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OT - Honey is HERE!! - OT

Greetings friends!!

the backyard bees have FINALLY given some precious honey to me. Five gallons. Not a shabby amount. 

It’s all over the place now.. haha

8-Damien

Large BGE and Medium BGE
36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


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Comments

  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    That's quite a haul! Color me jealous. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    Good grief, I don't think I've eaten 5 gal of honey in my lifetime.  Nice haul!  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • ColtsFan
    ColtsFan Posts: 6,310
    that's cool
    ~ John - https://www.instagram.com/hoosier_egger
    XL BGE, LG BGE, KJ Jr, PK Original, Ardore Pizza Oven, King Disc 
    Bloomington, IN - Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!

  • johnmitchell
    johnmitchell Posts: 6,545
    Great haul!! Gotta love nature.
    Greensboro North Carolina
    When in doubt Accelerate....
  • EggNorth
    EggNorth Posts: 1,535
    That looks great,  nice to see that the bees are active.  Local honey is the healthiest, especially for allergy prevention, so I’m told.

    I need to pick some up, but that would mean I have to go outside.
    Dave
    Cambridge, Ontario - Canada
    Large (2010), Mini Max (2015), Large garden pot (2018)
  • yes! that is so awesome. That's several hundo worth of honey- good bees.
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • ColbyLang
    ColbyLang Posts: 3,381
    Damn, how many bees to make 5 gallons? That’s an incredible score! You gonna need a lotta them little bears
  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
    Right on! Great haul. 

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."

                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
  • loco_engr
    loco_engr Posts: 5,759
    nice score!
    Do they make a 2nd batch in a year?
    aka marysvilleksegghead
    Lrg 2008
    mini 2009
    XL 2021 (sold 8/24/23)
    Henny Youngman:
    I said to my wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?' She said, 'I want to go somewhere I've never been before.' I said, 'Try the kitchen.'
    Bob Hope: When I wake up in the morning, I don’t feel anything until noon, and then it’s time for my nap
  • JohnInCarolina
    JohnInCarolina Posts: 30,869
    I'd be happy to take some of that off your hands, Damien - if you're selling.   Just PM me to arrange.
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
  • bubbajack
    bubbajack Posts: 1,088
    That sweet nectar, good for food and healing wounds. You have been kililng it lately...
    I drink cheap beer so I can afford good bourbon.

    Salisbury, NC...... XL,Lx3,Mx2,S, MM, Mini BGE, FireDisc x2. Blackstone 22", Offset smoker, weber kettle 22"


  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    A more general question (I'm not that familiar with beekeeping):
    I'm assuming, in the "natural order", a hive produces enough honey to feed its young, plus keep the hive going over the winter months.  When a hooman comes in and takes 5 gallons, what happens?  Do the bees go into overdrive, collecting more?  Or lay fewer larvae?  Or put them on Atkin's?  
     
    For that matter, how does this work with milking cows?  Seems even after the Holstein calves are made into veal, the Ma's still line up to be milked.  
     
    I realize I'm kinda old to not know how this works....? :blush: 
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • Mead. Make it happen!
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 6,286
    @Botch, cows have to have calves born in order to lactate. After the young get turned into Osso Bucco the cows are bred again.
  • @Botch a hive generally makes a surplus of honey and that is what we take to harvest. In Ohio a hive going into winter should weigh about 200lbs. 
      As fall rolls around the queen will produce less brood because they will not need a full workforce going into winter. Late fall she will quit laying all together and they will literally push the drones out of the hive and not allow them back in.  Overwinter they will cluster together, eat honey, and vibrate their bodies to create heat and survive winter.  
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,432
    @Botch a hive generally makes a surplus of honey and that is what we take to harvest. In Ohio a hive going into winter should weigh about 200lbs. 
      As fall rolls around the queen will produce less brood because they will not need a full workforce going into winter. Late fall she will quit laying all together and they will literally push the drones out of the hive and not allow them back in.  Overwinter they will cluster together, eat honey, and vibrate their bodies to create heat and survive winter.  
    Thanks.
    And my sick mind envisions a bunch of homeless drones shivering under a bridge somewhere... :lol:  
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,008
    edited August 2020
    I learned a few weeks back that an old friend runs a honey business throughout Minnesota. I didn't realize different locations of hives can cause different flavors of honey. So he has locations all throughout Minnesota. He's been working with solar companies to set up hives in solar fields. He now produces solar honey. He's been mentioned in National Geographic and Martha Stewart. Which is pretty neat. 

    http://boltonbees.com/solar-honey-1

    I've never thought much about honey prior. After reading about his honey or in general, it's cool to see a post like this. Very cool and thanks for sharing!

    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • Interesting stuff @WeberWho
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • SaltySam
    SaltySam Posts: 887
    A coworker keeps bees, and has roughly 8-10 boxes around southeastern Nebraska. The honey he makes is ridiculously good.  Mixed with bbq sauce is heavenly.

      He invited me to come with him when he harvested and I nearly did until he showed me his drenched beekeeping suit from the weekend before when it was 97 and humid.  Hard pass, man.  That’s rough work. 

    Congrats on your haul!  Gotta be satisfying!

    LBGE since June 2012

    Omaha, NE

  • Legume
    Legume Posts: 14,602
    I'd be happy to take some of that off your hands, Damien - if you're selling.   Just PM me to arrange.
    Parking lot honey is the best.
  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,136
    Legume said:
    I'd be happy to take some of that off your hands, Damien - if you're selling.   Just PM me to arrange.
    Parking lot honey is the best.
    “Vacation” honey lmao
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,136
    ColbyLang said:
    Damn, how many bees to make 5 gallons? That’s an incredible score! You gonna need a lotta them little bears
    That’s two eight frame honey supers off of one hive. 

    16 frames. Pretty good!!
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,136
    loco_engr said:
    nice score!
    Do they make a 2nd batch in a year?
    Great question. :) I’ll take the supers off at the end of August, after goldenrod bloom is over. 
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,136
    Botch said:
    A more general question (I'm not that familiar with beekeeping):
    I'm assuming, in the "natural order", a hive produces enough honey to feed its young, plus keep the hive going over the winter months.  When a hooman comes in and takes 5 gallons, what happens?  Do the bees go into overdrive, collecting more?  Or lay fewer larvae?  Or put them on Atkin's?  
     
    For that matter, how does this work with milking cows?  Seems even after the Holstein calves are made into veal, the Ma's still line up to be milked.  
     
    I realize I'm kinda old to not know how this works....? :blush: 
    @Botch a hive generally makes a surplus of honey and that is what we take to harvest. In Ohio a hive going into winter should weigh about 200lbs. 
      As fall rolls around the queen will produce less brood because they will not need a full workforce going into winter. Late fall she will quit laying all together and they will literally push the drones out of the hive and not allow them back in.  Overwinter they will cluster together, eat honey, and vibrate their bodies to create heat and survive winter.  
    Nailed it AA. I run queen excluders. So - brood and hive supplies are in the bottom two boxes. When the honey flow stops, I’ll make sure the two brood boxes have ample wintering supplies. Hopefully. 
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


  • Placing two hives on my farm Saturday.  Hope to eventually build up to 10+.  It’s the right thing to do for the environment, but the honey’s a plus and then there’s the ag exemption.
  • Study varroa mite if you are getting into bees. Also most states have a inspection program that is very helpful, you can register your apiary with the state. 
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,136
    Study varroa mite if you are getting into bees. Also most states have a inspection program that is very helpful, you can register your apiary with the state. 
    So far, my peat has been &$%#! small hive beetles. 
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!


  • loco_engr
    loco_engr Posts: 5,759
    I joined sierra club a few years ago to hopefully help with CCD. 
    In return they sent me a packet of flower seeds bees like.
    I gave them to a bee keeper next town over.
    aka marysvilleksegghead
    Lrg 2008
    mini 2009
    XL 2021 (sold 8/24/23)
    Henny Youngman:
    I said to my wife, 'Where do you want to go for our anniversary?' She said, 'I want to go somewhere I've never been before.' I said, 'Try the kitchen.'
    Bob Hope: When I wake up in the morning, I don’t feel anything until noon, and then it’s time for my nap
  • @MaskedMarvel SHB are a pita especially the maggots can destroy a absconded hive leaving a massive disgusting mess.  If you have SHB in your supers make sure you freeze or otherwise tend to the frames before storing because they will destroy them, also wax moths will ruin good drawn foundation. 
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • MaskedMarvel
    MaskedMarvel Posts: 3,136
    @MaskedMarvel SHB are a pita especially the maggots can destroy a absconded hive leaving a massive disgusting mess.  If you have SHB in your supers make sure you freeze or otherwise tend to the frames before storing because they will destroy them, also wax moths will ruin good drawn foundation. 
    Im running traps, beetle gates, and swifter sheets. 

    Wish me luck. 
    Large BGE and Medium BGE
    36" Blackstone - Greensboro!