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61

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: dark thick honey

« Last post by The15thMember on May 22, 2023, 08:55:19 pm »

Kathyp,
Within close proximity are 2 large deer fields, a small lake, huge lawn, and pine woods. The lawn and fields are covered in red clover now. Who knows what gets planted in the fields .. They are also large enough to be dove fields, so some type of grain is probably planted there part of the year.
Just a guess. I had never seen the property before April.

Just keep in mind when thinking about forage that bees will easily fly up to 3 miles to a nectar source, and in times of scarcity 6 miles or more has been recorded for foraging trips. 

Sundog,
Do you do all your pressing with those small strainers?
... Asking because I think I might be on the side of "severe overkill" in what I was thinking of rigging up.. Aluminum fry pot a little smaller than a 5 gal. bucket lined with screen, pot that fits inside the fry pot to use as a piston, disc of plywood in the bottom of the "piston"pot, metal strap that attaches to the fry pot edge and across the top of the "piston". The strap tapped in the center to accept a piece of allthread going down to the center of the plywood disc. .. turn allthread,squeeze out honey ..

That sounds like "severe overkill" to me!    I crush and strain, and I just use a big plastic tub, a potato masher, a honey strainer bag (think paint strainer bag), and a big pot or 5 gallon bucket, depending on the amount I'm doing.  I got a new stainless steel honey sieve for Christmas that I'm going to try out this year, since my strainer bag is starting to get some tears. 

I'll probably end up pressing the stuff because of cutting across the combs to release the honey, and they might be too thin to use in the frames now...

If you'd prefer to give it back to them, the bees will easily build the comb back out to proper size.  That's the whole idea behind foundation. 

62

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: How does rain effect a flow (aside from the obvious)?

« Last post by Ben Framed on May 22, 2023, 08:54:48 pm »

We have a tree that flowers every autumn. As many of the flowers face upwards, water collects in them, and the mixture of nectar and water ferments. We then end up with bees having health issues as a result. Hive numbers can drop as a result. Bees with a hangover. Now that would be a sight to see.

I'm guessing bees aren't funny drunks haha

    

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Testing For Varroa Prior To Treatment

« Last post by Ben Framed on May 22, 2023, 08:45:21 pm »

The15thMember
What works for some people and some bees won't work for others.  So learning about mites and treatments with the ability to be flexible and try different things is something important for beekeepers to learn, because what works well for your mentor may not necessarily work best for you.

True words Reagan. As you and I have learned throughout our Honey Bee Journey, there is more than one way to achieve good results and goals. (Kind of like the old cat skinning phrase lol).   

64

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: dark thick honey

« Last post by animal on May 22, 2023, 08:00:22 pm »

Sundog,
Do you do all your pressing with those small strainers?
... Asking because I think I might be on the side of "severe overkill" in what I was thinking of rigging up.. Aluminum fry pot a little smaller than a 5 gal. bucket lined with screen, pot that fits inside the fry pot to use as a piston, disc of plywood in the bottom of the "piston"pot, metal strap that attaches to the fry pot edge and across the top of the "piston". The strap tapped in the center to accept a piece of allthread going down to the center of the plywood disc. .. turn allthread,squeeze out honey ..

I'll probably end up pressing the stuff because of cutting across the combs to release the honey, and they might be too thin to use in the frames now...

65

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: dark thick honey

« Last post by animal on May 22, 2023, 07:23:02 pm »

Kathyp,
Within close proximity are 2 large deer fields, a small lake, huge lawn, and pine woods. The lawn and fields are covered in red clover now. Who knows what gets planted in the fields .. They are also large enough to be dove fields, so some type of grain is probably planted there part of the year.
Just a guess. I had never seen the property before April.

66

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: dark thick honey

« Last post by animal on May 22, 2023, 07:13:02 pm »

Beemaster2,
Setting honey by the water heater was with the idea that it would be warmer/thinner. Buckets were sealed and had no condensation on the top so I don't think it dried any ... My wife sets the thermostat on Antarctica as as soon as the weather starts to warm up. So .. it was more like compensating for that, than anything else.
Thanks for the 15 degree info. .. hadn't noticed that.
Luckily, I loaded the frames with brood comb the right way up ..(and also in the same order from the opening as they were in the wild hive if that matters) ...  with the idea that since I didn't know what I was doing, staying on the "safe side" would be to do it the way the bees did. ... happy accident, I guess.

But I didn't pay that much attention to the frame of honey I put in for them. Was just wanting to make sure they had plenty of food in their weakened state. I'll be sure to check that the next time I open the hive.
Thanks again !

67

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: dark thick honey

« Last post by Kathyp on May 22, 2023, 06:32:06 pm »

My experience with red clover around here is that the honey is lighter.

Buckwheat is very dark and strong.  You either really like it or you don't.  There are a number of plants in the buckwheat family.

Might it also be concentrated from sitting in comb for a long time and kind of drying out? 

68

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: dark thick honey

« Last post by Sundog on May 22, 2023, 05:02:43 pm »

After straining, I put my "remains" from crushing out on my patio and let the bees reclaim whatever materials they want. 

They clean off any honey left and take back whatever they want and after a couple of days, all that is left is a bit of wax.  Amaizing!

I have heard this practice can lead to robbing, but I have not experienced it.  My patio is kind of around a corner and 50 feet away.

My honey is also typically dark and stout.  Most people that taste it like it.

69

GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: dark thick honey

« Last post by BeeMaster2 on May 22, 2023, 03:07:11 pm »

Animal,
Setting the. Honey next to the water heater in a small room probably did a great job of drying out the honey. If you get the honey out of the comb without damaging it and you have the time to wire it into frames, by all means do it. The bees will fill it right up and fix the areas between them he pieces. Just make sure to put upside up. Comb has a 15 degree up angle to keep nectar in.
Jim Altmiller

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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: dark thick honey

« Last post by animal on May 22, 2023, 10:41:46 am »

I had cut the combs and put them in screened insert to the bucket, actually, buckets .. It took about 2 weeks for about a gallon(total) to drain to the bottom ... with it set next to the water heater in the utility room.
I haven't crushed the stuff yet and there's still lots of honey in the combs.

I was thinking about experimenting a little by washing out some of the combs, straining the liquid and using it as a base for making mead.

And seeing If I could attach the washed sheets of comb to frames for a foundation of sorts. (bad idea? ..just thought they might like their own pre-fab wax to build on)