Honey testing

[Hivetool2021]

Hi all,

I would love to get some of my honey tested to see what plants my bees have forragrd on I'm aware of the national honey testing scheme but are there other testing companies that you are aware of and used, many thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes. Off hand I can’t recall who but it’s very expensive. There’s a recent thread. I’ll look for it.
Save yourself the money.
Buy this and a simple microscope plus a cheap stain or two and do it yourself

 

[Erichalfbee]

Have a trawl through this thread
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/its-going-to-be-a-late-one.51933/

 

[drex]

Yes. Off hand I can’t recall who but it’s very expensive. There’s a recent thread. I’ll look for it.
Save yourself the money.
Buy this and a simple microscope plus a cheap stain or two and do it yourself
View attachment 29509

I am quite good at microscopy , even having the Bbka bit of paper. However it is still difficult and takes a lot of practice to get it right, even with good guides to go by. As you are aware just because a certain pollen is in your honey does not mean that nectar is too. Pollen coefficients have to taken into account, as some plants produce loads of pollen and others little. I still do it but just for interest sake, not to claim my honey is from a particular source.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Pollen coefficients have to taken into account, as some plants produce loads of pollen and others little.

 

[Hockey Bee]

Yes. Off hand I can’t recall who but it’s very expensive. There’s a recent thread. I’ll look for it.
Save yourself the money.
Buy this and a simple microscope plus a cheap stain or two and do it yourself
View attachment 29509

Any advice on microscopes and stains? I did it before at uni but it was a few years ago, I’d love to see where my honeys from!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have an Apex bought from Amazon but they don’t stock it anymore.
I think there’s all the information in Margaret’s book which is now cheaper on Northern Bee Books.
I’ll have to get my gear out and have a look what stains I have but they are pretty basic.

 

[SWHives]

Hi, a newbie question. After harvesting the honey, do we supposed to send it to get it tested, or is it just the moisture content we need to check to jar up the honey and sell?
Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi, a newbie question. After harvesting the honey, do we supposed to send it to get it tested, or is it just the moisture content we need to check to jar up the honey and sell?
Thanks

You simply need to make sure it's less than 20% water content. No need for testing unless you are interested in the scheme


You need to register on the scheme
https://honey-monitoring.ac.ukThey send you a pack of three bottles and you have to fill all three with honey and comb scraped off the same frame. There's a video somewhere on the site. One is tested for sugar content and some samples are DNA tested for pollen. Another is archived and the third is tested for pesticides.
In past years not all samples were DNA profiled. You can imagine if twenty beekeepers from the same area send in their honey there is little point in doing an expensive test on all of them. This year they are doing all of them for some reason.

 

[drex]

Just the moisture. But in my first year the shake test was all I had. After that I got my refractometer

 

[Curly green finger's]

You simply need to make sure it's less than 20% water content. No need for testing unless you are interested in the scheme


You need to register on the scheme
https://honey-monitoring.ac.ukThey send you a pack of three bottles and you have to fill all three with honey and comb scraped off the same frame. There's a video somewhere on the site. One is tested for sugar content and some samples are DNA tested for pollen. Another is archived and the third is tested for pesticides.
In past years not all samples were DNA profiled. You can imagine if twenty beekeepers from the same area send in their honey there is little point in doing an expensive test on all of them. This year they are doing all of them for some reason.

I think it's to do a survey of the whole country for pesticides mainly.
To the op have a look at this it's the hms siteHMS

 

[SWHives]

Thank you all for the responses. Already have refractometer for checking moisture content.

 

[oliver90owner]

Any advice on microscopes and stains? I did it before at uni but it was a few years ago, I’d love to see where my honeys from!

Degree educated(?) and don’t know how/where to look for information? Google is a good place to start.

 

[Boston Bees]

Degree educated(?) and don’t know how/where to look for information? Google is a good place to start.

Is that where you got your BSc certificate?

 

[Murox]

Just the moisture. But in my first year the shake test was all I had. After that I got my refractometer

Its all I had until recently.

 

[hemo]

Thank you all for the responses. Already have refractometer for checking moisture content.

Check calibration before each use to rule out any widely erroneous readings.

 

[drex]

Why should it change if stored correctly? Had mine at least 10 years. Check it occasionally. Made a very small adjustment only once.

 

[hemo]

It takes seconds to check so I prefer to have it spot on.

 

[masterBK]

You simply need to make sure it's less than 20% water content. Not quite right. 20% is still legal

2015 Honey regs
Moisture content— (a) all honey except for honey specified in paragraph (b), (c) or (d) not more than 20%
(b) honey from heather (Calluna) not more than 23%
(c) baker’s honey except for baker’s honey from heather (Calluna) not more than 23%
(d) baker’s honey from heather (Calluna) not more than 25%

 

[Arfermo]

It takes seconds to check so I prefer to have it spot on.

Temperature will make it vary to some extent. Don't waste your time.