Off to the Heather

[Into the lions den]

The house signifies nothing, just an available plot, bracken has significance.

Top tip.

PH

Yes, and juniper even more so! NONE of the places we use where there is significant juniper on the hill as well are duds.

 

[Poly Hive]

Before you ask...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_communis

http://www.plantlife.org.uk/scotland/wild_plants/plant_species_scotland/?ent=208

PH

 

[Into the lions den]

The long promised album of the last heather shift for the season has at last been uploaded. All pics taken 26th and 27th July this year. Please read the note and view the album from last image first (it is on page 2 btw). if you just go for the first picture you are at the end of the story, not the start. It is not just the two days though, this was the last 2 days of a 20 day process. On the Saturday night the teams all got extremely drunk.............

 

[REDWOOD]

What colour are the flowers on the Juniper plant, are they the same colour as gorse

 

[Norton]

here we go

 

[REDWOOD]

here we go

whoops.......... thought i'd ask as Google gives a variety of colour and think I have spotted them on the mountain but never took much notice of them being a town guy and do bees work them

 

[keith pierce]

Heather is only starting to colour up, over here in the last 2 days

 

[Poly Hive]

And here.

Having drove the A9 (check your maps) from Wick to Perth it is not looking good.

PH

 

[keith pierce]

I moved about 15 nucs to it to build up, but i am not going to move any full hives.I have another dozen nucs to make up in a few days time and might move them there also. Not to far of a drive for me, About 3/4 of an hour.

 

[preyingmantos]

checked my colonies in wales, about 5-7 pound average. Havent checked my colonies in north derbyshire but suspect about 10 pounds average if last year was to go by. heard some positive results in the new forest...

hardly covers the diesel, think ill find a good balsam site next year! Hows everyone doing?

 

[protheroe]

bees not touching the heather,they are on the balsam which is further away.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The heather doesn't seem to be very vigorous this year in our area Protheroe. The Creigiau grouse moor between Taircarn and the foel don't seem half as vibrant as usual the last month,.

 

[AndyTh]

PreyingMantos, since moving my 6 hives to Blaenavon at the end of July, I haven't been back to check. It's a 90 minute drive for me, but I may get the chance later this week. The forecast from next Saturday looks to be much better so maybe a few days for the bees to fill a super? Ever the optimist, here's hoping!

 

[johnandyrob]

PreyingMantos, since moving my 6 hives to Blaenavon at the end of July, I haven't been back to check. It's a 90 minute drive for me, but I may get the chance later this week. The forecast from next Saturday looks to be much better so maybe a few days for the bees to fill a super? Ever the optimist, here's hoping!

If you havent checked them for approx a month did they have enough stores to last them this long. If there is no heather nectar going in you could risk starvation this happened to a forum member either last year or the year before.

 

[BeeKeeper123]

Please excuse my ignorance but whats the difference between Heather honey and say wildflower honey.

I know the differences between Rape and Wild flower but not heather and wild flower.

Thank you

 

[Into the lions den]

The heather in our parts of Scotland started yielding a few days ago after a warm couple of days. Not a fast flow due to lack of bees and warmth, but at least its something. The flowering is beautiful right now, close to its peak, and will go on for about another couple of weeks. The bees are looking better than they were about 3 weeks ago, and have far more brood, 7 bars of sealed seems about normal, and so my earlier worry about no young bees for winter and thus high losses is receding somewhat. Fair proprtion of DLQ colonies among this seasons young ones, marked laying and proven weeks back, but now drone layers.

No longer looking at a total failure on the mountains, but even so, it will be a 50% crop at best, unless we get the very unusual arrival of significant September honey. The weather forecast points that way as does the heather flowering, bee power a bit low, but heres hoping.

 

[preyingmantos]

Just got back from derbyshire (which was a bit of a pointless trip because they neither needed emergency fondant or supers) and as suspected about 7-10pound average. Heather looks poor lacking in any real vibrancy. bracken and grass looks good though! One site has 1/3 bees coming back white from HB.

heres hoping for a late run.

it seems the ones on stands are doing better than the on a bit of tin, i wonder if having them elevated a bit helps or its just coincidence.

 

[REDWOOD]

Bees bringing in lots of off white pollen, some are on the HB and some are going on to the heather but need some dry weather I think

 

[AndyTh]

Any improvement in the heather flow in the Abergavenny area with this better weather? ILTD mentioned very rare Septembers when it was worth leaving the bees at the heather until as late as 12th - if there is still plenty of bloom on the heather I'm happy to wait another 2 weeks before collecting them. Especially as they may finally be getting that flow after what has been an interminably wet and cool summer.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Please excuse my ignorance but whats the difference between Heather honey and say wildflower honey.

I know the differences between Rape and Wild flower but not heather and wild flower.

Thank you

Heather honey is jelly-like, and can be difficult to extract. Scroll down this page http://www.irishbeekeeping.ie/honeyshow/honeyprep.html