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

[Speybee]

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

Hopefully someone else will come up with a fresh idea as what the forage is most likely to be.
Then will have an idea what to look out for next season and avoid putting hives in amongst it, a three mile radius, could be anything.
Personally I favour Murox’s suggestion if similar happened to me up here, because I have noticed last month there were some fields that from afar, that looked green interspersed with yellow where the previous season OSR was sown, so perhaps remnants as Murox suggested?
Either way it will be interesting if there are other suggestions

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is there any other honey that sets really white ?

 

[Swarm]

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

Yes, a mixture of anything so hard to pin down but as a member of an association that thrives on the stuff, I've never seen Balsam granulate quickly.
Any Mustard around? Might explain the peppery aftertaste. How hard is it?

 

[Curly green finger's]

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.

What does the bar stuward look like Murox?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yes, a mixture of anything so hard to pin down but as a member of an association that thrives on the stuff, I've never seen Balsam granulate quickly.
Any Mustard around? Might explain the peppery aftertaste. How hard is it?

It isn't hard but is starting to thicken.
I've not seen any mustard within reach of these bees.
It's very quick for it to turn cloudy as if it's crystalizing.

 

[Murox]

What does the bar stuward look like Murox?

This yellow stuff Rapistrum rugosum - bastard cabbage – Family Brassicaceae

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

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.

Bees will fly far if there's OSR around - same as the heather, they have been known to fly four miles for that.
Dandelion honey also crystalises pretty quickly.
I have honey every year (spring crop with possibly later stuff in it) and that sets quickly within weeks of extraction.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is there any other honey that sets really white ?

My spring honey sets whiter than that - definitely no OSR around here, doubt there's any in the county

 

[Erichalfbee]

My spring honey sets whiter than that - definitely no OSR around here, doubt there's any in the county

Is clover early enough in your area?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is clover early enough in your area?

no, clover comes a bit later and we don't get a massive amount - may be some in the mix though

 

[Hachi]

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.

power washer and cold water 10 minute job Mrs Spey. Get him to do it if you bought it him for his birthday or xmas lol

 

[robmort]

This yellow stuff Rapistrum rugosum - bastard cabbage – Family Brassicaceae

I think that's Oil-seed Rape; the seeds are left over from crops and self-seed everywhere, and are very fertile. They grow everywhere in the countryside nowadays. In and around harvested OSR fields you often see new plants growing and a second flowering at this time of year.
Good for the bees, as are all brassica flowers. They love those on my rocket at present.

 

[Jonathan]

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

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

I think Himalayan Balsam honey takes an absolute age to set.

 

[Jonathan]

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

If it were rape it would most likely have set in the comb in the latter half of June. I would have thought highly unlikely that you would be spinning it out in August

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

This yellow stuff Rapistrum rugosum - bastard cabbage – Family Brassicaceae
View attachment 21963

I’ve seen this along roadsides assuming it’s osr. It’s identifiable by its seed heads apparently. Another import from Southern Europe that is enlarging it’s range.

 

[Murox]

I’ve seen this along roadsides assuming it’s osr. It’s identifiable by its seed heads apparently. Another import from Southern Europe that is enlarging it’s range.

Yep the stuff grows everywhere, its just finished flowering up here.

 

[Murox]

I think that's Oil-seed Rape; the seeds are left over from crops and self-seed everywhere, and are very fertile. They grow everywhere in the countryside nowadays. In and around harvested OSR fields you often see new plants growing and a second flowering at this time of year.
Good for the bees, as are all brassica flowers. They love those on my rocket at present.

No it just looks the same, its a cousin. Theres no OSR growing with , well maybe 60miles from here, its all sheep and cattle with a bit of barley here and there.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Is clover early enough in your area?

You ha

If it were rape it would most likely have set in the comb in the latter half of June. I would have thought highly unlikely that you would be spinning it out in August

But bees can process crystalizing honey I've seen it with my own eyes.
I've left supers of 100% osr honey on two colonys this spring they uncapped it and used it, both are really strong colonys on double brood.

Does anyone have a picture of a bee with ling Heather pollen in there baskets.
As I want to cross reference some photos from the last two seasons.

I think more of my colonys are finding Heather more than I realised.

 

[beeno]

Hi Curley, What is the purpose of growing clover in your area? I love clover honey, despite the fact that it sets solid very quickly despite being heated to 71°C for 1 min. is it?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hi Curley, What is the purpose of growing clover in your area? I love clover honey, despite the fact that it sets solid very quickly despite being heated to 71°C for 1 min. is it?

I don't heat any of my honey above 40c..

The majority of clover here is wild on the hill, so self set over the years.
None of the farmers locally grow it.