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

[Spinney]

Left this extractor in the garden this afternoon. Honey in the bottom and wax on the sides. There were a few bees still in there but they flew home with a little encouragement. Shame to wash away any of the girls’ work.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Left this extractor in the garden this afternoon. Honey in the bottom and wax on the sides. There were a few bees still in there but they flew home with a little encouragement. Shame to wash away any of the girls’ work.

Oh dear.
I hope you have a decent tin hat!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Left this extractor in the garden this afternoon. Honey in the bottom and wax on the sides. There were a few bees still in there but they flew home with a little encouragement. Shame to wash away any of the girls’ work.

View attachment 21971

 

[Jonathan]

You ha


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.

I have seen that too but I thought we were talking about extracting it in August? Doesn’t matter what the bees do with it it still won’t spin out in August

 

[Firefly]

It has become very common in the last few years for arable fields to be planted after harvest, or during a fallow period, with 'crops' that are subsequently ploughed in as 'green manure'. I think there is probably an intention to reduce soil erosion too. Around me, these crops have included brassicas like OSR with both yellow flowers and white flowers - probably some form of mustard. I also just noticed 50 acres of so going purple about 500m from some of my hives - went to have a poke around and it is Phacelia

 

[Curly green finger's]

I have seen that too but I thought we were talking about extracting it in August? Doesn’t matter what the bees do with it it still won’t spin out in August

We were. Is it possible that they used most of the super of osr for brood rearing and then moved the rest, mixing it with other nectar/honey over the summer?
I wonder how much osr honey would need to be in the frames to make them crystalize?

 

[Murox]

It has become very common in the last few years for arable fields to be planted after harvest, or during a fallow period, with 'crops' that are subsequently ploughed in as 'green manure'. I think there is probably an intention to reduce soil erosion too. Around me, these crops have included brassicas like OSR with both yellow flowers and white flowers - probably some form of mustard. I also just noticed 50 acres of so going purple about 500m from some of my hives - went to have a poke around and it is Phacelia

Hope the weather holds up for you

 

[Erichalfbee]

Left this extractor in the garden this afternoon. Honey in the bottom and wax on the sides. There were a few bees still in there but they flew home with a little encouragement. Shame to wash away any of the girls’ work.

View attachment 21971

Ok. Nobody has noticed your post.
please don’t leave your extractor outside for the bees to clean up. It’s a great way to spread disease as bees from a wide area will visit. If there is AFB or EFB anywhere you’d be risking it infecting you’re hives then those of your neighbours.
It’s bad practice.

 

[Curly green finger's]

We were. Is it possible that they used most of the super of osr for brood rearing and then moved the rest, mixing it with other nectar/honey over the summer?
I wonder how much osr honey would need to be in the frames to make them crystalize?

 

[Jonathan]

We were. Is it possible that they used most of the super of osr for brood rearing and then moved the rest, mixing it with other nectar/honey over the summer?
I wonder how much osr honey would need to be in the frames to make them crystalize?

Very little

 

[Jonathan]

Very little

Also they crystallise very quickly indeed. Had that problem this year. Trust me doesn’t matter what they do with it nowt will spin out in August.

 

[Ash-Rhea]

" on the 9th of August I extracted three supers"
" And this is the first season alot of my spring honey has cystalized quickly "
Am I missing something here?

 

[Curly green finger's]

" on the 9th of August I extracted three supers"
" And this is the first season alot of my spring honey has cystalized quickly "
Am I missing something here?

No your not.. Colony that was extracted on the 9th was left all season.
My spring honey from some of my other colonys cystalized very quickly this season compared to the last few years Infact the last 5 years.

 

[Ash-Rhea]

No your not.. Colony that was extracted on the 9th was left all season.
My spring honey from some of my other colonys cystalized very quickly this season compared to the last few years Infact the last 5 years.

Well, I usually get mainly OilSeed Rape but this year there wasn't any within 1/2 a mile and instead they went for apple, cherry and plum as far as I can tell. It tastes totally different, cherry-like to my mind but it set even faster than OSR to a really fine, softset. Completely delicious. Apparently orchard fruit is another spring high-glucose honey.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Well, I usually get mainly OilSeed Rape but this year there wasn't any within 1/2 a mile and instead they went for apple, cherry and plum as far as I can tell. It tastes totally different, cherry-like to my mind but it set even faster than OSR to a really fine, softset. Completely delicious. Apparently orchard fruit is another spring high-glucose honey.

Do you send yours of to the honey monitoring scheme?
I've sent my spring honey.
We had ors honey this year but the higher apiarys don't unless they travel miles to it.

Next year I'll make sure I get both samples sent of.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Ok. Nobody has noticed your post.
please don’t leave your extractor outside for the bees to clean up. It’s a great way to spread disease as bees from a wide area will visit. If there is AFB or EFB anywhere you’d be risking it infecting you’re hives then those of your neighbours.
It’s bad practice.

I did notice but emyr said it all really.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I did notice but emyr said it all really.

Yes but without an explanation
Most of the rest of us know and didn’t need one. The OP did. I hope I haven’t frightened him into not coming back.

 

[Ash-Rhea]

Do you send yours of to the honey monitoring scheme?
I've sent my spring honey.
We had ors honey this year but the higher apiarys don't unless they travel miles to it.

Next year I'll make sure I get both samples sent off.

No, I've never had it analysed but when there is a field of it within 200 yards every year I have a very good sense of what it is . It would be fun to know how much of everything else there is though. This year has been very unusual here. No OSR and lots of beans followed by bramble and then a field of radish!