Taking off honey

[Roola]

This is probably aimed more at those in the South East where it seems we are all but done on honey for this year. Normally my season extends at least to the beginning of August at which point I begin to look at taking the honey off. I normally leave all the boxes on hives and take them off in one go logistically making sense but this year due to early finish I'm concerned about bees chomping their way through the yield to continue feeding what are still quite packed colonies. Would people suggest I start the wind down early or hold out hope for a bit more honey or at least not to loose any. I forgot to mention that my holidays start at end of July so I have far more time to do all the take off. Etc...

 

[Finman]

You have 30 hives. You should know what to do.
.

 

[Roola]

Lol. Such a useful response Finman. Thanks. I'd say though that this year is unusual... I'm in my 6th year of beekeeping you've been keeping bees since world war 1... We all know experience makes up a big part of beekeeping not the number of hives you keep.

 

[Finman]

I'm in my 6th year of beekeeping you've been keeping bees since world war 1...

When you get honey, extract it. You do not need 100 years to learn it.

 

[drex]

I do the same as you and harvest in one hit. Not that far from you and despite the fact we have had no rain for 6+ weeks, my bees are still bringing in nectar. If you harvest now, and there is no forage you will have to end up feeding, if there is still forage you might have to harvest again or leave it for them for winter. I would leave harvest later, but it is your choice.

 

[Roola]

I do the same as you and harvest in one hit. Not that far from you and despite the fact we have had no rain for 6+ weeks, my bees are still bringing in nectar. If you harvest now, and there is no forage you will have to end up feeding, if there is still forage you might have to harvest again or leave it for them for winter. I would leave harvest later, but it is your choice.

Interesting! I've got hives in London and hives in North Essex too... Heading over there this afternoon to see siruation. It's amazing the difference 40 miles can make in terms of flowering time as well as London's Heat island effect.

 

[beeno]

A lot of people in my neck of the woods left all the honey on and came back from holidays to find it all gone last year. We still got lime in flower and willowherb, but I don't know if brambles will yield in this drought. It's a gamble to leave it on in my book.

 

[Beefriendly]

I do the same as you and harvest in one hit.

I harvest approx every month, although his now become every 2 weeks due to the weather. You then get a variety of wonderful honeys all with different tastes. Plus I doubt I could stack enough supers on mine to extract at the end of the season...which here ends around late Sept/Oct..
I know mine are working field beans and honeydew on the lime trees at the moment (ta for the tip of enrico...they are covered in aphids) ..should be an interesting next batch.

 

[Brian Bush]

My bees seem to have a big honey flow at present. They have drawn the comb and filled a super on 2 good hives inside a week. I will continue to add supers until the end of the month.

 

[Finman]

.
Harvesting often gives to bees space to store nectar. IT is better than wait that hive is full. IT adds yield. If bees make beard, it reduces lots of yield.
.

 

[Swarm]

Just returned from a friend's apiaries, he is due to go off for ten days and he wouldn't have enough boxes to pile on top, even if that was a safe option. He has opened the holes in his crown boards for a bit of ventilation and the bees are filling the roof space. These hives are already tall (full reach overhead to replace the top super) and I reckon they would benefit from at least two supers.
Some boxes had to be cleared and probably another batch before he can jet off to relax ... or worry about what's happening back home.

 

[protheroe]

I'm extracting weekly for last three weeks as I'm out of supers.doesn't help when you have a few hives with seven or eight supers on

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’m really fed up with these tall stacks. This is supposed to be a relaxing hobby !

 

[Swarm]

But think of the stories you'll have to tell ...

 

[Beefriendly]

But think of the stories you'll have to tell ...

They would be considered as "tall" stories

 

[Erichalfbee]

But think of the stories you'll have to tell ...

Drat!
BF beat me to it.

 

[Beefriendly]

Drat!
BF beat me to it.

Nah...you'd already posted how tall your stories where earlier in another thread...

My tall stories are already extracted and in buckets.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They are finally capping it!

 

[Anduril]

My tall stories, some are 5 supers high on double 14x12, extracted approx 200 lb last night and more to follow. I thought with the late start I wouldn't get much, but using a step ladder and adding 2 extra boxes to a few. I'll have to lower the hive stands at this rate.

 

[birdsandbees]

Its weird this year, so many of us struggling to keep up with the flow, Brambles everywhere I look near my Apiaries and I guess as they are deep rooted the drought hasn't had too much of an impact.
funny thing is I'm not bothered about a good Honey crop, to me its a bit of a pain but I'm sure I'll feel differently once it's all taken off and in buckets.

saw the warning on Facebook regarding high temperatures for those in London on Facebook earlier today, it does make me laugh, like its the centre of the universe or something, I was informed that it was considerably higher temperatures than the rest of the country and a genuine issue, first thing I checked was my weather app, wow! one whole degree higher in London than where I am