It seems like I just got started and now Goldenrod is starting to bloom, almost 60 days after starting up the hives.
As general rule, should I expect roughly 1 more month of productivity (once goldenrod starts to bloom?)
On both hives I have added 3rd boxes and as of this morning they are starting on those frames with honey. They are at different stages, as one is much stronger than the other, but both 3rd levels are active.
Believe it or not even here in western PA the golden rod has started to bloom .... I think it is very very early for it.....
I have a few blooming right now also, think there are 3 types that grow in my neck of the woods at different times
We won't see it until Labor Day.
Wow! Goldenrod blooms here in October!
...JP
Yup..started blooming here a week ago..very very early....this year will certainly go down in history as one of the most challenging...
maybe this means a HUGE fall harvest.........
All those smelly stinky hives ........................ :)
2 weeks ago started to see some blooming now we just need wekly showers for a flow
Quote from: AllenF on July 31, 2011, 08:57:17 AM
All those smelly stinky hives ........................ :)
But with an undeniably delicious honey!
...JP
same here been in bloom for about 2 to 3 weeks. what a beautifulen site. got a huge feild next door loaded looks like a sea of yellow :-D just looked up golden rod never new there was so many species
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldenrod
Saw the first goldenrod blooming here yesterday!
I saw some today too along the road side and I thought "no, cant be", to early, I dont like it. We do have two kinds so I hope the other holds off till later like usual so I dont have to feed me bees in October. Been so dang hot, has to be the heat that made it pop cause everything has been late if anything.
Quote from: bee-nuts on August 01, 2011, 01:31:05 AM
I saw some today too along the road side and I thought "no, cant be", to early, I dont like it. We do have two kinds so I hope the other holds off till later like usual so I dont have to feed me bees in October. Been so dang hot, has to be the heat that made it pop cause everything has been late if anything.
Are you sure that might not have been Yellow Top or Butterweed? http://www.google.com/imgres?q=butterweed&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1919&bih=893&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&tbnid=S3pFRsmzNWfz6M:&imgrefurl=http://bobklips.com/earlymidjune2008.html&docid=s0ltNmjUt1kA8M&w=640&h=427&ei=Nsg2TozFH6ru0gH5zMiMDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1429&vpy=415&dur=369&hovh=182&hovw=272&tx=118&ty=102&page=1&tbnh=135&tbnw=178&start=0&ndsp=49&ved=1t:429,r:27,s:0 (http://www.google.com/imgres?q=butterweed&hl=en&client=safari&sa=X&rls=en&biw=1919&bih=893&tbm=isch&prmd=ivns&tbnid=S3pFRsmzNWfz6M:&imgrefurl=http://bobklips.com/earlymidjune2008.html&docid=s0ltNmjUt1kA8M&w=640&h=427&ei=Nsg2TozFH6ru0gH5zMiMDA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=1429&vpy=415&dur=369&hovh=182&hovw=272&tx=118&ty=102&page=1&tbnh=135&tbnw=178&start=0&ndsp=49&ved=1t:429,r:27,s:0)
...JP
I cant say no with 100% confidence but Im sure it was goldenrod. I will take a closer look next time I drive that stretch. I did not notice any in bloom by my yard three miles away yet.
I'm in Northern West Virginia(Pan handle) and we have had Goldenrod for about 2-3 weeks. I've been really scratching my head because I keep reading on this forum that it normally blooms in September/October. I've got some really good, light, almost clear honey on the supers now. Would you recommend harvesting that honey now and letting them build up for Winter on the goldenrod? I have had goldenrod honey before and it is tasty, but I'm imagining from it's color, that is is considered a lower grade honey? Thoughts??
Thanks!
Also, does anyone know about how long the goldenrod flow normally lasts?
Thanks!
Yeah, noticed some blooming yesterday, a few days after basswood was done, which wasn't so good this year likely due to the heat. We can have Goldenrod blooming well into October but this does seem early.
thomas
Quote from: Dimmsdale on August 01, 2011, 01:54:45 PM
I'm in Northern West Virginia(Pan handle) and we have had Goldenrod for about 2-3 weeks. I've been really scratching my head because I keep reading on this forum that it normally blooms in September/October. I've got some really good, light, almost clear honey on the supers now. Would you recommend harvesting that honey now and letting them build up for Winter on the goldenrod? I have had goldenrod honey before and it is tasty, but I'm imagining from it's color, that is is considered a lower grade honey? Thoughts??
Thanks!
Also, does anyone know about how long the goldenrod flow normally lasts?
Thanks!
If your bees are bringing in goldenrod your hives will have a distinct odor about them, very much like "sweaty socks". You can literally smell this from 10-15' away. Up close it will surprise you but the honey is very good.
...JP
Here, the yellow top blooms before our goldenrod does and I havent seen either. Maybe mid to late August for the yellow top.
jp, last year I had some golden rod honey I think, judging by the smell and it left an after taste like you had licked an old cow barn. the taste just made me think of the smell of an old cow milking barn. I thought it was AWFULL.
Just went and checked my hives and I still have a lot of uncapped nectar. Hope they get it capped soon. If it is not capped when I harvest what should I do with it?
Not sure what an old cow barn tastes like but I'll take your word for it! :-D
The goldenrod honey we get here in southeast Louisiana is to die for its so good and no after taste. I'm wondering if you have a different variety.
You can leave the uncapped on longer and see if they cap it. If most of it (75%) is capped it likely can be harvested. If concerned its not test with a refractometer.
You can always freeze it for later.
...JP
The smell is the only thing thats 'off' for me. I havent tasted a kind of honey yet that I didnt like.
Common for honey to have an odor when it is first put up. I have found that this 'odor' will go away as the honey cures out a bit.
I haven't seen any goldenrod blooming here so far. I still have drones in my hives. I do believe we'll have an early fall season, though.
Quote from: yockey5 on August 01, 2011, 07:46:37 PM
Common for honey to have an odor when it is first put up. I have found that this 'odor' will go away as the honey cures out a bit.
Its not the honey that has the odor its the hive in general that has the odor when goldenrod is coming in. It could even be goldenrod pollen giving off the odor, I'll investigate further when I go in this October.
...JP
"last year I had some golden rod honey I think, judging by the smell and it left an after taste like you had licked an old cow barn. the taste just made me think of the smell of an old cow milking barn. I thought it was AWFULL."
That make two of us. I got a flow off the golden last year. I had two honey's in my comb. One the outer portion of the frames with near white wax, and the latter, yellow wax cappings with the goldenrod honey. I extracted the all white first, then with my uncapping scratcher took the white capped honey first out of frames that were worth the effort. I filtered and bottled all the then extracted the rest. The golden granulated really fast. I opened some come spring and took a taste, not to bad, wait a second, oh my, what kinda crap is that, AWFULL! Thank goodness I tasted that before I gave any to my aunt to sell. I thought maybe it spoiled, so I tried some of the first stuff and it was fine.
I have heard many say its good honey, have read its bitter honey, have read this and that about it. Maybe it is the varity here but I sure the heck aint selling it to nobody. The bees can keep it. I have many jars of it that I will feed back to the bees this fall.
Quote from: kbee on July 31, 2011, 03:01:29 PM
same here been in bloom for about 2 to 3 weeks. what a beautifulen site. got a huge feild next door loaded looks like a sea of yellow :-D just looked up golden rod never new there was so many species
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldenrod
do you know how many species there are in NYS?
OK, will definitely savor our goldenrod honey on this end.
...JP
Yep just went out and hit the golf course today and the one hill side has the golden rod blooming....
Bees are coming in with lots of pollen from the golden rod here. Been blooming for over a week that I noticed.
Quote from: slacker361 on July 30, 2011, 02:27:50 PM
Believe it or not even here in western PA the golden rod has started to bloom .... I think it is very very early for it.....
Goldenrod started to bloom about the last week of July or the first week of August were I live in Massachusetts it been like this for for the lasts 50 years.
Just my $0.02
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)