flow timing etc

[beecology]

Just a quick question or two, to gauge what people experience;

When do you find the main flow ends in most years?

What constitutes a good yield per hive, i.e what do you expect on average?

After splits, uniting and general faffing this year, I think will be lucky to get 50lb of honey (spread over 5 hives as things stand).

If rats hadn't have destroyed all my frames with drawn out combs last year, am sure it would have been much better.

 

[MuswellMetro]

in my north london apairy about mid July except a bit of distant Balsam

 

[Obee1]

in my north london apairy about mid July except a bit of distant Balsam

That's depressing. So the honey gathering is nearly done. Can't believe how fast the year goes when you're a beek.

 

[Fatbee]

For some reason my blackberry is a bit later round my apiary than elsewhere locally but usually done flow wise third week of July - probably be about that this year.

 

[enrico]

You can never tell. One year it can be over 100 lbs in hive and the next year they barely bring in anything. It depends so much on what is giving the nectar. In towns all year flowers help, in the country if a crop fails you have missed it. I have nothing in quantity but sycamore and lime. Sycamore failed this year and I am just seeing the lime open. If that failed the bees would cost me for sugar in the autumn. Then you get the hive that swarms a week before your main crop is due, boom, there goes the honey again! I try and AS before the lime and then combine just in time to make the most of it. But there are still years where eight hives may only bring 30 lbs. last year I added a nought to that easily! It all depends on so many things. No straight answers.....how long is a piece of string. All you can do is enjoy the good years and hope for more good than bad!
E

 

[Finman]

What constitutes a good yield per hive, i.e what do you expect on average?
.

There is no such average, when you nurse your bees. Yield comes from pastures and every one should know what flowers are yield flowers on foraging distance( 2km radius) Then weather, is it good for nectar production, and several good weeks.

Finally, are there too much hives sharing same pastures. IT means, that bees lick empty flowers. Bees visit so often that flowers do not make nectar for every minute.

5 bees/m² is too dense bee amount.

 

[gregior]

My main flow here is from the beginning of July (bramble,clover and willowherb) through to the end of August (balsam) I probably average 30 lbs per hive surplus in an average year,but managed 80 lbs last year ;=} This year is looking slightly above avg so far,probably looking at 40 lbs per hive average surplus.

 

[beecology]

thanks for replies folks, the clover and bramble are in abundance locally, but for various reasons, its not been an overly productive year.

Whatever honey crop I end up with though is a bonus.

 

[YorkshireBees]

I have just checked 2 colonies (in my lunch hour) They were Nucs I started in April and transferred to full hives just a month or so ago. I put a super on each that had some stores in to help them and they have now filled the supers to 60%!!!

Didn't really expect much honey from them this year but seems that a good flow has started!

It really is dependant on what forage is around and whether the weather is right during flowering!

 

[peteinwilts]

If the weather is warm, great clover crops can be had in September. The last 'great' September we had, mine were filling a super a week.

last year, my bees that sit near game cover were bringing in large amounts of mustard right through October.

For them it was great, but had to keep swapping full for empty supers even in late September.

I still have the excess.... it tastes disgusting! On the bright side, they don't need overwinter feeding.

 

[beecology]

If the weather is warm, great clover crops can be had in September. The last 'great' September we had, mine were filling a super a week.

last year, my bees that sit near game cover were bringing in large amounts of mustard right through October.

For them it was great, but had to keep swapping full for empty supers even in late September.

I still have the excess.... it tastes disgusting! On the bright side, they don't need overwinter feeding.

That made me chuckle

 

[dpearce4]

If the weather is warm, great clover crops can be had in September. The last 'great' September we had, mine were filling a super a week.

last year, my bees that sit near game cover were bringing in large amounts of mustard right through October.

For them it was great, but had to keep swapping full for empty supers even in late September.

I still have the excess.... it tastes disgusting! On the bright side, they don't need overwinter feeding.

As a suggestion why not use it for making honey mustard? then it wont matter what it tastes like you can say its been made with honey from a mustard crop mixed with mustard seeds. there is always a positive.

 

[peteinwilts]

As a suggestion why not use it for making honey mustard? then it wont matter what it tastes like you can say its been made with honey from a mustard crop mixed with mustard seeds. there is always a positive.

that's not a bad shout. I think it tastes like vegetable oil, so needs a good strong flavour to overpower it.

 

[BrianO]

f the weather is warm, great clover crops can be had in September. The last 'great' September we had, mine were filling a super a week.

last year, my bees that sit near game cover were bringing in large amounts of mustard right through October.

For them it was great, but had to keep swapping full for empty supers even in late September.

I still have the excess.... it tastes disgusting! On the bright side, they don't need overwinter feeding.

Ooops just started a thread similar... but suppose not the same as more on Urban flow. Anyway Pete Thanks !!! you have given me hope for a late flow, remember last year in Year 1 were pulling in some honey in september.

Heres hoping !

 

[peteinwilts]

indeed!

I am in a mild spot, with the prevailing winds blowing up the Bristol Channel.

I treat later than many, and feed later than many (where necessary). I try and avoid treating and medicating at the same time, but when they are piling in their own forage, I have little choice. It does not seem to make a lot of difference to the end results though.

Treating later allows me to catch the late flow if the weather allows (and the late swarms because people have fed too much, too early! )

So far, the weather has not caught me out with the late feeding, but if it ever does, I have a few hundred Kg fondant in reserve as a backup plan.