The Honey Factory

[R2elk]

Here they are struggling due to the drought. Not a single flower so far, despite watering them daily and those in the containers twice a day.

It's been hot and dry here too.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

No drought here, goldenrod is everywhere and the bees are working hard taking advantage. Bumble bee carcasses strewn all over the ground in front of the hives. Checked the frames and they're not quite ready. Not a problem as we have plenty of the spring honey. A little too sweet for me (blue berry) but still good. The fall honey is a little darker and has a little heat with the sweet, my choice of flavor. Any honey is good honey. Looks like the bees will have 90/95 lbs going into the winter.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

The faster I go the behinder I get! Was going to do a Varroa treatment past Tuesday but was busy with other "jobs". Went out this AM to do it and WHAM! Three mediums wall to wall capped. Winter deeps also wall to wall. Seventy + LBS Spring honey, now roughly looking at 120 LBS Fall honey. It all works to the good as there will be no Varroa Med contamination. Where do they find this stuff? Here in the Pine Barrens there's not supposed be much for them. Again, another case of the subject (BEES) not reading the book.

 

[Sally PB]

Ours are still making BROOD, not honey! They seem to be thriving, but not paying rent.

I did see some capped honey in the brood box in the usual pattern above the brood.

None, no honey in either hive super. One has brood, the other has nothing.

The goldenrod is blooming. It's just starting.

The only possible good thing to come out of no honey? I'll give my neighbor her $$$ back, tell her there isn't any honey this year, and end our "partnership."

 

[Egghead_Jr]

120 lbs is a good haul for a hive. Up in the Northeast Kingdom we don't get that much. Summer honey was near 50 lbs and the goldenrod pull may be 30 lbs. Very cold and wet this past week so I'm not expecting much but they will likely be packing it away this week. I did a round of Oxalic this morning and will add pads when pulling honey the second round of sublimation.

 

[Apis mellifera]

I did a round of Oxalic this morning and will add pads when pulling honey the second round of sublimation.

All my hives have low mite counts with the OA pads over the summer except for one hive that had a count of 18. I tried Randys extended release thymol blocks on the high mite count hive and they are down to 1 mite. The bees look great. Very pleased with the thymol blocks.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

120 lbs is a good haul for a hive. Up in the Northeast Kingdom we don't get that much. Summer honey was near 50 lbs and the goldenrod pull may be 30 lbs. Very cold and wet this past week so I'm not expecting much but they will likely be packing it away this week. I did a round of Oxalic this morning and will add pads when pulling honey the second round of sublimation.

That's 2 hives, 2 mediums off established, 1 off of this yrs NUC. Still bringing in the goldenrod which is coming down to the end. Going to drop a medium back on each hive and see if they can fill those with some 2:1 before the end of October. Varroa treatment also.

 

[Sally PB]

I tried Randys extended release thymol blocks on the high mite count hive and they are down to 1 mite. The bees look great. Very pleased with the thymol blocks.

Do you have a source for these, or more information?

 

[R2elk]

Do you have a source for these, or more information?

Extended Release Thymol Blocks

 

[Sally PB]

Thank you.