smoked honey?

[buffalow]

Hi,
I have been advised by a fellow beek that smoke from a smoker can taint or flavour a honey crop that is in a hive and also that using smoke can put the honey and wax production back by several days , is there any truth in this or is fiction ,

 

[oliver90owner]

can taint or flavour a honey crop

Certainly can. The word 'flavour' is not one I would use - unless you are a smoky bacon fan, or similar!

That is why one uses clearer boards, for instance. BTDT when I started. Only answer is to feed it back to the bees. Easier way is not to let it happen.

Every time the colony is 'gone through', will set them back a bit - several days might just be an exageration but collectively, weekly inspections can amount to some time lost by the colony simply sorting out all the mess made by continual human intrusions.

With 14 hives I would have thought you would be aware of this sort of thing by now, or did you just buy a job lot, or inherit your apiaries?

Regards, RAB

 

[OXFORDBEE]

.... collectively, weekly inspections can amount to some time lost by the colony simply sorting out all the mess made by continual human intrusions ....

Hmmm ... can you expand on this one... ?

 

[buffalow]

hi Rab ,
I just needed a second opinion as I presumed when the honey was capped it was protected from the smoke, and so would not taint , I suppose it also depends how heavy handed one is with the smoker.

I am aware that weekly intrusions cause time to be lost due to damage and loss of heat but would the smoke directly have any influence on time lost

I myself have not had a problem and I do use smoke when inspecting my hives, which I make myself.

 

[buffalow]

I myself have not had a problem and I do use smoke when inspecting my hives, which I make myself.

The hives and the smoke

 

[Finman]

.
Yes, that happens. If you use strong smoking stuff like needles or cones, they smoke makes strong tar which cool and clues onto surface of combs.

You may taste that uncapping honey has clear smoke aroma.

* So, dont run away bees with smoke from supers.
* Don't use strong odor smoke like grass, needle or cones.

* Visible smoke is tar aerosol.

*************

You may take honey off with clearing borad.

When you shake bees away, take super aside, wait 10 minutes that bees suck themselves full of honey. So you need not smoke in shaking. Bees fall like cherries from frame.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Never noticed much loss of production spending a couple of minutes going through a hive,if you only got a few hives do it in the evening,they don't forage much at night.Sure don't disrupt them enough to stop them robbing.