Late honey flow, but what is it?

[JohnRoss]

I extracted some supers about three weeks ago and put them back on to the hives to be cleaned down. Over the last three weeks however the bees have been filling them with honey. I removed Five supers today, about 50% capped but all passing the shake test. I have just extracted the first super and the honey is very very dark, darkest honey I have seen. not particularly tasty (edible but has an almost burnt taste and not as nice as my earlier stuff and is very runny. Now it passed the shake test so I presume it is in fact honey. Not entirely sure what to so with it though. (I have about 65lb of this stuff in total).
Does anyone have any Idea what it might be?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Honeydew?

 

[oliver90owner]

Check the pollen being brought in might give a clue. Ivy?

 

[JohnRoss]

I dont't think it's ivy, it doesn't smell like ivy and I don't see any Ivy open at the moment. Lots of types of pollen coming in. One particularly strange one is white, bees coming in like they have been rolling in flower.

 

[itma]

... One particularly strange one is white, bees coming in like they have been rolling in flower.

A little reading of this forum would have told you that was almost certainly Himalayan Balsam.


For example this 2011 reply … three years before you asked the question!

Sounds like the usual bemusement caused by seeing bees that have been foraging on Himalayan balsam! They are so besotted by the nectar that they get covered in off-white pollen all over their backs, and come back looking, as you say, as if they've been rolled in flour, or at least with a telltale stripe of white.

Do a Forum search on "balsam" and you'll find a few photos and plenty of descriptions of dusty, balsam pollen-encrusted bees.

 

[JohnRoss]

itma,

What question did I ask?

 

[JohnRoss]

I am trying to identify a late, runny, very dark not particularly tasty honey, not a white pollen. As I have said above many tyoes of pollen coming in. The white one is only one of many.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

itma,

What question did I ask?

Does anyone have any Idea what it might be?

Tough day?

 

[JohnRoss]

Trying to let them be,

Refer to post 09.56,

 

[peter genders]

john i don,t know about where you are but there seems to be masses of ragwort about in my area seems to be later than usual.

 

[biglongdarren]

what about fuchsia, what sort of honey is it??
Darren

 

[JohnRoss]

Could be ragwort, there is lots of it about. Honey is edible though, you wouldn't spit it out. I think honeydew might be a potential candidate. I live near quite alot of mature deciduous forest. The honey has a burnt flavor. I wonder if it could be marketed as a health food product. It looks like manuka honey. Very dark, almost black.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Honeydew honey is typically dark and smells of molasses...though not always is the caveat.
I found this test on the internet. You could try it and let us know.
One part of the honey is dissolved in the same amount of water. To this solution you add 96% alcohol. If there is honeydew, the solution becomes dim and at the bottom of the tube there is a deposit. If there is no honeydew the solution remains clear.

 

[bunbury]

I have just the same problem.I extracted 3 weeks ago and the honey is very dark,strong smell and crystallised very quickly with a strong smell. I think it must be honeydew.On warming it it showed a very distinct reddish colour.in the jars.
I have nex.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Japanese knotweed honey is reddish and crystallises quickly. Have you any of that near you?

 

[Teemore]

Japanese knotweed honey is reddish and crystallises quickly. Have you any of that near you?

A good candidate for the nectar source - it is flowering strongly in a number of spots I pass on a daily basis.

 

[rockdoc]

I think the OP might has flushed out an answer to a very dark honey I had last year. It too has a distinct reddish tone after warming. I'm off to try the honeydew test!

 

[Fatbee]

Who's got the 96% alcohol for the test!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Meths