honey flow? Good or Bad?

[Honeybelle]

I harvested just 7 quarts of honey from 3 hives this year. I blame the low yield on the large amount of rain we've had in this area for the past few months. It started raining heavily just when the poplar was goining into peak bloom and the sourwood didn't yield much. Meanwhile the duing the long period of rain in early July I think the bees ate a good bit of the honey.

[dragonfly]

In my part of North Central Texas, it's been a poor year. Each of my hives has only filled about a medium super each. One of them is a little behind. We had a wonderful wet mild Winter, and I thought it would be a great wildflower bloom (main source of honey in this area). The Spring turned out to be really dry and we had about a third of the wildflowers we usually have, and they were stunted. The sumacs are blooming now, but I haven't seen a bee working it so far. I'm sure glad this is a hobby and not a business, lol.

[denise_ky]

I'll be lucky if I get 3 supers from my packages. My old mentor (I'm teaching him things now) has offered to sell me his quart jars at $5 a piece. I'll offer him more, but I doubt he'll take it.If I can keep the clientele I've established I'll be happy.
Denise

[Michael Bush]

I have one package that I took two splits from and it still filled up five mediums with brood and honey. It's a Carniolan queen.

I have a lot of two frame medium hives that I bought this spring and most are only up to four boxes now, although I split a lot of them too.

[Russ]

M.B. What is a 2 frame medium hive????????

[Michael Bush]

Sorry. I mistyped it. Two boxes high, medium depth hives.

There's a dearth right now and nothing coming in.

[scott_dixon]

BEEn,

That guy is me This is my first pumpkin crop at a mere 1/2 acre. I hope to get down something close to 5 acres next year. I know the bees help the pumpkins, as it takes quite a bit to pollinate one, but how well do the pumpkins pay the bees? I know the pumpkin flowers, which only bloom for 1/2 to 1 day, are some of the strongest smelling flowers I have ever... smelled. Would you think that would translate directly to nectar quantity?

Anyway, my bees are very grumpy right now, consuming syrup like no tomorrow and putting that right into comb production. I look at my pumpkins daily and hope they start to bloom soon.

[This message has been edited by scott_dixon (edited July 28, 2003).]

[mark williams]

Scott; Bees will starve to death on pumkin's.Watermelons also.>>>>Mark

[BEEn Stung]

Scott; I think pumpkins ar mostly a polen source.
Iowaman: You mention soybeans. Do they produce honey? Lot of them around here.
KY; The freezer idea sounds great however a hiv box won't fit in my freezer. I could put a couple frames in at a time but that would spill some honey and I would be sleeping in the doghouse with the mosquetos.
I put a couple suppers in t basement. Hopefully the ants and moths wil no find them there.

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Erwin

[Brandon Shaw]

Well, Just extracted some frames today...

Nine frames with a total of 30 lbs. of very light great tasting honey. I have three productive hives with a total of four supers left that just aren't quite capped off yet. One hive has started opening up prior sealed cells, and drawing the comb out further, interesting to look at these frames. Another hive continues to store honey at the bottom, but is starting to store honey at the top (good girls). I have to admit I was expecting a larger crop, but I'm still happy, considering they had to draw out most of their honey frames this year.

In case the other Iowa Beeman doesn't get back, Yes, Honey is made from soybeans. It's a mild amber honey.

[maggiebee]

Hey
The honey flow in Northern Georgia and western North Carolina never showed up. A lot of people got a little early clover but the sourwood never came.Most are removing excluders and trying to prevent or watch for starvation.This is my first year and I am learning a lot the hard way.My two hives are healthy and up to strength but have nt made an extra drop.Hope to do better in the fall or next year.

Mike Garitta

[WineMan]

I'm hoping for a soybean flow.....can't believe I actually would hope for soybean honey but guess it would be better than mostly empty supers. Its almost time to extract for the year.

[clintonbemrose]

We seem to be down in honey by almost 85% compared to last year. Sure hope the Goldenrod ends this year on a better note so we don't need to feed much. I think this was a loss of a year as far as honey goes here.
Clint

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Clinton Bemrose
just South of Lansing Michigan

[wjw777]

Hi Clinton,
Question? here in Ohio hasn't been very good either, the bees are hitting the dutch clover pretty good. you mentioned the goldenrod flow, don't or can't you get a super or two of honey for them and still have enough for the bees for winter. im planning and hoping and praying that it will be a strong flow for me as well as the bees, I winter in two deeps .we also have aster that flowers at the last part of the goldenrod flow and the bees hit it really hard and the flower doesn't die until the first real heavy frost. what is your thought buddy, or am i deceiving myself.
Walt

[Mitch]

Hi Walt
I like you am still waiting for some kind of flow here.I dont get it tho, alot of things like dutch clover, sweet clover and now soy beens are blooming and have been.It looks like the golden rod will come on and the clover will still be booming. This could be a good thing. I am thinking it is all the weather. The bees store some honey then it rains for 3 or 4 days ,so they move it down for food.I have taken off 6 frames of honey,very lite color and minty taste.
It has been a strange weather year for sure.i never have to mow my grass in july and most of august.Some one needs to have a long talk with mother nature LOL.
still waiting but am i just dreaming?
Bob

[swarm_trapper]

My bees just hit a great honey flow the best of the season just dont know where it came from

[loggermike]

Thanks to Whoever sent the rain that is now falling over calif.Im going to go out and just sit in it for awhile!

[wjw777]

Loggermike,
Glad your getting the rain now.As for going out and sitting in it. come here to Ohio and you'll drown over here if you tried it here in water logged Ohioooooomy.
walt

[loggermike]

hey Walt,
Ive heard there are places where it actually rains in the summer,but this sure isnt one of them.maybe some of our dry weather will shift your way.
---Mike

[WineMan]

It rained yesterday and rain is a possibility for the next 4-5 days. Managed to get a decent spell of dry weather before that though which let us catch the star thistle. At this point the major summer flows should be winding down. About the only chance for big flows that are left could be soybeans, alfalfa and goldenrod.

Will start pulling honey again in the middle of the week if there isnt a downpour. Hope the yields are better than when I pulled a few weeks ago. Honey appears to be about 50% capped versus about 25% when I pulled last time.