Spring must of been good, for my girls to travel four miles to the osr.

[Curly green finger's]

Hi, on the 9th of August I extracted three supers from a 14x12 colony that over wintered on there own stores and expanded very quickly in the spring (Italian mongrels).
I didn't take any honey at all from this colony until the 9th.
I've been tasting the honey over the last week and it tastes and smells like osr but with a zingy /spicy taste.
What's interesting is the osr is four miles away.. And this is the first season alot of my spring honey has cystalized quickly.
The weather must of played a big part this spring, for them to reach the osr.
Has anyone had the same experience this year??
Your thoughts always welcome.
Cheers
Mark.

 

[Speybee]

Hi, on the 9th of August I extracted three supers from a 14x12 colony that over wintered on there own stores and expanded very quickly in the spring (Italian mongrels).
I didn't take any honey at all from this colony until the 9th.
I've been tasting the honey over the last week and it tastes and smells like osr but with a zingy /spicy taste.
What's interesting is the osr is four miles away.. And this is the first season alot of my spring honey has cystalized quickly.
The weather must of played a big part this spring, for them to reach the osr.
Has anyone had the same experience this year??
Your thoughts always welcome.
Cheers
Mark.
View attachment 21953

I just discovered for the first year ever, that one of my hives had bees coming through with the white splash/dot across the thorax.
Advised by other forumites probably H Balsam and on a few walks discovered H Balsam ( it has crept into our neighbouring area along the river now)

Having identified the source of this white pollen I read up about H Balsam and why it’s a boon for beekeepers but a pest which smothers all native vegetation and is categorised under the invasive species listed under the schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.and the debate has been igniting across various groups.
I have discovered it produces a sticky sweet smelling nectar high in sugars similar to OSR.
This may explain the granulation of this particular batch of honey

 

[Speybee]

Hi, on the 9th of August I extracted three supers from a 14x12 colony that over wintered on there own stores and expanded very quickly in the spring (Italian mongrels).
I didn't take any honey at all from this colony until the 9th.
I've been tasting the honey over the last week and it tastes and smells like osr but with a zingy /spicy taste.
What's interesting is the osr is four miles away.. And this is the first season alot of my spring honey has cystalized quickly.
The weather must of played a big part this spring, for them to reach the osr.
Has anyone had the same experience this year??
Your thoughts always welcome.
Cheers
Mark.
View attachment 21953

 

[Speybee]

This is BN 4 extracted and jarred on 1st August 2020.
BRIX 81.5
H2O content 17%
It looks as if it’s starting to crystallise

 

[Curly green finger's]

It could be balsam, hb has been spreading up the valley and is out on the Common 100metres from my garden hives, and very local to three other apiarys .
I've not noticed them on it this season.
But last year I did.
What about the taste.. Brassica smelling? Spicy taste that leaves a Sharpenes on your tongue if this helps?
What ever it is I'm going to do the same next year.. Leave some colonys and only extract once.

 

[Speybee]

That is the reason I have one hive honey boxes extracted the one time for a single Batch Number BN is incase I get a rogue batch that may taste odd so I don’t inadvertently taint everything else, if it went into one big mix of honey.

It is a pain washing out the tangential hand extractor but I like the idea of selling a single batch jarred honey with explanation the forage around this time was x,y,z ....customers love it too, use it as a unique selling point ( a bit like a single estate wine bottling)
I’ve now got my gardening hat on thinking of a sensible answer to your question ref the spicy taste and brassica smell.....is ragwort your possible source?
Also If local allotments around you then perhaps consider the possibility of Pak Choi, Brussels sprouts and mustard type salad leaves, that may be ‘bolting’ due to spells of dry weather.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It could be balsam,
What about the taste..

Pretty inoffensive really - HB is a fairly weak watery nectar which is why bees tend to ignore it if there's something better in the area tends to be very sweet and sugary with not much guts to it. Certainly no brassica undertones.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That is the reason I have one hive honey boxes extracted the one time for a single Batch Number BN is incase I get a rogue batch that may taste odd so I don’t inadvertently taint everything else, if it went into one big mix of honey.

It is a pain washing out the tangential hand extractor

I tried that and found there’s no need to clean the extractor. Just empty it.

 

[Murox]

This is BN 4 extracted and jarred on 1st August 2020.
BRIX 81.5
H2O content 17%
It looks as if it’s starting to crystallise

Assuming its not remnants of dandelion, mustard and other brassicas will do it. There is what I call bastard

cabbage which is a weed but is from the mustard family, grows everywhere.

 

[Speybee]

Hi, on the 9th of August I extracted three supers from a 14x12 colony that over wintered on there own stores and expanded very quickly in the spring (Italian mongrels).
I didn't take any honey at all from this colony until the 9th.
I've been tasting the honey over the last week and it tastes and smells like osr but with a zingy /spicy taste.
What's interesting is the osr is four miles away.. And this is the first season alot of my spring honey has cystalized quickly.
The weather must of played a big part this spring, for them to reach the osr.
Has anyone had the same experience this year??
Your thoughts always welcome.
Cheers
Mark.
View attachment 21953

Yates lists common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) in its section on unpalatable honey as “an injurious weed in the Weeds Act 1959, is poisonous to cattle and horses causing damage to the liver with pyrrolizidine alkaloids“. However, bees work the blossom for nectar and pollen with no ill effects to produce a bright yellow honey with an unpleasant smell.

 

[Speybee]

I tried that and found there’s no need to clean the extractor. Just empty it.

I always clean the extractor....again habit, time consuming but at least I know it’s clean before I store it away.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I always clean the extractor....again habit, time consuming but at least I know it’s clean before I store it away.

easy enough, take it outside, hosepipe on 'jet' and swill away

 

[Erichalfbee]

I always clean the extractor....again habit, time consuming but at least I know it’s clean before I store it away.

I meant between supers if you are keeping them separate.

 

[Speybee]

I meant between supers if you are keeping them separate.

Sorry misunderstood

 

[Speybee]

easy enough, take it outside, hosepipe on 'jet' and swill away

Been using kettles of very hot water.
Very much a 2 man job with the help of Mr Speybee.
Will try this method next season as always looking for improvements.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Been using kettles of very hot water.
Very much a 2 man job with the help of Mr Speybee.
Will try this method next season as always looking for improvements.

Hot water spreads the wax about
Hose in the garden is good for a big extractor. My small four frame hand crank just gets filled up and emptied in the sink. Warm washing up suds and a cold rinse.

 

[Swarm]

It's not Balsam that's for sure.

 

[Arfermo]

easy enough, take it outside, hosepipe on 'jet' and swill away

I agree totally. The cold water removes any wax deposits best that way. Hot water tends to spread the wax around. Might have to re-grease the centre bearing occasionally but well worth examination from time to time anyway

 

[Curly green finger's]

It's not Balsam that's for sure.

Any thoughts Steve, surely because it was left on the hive all season it could be a mixture of honeys?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yates lists common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) in its section on unpalatable honey as “an injurious weed in the Weeds Act 1959, is poisonous to cattle and horses causing damage to the liver with pyrrolizidine alkaloids“. However, bees work the blossom for nectar and pollen with no ill effects to produce a bright yellow honey with an unpleasant smell.

Again I've not seen the bees on the ragwort either.
Thanks for the info on ragwort.