Honey bees

[CloverKnollFarms]

I harvest in the fall, after the fall flow. I've never understood harvesting before a dearth?

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Around here the fall flow is goldenrod and the honey smells like wet socks taken off a dog. It's bad.

I'm only going to take the extra.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Around here the fall flow is goldenrod and the honey smells like wet socks taken off a dog. It's bad.

I'm only going to take the extra.

We have lots of goldenrod too, and the smell from the hives, but the honey isn't negatively affected

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I'll pull a little goldenrod honey this fall and see how it is.

 

[Beeenvenue]

I harvest in the fall, after the fall flow. I've never understood harvesting before a dearth?

In north Texas we get a plant called “snow on the prairie” starting in august; dearth is basically July 4th-mid/late august or even September. You don’t want honey from that. At best it tastes “spicy” and bothers digestion. At worst it gives you a pretty bad set of digestive issues (it is listed as “mildly poisonous/irritant”). Best to leave it for winter stores and live with a single honey harvest.

Some people aren’t bothered and even get a taste for it but most stay far far away.

 

[Hoot Owl]

Ask at your local club about renting equipment, or does anyone do it for a small fee?
I started with a 3 frame extractor and buckets from the bakery at our local store. You should have food grade buckets for honey storage. You will also need something to remove the capping's. I have used a hot knife and other tools made for this. I have to admit I liked the fork style tool best as I did not end up with a lot of wax capping's.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

Who is getting ready to harvest? I'm going to get my harvesting equipment next week. Shortly after that I'll pull my supers and get me some honey! The spring flow is starting to peter out down here.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I won't harvest til October... But my acre of clover is blooming well, and my acre of buckwheat came in strong, so I'll have that for them to forage on during the summer and fall dearth.

I do have about 30 pounds to bottle from a cutout I did a month ago.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Transferred a colony from a cutout to their forever hive today. Wow they have taken off, considering what they lost during the cutout. Tons of comb building and honey stored!

Also, my buckwheat field has sprouted even in this drought and it's thick! In four weeks the bees will have that resource when everything else is going dormant