What are they doing that for??

gardeningfireman · September 08, 2011, 03:40:36 PM

I have a very strong hive that is two deeps and two med. supers. A week or so ago, I was going to harvest the lower med. super which was about 98% full, but only about half of it was capped. I waited until today to check again. The bees are eating it all!! Right now, that super is only about half full. There is literally acres and acres of goldenrod in bloom around me now. Why are they eating this honey instead of stocking up on all the goldenrod nectar? We have had a lot of rain this year, so I know there is plenty of nectar. I was REALLY looking forward to harvesting that super!

boca · September 08, 2011, 03:54:42 PM

Winter is approaching and the bees are preparing for it.
The broodnest is shrinking and they bring and cap the honey close to the nest. I think if there is still nectar coming into the hive, they probably don't eat the ripen honey, just making some order in their house.

gardeningfireman · September 08, 2011, 03:57:51 PM

All four boxes are loaded with bees. Do you think they are just moving the ripe honey down into the deeps? Wouldn't they just put the new nectar down there?

boca · September 08, 2011, 04:08:30 PM

Yep. I think your honey is going into the two bottom deeps.

Kathyp · September 08, 2011, 04:09:02 PM

a lot of rain does not equal a lot of nectar. we had a lot of rain. we had a lot of bloom. we had little honey. my suspicion is that the nectar was diluted and they used more of it than they normally would for brood. just my guess......

BlueBee · September 08, 2011, 04:20:22 PM

+1 on moving to the deeps and organizing for winter.

Lots of goldenrod up here too.

They could also be eating more now as well to keep warm, it's been fairly cool up here this past week.

BjornBee · September 09, 2011, 08:16:33 AM

You better hope they are using it to raise brood. Brood rearing uses a good bit of stores. You don't notice it in the spring as nectar is very heavy. Fall brood really makes an impact. Which is why I have given up on fall flows and fancy ideas of fall honey crops. I concentrate of brood rearing.

Scadsobees · September 09, 2011, 09:03:06 AM

I've heard of people getting supers of honey from the goldenrod harvest, never seen it myself.

I suspect that goldenrod isn't a great honey plant, that the volume of flowers makes up for the lack of nectar.

Plus, often in the later summer things start to dry out too, and the bees will eat through a super of honey. I more often hear about this in August, though.

And then there's what Bjorn said.

yockey5 · September 09, 2011, 11:45:28 AM

Goldenrod is a life-saver plant here. Not too much else when a flow is needed so badly. Now every year give a surplus due to the bees use for brood rearing, but it is there, .....and it is heavy if moisture is there, Goldenrod is also a very tasty honey after it has 'cured' in the hive for a few days.