The Urban Beekeeper Book & OSR

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Joined
Sep 27, 2012
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Location
Dublin ( South )
Hive Type
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Hi

On Hols to get my fix whilst away from my hives, just re read this book written by Steve Benbow, really enjoyed.

One thing I took from it was his intense dislike of the OSR monoculture and the associated bee foraging frenzy and resultant " Cabbage Honey "

Reading it and reasons for his dislike of same, it makes sense, though on thus forum there seem to be many advocates of this forage crop ??

Interested to hear opinions
 
He's entitled to his opinion but I'd choose OSR honey over the cr*p they sell in a supermarket any day of the year, cabbage honey or not.
 
What's not to like about OSR? A plentiful supply of pollen and nectar early in the season to help bee colonies build up tremendous growth. I really can't see why people get so down on it. Yes you have to draw it off quickly; and this year mine close to OSR made swarm preps earlier but you just have to be on top of your management.

And if you get some granulate in frames you have winter feed. And the honey is really nice! Think a lot of it is snobbery that bees should be foraging in wildflower meadows but for one I'm glad we have it grown.

You might see less OSR grown in future years because changes to the common agricultural policy will mean farmers have to have 3 crop rotations so the wheat, rape, wheat rotations so prevalent now will not be allowed. You might see more spring crops grown, and dare I say it more spring OSR....
 
Everyone that has tried my OSR honey has said how nice it is.

We aren't going to get away from the OSR crop in fact we will probably get more of it in the coming years due to the demand for bio diesel .
 
As far as I know my bees dont have access to it.
 
No but it's a fair bet that if there is any within a couple of miles they will be in it.
 
Nearest agriculteral land is at least 3 miles away in a straight line and the only place I have seen OSR being grown is about 5 miles. I am inclined to think that they forage on what they find well before they cover that kind of distance.
Gardens, parks, land which the council allow to grow wild during the summer, some marshland (ex gravel pits). I think one of the first things they find in the spring is the flowers on the middle of a piece of dual carriageway about 2 hundred yards from their hives.
 
What's not to like about OSR? A plentiful supply of pollen and nectar early in the season to help bee colonies build up tremendous growth. I really can't see why people get so down on it. Yes you have to draw it off quickly; and this year mine close to OSR made swarm preps earlier but you just have to be on top of your management.

And if you get some granulate in frames you have winter feed. And the honey is really nice! Think a lot of it is snobbery that bees should be foraging in wildflower meadows but for one I'm glad we have it grown.

You might see less OSR grown in future years because changes to the common agricultural policy will mean farmers have to have 3 crop rotations so the wheat, rape, wheat rotations so prevalent now will not be allowed. You might see more spring crops grown, and dare I say it more spring OSR....

Interesting, no not getting down on it, but am interested to hear of experiences, such as this
 
I have no OSR. I think my concern would be along the lines of almond-grove swarms we discussed a week or so ago. Huge colonies then a major dearth. The key is not the OSR per se but the monoculture, as I see it.
 
I tend to agree but the great British countryside tends to prevent too many dearths. Dandelions, sycamore, hawthorn are all potential alternatives when OSR begins to go over
 
Heard snippets of a cookery demonstration being given in the T'Asda tend at the Royal Welsh yesterday (I was with the ratchet man picking up the last of the hive straps he had - silly fool should've brough a bigger stock as he would have made a killing!!) And the chef (whoever he was) was extolling the use of rapeseed oil over other imported stuff and specifically buy British so all we need now is either Delia or the lard arse smack head (sorry, Nigella :drool5:) to promote that and farmers will strugggle to meet the demand
 
OSR crop is very valuable to beekeepers. If somebody does not like it, they should move their hives far away from fields. Most beekeepers however move hives to fields to get that yield.

Basic aroma in pure rape honey is mild but in mixtures it is very good.

Rape pollen has very good nutrition values.

I have harvested rape honey 40 years. The yield is often in 2 weeks 60 kg/hive. Some years it gives nothing.
 
.
In Finland the last rape fields are in best bloom just now, but temps are this week 25- 29C, rape does not like such weather.
 
Finman,
Do you get much spring sown rape in Finland? Is that is what is flowering with you know?

We get very little spring sown in UK (tends to be when autumn sowing fails in wet August/September)
 
Finman,
Do you get much spring sown rape in Finland? Is that is what is flowering with you know?

We get very little spring sown in UK (tends to be when autumn sowing fails in wet August/September)

We have some autumn sown. With my experience hives do not get much from fields. Weathers are usually too cold in those time. Flying days are few. This year my bees foraged it from distance of 2.5 km.

Spring sown blooms from 25.6-25.7 it is best summer here then and hives are in good shape.
Some varietes do not give nectar. Bees do not even visit there. Their flower is very small.
 
Cold springs here can restrict the ability for bees to work it but this year was a cracker so yields are high. The plentiful supply of rain we're getting along with warm conditions should hopefully see some good crop establishment when drilled in August for next year - although the wet summer will mean slugs may be a real issue. Hope not - my hives will be next to fifty acres next year.

I have heard anecdotedly that they don't work some spring crops of OSR so well but had put that down to competition from other foraging sources because spring sown is less and flowers when main summer flow is on. However, hadn't considered it may be due to variety. Thanks for your thoughts.
 
I have no OSR. I think my concern would be along the lines of almond-grove swarms we discussed a week or so ago. Huge colonies then a major dearth. The key is not the OSR per se but the monoculture, as I see it.

In my experience there is NO monoculture of OSR at least not in my area. There is a LOT of OSR grown but every field is surrounded by hedgerows that have Hawthorne, Blackthorn, brambles, Dandelions etc.
I will not deny that the Spring crop I take has a high percentage of OSR in it but the flavour of that mixed with some of the other flowers mentioned is pretty damn good imho.
Don't just take my word for it, ask the 2 Judges that awarded my softset Honey the top prize in the 2nd largest Honey show in the country.

Yes there is extra management and timing has to be right for taking the crop and I don't blame any beekeeper that either doesn't want to deal with OSR and it is simply not to their taste but I don't believe anyone whould put it down.
 
I tend to agree but the great British countryside tends to prevent too many dearths. Dandelions, sycamore, hawthorn are all potential alternatives when OSR begins to go over

In my experience there is NO monoculture of OSR at least not in my area. There is a LOT of OSR grown but every field is surrounded by hedgerows that have Hawthorne, Blackthorn, brambles, Dandelions etc.

Thank you both; that is REALLY instructive and bang goes a prejudice. I like learning. It leaves me ever more optimistic about the honeybee; I really think this swarmy year might be when they turn the corner into a more balanced relationship with varroa, 22 years on.
 
Also , anyone read this book , what did you think ?

Other books worth reading , like this , one persons sucessfull entertaining story of their beekeeping adventures ?
 

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