How many jars of honey in a year?

[pargyle]

Some bees in there, added another picture now to show it wasn't a one off lol.

As Finnie would say .. it's all about big colonies and the forage.... not heard from him for awhile... hope he's OK...

 

[Nige.Coll]

If you have healthy bees honey is a byproduct.
I treat in a minimal way and normally only use OAV. 1 treatment last year during a brood break in September.
I don't keep anything that could be classed as native or near native though as I personally think they are crap bees. Get over it I don't care.
Last season was a bit crap. it was too dry then too wet. Dry in spring then wet in summer.
As soon as the blackberry flowered it rained for 3 weeks solid here. Blackberry is a big crop out in the sticks.
Didn't do too bad though.
Started the year with 50, got 1200+ frames drawn out and pulled 2.2 tons of honey and finished the year with 97 without buying any bees.
Stuck another 100 supers in the mix for this year but I really needed 200. Going to be fun.
2 dead so far. One starved I was gutted. Hefted the hive but the brood box must be made of lead it's twice as heavy as a cedar one. Missed them by a day as some were still twitching. Bugger. Major guilt trip.

Finnie must be 90 surely ?
He is a character. I did pee him off often lol it's a gift i have.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Some bees in there, added another picture now to show it wasn't a one off lol.

Not wild bees, then?

 

[Brendan14]

2020 was my best year down here on the south east coast, I got 81pounds of honey from one hive.
I doubt I will see that kind of return again?

 

[Fiona in South View]

How long is a piece of string ? ...

Twice the size of half its length
Sorry, couldn’t resist it!

 

[Nige.Coll]

Not wild bees, then?

No home raised Buckfast queens and they are still alive.

 

[Amari]

I
As soon as the blackberry flowered it rained for 3 weeks solid here.

Where is here?

 

[pargyle]

Finnie must be 90 surely ?
He is a character. I did pee him off often lol it's a gift i have.

Yes ... I had my moments with him ... both of us got put in jail for brawling in the forum ... in fairness - he got a longer sentence than me ... but he must be getting on in years now...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I got 81pounds of honey from one hive.
I doubt I will see that kind of return again?

Never mind, hopefully things will improve with a little luck

Where is here?

same as here, we lost most of the bramble crop
So that's it covered then - bad harvest here, there but not everywhere

 

[madasafish]

Yes ... I had my moments with him ... both of us got put in jail for brawling in the forum ... in fairness - he got a longer sentence than me ... but he must be getting on in years now...

In 2020 I got 106 lbs from 1 hive despite the weather.
In 2018 I got 142 from a different hive..

It's getting them all to do that which is difficult . I always have a couple of weak colonies after winter.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Never mind, hopefully things will improve with a little luck

same as here, we lost most of the bramble crop
So that's it covered then - bad harvest here, there but not everywhere

And here. Brambles washed away with most of the summer.

 

[Nannysbees]

Too may variables to be accurate.
Average published in the BBKA news was about 35lbs per hive.
Average for bee farmers is about 150 lbs per colony, I know people that have had 175 lbs per colony for several years.

Picture from last year. Not a great season from all accounts.
Second pic the first 2 hives were nucs I had raised early that season.

My goodness must have been tricky reaching the top !!!!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Twice the size of half its length
Sorry, couldn’t resist it!

Sounds like how many beans make five? Two beans, half a bean, a bean & a half and a bean.

 

[Nige.Coll]

Where is here?

Leicestershire border with Derbyshire.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Can agree with 35lbs/big colony. Super, super and a half. But 150lbs! That's a lot of boring hand cranking on the 4 frame extractor. Hobby beekeeper of local mongrels.

 

[Michael Palmer]

2020 drought...Definitely not as good as previous years. Two years ago I made 120 lb. average from 500 colonies. Some apiaries made a 145 lb. average. 2020 it was more like an 80 pound average, overall. Enough to eat.

 

[sean-a]

Rather than the huge stacks of supers, wouldn't it make sense to extract a few during the season and give the bees the empties back. Use less equipment and easier to access?

 

[Monbees]

Rather than the huge stacks of supers, wouldn't it make sense to extract a few during the season and give the bees the empties back. Use less equipment and easier to access?

That's what l do - don't have enough equipment for huge stacks (not that l ever get that amount of honey!)

 

[amandaj57]

That's what l do - don't have enough equipment for huge stacks (not that l ever get that amount of honey!)

Me too. I can't lift from that height. I am on a hillside so ladders are really not a sensible option. All my stands have to be custom fit to the terrain. Not a leg on them is the same length, and before you say change the terrain, the ground is very stable and rocky (in other words, bloody difficult to dig) and it is easier to put small pads where the legs go then cut the legs down to suit.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Me too. I can't lift from that height. I am on a hillside so ladders are really not a sensible option. All my stands have to be custom fit to the terrain. Not a leg on them is the same length, and before you say change the terrain, the ground is very stable and rocky (in other words, bloody difficult to dig) and it is easier to put small pads where the legs go then cut the legs down to suit.

I do this also with some colonys but I do it after a flow.