Knapweed / Star thistle Honey Over Flow

billdean · August 06, 2016, 12:25:10 AM

My hives are doing very well for first year packaged bees. I have 3 and 4 supers on each of my hives now. I took a look a the supers today and they are completely full of honey but they are not capped yet. I did get 8 frames of honey but most was not capped. I have Spotted Knapweed or Star thistle that has been blooming for about 3 weeks and still going strong. I would like to extract all the supers now as the golden rod is starting up but not sure if I can, do to them not being capped. I have 3 medium brood boxes on each hive plum full of honey all so. I believe I have at least 100 pounds of honey on each hive that I need to extract. I am out of boxes. What should I do? Wait for them to be capped or extract?

divemaster1963 · August 06, 2016, 12:58:59 AM

If you can pull a frame and shake it lightly and the honey does not pop out its OK to pull. And extract. Do you have a honey refractometer? Check the water content. 17-18% is good to go. If it's higher. Just strain it slowly from one bucket to another act just about a drip in a low humidity room or romm with a dehumidifier to be the water content down. The shaking method is a good indicator.

Good luck and congrats on the havest.

When they bring in goldenrod you will know. It will smell like dirty sweaty socks around the hives. Leave it for the winter and pull it in the spring just before flow starts. Goldenrod honey is great and does not smell if after over wintered.

John

BeeMaster2 · August 06, 2016, 07:51:57 AM

Billdean,
I have been having the same problem for a few years. This year instead of not pulling the uncapped frames (2 weeks after the flow had mostly stopped) I did the shake test. Most passed, only about 3 did not. I tested a few of them and found that the capped honey was around 16.5% and the uncapped honey was around 17.5%. I mixed it all together and it ended up at 17.5%. There must have been a few frames that were a little higher.
I will take 17.5% all day long.
Jim

billdean · August 06, 2016, 11:24:46 PM

I did order a refractometer from Brushy Mountain today. When it gets here I will check the honey, or by then maybe they will have capped everything. These bees are getting to be a lot of work. Now........what am I going to do with all this honey.

cao · August 06, 2016, 11:28:46 PM

> Now........what am I going to do with all this honey.

I think you can find a use for it.

divemaster1963 · August 06, 2016, 11:37:59 PM

Never had that problem. Let your law involvement people know how u have it. They wipe me out of almost all mine. They use it to cut down there alligies so they don't take sudified. Makes them sleepy. They local flea markets, farmers market, and mom and pop stores. You'll have more demand than product. Just cutt the resellers a good deal and retail yours at the same price point. I make deals in writing.

John

JackM · August 07, 2016, 08:48:31 AM

Hmmm, not to run off topic, but Knapweed is very toxic to horses in particular. Is the nectar/honey toxic to humans?

GSF · August 08, 2016, 08:31:55 AM

Jack, I can't answer that, but I will anyway :) In the plant kingdom some plants have toxic leaves but the fruit is okay. Or one part of the plant is toxic and another isn't.

billdean, Awesome!!! ditto divemaster's comment. My son works with the Fire Department and he sells the heck out of my honey. Also some of the local fruit/produce stands will buy large quantities. Take a half pint jar with honey in it and give to the manager of these produce stands/feed stores. Explain the difference of your honey and store bought honey. It'll usually sell itself. One produce stand I've sold 4 cases of quarts and six cases of pints. Another one up the road is wanting 1 case of quarts and 3-4 cases of pints.