Wot....no honey?

[nickhugill]

Hello,
Has anyone else experienced a distinct lack of honey this year? My colonies didn’t really get going until May, as we were still getting snow and very low temperatures through most of April here in North Yorkshire. I moved four hives onto OSR in May mainly to help build the colonies back up but also to take advantage of a good honey flow.
The flowers have all but gone and not one single frame in any of the supers has even been drawn out, never mind filled with honey. I even double checked the hives to make sure I haven’t been looking after 200k wasps!

 

[enrico]

I'm struggling, but that is my own fault with a major queen hiccup when it mattered. No honey is capped, my hives are just beginning to get going but my main flow was at the end of July last year so there is hope! All my hives are just beginning to build at last.

 

[Beefriendly]

Hello,
Has anyone else experienced a distinct lack of honey this year? My colonies didn’t really get going until May, as we were still getting snow and very low temperatures through most of April here in North Yorkshire.!

You would need to tell us more about your colonies. Sizes-single/double brood, no of frames of brood- types of bees, hive types (wood-poly) etc. I live in North Yorkshire as well and it has been the latest start to a spring bee hive build up that I can recall. Also I see you give a coastal location at Robin Hoods Bay, coastal weather may not have good for you....look up some of the other threads where Mickbees and Millet talk about their very inclement coastal weather preventing foraging.
Further inland....East Of Kirby Moorside....I'm hearing that the local bees in my area have not done too well either, very little or no honey and many started swarming almost as soon as the rape flowered.
My exotics in poly hives have not done as well as previous years, spring collection is down about 30%, but overall I'm not complaining...it's been good. Still coming in albeit a little slower than it was now the rape has gone over.

 

[Millet]

You would need to tell us more about your colonies. Sizes-single/double brood, no of frames of brood- types of bees, hive types (wood-poly) etc. I live in North Yorkshire as well and it has been the latest start to a spring bee hive build up that I can recall. Also I see you give a coastal location at Robin Hoods Bay, coastal weather may not have good for you....look up some of the other threads where Mickbees and Millet talk about their very inclement coastal weather preventing foraging.
Further inland....East Of Kirby Moorside....I'm hearing that the local bees in my area have not done too well either, very little or no honey and many started swarming almost as soon as the rape flowered.
My exotics in poly hives have not done as well as previous years, spring collection is down about 30%, but overall I'm not complaining...it's been good. Still coming in albeit a little slower than it was now the rape has gone over.

Over three seasons i managed 15lb of honey from those mongrels in my location, this season i have 60+ lb and 3 supers waiting to be fully capped on the Danish hive and one each on the other two waiting to be capped.
From my personal experience it is 100% down to the quality of the Queens, after that we put the weather into the hands of the gods.

 

[For want of a better word]

This season I am already suffering from beekeepers back... the extractors can hardly keep up.... may even break the UK average of 42kg per colony.... I think it will all be over soon as the bramble is budding up early and the HB is already six foot high!

Agree we do have some very good quality queens !!!!

 

[Beefriendly]

Agree we do have some very good quality queens !!!!

My god you've gone to the dark side and bought some Buckfast queens...
Although I'd be changing your queen supplier if you only expect a 42kg hive average.

And yes Hoppy I'm yanking your chain...not being serious at all....

 

[Millet]

This season I am already suffering from beekeepers back... the extractors can hardly keep up.... may even break the UK average of 42kg per colony.... I think it will all be over soon as the bramble is budding up early and the HB is already six foot high!

Agree we do have some very good quality queens !!!!

Don't forget we are on about location also, we are on the not so pleasant North East coast.

 

[Eyeman]

This season I am already suffering from beekeepers back... the extractors can hardly keep up.... may even break the UK average of 42kg per colony.... I think it will all be over soon as the bramble is budding up early and the HB is already six foot high!

Agree we do have some very good quality queens !!!!

Think your talkling about Finland's average.

The survey by the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) revealed beekeepers in England produced an average of 11.8kg (26 lb) of honey per hive this year, down 1kg on last year

 

[Beefriendly]

we are on the not so pleasant North East coast.

Donkey droppings.....
The NE coast is spectacular and has some of the best blue flag (free of sewage) beaches in Europe. Surf beaches abound, Bamburgh, Whitby spring to mind from seeing the hoards of surfers who use them. But weather conditions can mean less flying days ( honey gathering days) per hive.

Now compare this to Cornwall where from the Wavelength (surfers forum last September) the following Cornish beaches were not to good to swim from.
Crooklets- Diffuse Polution
Summerleaze- Diffuse Polution & Sewage Discharge
Crackington Haven- Diffuse Polution
Polzeath- Diffuse Polution
Trevone- Diffuse Polution
Mawgan Porth- Sewage Discharge
Porth Beach- Diffuse Polution
Fistral Beach- Sewage Dishcharge
Crantock Beach- Sewage Dishcharge
St Agnes- Sewage Dishcharge
Porthtowan- Sewage Dishcharge
Godrevy- Sewage Dishcharge
Newlyn- Diffuse Polution
Polurrian Cove- Sewage Discharge
Porthallow- Diffuse Polution
Maenporth- Diffuse Polution
Gylly Beach- Sewage Dishcharge
Porthcrnnick- Diffuse Polution
Gorran Haven- Diffuse Polution
Portmellon- Diffuse Polution
Porthluney- Diffuse Polution
Par- Sewage Disharge
Polkerris- Diffuse Polution
Readymoney- Diffuse Polution
Looe- Diffuse Polution
Millendreath- Diffuse Polution
Seaton- Diffuse Polution
While sewage discharge refers to raw, untreated human sewage runoff, diffuse pollution refers to runoff from multiple, often unidentified sources. “When these sources combine,” explains SAS on their website, “they can often have a significant impact on water quality.

 

[madasafish]

I have extracted 66lbs so far this year - last year at this time nil. I have a futher 80-100lbs to extract. I have two colonies on six supers each,,Maximum last year was one with 4 supers..

I have some not very good colonies - and some used for anything but honey output - quuens and nucs, But overall it's been a wonderful start far betetr than anything I have seen in my 9 years of beekeeping. All weather related.

 

[nickhugill]

The colonies are single brood langstroth and a National with a brood and a half. The national and one of the Langstroths are very strong and I’m surprised I managed to stop them swarming. The other two colonies only had 5 or 6 frames of brood but the should have built up quite quickly which was one of the reasons why I took them to the OSR. The smaller colonies started to show signs of swarming so I made splits with them, hopefully the new queens should be laying around now. Hopefully the Heather will prove more successful in a month or so.

 

[Eyeman]

The colonies are single brood langstroth and a National with a brood and a half. The national and one of the Langstroths are very strong and I’m surprised I managed to stop them swarming. The other two colonies only had 5 or 6 frames of brood but the should have built up quite quickly which was one of the reasons why I took them to the OSR. The smaller colonies started to show signs of swarming so I made splits with them, hopefully the new queens should be laying around now. Hopefully the Heather will prove more successful in a month or so.

Do you have a lot of stores in the brood box? I've got a Buckfast that even likes to put stores in the bottom box of a double national- very naughty. My best production colonies are keeping their brood boxes light on stores, none in the bottom (unless I've move it there) and just a smattering ontop of a few frames in the top box.

 

[masterBK]

The land in my district is very sandy and with little rain over the past couple of months the plants are suffering from drought and although colonies are strong they are not bringing in very much nectar and in consequence have shown no interest in swarming. This is the first year in decades when the OSR has not yielded even though plenty arpound the apairy.

 

[Finman]

Do you have a lot of stores in the brood box? I've got a Buckfast that even likes to put stores in the bottom box of a double national- very naughty. My best production colonies are keeping their brood boxes light on stores, none in the bottom (unless I've move it there) and just a smattering ontop of a few frames in the top box.

If brood are up, there is then free space in lower box. Of course bees store nectar down. Nothing wrong in it. Crop is at least home. Queen must be tired, if it cannot lay in 2 boxes. Heavy ventilation keep lower box cool, and that may be reason why Queen does not lay in first box.


.

 

[Finman]

.
To get off the honey / nectar from lower box, swap the double brood. Set up size of ventilation.

 

[Eyeman]

If brood are up, there is then free space in lower box. Of course bees store nectar down. Nothing wrong in it. Crop is at least home. Queen must be tired, if it cannot lay in 2 boxes. Heavy ventilation keep lower box cool, and that may be reason why Queen does not lay in first box.


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A lot 'wrong in it ' if you expect honey to be stored in your supers. Not talking about a congested colony with no room for stores except in lower brood box. Maybe that's what you expect in Finland?

 

[Finman]

A lot 'wrong in it ' if you expect honey to be stored in your supers. Not talking about a congested colony with no room for stores except in lower brood box. Maybe that's what you expect in Finland?

They will store it in supers. They ripen it first.

My hives have such cases just now a lot. Bees will lift honey up when I give more super space. Bees store nectar into brood combs too. Nothing wrong in it.

They do so in Finland. Same bees and same hives.

I am worried if this does not happen. IT belongs to flow.

 

[For want of a better word]

Think your talkling about Finland's average.

Beefarmer's reported 27 kg per colony UK average... ( ?2016 returns)

Finman "works " his bees for honey... that's what factory farming can do

 

[mbc]

This is by far my best spring crop this century, here in wet west Wales there's still good ground moisture and everything seems poised for a summer flow commencing in the next week. (Touch wood, cross fingers, kiss blarny stone etc. )

 

[Finman]

Beefarmer's reported 27 kg per colony UK average... ( ?2016 returns)

:

One langstroth box.
.