turnip rape ?

They listed rape separately. Not sure wha turnip rape is.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They listed rape separately. Not sure wha turnip rape is.

Field Mustard


Edit
Ah.... not field mustard. See beefriendly below.

 

[simonforeman]

Just checked my emails after seeing this post and I have my results also. By far the largest out of the 19 was white clover followed by bramble.

I too have had to look up some of the names to see what they are and look like. Requested my next sample kit also.

Question.... how do you guys get more than 1 set of samples as I can not see an option for this?

 

[Beefriendly]

Field mustard is Sinapis arvensis
Turnip rape is Brassica rapa, often grown as trap crop to protect oil seed rape (Brassica napus) from insect pests.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Field mustard is Sinapis arvensis
Turnip rape is Brassica rapa, often grown as trap crop to protect oil seed rape (Brassica napus) from insect pests.

Ah. Great to know.

 

[enrico]

Field mustard is Sinapis arvensis
Turnip rape is Brassica rapa, often grown as trap crop to protect oil seed rape (Brassica napus) from insect pests.

Interesting as there is no planted rape here within flying distance, only self seeded along field edges, river banks and verges so presumably this is self seeded too.it consisted of 60 percent of the result! The Arizona cupressus was a bit if a surprise too. My bees apparently fly to South America!
E

 

[enrico]

Just checked my emails after seeing this post and I have my results also. By far the largest out of the 19 was white clover followed by bramble.

I too have had to look up some of the names to see what they are and look like. Requested my next sample kit also.

Question.... how do you guys get more than 1 set of samples as I can not see an option for this?

If you apply for an early spring one you get the option for a later summer one!
E

 

[RJC]

Yes got mine too
Fascinating array of 28 pollens. More meadowsweet pollen than anything else though honey largely bramble and clover. There are two types of Tilia... never knew there was any around.
There was lots of weld. Had to look that one up. There’s a very talented lady further up the valley who makes and sells Welsh Blankets. I wonder whether she grows it for dyes?

I used to do woodland survey work in Ceredigion. Not sure where you are, but most of the river valleys/gorges will have isolated old Small Leaved Lime trees in (Tilia cordifolia). The other lime is likely to be Tilia x Europea, the hybrid (with Large Leaved Lime, which doesn't occur in mid Wales) which is a widely planted estate/amenity tree.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I used to do woodland survey work in Ceredigion. Not sure where you are, but most of the river valleys/gorges will have isolated old Small Leaved Lime trees in (Tilia cordifolia). The other lime is likely to be Tilia x Europea, the hybrid (with Large Leaved Lime, which doesn't occur in mid Wales) which is a widely planted estate/amenity tree.

Thanks
I’m in the Aeron valley.
I must get out and have a look.

 

[garypcook]

Got my results today as well. My hives are sited in a rural area with no arable crops or farming nearby - surrounded by rough pasture, livestock hill farmland and woodland.

The Spring honey is dominated by tree blossom - Sycamore, Willow, Wild Cherry, Beech and Sliver Birch are 5 of the top 6, and the bees are obviously not interested in Bluebells despite the masses in flower around here in the spring.

In the summer the mix changes completely to wild flowers - Marsh Thistle, White Clover and Bramble are the top 3 with everything else less than 5%. I'm surprised Rosebay Willowherb isn't higher (it actually comes in at no 31 on the full list) as it always seems to be covered in bees, but this is probably a reflection of the forage available nearby as the nearest Willowherb to the hives (as far as I'm aware) is about a mile away and so the bees probably prefer to feed closer to the hives when there is other forage around.