OT - Honey… buy lots now.

BeanHead · March 30

I’m sure this is going to sound like I might be using my BBQ foil to make myself hats… but if you are a heavy honey user you should stock up ASAP. The hive death toll is pretty extreme this year in North America (I haven’t received the European reports yet) and prices are going to go up very soon reflecting the shortage. Older honey may crystallize, but it lasts for years. Also make sure you are buying from a local supplier so you don’t get fake honey.

BeanHead · March 30

Also… if you happen to have a sous vide water bath you can set your crystallized jars in the water at 95° until it comes back to liquid. Bees work keep the hive brood areas at about 94-96° year-round so this is as close as you can get to reheating without losing some of the health benefits of local honey.

hoosier_egger · March 30

I saw something like 70% of the west coast hives are dead. I can’t remember the exact reason. I’m lucky to have a good, local supplier.

BeanHead · March 30

It’s going to get nasty fast especially for things like almonds that rely on bees to get shipped in for pollination. The reasons are being studied by lots of folks and consensus so far is that a mix of pressures is leading to the collapse (reduced availability of natural nectar sources, changes in bees gut microbes, viral and mite infections/infestation, moving stress, etc.).

JohnInCarolina · March 30

Good article on the crisis, here:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna198141

alaskanassasin · March 30

I lost more hives last winter than I have in the last 5 years percentage wise. That and after a drought last fall my bees have been struggling. This year I am forced to change my bee rearing method in order to rebuild my colonies and continue to increase honey production.

I will echo, support your local beekeepers!

alaskanassasin · March 30

I’d be curious if anyone wanted to post their local honey supplier price point. I charge $10 a pound but we are in a rural area, a few of my competitors are charging $15 a pound.

GrateEggspectations · March 30

Sad.

On a high note, your reference to foil hats gave me a laugh.

Honey is reportedly the only food that won’t spoil. When archaeologists uncovered the pyramids, there was reportedly honey inside that was still edible (or so the story goes).

JohnInCarolina · March 30

alaskanassasin said:

I’d be curious if anyone wanted to post their local honey supplier price point. I charge $10 a pound but we are in a rural area, a few of my competitors are charging $15 a pound.

I just checked one of our local farms here, out in Chapel Hill. It’s $16 a pound.

hoosier_egger · March 30

alaskanassasin said:

I’d be curious if anyone wanted to post their local honey supplier price point. I charge $10 a pound but we are in a rural area, a few of my competitors are charging $15 a pound.

Here you go. This place is 20 minutes from me.

https://huntershoneyfarm.com/product-category/honey/

alaskanassasin · March 30

Thanks @JohnInCarolina

BeanHead · March 30

alaskanassasin said:

I lost more hives last winter than I have in the last 5 years percentage wise. That and after a drought last fall my bees have been struggling. This year I am forced to change my bee rearing method in order to rebuild my colonies and continue to increase honey production.
I will echo, support your local beekeepers!

Sorry for your loss. It is heartbreaking. Do you have varroa or hive beetles in your area?

MaskedMarvel · March 30

I rehomed my six hives when I got married (wife and three dogs are allergic). At the time, there was an article that emphatically reported that honey bees were no longer in danger and that crisis was behind us.

Poppycock.

They’d changed the way they counted hives in order to make their numbers look good. Totally idiotic and dangerous science.

I never needed to order bees after my first hives got put in - my backyard is some kind of ground zero for swarms - but the suppliers I got components from have ALL alerted that their package and queen deliveries will be pushed WAY back this year.

I still have one empty ten frame and two empty nucs, my suit (no gloves gave those away) and my honey extracting equipment.

Pollinators are responsible for one out of three bites of food you put in your mouth in the modern world. Pure honey NEVER EXPIRES.

Plant flowers. Don’t spray swarms. Good luck.

alaskanassasin · March 30

BeanHead said:

show previous quotes

alaskanassasin said:

I lost more hives last winter than I have in the last 5 years percentage wise. That and after a drought last fall my bees have been struggling. This year I am forced to change my bee rearing method in order to rebuild my colonies and continue to increase honey production.
I will echo, support your local beekeepers!

Sorry for your loss. It is heartbreaking. Do you have varroa or hive beetles in your area?

That’s farming, it’s always something. We do have varroa, there are only a few places on the planet they haven’t been recorded. Also hive beetles, they are easier to manage with traps and apiary locations

Legume · March 30

$16 and up here. Many of the producers offer a lot of gifty honey items in addition to bulk honey. Several offer "untouched" honey that hasn't been filtered or heated. Some sell only creamed honey to prevent it from further crystallizing, that's priced higher. I've seen up to $24.

MaskedMarvel · March 30

alaskanassasin said:

show previous quotes

BeanHead said:

alaskanassasin said:

I lost more hives last winter than I have in the last 5 years percentage wise. That and after a drought last fall my bees have been struggling. This year I am forced to change my bee rearing method in order to rebuild my colonies and continue to increase honey production.
I will echo, support your local beekeepers!

Sorry for your loss. It is heartbreaking. Do you have varroa or hive beetles in your area?

That’s farming, it’s always something. We do have varroa, there are only a few places on the planet they haven’t been recorded. Also hive beetles, they are easier to manage with traps and apiary locations

I had incredible success with Integrated Peat Management. Basically adding essential oils to feed. IPM kept varroa and trachea mites away (never had them not once) as well as the other mites and viruses.

But I could never get hive beetles under control. I tried traps, beetle busters, door busters, sheets of those dusting pads, diatomaceous earth… um… everything.

Bastards.

dbCooper · March 30

$9./lb. in my area, less for bigger quantities. Farmers Markets will be starting up soon, expect to see prices higher there.

https://jensenbrothersbees.com/

caliking · March 30

I don't have much to add to this discussion, other than @alaskanassasin (his bees, actually

) produces the best honey we've ever had.

JohnInCarolina · March 30

caliking said:

I don't have much to add to this discussion, other than @alaskanassasin (his bees, actually :smile) produces the best honey we've ever had.

Thank goodness the insects who produce garlic are not in decline.

alaskanassasin · March 30

Thanks @caliking!

@MaskedMarvel try moving your hives into direct sunlight, the beetles don’t seem to like it. How are you counting mites?

fishlessman · March 31

im seeing 13 to 20 per pound, thats a crazy spread. noticing more bee keepers selling hives, boxes etc and teaching classes. theres plastic boxes down the road from me for sale, thinking theres more money selling and teaching the outa stater bostonians and new yorkers a new hobby.......covid has really changed the neighborhood. do bees even like a yellow plastic box to live in, it just looks so wrong

would like to put up a big hive at the entrance to the driveway with a killer bee warning to keep these peeps from walking on my lawn, walking on my docks, walking around the patio, wood shed, garage etc. that or grab a lawnchair, a cooler of beer, and just set up camp in there front yard and wait til they come home. its getting really odd out there

alaskanassasin · March 31

Not sure about the yellow boxes @fishlessman, they could be some fancy insulated box system or if they are small they could be nuc boxes. As for the lookyloo try hanging a Trump flag on your porch.

MaskedMarvel · March 31

alaskanassasin said:

Thanks @caliking!
@MaskedMarvel try moving your hives into direct sunlight, the beetles don’t seem to like it. How are you counting mites?

No More counting to be done. Hives are moved to my friends’ farms.

Yes - more sun is waaaay better.

OT - Honey… buy lots now.

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