Honey harvest results for 2009

TwT · July 11, 2009, 06:48:12 PM

well with all the rain I didn't get about 1/4 of what I thought I would, I left every hive with some honey because I never take frames with brood but I only got this year was 23 gallons, bad honey year!!!! now I am raising queens and feeding.... How did all of yaw do????

Davepeg · July 12, 2009, 09:26:58 AM

Since we only pull honey for friends and family, it's hard to tell if the honey flow is more or less than normal. We have had so much rain, I was concerned the bees would not produce enough honey for themselves. We checked the hives a few weeks ago, and were surprised to see quite a bit of honey stored. I did pull about 10 frames for honey.
Whenever the sun shines - the girls are busy bringing in the pollen. I'll check later this week. We did add a honey shallow to one hive (we have 6 hives).

bassman1977 · July 12, 2009, 10:10:19 AM

Because of the rain, the bees were only able to get out to get nectar for themselves. The dandelions came out early spring, but the foraging got rained on. Clover took a while to come out compared to previous years. It finally came out once the rain stopped. It's been out for at least a month or so and no end in site. Once dry supers are about full and will be harvested soon.

papabear · July 12, 2009, 10:52:24 AM

I am Blessed, I pulled about 15 to 16 gals off two hives and plan on getting more in the fall. :-D

alfred · July 12, 2009, 11:28:35 AM

I guess that I am confused here. Are you folks saying that it is the end of the season for you? I probably won't even think about pulling off supers till late august or sept. I am still putting them on. I would assume that your season would be similar if not longer being as most of you live in milder lower climates than me?

asprince · July 12, 2009, 11:56:28 AM

Since most of my apiary is now mobile (on trailers), I can follow the flow.... canola, clover, black berries, privet, squash, watermelons, and now sunflowers and cotton. Have harvested about 20 gallons so far and about that much yet to be pulled.

Steve

JP · July 12, 2009, 12:09:42 PM

Ain't done yet. Still more to pull and then there is the fall flow.

...JP

trapperbob · July 12, 2009, 01:12:01 PM

So far 15 gallons and they are working on 9 more supers yet and they dont seem to be slowing down I checked them yesterday and they seem to be working harder now than when the sweet clover was booming there is some sweet clover still blooming but almost gone. Can't figure out what they are working but it looks like they can't get it in the hives fast enough. It's funny to watch them tumbling over each other while trying to get in and out of the hive.

bassman1977 · July 12, 2009, 02:11:36 PM

QuoteI guess that I am confused here. Are you folks saying that it is the end of the season for you? I probably won't even think about pulling off supers till late august or sept. I am still putting them on. I would assume that your season would be similar if not longer being as most of you live in milder lower climates than me?

Not at all. I try to time when I pull my supers depending on the dominant flow. Clover is on now so I will pull in a few days since the clover is drying up. Various wild flowers will be out soon after and once that's done, I will pull again. Same goes for dandelion in the spring and goldenrod in the fall. If the flows are not good...I will just keep the supers piling up until the supers are full. So far I haven't had any issues with a flow not filling my supers completely. Either it filled them completely or it hasn't filled them at all (in the case of this spring's dandelion). I put 4 medium supers (9 frames spaced out) on each hive I plan on getting honey from.

joker1656 · July 12, 2009, 03:14:54 PM

I snuck a comb honey super off. Other than that, still waiting for my hives to get themselves taken care of. We still have the major soybean flow to come, so I am hoping to at least get enough honey to supply our family needs. :-D

Kathyp · July 12, 2009, 03:20:49 PM

doesn't look to good so far. in the height of the blackberry flow and they don't even have enough put away for the winter. massive amounts of brood! i'll be lucky to pull 20 pounds off a couple of hives.

looked like a promising year and i have no clue what happened.

Cossack · July 12, 2009, 05:57:49 PM

I just pulled 10 supers and only got 25 gallons of honey. We have had alot of rain and cool summer so far.

Hopefully we will fair better in the second nectar flow.

I will pull them again in end of August.

heaflaw · July 12, 2009, 06:30:03 PM

I got about 1/4 of what I usually harvest. My flow is over, but I may get a few more gallons if it rains for clover & soybeans produce and I feed sugar water to replace what I take. Too many rainy days this spring. Also, far fewer swarms than usual.

Patrick · July 15, 2009, 05:13:30 PM

Had a record spring with a nice batch of avacado honey, but so far the summer crop is slow. Which is unusual given that my populations and over all health is good.
Cheers,
Patrick

applebwoi · July 20, 2009, 12:32:00 AM

About 23 gallons so far. My spring harvest was really reduced due to a late freeze at the end of March. I'll collect once more at the end of August.

qa33010 · July 20, 2009, 02:38:52 AM

Two hives trying to starve and the others are doing good. Friend of mine is busy extracting now.

bassman1977 · July 20, 2009, 09:13:35 AM

Pulled 30 gallons from 8 mediums (more like 7 mediums since the end frames were usually empty) and 1 deep. Flow is still on so there will be more where that came from plus goldenrod in a couple months.

wetland bee · July 21, 2009, 10:05:35 PM

I hope for 60 lb avg per hive.I got 70 this year. drought has started now. hoping for rain by 1st week of August.

BruinnieBear · July 31, 2009, 02:19:40 PM

None, yet! First year beek from packages. I've decided to concentrate on comb production and feed, feed ,feed so they don't burn the winter stores. Maybe fall will be kinder, but right now they're a comb manufacturing plant for next year's supers.

BB

MustbeeNuts · August 04, 2009, 03:37:51 PM

no idea yet but it looks like a fiarly low year, maybe 9 supers, haven't started to pull yet, I wait till the end of the year, and keep piling them on till then, we still ahve a small flow going on and goldenrod is soon to start. plus waiting on an out yard to start to produce soy beans yet. also kinda dry here.