Who is moving hives onto the heather this August?

[Skyhook]

OK, thanks jezd that's good to know.
I looked images up on Google and came to a similar conclusion.

Does bell heather give nectar (I did see bumbles on it) and is the resulting honey thixotropic?

I believe the bees do work it, but the resulting honey is fairly unexceptional and not thixotropic.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks. At least I know it will spin out then. Quite a lot of bell heather within flying distance.

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

Is there any heather in Norfolk, I think that might be a NO....

 

[Poly Hive]

Bell can flow profusely and it is normal honey albeit very dark.

Not going to the heather as let down badly by an estate, all set up with the owner and agent and turns out gamekeeper has been letting out the heather.... unknown to the owner it seems.... oops!

PH

 

[Frenchie]

I'am moving mine to the heather with the assistance of my mentor the legendary Ken Stevens,a bee keeper for 87 of his 94 years.

 

[Into the lions den]

I believe the bees do work it, but the resulting honey is fairly unexceptional and not thixotropic.

Jeepers! Its my favourite honey of all! I get top dollar for it too!.

When the Bell flows it FLOWS...........rapid......have seen (rarely mind!) bees virtually fill a deep box from foundation in three to five days.

We move almost everything to the Bell, starting about 3rd July or so, although it could be earlier in a few locations. Cannot go earlier as the bees are not yet sure to be stable before that. (As regards swarming that is.)

Oh, and the 'Bell is blossom' idea has its origins with the oft voiced opinion of PolyHives old mentor Mr. Mobus. This no doubt reflected his Germanic roots, where Calluna honey is the customers preference and Bell hard to sell, but that is customer choice not the law. Particularly as a set honey, Bell is beautiful stuff, very strong, and a natural mix of Bell and Ling as produced by the bees is just the last word in delicious. Also unmistakeably heather, and no legal issues selling it as such.

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

bees to the heather

I thought id like to try this next year, are there and books on the subject or guidence sheets ?

Dave W

 

[hallshoney]

Jeepers! Its my favourite honey of all! I get top dollar for it too!.
me to best honey of all. But finding it hard to get more than £5 plbs

 

[peterbees]

I hope to be back moving hives tro the heather next year, after a layoff while I had two new hips fitted.
See my writeup on 30 years of Heather beekeeping on c*onwy beekeepers website, under beekeeping / heather honey. Replace * with an o

 

[peterbees]

Sorry, just delete the *

 

[mbc]

I've seen quite a few pots of Scottish heather honey that I'd have sworn were adulterated, or at least mixed with osr, untill I had it explained to me that most Scottish heather honey is a natural blend of bell and ling. I dont seem to have much bell in my heather honey and it appears to be a much purer sample of ling honey, a transparent amber jelly rather than the opaque orangy creamed honey ( labeled as pure Scottish heather honey ) that had caused my past confusion.

 

[jezd]

I've seen quite a few pots of Scottish heather honey that I'd have sworn were adulterated, or at least mixed with osr, untill I had it explained to me that most Scottish heather honey is a natural blend of bell and ling. I dont seem to have much bell in my heather honey and it appears to be a much purer sample of ling honey, a transparent amber jelly rather than the opaque orangy creamed honey ( labeled as pure Scottish heather honey ) that had caused my past confusion.

they do a little blending I am told, we have seen some heather blends even down here this year, mind you I am sure HB also made it onto the menu too

ps re this survey I am guessing a large number of people who say they will never do

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm toying with the idea, being perched on the side of the black mountain and could probably pick and chose an apiary site on any of a dozen farms bordering on the heather (as long as I don't tread on my mother's cousin's toes who has a few hives on a family farm!) it's just concerns about extraction etc. that is discouraging at the moment, when I get a hang of the 'standard' beekeeping I may research a bit more and have a crack at it

 

[Vergilius]

Although I couldn't move my bees onto the heather for the mentioned reason, they still collected half a super of it - which I scraped out and jarred as rustic comb honey - cappings and all. Obviously not sellable, but delicious nevertheless!!!

Ben P