My hives are smelly a bit funky at the moment, a bit like old socks, I suspect it's the capeweed. Can anyone confirm this or offer a better explaination?
Sounds like what we call Golden Rod. That's what our hives smell like when the bees work it.
Jim
Yes I've seen where you guys use that description for the goldenrod. It made me laugh when I first read it but now it seems rather apt. No big goldenrod flows to sustain us at the end of the season but there are some good patches of capeweed around.
And goldenrod is a fall bloom, a little early for you down there.
Quote from: bernsad on October 04, 2012, 06:47:46 AM
My hives are smelly a bit funky at the moment, a bit like old socks, I suspect it's the capeweed. Can anyone confirm this or offer a better explaination?
dunno Ive heard you don't get much honey from it unless conditions are just right, and ive heard its nice honey/ its really starting to flower over here
I've heard a number of times that when the capeweed is flowering well it makes the bees swarm, and I never understood, or got the chance to ask, why. Finally found out at the last club meeting, it's because it's prolific with good pollen and nectar and provides a good opportunity to build colony numbers and induce swarming.
Trouble is - around here every man and his dog sprays the capeweed. :(
More Tasty?
Dont leave Capewed honey on the frames too long after it's capped. Candies quick and sets like concrete.
Quote from: Geoff on October 08, 2012, 05:21:53 PM
Dont leave Capewed honey on the frames too long after it's capped. Candies quick and sets like concrete.
Thanks for that Geoff. I don't know how much of it they're pulling in, when I checked a fortnight ago they didn't have much stores, seemed like they were using most of what they were bringing in. Certainly the population numbers are shooting up rapidly, the hives are very busy at the moment.
Say Geoff, you didn't answer my original question, since you seem to be familiar with capeweed honey, does it have a bit of a funky smell?
Sorry bernsad, I dont have a good sense of smell. The only things my nose seems to work on are foxes and red wine . Sounds a bit stupid but is fact. Looks like we will have a better year this way due to the wet season, not much capeweed putting its head up yet.