Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: LSBees on October 19, 2009, 07:50:30 PM

Title: Honey Production
Post by: LSBees on October 19, 2009, 07:50:30 PM
Why is Honey Production so high in the cold northern states? Looking at the top you have the Dakota's North and South, you also see Minnesota, Nebraska and Idaho. What makes those area so good for honey production while warmer states like Missouri to the south doesnt even make the list?
Title: Re: Honey Production
Post by: Highlandsfreedom on October 19, 2009, 08:21:54 PM
You know how we do it here in the north .....work work work..... lol  No just kidding  I bet its due to the fact that the girls know they need to store more for our colder winters.  Thats my guess oh yah and the working part too.. :-D
Title: Re: Honey Production
Post by: David LaFerney on October 19, 2009, 11:59:12 PM
I read that it's because of favorable nectar flows from soybeans, and other agriculture.
Title: Re: Honey Production
Post by: LSBees on October 20, 2009, 12:15:00 PM
Thanks
Title: Re: Honey Production
Post by: beehappy1950 on October 26, 2009, 12:14:39 AM
I am not sure why, but I lived in Oklahoma and Texas and then moved to Minnesota and in the summer down south it is so hot you cant get many flowers to grow. Up here we have a honey flow on all warm days. Wernt many of them this year but still got 300 off of 6 hives and left enough for the bees. We have lots of wild fruit plus willows in spring and then flowers all year long.
Title: Re: Honey Production
Post by: Tucker1 on October 26, 2009, 12:55:16 AM
It's funny that this topic came up.  I had just read in "The Hive and the Honey Bee" the following: "The United States and Canada together have about 5 million hives, with the average honey yield per hive of about 40 pounds in the United States and 140 pounds in Canada - the highest national average in the world." (page 19, bottom paragraph, Eva Crane, 2008 printing).  Perhaps, I've read this wrong, but it sure looks like our good friends to the north both know how to play hockey extremely well and are experts at keeping bees.

Is this an error or is this correct?

Regards,
Tucker1
Title: Re: Honey Production
Post by: luvin honey on October 26, 2009, 11:56:12 AM
Wowza!! I wonder if this is for the long, cold winter, or is that what remains AFTER the bees have overwintered? You know what I mean? Maybe the bees make that much honey but also use that much, and the beek would only get that high of a production if he/she fed like crazy...