National honey monitoring scheme

[Curly green finger's]

Hi I've registered and will receive my sample pack in two weeks.
Im looking forward to sending my honey samples this season.
As I've more than one apiary.
My honey samples will be coming from more than one apiary but I've only registered my home apiary.
How does this work??
I'm up with the baby again! hence me posting at this hour.
Cheers.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Hi I've registered and will receive my sample pack in two weeks.
Im looking forward to sending my honey samples this season.
As I've more than one apiary.
My honey samples will be coming from more than one apiary but I've only registered my home apiary.
How does this work??
I'm up with the baby again! hence me posting at this hour.
Cheers.

As I understand it the samples should come from the same hive.
If you want to send samples from different apiaries you have to register with different email addresses (but don't let anyone know I told you that)!

 

[mdotb]

You can apply a maximum of twice per year (typically early and late crops, though there's no specific restriction on this except that you can only have one open application at a time), and when you return each of these, you specify the exact location of the apiary associated with that sample. This could be different between the two applications, and the NHMS recognise that individual beekeepers may send samples from two different sites on their two applications in a year.

This is different from the fact that they send two tubes. These should both be from the same hive, as close together as possible. Only one of the two is tested, the other is put into long term storage for future research. Clearly if the two samples are totally different that future research would have an incorrect "baseline" by being radically different from the first test. You wouldn't get two sets of results, or know which of the two tube was tested/stored anyway, so there is no benefit to the beekeeper for trying to do this.

I'm not sure whether you'll get a sample pack within two weeks; as of 11th May they had not sent out any this year, though they are/were hoping to do so soon. I imagine there is a backlog for them to get through once they start sending them. They have issued guidance for taking a sample of current honey while waiting for a sample pack, and then transferring it, which you may wish to look at if you want to sample your spring honey now.

 

[enrico]

You can apply a maximum of twice per year (typically early and late crops, though there's no specific restriction on this except that you can only have one open application at a time), and when you return each of these, you specify the exact location of the apiary associated with that sample. This could be different between the two applications, and the NHMS recognise that individual beekeepers may send samples from two different sites on their two applications in a year.

This is different from the fact that they send two tubes. These should both be from the same hive, as close together as possible. Only one of the two is tested, the other is put into long term storage for future research. Clearly if the two samples are totally different that future research would have an incorrect "baseline" by being radically different from the first test. You wouldn't get two sets of results, or know which of the two tube was tested/stored anyway, so there is no benefit to the beekeeper for trying to do this.

I'm not sure whether you'll get a sample pack within two weeks; as of 11th May they had not sent out any this year, though they are/were hoping to do so soon. I imagine there is a backlog for them to get through once they start sending them. They have issued guidance for taking a sample of current honey while waiting for a sample pack, and then transferring it, which you may wish to look at if you want to sample your spring honey now.

Perfect explanation, saving me typing it!
E

 

[Curly green finger's]

Thanks all that explains a lot.
Cheers

 

[simonforeman]

You can apply a maximum of twice per year (typically early and late crops, though there's no specific restriction on this except that you can only have one open application at a time), and when you return each of these, you specify the exact location of the apiary associated with that sample. This could be different between the two applications, and the NHMS recognise that individual beekeepers may send samples from two different sites on their two applications in a year.

This is different from the fact that they send two tubes. These should both be from the same hive, as close together as possible. Only one of the two is tested, the other is put into long term storage for future research. Clearly if the two samples are totally different that future research would have an incorrect "baseline" by being radically different from the first test. You wouldn't get two sets of results, or know which of the two tube was tested/stored anyway, so there is no benefit to the beekeeper for trying to do this.

I'm not sure whether you'll get a sample pack within two weeks; as of 11th May they had not sent out any this year, though they are/were hoping to do so soon. I imagine there is a backlog for them to get through once they start sending them. They have issued guidance for taking a sample of current honey while waiting for a sample pack, and then transferring it, which you may wish to look at if you want to sample your spring honey now.

I received mine over 2 weeks ago so they are sending out.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Get your sample pack requests in for next spring now.

 

[user 819]

Ordered mine today.
So many now are using the service it might be a lottery if one gets his/her results fully tested, esp if too many samples are received from one county/region.

As was mentioned earlier this year, now with so many samples being requested they will split there resources to test samples. Trying to ensure equal samples are tested from area's/regions in the UK.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ordered mine today.
So many now are using the service it might be a lottery if one gets his/her results fully tested, esp if too many samples are received from one county/region.

As was mentioned earlier this year, now with so many samples being requested they will split there resources to test samples. Trying to ensure equal samples are tested from area's/regions in the UK.

Yes that’s the case.
The joys of living in the sticks.

 

[North End Bees]

Yes that’s the case.
The joys of living in the sticks.

And one of the downsides of living in highly populated Essex

 

[Angry_Mob]

They had a table with the number of submissions before, it was broken up into large regions rather than by postcode if anyone can remember where it was posted? It had the peculiarity that the Isle of Man (iirc) was listed as having something like 6 packs sent out but 7 submitted.

Point being depending on how big your region and how many Beeks are in it you may not be so lucky? I think my own was quite low actually so fingers crossed.

 

[Monbees]

They had a table with the number of submissions before, it was broken up into large regions rather than by postcode if anyone can remember where it was posted? It had the peculiarity that the Isle of Man (iirc) was listed as having something like 6 packs sent out but 7 submitted.

Point being depending on how big your region and how many Beeks are in it you may not be so lucky? I think my own was quite low actually so fingers crossed.

iirc?

 

[North End Bees]

iirc?

If I remember correctly

 

[user 819]

iirc?

Abrev for 'If I recollect/recall correctly;.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've recieved the sugar results of my spring honey this season.
Results.. 16.3% water content.
82 ( brix) sugar content..
I prosume pollen graph etc will be emailed at some point.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They are trying to get round to doing them in December but are archiving a lot of samples this year because they don’t have the wherewithal to process them all.

 

[Curly green finger's]

They are trying to get round to doing them in December but are archiving a lot of samples this year because they don’t have the wherewithal to process them all.

I think alot more samples have been sent this season as more beeks were at home because of covid.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think alot more samples have been sent this season as more beeks were at home because of covid.

Yes so your chances if getting a pollen analysis are slimmer.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yes so your chances if getting a pollen analysis are slimmer.

I was interested in the pollen analysis more so I hope I receive it.
I've put a request in for next year's samples.. I would like to take more samples.
I've collected 6 samples this season but only sent of one.

I wish I could get them tested some other way?

 

[North End Bees]

I wish I could get them tested some other way?

Our association held a 2 day microscopy course last year with microscopists from the Queckett Microscopical Club.

We were able to bring in samples of honey which were put through a table top centrifuge and processed for slides. It was fantastic to be able to see the pollens from our own honey under the microscope.

Maybe you could put it to your association to arrange something similar next year (when normal service resumes).