What value Sunflowers?

[Marvin]

Hi all,

I have two hives surrounded by 50 acres of sunflowers. They are being grown for cut flowers and, weather permitting, will be flowering until the end of September.

I am tempted to put off the Apiguard treatment in the hope of more honey.

Any thoughts?

 

[DulwichGnome]

I tasted some in France a couple of years ago and it was nice, it had the colour and texure of lemon curd mind. Not sure how easy it would be to extract? If your bees are next to it, they will bring it so you might as well collect it!!

Mike.

 

[Midland Beek]

Lucky you with 50 acres of sunflower in the UK.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Depends on the varroa load on your bee's,and if the sunflowers will secrete sufficient nectar to sacrifice these couple of colonys,for honey, if the mite load is high.Temperatures may or may not be as warm as last autumn for effective treatment with apiguard.....give it a go, and let us know how well they do,or don't do.

 

[Marvin]

Hi Hivemaker,

They are both this year's swarms so the Varoa haven't yet created a problem. Yet...

 

[Chris Luck]

Sunflower makes up the bulk of my late honey here, really good colour, flavour and texture. Very easy to extract and starts to set after about a week to 10 days.

Chris

 

[Marvin]

Hi Chris, thanks for your response.

Does that mean I need to extract on a weekly basis?

 

[Chris Luck]

Ahh, good question. I find it's fine left in the supers on the hive and although I suppose that overall temperatures are higher here that shouldn't be a problem for you in August....

So what I meant was it starts to set 7 to 10 days after exaction inside in a cool room at about 20°C.

Chris

 

[Midland Beek]

Commercial beeks fare better in France than in the UK, and one of the main reasons, I think, is sunflower.

 

[DulwichGnome]

If they come back looking like this you will know where they have been!!

 

[Marvin]

Thank you all. Fingers crossed.