Hmmm Might Actually Get A Decent Honey Crop

[insy]

Well I haven't been here in a while but this evening my main hive seems to be going real strong at the moment, very busy on the many acres of blackberries .

Checked them today and no signs of swarming, stuck a fresh brood box on for them to draw out so now there on 2 Brood Boxes + 4 Supers.

I reckon i might get 60lb+ from this hive if I'm lucky this year, I think that's pretty good considering I did 2 splits from this hive in April .

Fingers Crossed

Just got to finish building my DIY extractor haha.

[insy]

Well so far I've removed 28 super frames of capped honey with another 11-22 expected to come off before end of season, not bad for my second full season and my backwards way of beekeeping .

Tbh my split i did this year has also nearly filled a complete langstroth brood box with honey as well, but my extractor can't do deeps only supers so debate is do i find someone local to extract it or do i leave it for overwintering ill decide later in year .

[insy]

Here is 2 pictures of a queen bee, one that i currently reared and mated myself and one that is no longer with us.





Such difference in colour and shape amazes me when you compare it like that

[ancee]

really interesting! Keep posting Insy - I Love bees, haven't got a clue about them though. I've come to the conclusion that the ones in my garden are a bit thick! They WILL NOT fly out of the poly tunnel door - the door they flew in by - I can't understand why they insist on battling against the ceiling dodging me as I try to rescue them! Yesterday I had just rescued 6 and as I was going out towards the door with the last one, 4 more flew in! I can't shut the door until everyone is saved and this can take me ages armed with my piece of cardboard and plastic cup I have found that some of them seem to go a bit dopey, I think these are the ones who've been in there for a while, I think they wear themselves out. They still resist being saved though, in a floppy half-ar*ed way! They are mad for poppies and my bolted coriander is swarming with them so at least they're all happy

[insy]

Yes they can have their blonde moments , if you place a clear plastic screen over hive entrance you can watch them headbutt it as flying in and out thinking its clear.
I was melting some wax yesterday and i had MASS honey bees flying in the back door and all round the house you could hear buzzing cause they couldn't get back out haha.
I took some photos of a capped super frame my extractor and once filtering ill snap a shot of the honey in bucket.
I got stung 6 times yesterday when inspecting all in a 2cmx2cm area on my wrist still swollen, but hey i was stealing their liquid gold so its to be expected haha.

[insy]

Honey Extracted and filtered once, needs a second filter.



Capped Honey Frame



Honey Extractor

[Oscartron]

Superb! Thanks for sharing!

[ploshkin]

Ancee, your bees are not thick, they navigate home by the Sun. Unfortunately when they get into a greenhouse or tunnel they usually perish. I've sometimes found a hundred or so of my bees dead in the greenhouse but luckily there is mostly better forage elsewhere to attract them.