The Honey Factory

[WallyG74]

I’m not saying we don’t have Joe Pye, but I’ve never heard that name. Our goldenrod comes in late summer.

 

[WallyG74]

I must amend my last post. I saw the first patches of goldenrod on the way to work this morning. By the first of September it should be everywhere.

 

[R2elk]

I must amend my last post. I saw the first patches of goldenrod on the way to work this morning. By the first of September it should be everywhere.

No goldenrod here. Having grown up in SW PA, I do not miss it.

 

[Sally PB]

I never liked goldenrod. Until I found out that the bees like it. Now I love goldenrod. We have acres of it here.

 

[WallyG74]

I never liked goldenrod. Until I found out that the bees like it. Now I love goldenrod. We have acres of it here.

Bees will change your opinion of things. I couldn’t stand holly trees until I saw my bees all over it. Those hollies contributed to some very tasty honey!

 

[TheDandyLion]

Definitely... Just how pretty a yard full of dandelions becomes after you get your first hive of bees.

 

[Sally PB]

When I was thinking about getting some flowering plants, the first thing I looked up was, Do honeybees like _________?

 

[R2elk]

First Jerusalem artichoke.

 

[WallyG74]

When I was thinking about getting some flowering plants, the first thing I looked up was, Do honeybees like _________?

Have you pulled any honey yet?

 

[Sally PB]

Have you pulled any honey yet?

Nope.

In Hive #1 honey super we have: empty drawn comb in center 4 frames. The outer 4 (new) frames are bare. Very few bees up there.

In Hive #2 we have: The same thing except there is a nice pattern of capped brood in one frame and LOTS of bees up there. We looked in the brood box below and there's capped brood in the center 4 frames and nothing in the outer 4. (8 frame hives)

Both hives have QEs. No honey except a bit around the brood.

The goldenrod is just starting to bloom in the field.

Hey, maybe my neighbor will lose interest and want her money back when I tell her that there will be no honey for the second year.

Supposedly, we went into beekeeping "together." She put up $282 (half the cost of the used hive we bought, half the cost of the nuc.) Except hubby and I have put another $800-$1000 ish into the venture. And done 100% of the maintenance and upkeep. She has never even looked into the hive.