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Author Topic: Autumn honey  (Read 12075 times)

Offline Tugboat

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Autumn honey
« on: May 20, 2012, 04:30:29 am »
Hi everyone, I have 7 hives in state forest on the mid north coast of NSW. I went out last weekend to pack them down for winter and they've loaded the supers with honey in only 3 weeks! (I think it's stringybark) Last check there was none (bad season with all the rain.) I'm wondering if I could take half this honey off or should I leave it? There is always something in flower, whether it be weeds or trees, pretty much all year. What do you all think?
Also, Has anyone ever done splits this time of year? Thanks Ray

Offline rawfind

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2012, 04:38:26 am »
Hi everyone, I have 7 hives in state forest on the mid north coast of NSW. I went out last weekend to pack them down for winter and they've loaded the supers with honey in only 3 weeks! (I think it's stringybark) Last check there was none (bad season with all the rain.) I'm wondering if I could take half this honey off or should I leave it? There is always something in flower, whether it be weeds or trees, pretty much all year. What do you all think?
Also, Has anyone ever done splits this time of year? Thanks Ray

I quite believe your late flow, over here theres heaps in flower right now, not sure if its confused and flowering early or if its supposed to flower now..... im not sure what the rules of thumb is on leaving some for them how much is there? are they doubled up? ive heard top box for me bottom box for them before.

Offline Wonga

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2012, 04:56:55 am »
I'm getting a late flow too, here in lower Blue Mountains, although not as strong as yours sounds. I've got a few days off coming up and I'm going to take some honey, a week out from official start of winter - days are still warm, and it will still leave them plenty.

Offline ShaneJ

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2012, 08:46:48 am »
Same here. All my hives are full. I will probably rob them next weekend if no rain next weekend.
Shane

Offline rawfind

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2012, 09:02:02 am »
I'm getting a late flow too, here in lower Blue Mountains, although not as strong as yours sounds. I've got a few days off coming up and I'm going to take some honey, a week out from official start of winter - days are still warm, and it will still leave them plenty.

Havnt checked the ones at home in over 3 weeks im still wainting for a nice day it donmt seem to be coming, but the bees where bunched up at the entrance today trying to get in and out it was really busy and lots of pollen coming in too.

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2012, 02:17:06 am »
I wen't and inspected my hives on the weekend! all of the doubles were crammed with honey! although tempting to take some off I opted to leave it on - I'd sooner they have too much through winter than not enough. If they don't use it all then whatever they don't use will still be there for you to take off in spring

Offline Johnny253

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2012, 12:23:58 pm »
Assuming that it hasn't candied OzBuzz. I'd be worried that the cold weather would make it candy and impossible to extract.

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2012, 07:15:12 pm »
If its going to candy in a hive at 30oC + then it will definitely candy in a 20kg drum in your unheated garage... As I said though its my personal preference - it doesn't make it right. I just know how volatile the weather can be here and I don't want to run the risk of them dying out and I want good population for that first flow and any pollination opportunities I might get

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2012, 07:16:59 pm »
Does Stringy candy easily?

Offline lilyfrog

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #9 on: May 23, 2012, 08:43:11 am »
There are good flows on at the present, late yes, but very ample,
I have a fallback sites when my flow stops, but I have not had to work the coastal strip yet this year.
 
« Last Edit: May 24, 2012, 08:04:26 am by lilyfrog »
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Offline rawfind

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2012, 06:09:21 am »
I wen't and inspected my hives on the weekend! all of the doubles were crammed with honey! although tempting to take some off I opted to leave it on - I'd sooner they have too much through winter than not enough. If they don't use it all then whatever they don't use will still be there for you to take off in spring

Im with you Daniel , i checked mine the other day plenty in there but since im stressing on how much to take or leave ill just leave it all and worry about it in spring if i have any flower left, it all seems to be flowering now, i think it could be too early.

Offline Lord Viykor

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #11 on: May 27, 2012, 05:31:16 am »
I'm going to rob mine in the next couple of weeks, both supers are full of capped off frames.

Need to borrow the extracting gear from the bee club, this will be the first time I've ever extracted so it could be interesting.

Offline gleno

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #12 on: May 27, 2012, 06:19:13 am »
Hi ... just a newbee of 18 months in keeping, have had a lot of nectar flow from spotted gum of late.  Last weekend harvested just over 30 kg from 2.5 supers on 2 hives and notice that spotted gum (very nearby bush) gives a very bright yellow cappings wax.

Offline lilyfrog

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #13 on: May 29, 2012, 08:00:04 am »
Those on the northside of Brissy / sunshine coast, there is great paperbark bloom at the moment between bribie & forest glen turn off. I went to look at my bees on macadamia up the coast sunday arvo and the nuts are all but done, but was blown away with the paperbark, so I did some door knocking and found 2 sites, one near aussie world and one near the poultry farm just before bribie, so I moved my sunny coast bees last night (monday), fingers crossed the girls find great flow.
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Offline bernsad

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2012, 08:22:04 am »
Hi Lilyfrog,

I'm kinda new to this doorknocking thing, do you just ask them if you can prop for a few weeks or do you offer a bit of honey or rent or, what's the deal?

Offline lilyfrog

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #15 on: May 29, 2012, 08:48:46 am »
I generally look for a farm or some old folks, and go in, I tell them I am a local beekeeper and I am looking for somewhere to place some hives. I do move my hives regularly, I noticed that there is some nice florals around atm, would you mind if I dropped some hives in your yard?

you get knock backs, some are interested, some want you to keep coming back, and one lady calls me every week to say what is flowering locally,

I give them some honey, I offer to give them X honey depending how long my hives are there. some people just want enough for them to eat, others want a 4-5 kg or more each time i rob hives on their property.

if i am going to keep going back there I leave a test hive, that lets me know what is happening, once it starts building in reserves, the other hives come for a visit also.

you will get your own style, and you will be able to read people before you even knock on the door.

its not rocket science, but first time, be prepard to spend some time and have a coffee and a chat, and you will get better results

cheers
Mark

 
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Offline bernsad

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #16 on: May 29, 2012, 10:54:41 am »
Thanks for the tips Mark.
Regards,
Bern

Offline Lone

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #17 on: June 01, 2012, 11:42:45 am »
Is your paperbark the same as ours, Mark?  It's out at the moment in full force.  It's some kind of melaleuca or they call it white tea tree too and grows beside waterways.  The flowers are yellow with a slight green tinge.  It's our usual winter (or only) flow here, but doesn't make honey every year.  Sadly it's rained the past week though!

Well done, Gleno.

Lone

Offline Wonga

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #18 on: June 07, 2012, 11:52:37 pm »
Mark/Lone,
East coast beekeepers are lucky if they have this tree locally -funny thing , but in NSW, Belbowrie is the common name for broad leafed Tea tree ( Melaleuca phinphenervia).
Belbowrie is a common enough street planting and there's several in my road. My bees love it in flower. Its supposed to be naturally occurring North from Botany Bay, in coastal regions and in wet gullies.

It grows to up to 20metres high,, but around here they seem to  do OK when the electric contractors come around and prune them back heavily, and is a reliable and very handy all year round flowerer - although mainly in autumn into winter - likes sunny times to flower, after good rain, but rain kills  the flowers straight off. Clemson says that on its own the honey is strong tasting, with good aroma, and liable to thin-ness and granulating, and also a major source of good pollen.

   

Offline Lone

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Re: Autumn honey
« Reply #19 on: June 08, 2012, 01:52:49 am »
Thanks Wonga.  No, that's not our tree.  I don't know the name of ours but this is what it looks like:



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You are right though about the rain knocking the flowers.  I think the late rain ruined our flow.  The honey is not strong, medium colour, and hasn't crystallized yet.

Lone