What have you done today bee-related?

[MickBBKA]

I understand 2 colonies/acre is req for good pollination, there was 400 acre here.
I am hoping to get on to sunflowers locally next year. Has anyone experience of those ?

[AdamD]

I've never seen sunflowers near me.

[NigelP]

Just finished extracting the last of my summer blossom honey today. Phew, that's one job over and done with for this year.
Tomorrow I go and see how the girls have done on the heather. Last I looked they were pouring it in, so expecting good things .
Year end is in sight....bring back heather honey, press out heather honey. Bring back hives to home apiaries.
Treat all hives for varroa and make preparations for winter feeding of thick syrup.
Will have to pop to wholesalers for a couple of hundred kilos of sugar.
Then time for a holiday. Yippee.

[NigelP]

If you really want to penny pinch on Sugar prices, Bookers are doing £25kg bags for £22.99.
Beats the supermarkets at around £1.06/kg.
Reckon I saved £28 today which will more than cover my diesel for 40 mile round trip. Plus I don't have 200 individual 1kg bags to deal with.

[NigelP]

Early morning start to bring back 8 hives on the heather, still plenty of heather in flower but it's not yielding much nectar now. Quite pleased, 8 hives gave me 21 supers of heather honey.
Now to extract it all.....

[MickBBKA]

I went to collect my colonies tonight from the buckwheat. Weather was insane. 40mph east winds, sea fret, blinding rain and mist. I couldn't see out of the mirrors and knocked the largest colony over reversing my truck up. Not sure how many stings I got putting them right but it was a lot. Down my wellies, through my suit, most I have ever had. Worst part was picking the hive up the stickies I had swapped on now feel heavy with even more honey

[JoJo36]

It will be all worth the pain when you jar that liquid gold Mick!!

[NigelP]

Lets hope they farmer does the same next year.....
Looks like my mate isn't growing any....at the moment.
What's the honey like? from what I've read it's supposed to be a very dark honey.

[MickBBKA]

Not sure if the land will be farmed again as its been bought by a wildlife trust and may be rewilded.
The honey is very dark and viscous. Tastes like medicine and smells like a farmyard muckheap.
I sold a fair bit at our local town carnival yesterday though. The smell is supposed to go after a while in the bucket

[NigelP]

Interesting.....with those credentials the description of the honey might be an issue