Lavender

Mike a · May 13, 2013

Just had an offer of taking a few hives to a field or fields of Lavender later this year. I have no idea how big the fields are but if anyone has experience of placing hives next to Lavender I'd be interested to hear more. All I've managed to find is it flowers about the same time as heather July-September and can give a very good crop if its warm enough.

Also is it a mild or a strong flavored honey ?

MuswellMetro · May 14, 2013

Mike a said:
Just had an offer of taking a few hives to a field or fields of Lavender later this year. I have no idea how big the fields are but if anyone has experience of placing hives next to Lavender I'd be interested to hear more. All I've managed to find is it flowers about the same time as heather July-September and can give a very good crop if its warm enough.

Also is it a mild or a strong flavored honey ?

small plots of lavender are out foraged by Bumble bees as bumble bees have longer tongues and can reach the nectar first before the honney bees can forage
dont think you would have that problem with lavender fields as ample supply of flowers

Skyhook · May 14, 2013

Lucky devil! Not sure about flavour, but lavender in gardens is always mobbed by bees, suggesting it's a very reliable nectar producer.

Luminos · May 14, 2013

Skyhook said:
Lucky devil! Not sure about flavour, but lavender in gardens is always mobbed by bees, suggesting it's a very reliable nectar producer.

Haughton Honey · May 14, 2013

French Lavender honey is renowned. In fact, we've just finished our last jar picked up in the south Burgundy region last summer.

If the nectar content is primarily Lavender in the main it is a highly-scented, milder honey great as creamed.

cjhart2 · May 14, 2013

We have just planted 200m of Lavender . As always it is down to the variety of Lavender . We had Blue and White English Lavender last year , the blues were ignored by the honey bees but the white was in-undated . The blues had more hawk moths and butterflies . The blue Lavandula angustifolia tends to be used for oil and tends to be the one used in England and France .
However , we managed to get a couple of cuttings from the ' Millennium Dome' which were always covered in honey bees , these cuttings are being multiplied , but still trying to work out the variety . The Bees in the south of France only have this as a source of food so they adapt , if there are other easier sources they would go for it .
As always you can put a hive in the middle of a field surrounded by a crop but no guarantee that it is that crop they are collecting . The only upside is you can legally call it Lavender honey as it is collected in an area where the primary source is Lavender .
My advise is go for it . you have nothing to lose and more to gain .

hope this helps