metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Aug 27, 2017 3:08:35 GMT -5
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Post by orrum on Aug 27, 2017 6:01:22 GMT -5
Hmmm. My fav is poplar honey!!!
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Aug 27, 2017 8:33:36 GMT -5
Nothing better than fresh honey!!!
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Post by rockjunquie on Aug 27, 2017 9:07:41 GMT -5
You've been BZZZZZZZZZY.
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 27, 2017 9:18:05 GMT -5
Interesting new attribute. My cousin, who is also a chiropractor, has been keeping bees for some years as a diversion from his practice. He always comes down and sets pheromone baited traps along the water to entice and entrap stray swarms to build his hives. . Fine interest and past time. Are you familiar with this new process? www.wired.com/2015/02/flow-hive/ |
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jamesp
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Member since October 2012
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Post by jamesp on Aug 27, 2017 11:11:34 GMT -5
Bee's are amazing. Buddy keeps his on my place. Never knew they were such a complex organism.
The queen, social order, egg production and maintenance, food supply, enemies, etc. Very complex.
Pin point GPS. Queen replacements maintained. Beetles that mimics bees and train the workers to feed them.
And dog eat dog, talk about loyal to the death.
Do you have Italian - Russian ? My buddy has Italian and they are real gentle, says the Russian variety is hot blooded.
we don't even wear bee suits when doing breakdown inspections, Italian's are so cool headed.
Alan lives 5 miles from me and gets dark honey. Normal for this area. He is tripping because he is getting super sweet light gold here. Almost at double rate.
All we can guess is it is blackberry blossom, was too early for sourwood.
There is a man at Univ. of Georgia that can taste honey and tell what percentages of what blooms made the honey. Will be sending him some.
Tasting honey and can tell what components are in it- that ain't right.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Aug 27, 2017 12:46:57 GMT -5
Bee's are amazing... Do you have Italian - Russian ? My buddy has Italian and they are real gentle, says the Russian variety is hot blooded. we don't even wear bee suits when doing breakdown inspections, Italian's are so cool headed. Nothing so far; just a 'taster day' ... no physical taster though  It's the instructor in the suit tho I was in the same type suit just opposite. I did feel the fear and did a tactical back off when I started to get 'popular' with the bees when I went to the front of the hive where it was busier, especially with the lid off and some adverse weather the little blighters were starting to get tetchy! LOL! Does he enjoy it or spend all his time analysing it though? |
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Aug 27, 2017 12:49:57 GMT -5
Hmmm. My fav is poplar honey!!! Have to look into that one! The Pennines are an area of of highland "the spine of England" characterised by heather moorlands: seems like a no-brainer to me! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 27, 2017 12:53:13 GMT -5
I've always wanted a hive in my yard.
Thought about making one of the trap hives and see if I can get a free one.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Aug 27, 2017 13:42:20 GMT -5
Interesting new attribute. My cousin, who is also a chiropractor, has been keeping bees for some years as a diversion from his practice. He always comes down and sets pheromone baited traps along the water to entice and entrap stray swarms to build his hives. . Fine interest and past time. Are you familiar with this new process? www.wired.com/2015/02/flow-hive/Very impressive but I'm very new... even "pre-new" in bee keeping! However, I'm always wary of folk who make out such an activity is just hard work. Smoking bees and lifting frames didn't seem particularly onerous, but that is only part of the process. In short I don't know what I'm talking about and wouldn't presume to judge. I'll bet it doesn't work on our local heather honey though: that is touted to be quite thick and oil-rape is practically a solid so that's a non-starter too. Now don't think I go around looking for problems for every solution, however that's just typical!! |
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Aug 27, 2017 13:44:24 GMT -5
I've always wanted a hive in my yard. Thought about making one of the trap hives and see if I can get a free one. Making is the way forward! Apparently Cedar is the wood of choice to use. Not that you need to use wood of course! Yeah, if bees like to fill a vacant hive, lets provide them with some!  |
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 27, 2017 14:11:24 GMT -5
Interesting new attribute. My cousin, who is also a chiropractor, has been keeping bees for some years as a diversion from his practice. He always comes down and sets pheromone baited traps along the water to entice and entrap stray swarms to build his hives. . Fine interest and past time. Are you familiar with this new process? www.wired.com/2015/02/flow-hive/Very impressive but I'm very new... even "pre-new" in bee keeping! However, I'm always wary of folk who make out such an activity is just hard work. Smoking bees and lifting frames didn't seem particularly onerous, but that is only part of the process. In short I don't know what I'm talking about and wouldn't presume to judge. I'll bet it doesn't work on our local heather honey though: that is touted to be quite thick and oil-rape is practically a solid so that's a non-starter too. Now don't think I go around looking for problems for every solution, however that's just typical!! It quickly becomes work to a chiropractor with 40 plus hives and a medical practice. The flow concept is getting to be quite the invention. Much less equipment and less disruption to the hive = better production and healthier bees. Not sure on the thickness of your honey. Never heard of such a thing. Bees there must be very muscular to have to contend with such an unusual pollen. Do you have Africanized bees there yet? Problems with tracheal throat mites? Another concept being used ,is plastics in hives, up to an including the honeycombs. Not a tech freak by any means but it makes sense. Have a great and enjoyable learning experience and delicious honey on your morning muffin. |
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metalsmith
Cave Dweller
Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Aug 27, 2017 14:41:52 GMT -5
Well 40 plus hives must be 40 visits a week so it depends on their distribution, but that sounds like it is getting to be a second job, never mind some 'work'! Mites: yes; plastic yes. Next steps on the winter course: yes Oil-seed rape (OSR) "The REAL downside of OSR is: Taking two harvest a year, and whoa betide anyone who forgets that OSR harvest. The honey will set so hard in the comb that not even the bees can use it. The same is true for OSR honey in the jar, a truly spoon pending experience." SourceMoreHeather honey (holy cr@p - look at the price of that!) ETA - Asian Hornet now too! |
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Post by coloradocliff on Aug 27, 2017 14:46:00 GMT -5
Well 40 plus hives must be 40 visits a week so it depends on their distribution, but that sounds like it is getting to be a second job, never mind some 'work'! Mites: yes; plastic yes. Next steps on the winter course: yes Oil-seed rape (OSR) "The REAL downside of OSR is: Taking two harvest a year, and whoa betide anyone who forgets that OSR harvest. The honey will set so hard in the comb that not even the bees can use it. The same is true for OSR honey in the jar, a truly spoon pending experience." SourceMoreHeather honey (holy cr@p - look at the price of that!) ETA - Asian Hornet now too! Yeah a lot of hives so he's trying to cut the work load.
Hornets too??? groan.. Whoa Have to sell a kidney to afford to buy that.
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Post by Rockoonz on Aug 27, 2017 16:27:19 GMT -5
Here in the US rape seed had a name change to canola to make it more palatable to sensitive PC digestive tracts.
My favorite honey is the meadowfoam variety I get from a local producer.
I would like to try the stuff from the bees that visit our overgrown mint thicket.
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metalsmith
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Member since October 2012
Posts: 1,537
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Post by metalsmith on Aug 28, 2017 0:56:49 GMT -5
Here in the US rape seed had a name change to canola to make it more palatable to sensitive PC digestive tracts. From the ridiculous to the ridiculouser ...  My fave was the Manuka honey we picked up in NZ before the medicinal value was recognised and it became so expensive / rare that they now dilute it / fake it. The French produce a 1/2 or 1 kg bucket of Miele Cremieux. I recognise that is a mix of honeys (and therefore I'm a philistine) but I love it anyway. Apparently Scottish heather honey has recognised medicinal value (hasn't honey in general?) and is going the same way as Manuka honey ... (so for Yorkshire Heather honey the future looks bright)! |
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jamesp
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Post by jamesp on Aug 28, 2017 7:02:14 GMT -5
The rivers I collect petrified coral at are loaded with Ogeechee Tupelo trees. World class honey from them. Even slaves were used to plant honey plantations using Ogeechee's. Tree occurs in small zone.  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyssa_ogeche"Tupelo is amongst the rarest and finest honeys in the world. It is produced during a brief, but intense, 2 week bloom of the White (Ogeechee) Tupelo Trees which grow profusely along the Chipola and Apalachicola rivers of northwest Florida. Real Tupelo honey is a light golden amber color with a greenish cast and will not crystallize due to its high fructose, low glucose ration. Tupelo’s unique flavor is delicate, distinctive, clean finishing and delicious." Old Ogeechee's on the Withlacochee River, my pics.   |
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