Record year?

[Belgianbeekeeper]

There are so many posts of a very successful year of harvesting. Is this one of the best years ever in your beekeeping career, or can you remember a time that was better?

It was real good production wise,volume,not so "wow" taste wise,it rained on the acasia,was dry for the linden,there was still greenfurtuliser blossoming early spring cause lack of frost,everything that could go wrong tastewise went wrong and even our cherryhoney ended up with this caramel chocolate like aftertaste caused by the bees going for aphidsweet.....too bad.

 

[Nannysbees]

Been a decent sort of year. 2050 lbs from 25 production colonies = average of 82lbs per colony plus only a few will need any feed for winter. All hives now static as gave up migrating beekeeping over a decade ago when it was then possible to get 3000+ lbs of honey from moving several hives to a series of crops like rape, field beans, borage and heather (never managed to take them to the balsam). I found lifting of hives becoming difficult as I aged so a few years ago sold the heather press and scrapped the trailer.

Intend to reduce in steps the number of colonies I keep each year by uniting both in late august and in spring maybe selling a few to beginners in local association at relatively low prices and give up completely in 3 or 4 years. Also don't want to land the missus with the job of disposing of the bees, hives and other equipment not forgetting the large number of beekeeping books and honey pots that I have cluttering up the place when I abscondt o the great beehive in the sky.

What a successful year, who do you supply with all that gorgeous honey?

 

[George Freeman]

There are so many posts of a very successful year of harvesting. Is this one of the best years ever in your beekeeping career, or can you remember a time that was better?

ive got new nucs in june one nuc ive had 1 super after 3weeks and ive just taken 2nd super off 36 lbs off 18 frames think ive had a good year

 

[W0otz]

74kg - happy with that given I only had a single colony at the start of the year and no drawn super frames at all. Split them early, got 4 supers from the original colony, 3 from the split. Also made up another couple of nucs, got another super from one of those.

 

[elainemary]

6th season of beekeeping and I thought I had a great crop last year at 163kilo. This year from similar number of colonies will be around 250 kilos, so each year has built on from the year before.

Main crop (heather & heather / balsam blend) to come off. I can’t face more extracting even 50:50 heather blend is time consuming and I’m a softee where bees are concerned, so I leave on a full super for them, so v little feeding if we have good September weather.

I’m in complete awe of bee farmers like @mbc and @Curly green finger's. You work so hard. I’m feeling knackered too and need a break, mainly mentally from the bees. At the end of each season I always think the next season will be much easier but there’s always curved balls, a new challenge and constant learning from the bees

 

[Belgianbeekeeper]

What a successful year, who do you supply with all that gorgeous honey?

About 500 to 600 kg is just sold by the door,w've a sign we put out if there is available,people know that and it can go fast,with a regular harvest we at times are sold out within a week,this year w've done some markets and events,two more coming up and then we will be close to sold out,keeping bit as back up.In the beguinage,one of our 3 beestands,is a pub that function as a selling point as well,the owner asked to do so himself without asking a percentage,most likely because of every pot of beguinage honey(linden) goes 2 euro to a good cause,a care take centre of troubled kids.

 

[Gunner]

Certainly one of my best crops in 40 years of beekeeping. A double spring crop and a superb flow from the lime trees in summer. Extracted 3,500 lbs from 32 production colonies so far and have 20 supers still to go.

Please Santa can I have an uncapping machine for Christmas …..