Goldenrod Finally Here!!!

[TwT]

Well the goldenrod is finally starting to bloom and now I get to see what everybody was talking about, I get to judge for myself if it is a bad smelling odor, see what goldenrod honey taste like, been waiting along time to try some goldenrod honey, hope I can get a bunch of it.

[Todd Zeiner]

I just noticed the aroma of goldenrod around my hives here at home. I had a guy tell me it was the Aster that was smelling. Whatever it is, they are really going heavy with it.

[iddee]

TWT, I wish you luck. You can have it.

tzeiner,
If you get the idea that an animal died nearby a week ago, one neighbor has 300 gallons of mash fermenting, and 2 neighbors had pintos, boiled eggs and chili for supper the night before, you can be sure you have goldenrod coming in.

[power napper]

Pretty good description of aroma there iddee.

[ScadsOBees]

LOL I was trying to think of one thing that would describe it, but I think you nailed it with those 3...

I gotta think that the neighbors wonder what that smell is, although nobody has ever said anything about it. If they ask, I'll just tell them that I don't think it is the bodies because I buried them deep enough. :>

[ScadsOBees]

[The Honey House]

Ow Ow that smell.
Can't you smell that smell.

Starting to produce around here too.

[clintonbemrose]

I don't care about the smell. I have many customers waiting for it.
Golden rod has been happening here for a week and all I see are dollar signs. I even have a request for 25 pounds made up as spun honey. That mellows the taste. Try it you might like it.
Clint

[Aspera]

Tzeiner,

The guy you spoke with was probably correct. Goldenrod and asters (there are many species) often bloom together. Aster has a distinctive odor sometimes confused with foulbrood. In my area, aster will continue to bloom even after frost. Unfortunately, this honey can be difficult to harvest as it crystalizes in all but the cleanest jars. In PA, the goldenrod flow is so intense that it is possible to get goldenrod honey with very little aster nector (or odor). Morse wrote several nice pieces on his management system designed to maximize fall goldenrod honey without increasing broodnest size. He also commented that goldenrod was his favorite mead honey. I like it in a hoppy German style pils.

[uncletom]

:rolleyes:
I dont know what you people are talking about. Must be down there in dixie land you have something else you call goldenrod. Yes it has a very distictive aroma, but I love it! I wait each year for the enjoyment of standing amungst my hives and taking in the wonderful smell. To me it smells like honey, heck it IS honey to me.

You can have your orange blossoms, your buckweat and your tupilo (hell, i dont even know what tupilo is, saw a movie about it once) I'll keep the goldenrod.

I was worried this year, the 'rod blossomed on the first of august just like clockwork, but due to the drought, the bees didnt do nothing with it. Then came that big rain last week and just tonight I got to sip my Old Mil' well taking in the the aroma of the golden flow.

My own little slice of heaven on earth.

Keep'n my fingers crossed.

tom

[Todd Zeiner]

I've often wondered if you could locate those so highly sought after feral colonies by following your nose this time of the year. I have 300 acres of woods around my hives and I know there are feral bees around. Maybe I can find some of my swarms too!

[ekrouse]

Hey Uncletom,

Was it the lack of rain that delayed the harvest? I'm near you in Central New York and last year my hives made honey like crazy once the goldenrod bloomed. This year I didn't check on my hives for 3 weeks between mid-August and last weekend. I figured the hives would be busting at the seams with honey since the goldenrod was in full bloom. I was surprised to find almost no change. I didn't inspect them too deep so they may be backfilling the brood boxes. Another clue is that last year the bees were all dusted yellow with goldenrod pollen, but this year they only had a little yellow color. Biggest clue is that the goldenrod odor is not there.

[uncletom]

Ekrouse;
I believe that it was the lack of rain that delayed the goldenrod flow. I can remember past years where too little rain = too little honey and too much rain = too little honey.Generly speaking goldenrod is the only honey i get and i was disapointed last weekend when I check my hives. The aroma wasnt there and neither was the honey. However last night and the night before the aromas here and the bees are working like mad. I'm hoping for a good goldenrod crop. Last year i got over 700 lbs off 4 hives. This year I have 7 hives. incidently this year was the first in many that i took off any summer honey. got about 200 lbs of nice lite stuff. The area was just lousy with clover like i have never seen it before. Maybe the same drought was good ? I dont know.

[jim_R]

uncletom,

700 lbs from 4 hives - that's outstanding! I'm going out tomorrow to check on my wife's four hives and to see if they have any honey we can take. We put queen excluders on two out of the four hives, and it wasn't a good idea - very little activity above the excluder.

Like ekrouse, I never really noticed any smell to the hives last fall (other than beeswax) but we now have PLENTY of 'rod in full bloom. Yeah, we also noticed the goldenrod seemed really late this year.

Hey, where are you in Western NY? We have hives in Bergen.

Later,
Jim

[Mabe]

Ok, you guys have made me nervous now! I still have all my supers on my hives and the goldenrod is coming in like gangbusters. Have I totally adulterated my honey or will it be marvelous "mixed wildflower" honey? As you can guess, this will be my first extraction...6+ packed supers from 3 packages. Should I separate the harvest next year?

[Mabe]

Oh, forgot to add, I think the smell around the hives resembles buttery caramel sauce - It's pleasant to sit there in the evening sipping my glass of wine and smelling it. Is this going to change if they pack in more goldenrod?

[Aspera]

The buttery caramel (I describe it as "earthy") *IS* the goldenrod. Don't touch your hives! Just sit tight and watch the girls pack in some of the finest honey anywhere, along with enough pollen for any two hives. On a good goldenrod flow, a friend of mine once measured 8lbs of weight gain in a single hive (in <24 hours!)

[onlygoodSHBisdeadone]

TWT
Few months on the shelf will help take some of the bite from the taste that is if you can keep it from going crystal...lol

[notaclue]

I'm trying to figure out what kind of nectar I'm getting now. What kind of honey does goldenrod make? Light, dark, medium or varies with the conditions for that year?

[TwT]

I knew some love goldenrod honey and it is suppose to smell bad when thier storing it, but I just wanted to see what everyone is talking about, It hasnt bloomed out yet but it has bud's know so it shouldnt be to long now, I heard to put alot of supers on, I just hope its a good flow so they can store up for the winter with out me having to feed. but I cant wait to try it for myself.

[Ross]

Ours has been blooming for awhile, but it is so dry that they are not getting any nectar to speak of.

[uncletom]

Jim R,

Yes that was an extrodinary take last year.
I sure it was the best I ever had.

Im outside of falconer, in the southerntier. near Jamestown.

Was out and watched the hive for a few minutes a wile ago... So much activity! I hope for a repete.

tom