How to get ivy honey

[deemann1]

What's the best method of getting an ivy yield of honey and how do you go about extracting it ...

 

[MartinL]

What's the best method of getting an ivy yield of honey and how do you go about extracting it ...

Why would you want to do that? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

I realise we are in the beginners section,

Probably better blended with something that's edible, have you ever tasted it?

 

[Anduril]

You would have to cut the comb out of the frame if it has set and then warm it up until it liquefies, then strain it. (The ivy honey liquefies and the wax it soft)

 

[Beefriendly]

What's the best method of getting an ivy yield of honey and how do you go about extracting it ...

Take your hive(s) and move them next to large areas of ivy. Extract as soon as possible whilst still runny. But you are likely going to have to replace winter stores for the bees if you do.

 

[Uncle Betty]

Martin, people are paying good money for ivy honey.

 

[MartinL]

people are paying good money for ivy honey.

Do they ever come back for a second Jar?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Why would you want to do that? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

I realise we are in the beginners section,

Probably better blended with something that's edible, have you ever tasted it?

Perhaps working on the idea "if it tastes nasty it will do you good"?

 

[deemann1]

Why would you want to do that? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

I realise we are in the beginners section,

Probably better blended with something that's edible, have you ever tasted it?

You get €15 a jar for it here

 

[deemann1]

Take your hive(s) and move them next to large areas of ivy. Extract as soon as possible whilst still runny. But you are likely going to have to replace winter stores for the bees if you do.

My hives are beside a woods full of ivy.
Just took my supers off last week and have given bee's feed of syrup there brood boxes are nearly full of stores now.
So was thinking of putting supers back on in hope of getting an ivy crop .

 

[pargyle]

What's the best method of getting an ivy yield of honey and how do you go about extracting it ...

The bees will find Ivy if it's around at the end of the season but bear in mind by the time the Ivy is in flower your colonies will already be reducing in numbers (my ivy flowering can be as late as October). So ..there's not always the volume of bees in the colony to be sufficient to fill supers if you have already taken your summer crop of edible honey. They will rarely draw comb out for late stores so you will need drawn supers.

I let my bees keep the ivy honey and they overwinter on this - I like my bees to have honey stores going into winter as I believe that they are healthier and less prone to things like Nosema as a result. I run 14x12 hives and the brood box can be well over three quarters full of honey going in to winter of which a large percentage is ivy.

So - if you want an ivy crop that you want to take off then you are going to have to sacrifice something:

a) Your bees if they don't have sufficient stores going in to winter.
b) Your summer crop of honey - but you will want this stored in the brood box so that they will store the ivy honey in the supers.
d) You will be sacrificing your drawn comb as you will never get the ivy honey out before it sets ... it sets in next to no time so by the time the outer comb is filled the inner has already set under the cappings.
e) It's going to be cold and wet where you are when you have supers on the hives - not ideal when they are wanting to hunker down for winter.
f) Food for winter - you are playing with fire as they will need feeding if you get it wrong.

Personally, I can't see any rational reason for wanting a crop of Ivy honey, it's foul tasting, is almost impossible to extract and is going to be difficult to get it in a super. If you have a number of colonies then you could dedicate one or two to production of Ivy honey - perhaps by bolstering the number of bees by depleting other colonies, you will need to have the brood frames largely replaced by frames filled with stores in order to get the ivy stored in the supers and then be prepared to remanipulate the stores around your hives and balance the bees - and then feed them very late in the season to ensure they have food for winter.

What a faff !! Not worth the effort in my opinion and for a beginner with apparently no hives yet - not a prayer. If you do have bees best concentrate on getting them through winter rather than trying something as esoteric as this idea. You've got every chance of ending up with no bees trying to rob an ivy crop from them ...

Aternatively, if you are an ivy honey connoiseur and you just want a jar or two .. make sure there are a couple of empty drawn brood frames in the brood box when the ivy flows - take those out as soon as the bees have filled them and warm, crush and strain. Replace the frames you have taken out with ther drawn frames and feed them immediately with 2:1 syrup. Someone will be along shortly to tell us that sugar is cheaper than honey and real beekeepers take everything they can get out of the bees .. not my choice I'm afraid.

 

[pargyle]

My hives are beside a woods full of ivy.
Just took my supers off last week and have given bee's feed of syrup there brood boxes are nearly full of stores now.
So was thinking of putting supers back on in hope of getting an ivy crop .

My post crossed with this additional post from you - if you had given us the circumstances when you asked the question you might have got a slightly different answer - personally, I would not have fed them sugar and let them have the ivy honey from the woods to overwinter on. It was very early to be feeding them - was there no other forage for them ?

 

[deemann1]

The bees will find Ivy if it's around at the end of the season but bear in mind by the time the Ivy is in flower your colonies will already be reducing in numbers (my ivy flowering can be as late as October). So ..there's not always the volume of bees in the colony to be sufficient to fill supers if you have already taken your summer crop of edible honey. They will rarely draw comb out for late stores so you will need drawn supers.

I let my bees keep the ivy honey and they overwinter on this - I like my bees to have honey stores going into winter as I believe that they are healthier and less prone to things like Nosema as a result. I run 14x12 hives and the brood box can be well over three quarters full of honey going in to winter of which a large percentage is ivy.

So - if you want an ivy crop that you want to take off then you are going to have to sacrifice something:

a) Your bees if they don't have sufficient stores going in to winter.
b) Your summer crop of honey - but you will want this stored in the brood box so that they will store the ivy honey in the supers.
d) You will be sacrificing your drawn comb as you will never get the ivy honey out before it sets ... it sets in next to no time so by the time the outer comb is filled the inner has already set under the cappings.
e) It's going to be cold and wet where you are when you have supers on the hives - not ideal when they are wanting to hunker down for winter.
f) Food for winter - you are playing with fire as they will need feeding if you get it wrong.

Personally, I can't see any rational reason for wanting a crop of Ivy honey, it's foul tasting, is almost impossible to extract and is going to be difficult to get it in a super. If you have a number of colonies then you could dedicate one or two to production of Ivy honey - perhaps by bolstering the number of bees by depleting other colonies, you will need to have the brood frames largely replaced by frames filled with stores in order to get the ivy stored in the supers and then be prepared to remanipulate the stores around your hives and balance the bees - and then feed them very late in the season to ensure they have food for winter.

What a faff !! Not worth the effort in my opinion and for a beginner with apparently no hives yet - not a prayer. If you do have bees best concentrate on getting them through winter rather than trying something as esoteric as this idea. You've got every chance of ending up with no bees trying to rob an ivy crop from them ...

Aternatively, if you are an ivy honey connoiseur and you just want a jar or two .. make sure there are a couple of empty drawn brood frames in the brood box when the ivy flows - take those out as soon as the bees have filled them and warm, crush and strain. Replace the frames you have taken out with ther drawn frames and feed them immediately with 2:1 syrup. Someone will be along shortly to tell us that sugar is cheaper than honey and real beekeepers take everything they can get out of the bees .. not my choice I'm afraid.

Yes you are right maybe I'll try get a bit next season
When I can be more prepared.
Thanks for reply

 

[Uncle Betty]

Some people buy Cod Liver Oil of their own accord, so there's no accounting for tastes as they say !

I actually don't mind Ivy honey at all myself, and I'm told it mellows after six months, but I gave away to a body-builder friend the very little I cleared out in Spring.

I certainly wouldn't drop E12 for a jar.

As you know I'm sure, there's a bit of a push on to present it as the new Manuka honey.

 

[MartinL]

Some people buy Cod Liver Oil of their own accord, so there's no accounting for tastes as they say !

Cod-liver oil tastes rank because to get it you leave the livers to rot.
However, it is medically proven to be beneficial for skeletal issues following joint injuries, not because it tastes awful.
Once you're used to it, it's not that bad either.

A lot of things are (or were) classed inedible, not because they're poisonous, but because they just taste like $H!T!
I would have put Ivy Honey in the same class or as a possible contaminant of late Autumn/early spring extractions.
Don't rate Chestnut honey for the same reason.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

........ there's a bit of a push on to present it as the new Manuka honey.

There is indeed, very interesting to look all the way and to see who is doing the pushing! Years ago some members of FIBKA went to New Zealand and were told how manuka honey used to be fed to pigs as there was no market until the advertisers got to work.

 

[beeno]

A lot of things are (or were) classed inedible, not because they're poisonous, but because they just taste like $H!T!
I would have put Ivy Honey in the same class or as a possible contaminant of late Autumn/early spring extractions.
Don't rate Chestnut honey for the same reason.

Saying that, some foods seems to be an 'acquired taste'. Did not use to like Stilton but now I love it particularly with a little drizzle of honey on it.

 

[Anduril]

There is indeed, very interesting to look all the way and to see who is doing the pushing! Years ago some members of FIBKA went to New Zealand and were told how manuka honey used to be fed to pigs as there was no market until the advertisers got to work.

The high price is charged for its scarcity in the market. If it were to become the new Manuka, then it would have to go through rigorous testing and then marketing and eventually an ivy board for its authenticity. Could we see row upon row of ivy grown in the future?

 

[Uncle Betty]

The high price is charged for its scarcity in the market. If it were to become the new Manuka, then it would have to go through rigorous testing and then marketing and eventually an ivy board for its authenticity. Could we see row upon row of ivy grown in the future?

Who to believe... ?

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-s...eatures/the-manuka-honey-scandal-9577344.html

I think the price is partly to do with scarcity, but also partly because people want to believe everything they're marketed/told.

I'm not saying that ivy honey is not a genuine bronchodilator and expectorant...

 

[Uncle Betty]

I haven't read any of these links myself, but just throwing them out if anyone is interested...



Cough and cold remedies for the treatment of acute respiratory infections in young children. Available at: http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/fch_cah_01_02/en/

Gepdiremen, a. et al., 2005. Acute anti-inflammatory activity of four saponins isolated from ivy: alpha-hederin, hederasaponin-C, hederacolchiside-E and hederacolchiside-F in carrageenan-induced rat paw edema. Phytomedicine, 12(6-7), pp.440–444. Available at: http://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S094471130500036X

Hofmann, D., Hecker, M. & Völp, a, 2003. Efficacy of dry extract of ivy leaves in children with bronchial asthma--a review of randomized controlled trials. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology, 10(2-3), pp.213–20. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12725580

Metcalfe, D.J., 2005. Hedera helix L . , (1975), pp.632–648. Available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2745.2005.01021.x/full

Süleyman, H. et al., 2003. Acute and chronic antiinflammatory profile of the ivy plant, Hedera helix, in rats.Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology, 10(5), pp.370–4. Available at:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12834000

 

[Uncle Betty]

There is indeed, very interesting to look all the way and to see who is doing the pushing! Years ago some members of FIBKA went to New Zealand and were told how manuka honey used to be fed to pigs as there was no market until the advertisers got to work.

We leave those Kiwi's in the ha'penny place when it comes to this kind of wheelin' an' dealin'.