Hi Jim,
thanks for the welcome.
"middle of nothing" sounds good.
As far as Germany is concerned, that is where I live, too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abies_albais the pine I mean. Makes up about 10% of the Black Forest.
some years they are "densly" (enough) populated with
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauml%C3%A4use(couldn`t find that in English)
the pee of the lice is sweet and collected by the bees.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeydew_(secretion)
also from other trees
the pine tree honey is a very late and rare flow (every 7 years about). it is delicious. it tastes as if the buttered roll was underneath already. it stays liquid long time, has a low water-content and has a "buttery" consistency. It`s probably the most valuable honey in Germany. Only to be had in southern forest regions. esp. Black Forest.
Usually the colonies diminish brooding to next to nothing in such a flow. oftentimes after the flow there are very little bees in the hive. flying from twig to twig (or rather from louse to louse) takes a lot of energy. they get black and old fast.
This year is different (it was hot and dry). After they diminished their brooding heavily during a forest-honey, we call "cement-honey" (or concrete) as it gets HARD in the combs, they bred well during pine flow. but the forest-honeys are not good for wintering. and the pine-flow is late. it would still be going if it stayed dry. I should have wintered them in already. Have never been this late. now it`s rainy and I can`t work the bees. tomorrow...
have to get out almost all pine-honey and then treat for varroa and feed them - urgently.
still extracting....
so far.
greetings from the Black Forest!
PS: The amounts of "cement-honey" I decided to turn into mead. no way to get it in a jar