The backyard bees are very busy again today. There are three new hives in amongst this lot, with another nuc at the bottom of the garden that needs hiving now. I'll try to move them out to their permanent site soon. I hope to start extracting honey tomorrow or Tuesday, all being well, now that … Continue reading Busy Bees
Time to Make Honey
Cleaning all the kit ready for extraction - 10 supers to extract already, honey tank and extractor drying off after being rinsed (they were thoroughly cleaned before being put away). Uncapping tray and buckets ready - I pour the honey from the buckets into the honey tank, so I only need a few buckets for … Continue reading Time to Make Honey
Extraction Day
It was another hot day, but slightly cooler than of late - 'only' 26° C, and as I have all but run out of supers, I had to do some extracting so I had some supers I could put back on the hives. Extracting is a hot, sticky process however much you prepare. I donned … Continue reading Extraction Day
Harvesting Honey
How to Harvest Honey Ethically? I do not favour taking all the honey from the bees. Harvesting honey from a beehive should only be done when the bees have surplus. Beekeepers do not normally get a harvest of honey from new hives their first season, but there are exceptional colonies and exceptional nectar flow years … Continue reading Harvesting Honey
How Bees Make Honey
1. Nectar Collection Honey bees collect pollen and nectar in the spring when most flowers and plants are in bloom. They use their long, tubelike tongues like straws (called proboscis) to suck the nectar out of the flowers and they store it in their stomachs and carry it to the beehive. This is called foraging. … Continue reading How Bees Make Honey