To extract or not to extract - my experience today.

[einsteinagogo]

I've always have/had issues with OSR in the past, and some supers are always starting to crystallize, they I built myself a large heating cabinet, to take whole supers (with their frames), and warm up the entire stack, to no more than 40 degrees C, and then extract immediately, otherwise I just end up with concrete in my frames.

just make sure you have good fan circulation, and good quality fans if building a warming cabinet for this purpose of warming supers/frames to prevent frame collapse!

 

[colinc]

Following on from a recent thread (hope it's OK to start afresh on an allied theme)

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=39538

I'm about to go on holiday for a week.The OSR has been out for 5 weeks and now fading. A flow started early April. Despite the cold weather my three strongest hives have each slowly filled 1-2 supers i.e. all comb drawn out and honey seemingly filling all ten frames. Capped cells = only 5% of total but shake test negative and Brix reading on the refractometer = 18 even on outer frames.
I therefore decided to extract today. I only got c.45 lbs from four boxes despite a prolonged spin in powered extractor!
Probable reasons: the honey in the capped cells was half crystallised. Close inspection of many cells before extraction showed many were only half full. The spun honey was very viscous.
Suggested interpretation: OSR nectar brought in 5 weeks ago is ripe/over-ripe. The cold weather stalled the flow so that the cells were not topped up as the honey in each cell shrank as water was evaporated in the ripening process.
Lesson: beware leaving your supers on too long - I suspect I'd have got even less that 45 lbs if I'd waited post-holiday

Further north than you so out OSR was fading in week starting 7/5. I extracted 2 full supers checked everything with refractometer and got reading between 15 and 18. Not a single fully capped frame. I got 55 pounds (and lost 1-2 jars in a spill that wasn't weighed) from those supers which suprised me but very little remained in the frames. The bees also are on double brood with plenty of stores in the BBs.

Interesting how things differ around the country.


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[Dadnlad]

Much less OSR around here than ever before because of flea beetle

Had just got used to spring extraction before it set in the comb, and took off six full supers of part capped/shake tested this weekend

Unsuprisingly no crystalisation and 145 lbs ! happy days

Long live the flea beetle ?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Much less OSR around here than ever before because of flea beetle

Had just got used to spring extraction before it set in the comb, and took off six full supers of part capped/shake tested this weekend

Unsuprisingly no crystalisation and 145 lbs ! happy days

Long live the flea beetle ?

Extracted two supers this afternoon. Much of it not capped but passed shake test and refractometor said 18%. Clear and mobile but from previous years experience that proves nothing. The mixer and corkscrew agitator blades are on standby.

 

[Etton]

I've always have/had issues with OSR in the past, and some supers are always starting to crystallize, they I built myself a large heating cabinet, to take whole supers (with their frames), and warm up the entire stack, to no more than 40 degrees C, and then extract immediately, otherwise I just end up with concrete in my frames.

just make sure you have good fan circulation, and good quality fans if building a warming cabinet for this purpose of warming supers/frames to prevent frame collapse!

Maybe daft question...but can the bees feed on stores of crystallised OSR honey. I presume they can otherwise they wouldn't collect and store it. If so is OSR honey a problem just for the beekeepers but not the bees?

 

[WoodenBeam]

Update: two were near c. 3 acres of dandelions. I have now extracted most of the crop into buckets which weigh 274 lbs. A peep yesterday suggests another 4 boxes to take off. I think it's the best harvest I've ever had.

Best you put some to one side for the local honey show