BBKA Forum

I've got a bit still uncapped and the flow is still on with the borage plantation still going strong- -I'd like to leave it on a bit longer
But I have lots of people harassing me for their orders.
Not the worst dilemma....

You'll often find that much uncapped is perfectly legal to to harvest and sell. Just check it out with a cheap refractometer first. I've take several supers off my hives that have gone to the moors , mainly uncapped and showing 17-19%,,,,,so back to the drudge of harvesting.

These frames are probably more than 95% capped and no nectar shaking out when turned upside down. Kept a few back to sell as honey comb and cut comb. More extracting today

Been extracting since the rape appeared but Not sure if this is the the norm for most folk ..in past seasons I would average around 60lb of honey from 4 supers..this year the bees seem to be cramming it in and over the past several extractions I am now getting 90lb of honey per four supers.

Rarely get less than 20lb a super and usually quite a bit more. It also depends very much on water content. A full super of 16% is going to weigh a fair bit more than one at 19%. You can notice it when lifting a bucket.

The flow is over and I am late starting extraction this year and it's a pain as honey is very thick and v-e-r-y s-l-o-w. A good amount from sweet chestnut which has done well in the warm weather this year.
I usually do 2 or 3 supers per colony in the first first round - taking the supers from the bottom - which allows a little more time for the higher supers to be sealed if they are not quite ready.

I am usually wanting to get varroa treatment on before now.

AdamD wrote: ↑

29 Jul 2022, 06:41

I am usually wanting to get varroa treatment on before now.

Blimey Adam, we have just taken bees to the moors where they will stay for another 5-6 weeks. Then we will treat for varroa, usually mid September up here.
Steady but slow flow at the moment, mainly clover , rosebay willow herb and some bramble still in flower. Balsam is out but bees not moved onto it yet as better nectar sources still available.

No moors for me. Bees have never gotten much in, during the second half of July and August - Ivy comes in reasonably well most years though.
There has been the occasional season with himalayan balsam coming in, but the area where I knew it existed has had it cut down in the past year. There was also a large field of rosebay willow herb a mile away. That's gone too!

Land here is very parched with fields being irrigated - my lawn is white and crispy under foot - so any small flowers with shallow roots are not going to yield much, I would guess.

The lack of forage increases the risk of robbing too - so colonies have both bees and wasps to contend with. Any hive that's opened gets instant interest from anything that's flying about, so inspections need to be quick. It's also definitely the season to put wet supers back on in the evening rather than the day-time.

AdamD wrote: ↑

29 Jul 2022, 06:41

I am usually wanting to get varroa treatment on before now.

Whats the best time for varroa treatment?

Depends on where you are and how you want to treat. Most of the thymol treatments need high temps, so if in south of England, now is good. Up in the frozen northern tundra we don't get our bees back from the moors until September so too cold for thymol. Apivar strips are my current choice and relatively temperature independence so can be applied at any time there isn't a flow on.