Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: poka-bee on June 25, 2008, 12:08:16 pm
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Saw the 1st few blackberry flowers yesterday!! We are way behind from the cold, wet spring. The flow should last a long time here. Many mini climates, shade, deep shade, sun, high & low. I live in a valley, as does Sean K so they bloom later right here around the house, buds still very tight. 1/2 m away up the hill they are starting to bloom. We have acres, maybe miles of em within 1/2 mile in any direction so hopefully my bees will have enough honey to make it through the winter. They are the only thing ever set foot on this property that starved...everything else is quite well fed! Call my Manx Cat "my little dim sum" Jody
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I can sense your excitement in anticipation of the blackberry bloom. Ours has come and gone already and the plants are showing an abundance of many, many small berrylets; the bees have done their work and set the stage for our enjoyment, with plenty of beautiful, light colored honey and promises of pleasant hours of picking and eating the fruit. You learn to put of with the pain of being (endlessly) scratched.
I wish you and your bees a wonderful, prosperous year with many days of purple-stained lips.
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We've just finished the salmonberry bloom (which the bees loved) and are now picking buckets full of berries. Black raspberries started flowering about two weeks ago and blackberries started flowering about a week ago and the bees are all over them. The bees are also heavily working Salal right now. I love this time of year - lots of berries on the way.
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Our blackberry flow is over but we are just now reaping the benefits. My wife got 1/2 quart from one of the wild blackberry bushes. The others should be ripening over the next day or two. Each year since we have had bees, the blackberries have been better and better.
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We just pick a bucket of blackberries last weekend.
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We're already cutting back the vines here, but it was a good season. My plum tree is loaded down with ripe fruit now.
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the berries have formed here but still need to grow more and ripen.
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Saw the 1st few blackberry flowers yesterday!! We are way behind from the cold, wet spring. The flow should last a long time here. Many mini climates, shade, deep shade, sun, high & low. I live in a valley, as does Sean K so they bloom later right here around the house, buds still very tight. 1/2 m away up the hill they are starting to bloom. We have acres, maybe miles of em within 1/2 mile in any direction so hopefully my bees will have enough honey to make it through the winter. They are the only thing ever set foot on this property that starved...everything else is quite well fed! Call my Manx Cat "my little dim sum" Jody
Great, ain't it. I think I can stop feeding my starved bees once the blackberries kick in. Noticed a few flowers yesterday and today, with the temporary warm spell (5 consecuttive days forcast) of mostly sunny weather it should start a full flow this weekend.
BTW, I went to my Dentist yesterday, He lost a hive to starvation too. He described the same thing that happened to Sean and I.
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OK, for us newbies...I take it that the bees love blackberries? We have probably 10 or 12 "wild" bushes on our property. I say wild because they were here/planted by the previous owners and have pretty much done their own thing without us interferring.
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I take it that the bees love blackberries?
You betcha! You'll see higher yields for sure.
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Jody, I've been watching the blackberry blooms very closely coming down our hill and haven't noticed anything. The Thimble berries are in MAJOR bloom and have been for a few weeks but it looks like the bees are leaving them alone. My two old hives and the new swarm I caught the other day are truckin in something but not sure where it's coming from. Must be the clovers up top of the hill at old Art Kalin's farm.
Can't wait till the blackberries are in full bloom so I can finally toss on my Ross Round kit.
Got another call for a huge swarm at a honda dealership in Tacoma but didn't check my voicemail until this afternoon. I'm thinkin it's too late now. Just two more swarm calls and I'll have my apiary back. That's so weird Brian that your Dentist had the same issue! I'm gunna have to talk to my Doctor's assistant who's also a beek and see how his two hives turned out.
Sean Kelly
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My neighbor has blackberries... oh yum I love blackberries. But I don't have enough room for them on my property... :'(
Been thinking about trying to start some from seed and planting them in some of the over-grown patches of land around here, as wildlife feed if nothing else.
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SgtMaj I pull up, whack & burn tons..they are very invasive here!! If I get any little ones w roots whilst in destruction mode I'll save & send to you! No guarentee which type they will be. Seem to be 3 distinct types, little tiny tasty ones, huge juicy not so in intenlsly flavored, both with wider flatter leaves, not so serrated. My favorite is in the middle, have deeply serrated leaves, both juicy & flavorful. They are not as prevelent as the other 2. Jody
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Hey, guys -- there is a thread on transplanting over in the farming forum. Sgt ask your neighbor if you can have some of the young plants.
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,16316.0.html
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I'm right there with Jody, I couldn't imagine growing Blackberries on purpouse!!! Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have several native species of blackberries and a bunch that were imported and grow wild here and they're all a nuisance! But because of the HUGE abundance of these terrible plants, it's our main nectar flow here. Plus the berries are yummy.... so I guess they're not all that bad, as long as they're not invading my property. As a matter of fact, I need to break out the DR Mower today and get the ones behind my Apiary. Can barely stand behind my hives now without getting scratched.
Sean Kelly
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Blackberries are great. The bees love them, I love to eat them and if you don't want them in your field a brush hog will take care of them for a few years. I have yet to see a blackberry bush that is resistant to sharpened 3ft steel blades swinging at high speeds. My parents like having a couple patches around their lake; because water foul seem to like them as much as they do. Some years my mother and aunt get as much as 5-10 gallons of blackberries, freeze the excess, and make blackberry cobbler whenever there's a special occasion.
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Yep, we are beginning the blackberry flowering too. It should be well going in about another week. The blackberry flow usually begins around June 5 in my locale. That is pretty darn late. But there could be an advantage to a late flowering. The weather will be warmer, less likelihood of rain and the nectar should be flowing harder, my thoughts.
We have three species here too. The small little ones that grow on low, low vines out back. I've never bothered to pick their fruit, but they have been flowering for a good couple of weeks. Setting fruit now, that is weird.
I like both of the other species. The fatter, juicier ones, less seeds, and then the one with the really serrated leaf that comes about 2 weeks later, not as juicy berries, more seeds, but a totally different flavour. Bring on the blackberries and ice cream!!! Beautiful day in this great life. Cindi
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You have a DR Mower???OOOhhhh, I'm jealous! ;) All I have is a stubborn goat & pruning loppers.. :-x Jody
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You have a DR Mower???OOOhhhh, I'm jealous! ;) All I have is a stubborn goat & pruning loppers.. :-x Jody
Well..... I personally don't own one. A little white lie really. I just borrow either my dad's or grandpa's who both are neighbors.
Just went out and checked the blackberries in my back yard.... still no bloom. Seems really late. So much for global warming, right?!?! lol
Sean Kelly
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SgtMaj,
In our neck of the woods all you have to do is not mow an area for a month and blackberry bushes spring up! Never planted one in my life. Look along any rural roadside; you should see plenty! :)
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I'm right there with Jody, I couldn't imagine growing Blackberries on purpouse!!!
I can, they're called thornless. much easier on the picker. I'm eradicating the Hymalayans that were here (and everywhere) and growing thornless. BTW, my wife gave me a big thank you (whink, whink) when I brought the thornless ones home.
Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have several native species of blackberries and a bunch that were imported and grow wild here and they're all a nuisance! But because of the HUGE abundance of these terrible plants, it's our main nectar flow here. Plus the berries are yummy.... so I guess they're not all that bad, as long as they're not invading my property.
Give blackberry vine and inch and it takes over your whole yard.
As a matter of fact, I need to break out the DR Mower today and get the ones behind my Apiary. Can barely stand behind my hives now without getting scratched.
Sean Kelly
Pruning shears and chipper works well. Or I can lend you my goats.
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The small little ones that grow on low, low vines out back. I've never bothered to pick their fruit, but they have been flowering for a good couple of weeks.
Those are trailing blackberries and, IMO, they are the tastiest of all. Like wild strawberries, they are smaller and softer, but also have a better flavor. You just have to work a little harder for them.
We usually eat the trailing blackberries fresh and preserve or cook the himalayans and evergreens.
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We've absolutely loads of blackberries around the wetlands here. We gave up trying to harvest just one patch after around 4 or 5 (5-gal) buckets last year.
I went out and took some pics tonight after reading this thread. They've started blooming just about a week ago now. I'll try to get better pics that show the extent of the blackberries here...
For starters, they line the creek (birdsfoot trefoil also, the small yellow ones closer to the water):
(http://i27.tinypic.com/vdixkg.jpg)
All over the hill next to the terrace colonies:
(http://i30.tinypic.com/33xdhkk.jpg)
Some closer shots. This first one is so loaded up w/nectar she looks fat and translucent:
(http://i28.tinypic.com/f9obvp.jpg)
(http://i30.tinypic.com/332ndap.jpg)
(http://i27.tinypic.com/avo1dx.jpg)
(http://i27.tinypic.com/27xpc0n.jpg)
& off into the sunset...
(http://i31.tinypic.com/27x3wpt.jpg)
:)
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Beautiful pics Dane! I see the hives on the terrace are getting taller w/each set of pics! :-D Jody
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Beautiful pics Dane! I see the hives on the terrace are getting taller w/each set of pics! :-D Jody
Thanks Jody!
It's probably true.. more supers, down on the deck also:
(http://i25.tinypic.com/24ya39i.jpg)
though I am pulling them off as soon as they're capped & ready (harvest and replace). I like to do separate, seasonal harvests. Also helps me get through with less supers... I can usually shuffle three/hive (3rd one is capped and ready by the time 2nd is 7/9 full). I suspect our low humidity helps with the quick capping time. I'll be adding these soon/as-necessary though ~>
(http://i29.tinypic.com/2ug009x.jpg)
Cheers,
Dane
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OOhh MY, You have a yurt!! Do you put anything in there other than the bee stuff?? Do you do the extracting in there too? How big is it? Doesn't Franz have one too? Inquiring mind wants to know! What breed is your little dog? Sure is cute & such a beautiful color! Nosy in Buckley J
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OOhh MY, You have a yurt!! Do you put anything in there other than the bee stuff?? Do you do the extracting in there too? How big is it? Doesn't Franz have one too? Inquiring mind wants to know! What breed is your little dog? Sure is cute & such a beautiful color! Nosy in Buckley J
Hahaha - Ok, one q at a time!
Yes indeed, I do have a yurt. It is the honey house. It is mostly bee stuff for the moment (extractor, etc.,). It's a 30' tall wall model. Who is Franz? My doggie is a pharaoh hound. He's just over 4 years old now (he was a pup in my avatar pic) and weighs ~ 65lbs.
:)
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...Like wild strawberries, they are smaller and softer, but also have a better flavor...
Oh man, I forgot about wild strawberries!!! I remember picking those when I was a little kid. They were so hard to find and tiny! I havent seen one of those in ages. And those small trailing blackberries, my dad used to call them "mountain blackberries" and they also produced tiny berries that were awesome but few in numbers.
Dane, that last photo of the bee in the sunset comming off the blackberry flower is Amazing! We still doing that wallpaper contest? That should win 1st prize!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!
Sean Kelly
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Dane, oh what beautiful pictures, holy smokin' smokers. I love to see pictures that my forum friends take of their bees. I will be going to my Daughter's new house for a few days, I have myriads of pictures that I want to get internet friendly. I don't know if she will have her house router up and running so I may not be back on the forum until Wednesday morning of next week. But when I am back, watch out!!! I will have pictures coming out your ears for you all.
Dane, I remember speaking about your poooch and when I saw it in the picture it made my heart leap. I tried to recall the breed name, and I thought it was an Egyptian something or other and then you responded to Jody and told her it was a Pharoah.... Cool, sometimes I can bring things back through those cobwebs of my mind.
I will go out and take some pictures of the flat rambling "trailing blackberries"/"mountain blackberries" that Sean and Bill W. name-defined. I have never tried them, but I will take that time this year, the outback is covered in them, I noticed them a few days ago. Blackberries, strawberries and an angel's kiss in spring. Have that most beautiful and wonderfullest of days, Cindi
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Dane, dude seriously, you need to send that sunset pic to Bee Culture Magazine! That could totally go for a cover page! Do you have a larger image of this I can use as my background from my computer? Incredible!!!
Sean Kelly
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When I saw the Pharoah hound setting in the grass I first thought it was a Kangaroo.
BTW, Kangaroo is Australian aborigine for I don't understand. It seems an English explorer was trekking the outback, way back when Australia had 1st been discovered, when he saw what looked like a giant mouse hopping through the high grass. He asked a nearby native (who didn't understand English) what the animal was. The native replied, "Kanagroo." or more precisely, "I don't understand."
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Dane, oh what beautiful pictures, holy smokin' smokers. I love to see pictures that my forum friends take of their bees. I will be going to my Daughter's new house for a few days, I have myriads of pictures that I want to get internet friendly. I don't know if she will have her house router up and running so I may not be back on the forum until Wednesday morning of next week. But when I am back, watch out!!! I will have pictures coming out your ears for you all.
Thx Cindi!! Looking forward to seeing your photos. :)
Dane, dude seriously, you need to send that sunset pic to Bee Culture Magazine! That could totally go for a cover page! Do you have a larger image of this I can use as my background from my computer? Incredible!!!
Sean Kelly
Thanks Sean - I appreciate the kind words. Unfortunately I did not take that one (nor any others last evening) with high-res. You can see it a bit larger here ~> http://i31.tinypic.com/27x3wpt.jpg (http://i31.tinypic.com/27x3wpt.jpg) and I can also re-edit it from the original source to be a bit larger as well (I'll do it for ya if you want it as background and the other link is inadequate). I've actually had some of my photography in print previously, covers in fact and from this same camera. I have to capture at the absolute highest res it can produce and even then it is barely enough for print media (5.0MP & pixelation is the issue). Anyways - glad ya like that one & thanks again!
When I saw the Pharoah hound setting in the grass I first thought it was a Kangaroo.
Ha - he does look like a roo. That's his nickname sometimes... that and 'maggot'. ;) You should see him hunt the tall grass - pretty amazing. I sent him in there to chase away one of the neighborhood cats the other evening, or so I thought. After a noisy tussle that I could hear but not really see (reminded me of this clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9p5IVPr784)) he all a sudden came running out, foaming at the mouth... that is when the stench hit me... :shock: wow, I never had smelled a skunk "unload" before and was it ever over-powering... like burnt rubber and acrid milk, I could barely breathe and got the heck outta there! My dog barely got hit - must have been saved from all that tall grass (no straight line of fire). That was one stinky cat! hahaha
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Oh man, I forgot about wild strawberries!!! I remember picking those when I was a little kid. They were so hard to find and tiny! I havent seen one of those in ages.
Here you go - today's pick:
(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk185/billspamcan/Strawberries/straw1.jpg)
(http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk185/billspamcan/Strawberries/straw2.jpg)
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Those strawberries are yummy!!
Dane,
I also want that photo for my desktop. Can you send me the link also??
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Wow, wild strawberries!!! But I remember the ones here being smaller, like the size of a pea. Maybe it was just my childhood imagination. They look great though! I went looking for some out here today but couldn't find any or even remember where they grew.
Sean Kelly
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I used to have them in the pasture when I first moved in, Haley & the goats have eaten em all. I do have some similar small plants, they are beach strawberries that I put as ground cover by the pond. Boy, do they grow but I've never gone out & seen if they have berries, seen flowers..that will be on my list of things to do today. Mostly there for the birds & stuff +make a "green" barrier around the pond so dirty rainwater etc doesn't get in. Jody
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The trick to finding wild strawberries is to look very low in high grass. High grass keeps the other critters from eating them and the strawberries are generally found lower than the leaves. So, you find a patch of strawberry plants and then get down on your hands and knees and and sort through everything. If you look down on the strawberry leaves while standing, you'll almost never see a berry.
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bump!
So how did/is everyone's blackberry flow go/going? It seems like it's going away too fast here... still a lot of flowers but I think it's well past peak. I was expecting a lot more this year from the blackberries.
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Still just getting started here. We're right by the coast, so very mild temperatures and lots of water. The blackberries should be flowering well into August. We often are still picking the end of the blackberries in October. The bees are very happy.
Although I like my feral bees for other reasons, it is amazing how fast the Italians produce honey during the flow.
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the john deere and i go on blackberry kill missions every fall. they come back bigger and better each year! if i am to get any honey this year, it will be off those pesky blackberry bushes.
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I just spoted my first green blackberries today.
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Ours are just starting to flower strong. Kathy, I know how you feel. Now that I have bees I'm giving up on the ones by the road & up the driveway..think I'll just take hedge trimmers to em, tidy up a bit! Jody
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Dane and Bill W, I agree those are great pictures. I have not seen any blackberry blooms this year either wild or in my yard. Rose of Sharon, Spearmint and Dutch Clover, Butterfly Bush, Crepe Myrtles, Knockout Roses and some other bushes are still blooming strong though and you can smell the honey from about a hundred feet away when the breeze blows in the right direction. That picture of those supers in your honey house reminded me of that tonight. Thanks for a fragrant pleasant memory. Strawberries reminded me that I need to thaw and make some strawberry jam. A pleasant anticipation. Thanks!
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Dane, our blackberry flow has been going on for about a week now. Usually it is the beginning of June, it is one month or so late. Since the flow has began we have had wonderful sunshine, the bees are bringing in nectar like wildfire I would imagine. Last year during the entire blackberry flow we had bad weather and the bees couldn't even get out very much. There was massive talk amongst our Lower Mainland beekeepers about the lack of the blackberry flow. It hurt the industry significantly. Reports said that the honey production was down by about 50%. This year I think it is going to be a whopper!!!! First year that I can remember in some time that July has been this dry. Now I am starting to wonder if there may be a shortage of rain, which is very unusual here. We'll see, time will tell that tale. One of my colonies I had to give 2 supers too at the same time, they had drawn out so much comb and filled it, I should have supered them a few days before. But I had supered them that week before the inspection and within that week, the box (deep) was drawn and filled. I think this year I will have lots of honey. Again, time will tell that tale. Beautiful and most wonderful day, love our lives that are so worthy to be loved. Cindi
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Seems everyone's (in this general region) blackberries are really late. I guess that's it here too... I might have jumped the gun on worrying about the blackberry flow it's just that, this time last year, it was already going for quite awhile. I am seeing some green berries forming but there are also still loads of flowers. It could be it is still peaking and will keep producing for some time. I know the bees are still working them from early early till sunset (such long days this time of year).
& then...
... the purple loosestrife is just starting and all the other loads of nectar producers will be "on-line" soon too.
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Basically finished out here, but everything is finished out here. Too dry!!!!!
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Basically finished out here, but everything is finished out here. Too dry!!!!!
Annette, my AC stopped working yesterday evening for a little while, enough to make things really warm in the house, I cleaned the compressor fins and changed the airfilter and things are good now, but for about 3 hrs it was looking like I might have had to sleep over at my sis n law's or parent's house.
I can't believe y'all have been at 108f already, that's just crazy heat, are you crazy yet? :-D
...JP
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Basically finished out here, but everything is finished out here. Too dry!!!!!
Annette, my AC stopped working yesterday evening for a little while, enough to make things really warm in the house, I cleaned the compressor fins and changed the airfilter and things are good now, but for about 3 hrs it was looking like I might have had to sleep over at my sis n law's or parent's house.
I can't believe y'all have been at 108f already, that's just crazy heat, are you crazy yet? :-D
...JP
It finally broke yesterday and went down to 90. This is more normal for us this time of year. I was so out of it last week. I could not do anything and we do not have air conditioning, but a swamp cooler. They only bring the temp down about 15 degrees. I guess I will survive now.
Annette
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Basically finished out here, but everything is finished out here. Too dry!!!!!
Annette, my AC stopped working yesterday evening for a little while, enough to make things really warm in the house, I cleaned the compressor fins and changed the airfilter and things are good now, but for about 3 hrs it was looking like I might have had to sleep over at my sis n law's or parent's house.
I can't believe y'all have been at 108f already, that's just crazy heat, are you crazy yet? :-D
...JP
It finally broke yesterday and went down to 90. This is more normal for us this time of year. I was so out of it last week. I could not do anything and we do not have air conditioning, but a swamp cooler. They only bring the temp down about 15 degrees. I guess I will survive now.
Annette
What's a swamp cooler?
...JP
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These pads made of straw get soaked by sprinklers and a fan blows through them and makes it cooler. Many houses out here have them as they only really work when there is low humidity like we have. I do not think they could work back East. I first had one when I lived in Arizona.
They really work very well out here, except when the temps get way to high and some humidity comes into the air. This is actually what the bees do to keep the temps down inside the hive. They bring in water and throw it around and then fan their wings to make like a swamp cooler.
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These pads made of straw get soaked by sprinklers and a fan blows through them and makes it cooler. Many houses out here have them as they only really work when there is low humidity like we have. I do not think they could work back East. I first had one when I lived in Arizona.
They really work very well out here, except when the temps get way to high and some humidity comes into the air. This is actually what the bees do to keep the temps down inside the hive. They bring in water and throw it around and then fan their wings to make like a swamp cooler.
Thanks for the info, wouldn't work here then, too much humidity. I see why you wear the umbrella now!! :-D ;)
...JP
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Annette, I know about swamp coolers. When my Sister lived in Utah they had a swamp cooler. I always thought it was such an interesting name for some kind of air conditioner thingy. And I never realized what they actually were, and having your description was very, very cool, I love to know about stuff. What an interesting invention, eh?
Wow, when JP said your temps had got to 108F (42C) I had to look up what it was in celsius, because that is how I now judge temperatures. Canada went to metric many years ago, and I now actually think in metric for most things, except for body weight, stuff stuck on the pounds, no clue about body weight and kilograms. That is some smokin', smokin' hot, hot, hot!!! No wonder you were going nuts!!!! :'( ;) :) You say now that your temperatures have gone down to about 90F (32C). That is still pretty smokin' hot, in my mind. When we were at our Daughter's house last week, their temperatures were 32C and it was nasty, I found it way, way too hot for comfort, and loved to be inside their air conditioned house, hee, hee. We don't have air conditioning, would never want it. My doors and windows are open from the moment I get up in the summertime, until the moment we go to bed. We live in an area where even if we go out, we don't close our doors, they remain open at all times, except for our bedroom, which is locked with keyless entry. We haven't been broken into ever since we lived here. I think the open doors when we go out gives the appearance of someone being home, and then there are the dogs.....bless their souls!!!! ;) :) :) :) just try and get in....
Our average summertime temperatures are between 25-27C (77F to 80F). Yesterday it was very warm and got up to 29C (84F), really, really hot in my mind. Those are perfect summertime temperatures to me, any hotter and it is too hot. I feel for you all that have hotter temperatures than these. I really do. Oh rats!!! I am sorry, I am ramblin' and got way, way off topic.
The blackberry flow lasts for about one month's time, now that is alot of nectar to be sucked up and brought home. Alot....Sunshine ever since the flow has began, moisture that remains within the ground because of the climate. Well...that makes for a pretty good flow I would think. As said, last year the bees all missed most of this flow. The weather was rainy and too nasty for that entire flow month, almost. It was so bad. This year I bet there will be bumper crop honey harvest. Which would be nice. I have never got an awful lot of honey yet from my bees. Last year only about 4 gallons, the year before about the same and the year before that, the first year, about one gallon. Right.....which reminds me, I have to start a new topic because I have some very important questions about stuff....have that most wonderful, best day, that you can muster up. Cindi
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Yep, I know you leave the doors open Cindi, that's how I got in, it was so easy, and you know I love dogs, of course the treats I always keep with me were a big hit, had a cold one right in your living room with my dirty feet propped right up on the coffee table!!! :-D
...JP
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JP, that's it!!! You are officially named the brat of the universe!!! Imagine that, your dirty feet on my clean coffee table, eeks!!! Wishes of most beautiful and most wonderful of days. Cindi
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Swamp coolers would definitely not work in the South! lol... there's a big difference between heat in the South and in places like Cal, AZ, etc.. steam sauna vs dry sauna.
Well, shoot... it looks like I'm not going to be able to get a blackberry varietal harvest this year. The purple loosestrife is coming on strong already, same time as the blackberry. I was able to pull all the supers prior to the blackberry bloom (quite a decent pre-blackberry harvest btw) but, to no avail I suppose. I'll be able to distinguish some by taste.. and I do only harvest/bottle 2 supers at a time (18 frames) - no "mixing" - but those will go into the private reserves & everything going out will be "wildflower" by harvest month - should still taste awesome though. :-D
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Swamp coolers would definitely not work in the South! lol... there's a big difference between heat in the South and in places like Cal, AZ, etc.. steam sauna vs dry sauna.
Well, shoot... it looks like I'm not going to be able to get a blackberry varietal harvest this year. The purple loosestrife is coming on strong already, same time as the blackberry. I was able to pull all the supers prior to the blackberry bloom (quite a decent pre-blackberry harvest btw) but, to no avail I suppose. I'll be able to distinguish some by taste.. and I do only harvest/bottle 2 supers at a time (18 frames) - no "mixing" - but those will go into the private reserves & everything going out will be "wildflower" by harvest month - should still taste awesome though. :-D
Good luck with your harvest Scott!!! ;) I mean Dane.
...JP
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Swamp coolers would definitely not work in the South! lol... there's a big difference between heat in the South and in places like Cal, AZ, etc.. steam sauna vs dry sauna.
Well, shoot... it looks like I'm not going to be able to get a blackberry varietal harvest this year. The purple loosestrife is coming on strong already, same time as the blackberry. I was able to pull all the supers prior to the blackberry bloom (quite a decent pre-blackberry harvest btw) but, to no avail I suppose. I'll be able to distinguish some by taste.. and I do only harvest/bottle 2 supers at a time (18 frames) - no "mixing" - but those will go into the private reserves & everything going out will be "wildflower" by harvest month - should still taste awesome though. :-D
Good luck with your harvest Scott!!! ;) I mean Dane.
...JP
I told you, it's Mr. Luxury Yacht! ;) I've already pulled ~ 25-30 gals before the blackberry flow started. That was new but, last year, I had no established colonies - just NUC starters that had to draw comb out on the entire rest of 2 deeps. This season it's going to be 90% drawn comb (supers included).. been 100% drawn thus far but I might introduce some new frames before the season ends. I have a few supers line up for harvest every other day or so atm (doing the "super shuffle", lol).
How's the honey flowing down there now??
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Dane, (shhh, I won't tell, but glad I solved the mystery!!) I should be
harvesting now but have been resting up from the heat and hate to say it, been kinda lazy too.
Should do ok though, supers ready to be pulled.
...JP