Happiness is...

[MapMan]

chewing the cappings from your first honey harvest! :):)

Wow, what a treat!

I harvested only seven frames from one of my hives started from a nuc - don't want to overdo it for a first-year hive. I had done a typical newbie thing - I put ten frames in the supers. In the future I will place nine or even eight, make the uncapping much easier.

This early harvest has yielded an exceptionally light, clear with a very, very minimal tinge of yellow (almost greenish cast) honey. The honey is very mild in flavor, with a lingering, minty aftertaste - I can still taste the mint five minutes later on the tip of my tongue. The best honey I have ever tasted, although I am a bit biased... Is this light honey a typical color for early harvested honeys? And, what do you think is the main nectar source - we have had a lot of dutch clover, Canadian thistle, and just lately basswood, although this wouldn't have been in this initial capped super.

MM

[Slabaugh Apiaries]

Congratulations on your first rewards,
The way you describe the taste, I would think you have some of the most sought after flavored honey in the mid west Dutch Clover!
I think you did the correct thing with starting with 10 frames. This will lay the foundation for the future. Your drawn frames can now be reinstalled with a equal spacing for 9 frames. I have found that if this process is not followed you will end up with a mess of burr comb and wasted all of your girls and your time.
Regards,
Danny Slabaugh

[Oldbee]

Hillsboro, WI. is located near some small rivers/lowland where Basswood would grow; you are lucky to have such a site. Basswood honey, according to some books does have a "minty" flavor. "Wow, what a treat!" I understand! The bees will draw out the cells [from 10 frame] longer if spaced 9 frames later.

[JohnK and Sheri]

Our early honey with Basswood is usually very light and sometimes has that "greenish" tinge.
Sheri

[Oldbee]

The flow from the clovers has been good but we need some rain now; it's getting pretty dry.

[MapMan]

Lesson 1: Avoid going near hives after the Amish neighbor's Jerseys get through the fence and into your yard. I knew they got out, because they were on the road in front of our place, then went to drink at the creek across the road. I wasn't going to herd them back to his pasture, because of their ornery bull snorting at me. I didn't know where they broke through the fence, however, until I simultaneously stepped in a fresh pie and pulled the inner cover off of the hive... They were mad!

Lesson 2: If you are only removing some frames...replace frames in honey supers as you take out capped frames of honey. I had taken the frames out less than two days ago and they had already formed some good-sized comb, and were daisy-chaining away on the inner cover. I'm a fool to think that I could easily put the frames back after I spun them out, in a day or two. Bees are industrious creatures!

At least the cows trimmed the grass and brush in front of the hives. And added fertilizer to boot (pun intended). Unfortunately, they trampled a good portion of my garden.

MM

MM

[MapMan]

Sheri -

I have another super which they are now just finishing off and capping, which I think is going to be a high amount of basswood, because it just finished blooming here a few days ago (got one large tree fifty feet from the hives). I think the first super was prior to the basswood flow, and most likely would be clover/alfalfa/thistle, etc., but I'm just guessing.

I'm going to pull some of the newer super, and extract it to see if it is different in color and flavor. I'll let you know what I determine. Golly - that honey sure tastes good!

MM

[JohnK and Sheri]

MM
Sorry about the garden, but Congrats on your first honey harvest, the honey is what it's all about!
Being able to better pinpoint the source of your honey is one of the benefits of taking a few supers (or just a few frames) off as they are filled. It also gives you a chance to get some great varietal honeys like Raspberry (one of my faves!), Basswood or Buckwheat. They bring a premium price at the market.

John might pull honey from 3 different yards 30 miles apart and it all sorta gets mixed in together in the hot room and during extracting. While it is mostly alfalfa/clover, the northern yards might have more basswood, the southern ones more raspberry etc.
Sheri

[tecumseh]

mapman sezs:
I harvested only seven frames from one of my hives started from a nuc - don't want to overdo it for a first-year hive. I had done a typical newbie thing - I put ten frames in the supers. In the future I will place nine or even eight, make the uncapping much easier.

teucmseh replies:
I typically draw out frames beginning with 10 and then reduce to 9 frames after the foundation is pulled. I have some boxs with eight frame spacers but really don't care for them much and will eventually remove and discard these (soom to be a significant hazard in the form of a small pile in front of my shop).

your very first crop of honey is ALWAYS the very best... ALWAYS. although the abc-xyz disagrees the newer (unblackened) comb always produces the lightest honey at this location.

[ScadsOBees]

Ahhhh that first taste!!! There is nothing like it.....
First time I extracted the minty/fruity smell was so strong it almost smelled like cough syrup. Sounds like the same as what I get on this side of the lake. From what I've read too, Basswood/Linden seems like the most likely source. It has been done blooming a couple of weeks now.

rick