Will bees use crystallised ivy honey?

[mintmoth]

In this month's b**craft mag (I won the sub, didn't buy it), it says bees cannot use ivy honey that has crystallised in the combs. My bees were back and forth to ivy all of October and some of November, so in mild panic I gave them a slab of fondant today. They do have crystallised honey in there.

So can someone categorically state whether or not their bees do use ivy please.

I did a google search but the answers I got seemed to be a bit undecided.

Oh, and I found a site that sells cut comb ivy as "slicing honey" (I quote - "Ivy honey is a very hard set honey. I find it very useful this way as you can cut thin slices and the honey stays intact within the comb") at £7.50 per 140g. I'm not good at conversion, but I reckon that must be about £23 per pound!

 

[masterBK]

Do bees use crystalline IVY honey?
Most colonies do and it is a major source of winter stores for many colonies but the bees in a minority of colonies (I have two colonies out of 30 that do this) don't seem to use much of the granulated ivy honey and just lick the fluid from around the crystals before dumping the dry crystals on the floor (if you have OMF the sugar crystals drop through the mesh onto the ground or onto the insert if present)

Who was the author of the article? (I don't take this magazine)

 

[MuswellMetro]

i scrap off the cappings a frame at a time and they eat it with no problems

 

[Swarm]

There has to be a reason they spend so much time collecting it, I'd say it's to eat it.

 

[Poly Hive]

I have no experience of Ivy but plenty with solid OSR and yes they will "use" it in the context of using the liquid around the crystals and dumping said crystals out. So one has to wonder just how much use they actually get from the ivy? Not as much as some fondly believe I suspect.


Pop on some fondant and be sure.

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

My bees rely heavily on ivy stores both nectar and pollen. Never any problem.

 

[Erichalfbee]

In this month's b**craft mag (I won the sub, didn't buy it), it says bees cannot use ivy honey that has crystallised in the combs. My bees were back and forth to ivy all of October and some of November, so in mild panic I gave them a slab of fondant today. They do have crystallised honey in there.

So can someone categorically state whether or not their bees do use ivy please.

I did a google search but the answers I got seemed to be a bit undecided.

Do you mean this?

 

[MuswellMetro]

Do bees use crystalline IVY honey?
Most colonies do and it is a major source of winter stores for many colonies but the bees in a minority of colonies (I have two colonies out of 30 that do this) don't seem to use much of the granulated ivy honey and just lick the fluid from around the crystals before dumping the dry crystals on the floor (if you have OMF the sugar crystals drop through the mesh onto the ground or onto the insert if present)

Who was the author of the article? (I don't take this magazine)

the only reference i can find is in this screen dump, it must be the beecraft editorial team in reply to "its too hard to feed back"

however i have come across quite a lot of beekepers who hold this view as their bees die with ivy stores intact but perhaps just an excuse for bad winter prepration or nosema

 

[Erichalfbee]

MM
Snap, except yours is the right way up
It's from the Hangout. Has anybody ever watched one?
It's hilarious....in my opinion only

 

[Eyeman]

It's from the Hangout. Has anybody ever watched one?

Do you have a link?

 

[MuswellMetro]

MM
Snap, except yours is the right way up
It's from the Hangout. Has anybody ever watched one?
It's hilarious....in my opinion only

yours is more readable though

The most qualified beekeeper in our Area Association (county) who has tried to become a Master Beekeeper but failed the AHA twice, is adamant that ivy honey is terrible and that bees die because they cannot break open the cappings, That Beekeepers losses last year were 90% supposedly all down to bees not being able to eat the ivy honey

my losses in winter for the last 5 years excluding Nucs is about 2% (mainly drone layers) and i let them forage on ivy

When Thorne's newsletter came out saying insulate the roof AND keep the insulation on in summer, we had from that beekeeper a rant telling all divisions of the Area Association to tell their memebers too remove ivy honey and feed fondant , not to insulated, to vent the crown boards and that if you insulate in summer your crown boards would rot and your honey ferment....i did not pass it on

 

[Gilberdyke John]

yours is more readable though

The most qualified beekeeper in our Area Association (county) who has tried to become a Master Beekeeper but failed the AHA twice, is adamant that ivy honey is terrible and that bees die because they cannot break open the cappings, That Beekeepers losses last year were 90% supposedly all down to bees not being able to eat the ivy honey

my losses in winter for the last 5 years excluding Nucs is about 2% (mainly drone layers) and i let them forage on ivy

When Thorne's newsletter came out saying insulate the roof AND keep the insulation on in summer, we had from that beekeeper a rant telling all divisions of the Area Association to tell their memebers too remove ivy honey and feed fondant , not to insulated, to vent the crown boards and that if you insulate in summer your crown boards would rot and your honey ferment....i did not pass it on

Back to my question elsewhere "what benefit is there in the modules?"

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you have a link?

http://www.bee-craft.com/beekeeping/hangouts/

 

[Fatbee]

Mine rely on ivy because after I take my supers off at the end of the main flow usually end July or early August there is nothing else about much to forage until it comes in September; and I don't autumn feed so if it's not ivy theyre overwintering on I don't know what else.

 

[Erichalfbee]

yours is more readable though

The most qualified beekeeper in our Area Association (county) who has tried to become a Master Beekeeper but failed the AHA twice........

When Thorne's newsletter came out saying insulate the roof AND keep the insulation on in summer, we had from that beekeeper a rant telling all divisions of the Area Association to tell their memebers too remove ivy honey and feed fondant , not to insulated, to vent the crown boards and that if you insulate in summer your crown boards would rot and your honey ferment....i did not pass it on

Perhaps there is somebody sensible on the examination panel?

 

[Erichalfbee]

(I have two colonies out of 30 that do this) ......don't seem to use much of the granulated ivy honey and just lick the fluid from around the crystals before dumping the dry crystals on the floor (if you have OMF the sugar crystals drop through the mesh onto the ground or onto the insert if present)

That's really interesting. That is exactly what is happening under one of my colonies

 

[BrianO]

That's really interesting. That is exactly what is happening under one of my colonies

What about extracting ? melting out and mixing with water as a Spring stimulus feed ? Anyone ever tried ?

 

[casualman]

I live in the South i.e.Hampshire and rely on Ivy for building up winter stores. Never had problems (last 5 years) in the bees using it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

What about extracting ? melting out and mixing with water as a Spring stimulus feed ? Anyone ever tried ?

But if a waste of drawn brood comb when the bees will use the honey as it is. Uncap and spray with water for nucs.
As for spring stimulus they need pollen for that

 

[BrianO]

But if a waste of drawn brood comb when the bees will use the honey as it is. Uncap and spray with water for nucs.
As for spring stimulus they need pollen for that

Indeed , that was a post it fired out without engaging my Brain, note to self, Must Think first !

In relation to Pollen to start in Spring , absolutely, but nectar also required. Some subscribe to the Weak sugar solution to stimulate early spring development. Personally do not need it in my largest apiary as surrounded by Salix caprea, AKA Pussy Willow , providing a fantastic early nectar and Pollen source.