honey harvest ...

[tdwinklr]

For the beekeepers out there, when do you normally start your honey harvest in N. Texas area and how long does it last?

thx

[DeerGeek]

I always harvest the first week of August. Before the broomweed blooms.

[Kevin]

My issue in NE Texas is “Snow of the prairie” which can lead to honey that literally burns your throat. Not in a good way like spicy, but feels like you ate something toxic.

I’m going to pull honey late July at the latest. I’m sure others on here can offer more help. I only have 1 hive at the moment.

Here is some good info.

http://texasbeekeepers.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/TBA-Journal-MarApr-20153.pdf

[JonBoy]

For the beekeepers out there, when do you normally start your honey harvest in N. Texas area and how long does it last?

thx

Most beeks keep stacking supers and wait until late summer to harvest but I harvest when a super is full. I'll extract and then throw them right back on the hive the next day for them to clean & fill again. I don't have a lot of space to store all the extra wood ware so I incrementally harvest. I pulled 49# off of two of my hives just 2 weeks ago. By late summer I should be pulling that same amount plus some more off of another hive that got a slow start this year (due to my own boneheadedness)

[RiverRat1]

What do you do with all the honey?

[hog_down]

most beeks that I am familiar with bottle and sell it at farmers markets, and try to make some money back. Also, people with bad allergies should look into eating local honey on a regular basis, and it helps tremendously.

[MASTERS]

I started pulling deep supers the third week in May this year, and that was dried to 16.5-17% then. I have harvested 780# and have about that much more to pull in the next week or two. Been blessed with a great year this year can’t thank the Good Lord enough for the timely rains. I plan on having all of my spring honey harvested by the July 4th weekend....any Wilson county residents looking for some let me know, I still have some but it’s going fast!

[88 Bound]

I started pulling deep supers the third week in May this year, and that was dried to 16.5-17% then. I have harvested 780# and have about that much more to pull in the next week or two. Been blessed with a great year this year can’t thank the Good Lord enough for the timely rains. I plan on having all of my spring honey harvested by the July 4th weekend....any Wilson county residents looking for some let me know, I still have some but it’s going fast!

How are you selling this? I'm interested in some.

[Tuffbroadhead]

Very cool!

[MASTERS]

I also run only 10 frame deeps (don’t fool with the medium or shallow supers) and that gives me a little more time inbeteen pulling frames for harvest. After extracting I put the frames in one of my freezers to pull out this next spring and reuse when making nucs mid March, as I plan to sell around 25-30 then.

[JonBoy]

What do you do with all the honey?

I sell it and what doesn't get sold I make mead

[MASTERS]

How are you selling this? I'm interested in some.

Pm sent

[tdwinklr]

My issue in NE Texas is “Snow of the prairie” which can lead to honey that literally burns your throat. Not in a good way like spicy, but feels like you ate something toxic.

I’m going to pull honey late July at the latest. I’m sure others on here can offer more help. I only have 1 hive at the moment.

Here is some good info.
http://texasbeekeepers.org/wp-conten...rApr-20153.pdf

We have 2 hives and they are new from this April, will pull whatever honey we can but mainly interested in keeping our hives strong through the winter. Just added 2 honey supers last week, will see what they do.
Interesting that I need to harvest before certain grasses/weeds bloom out .... broomweed? had no idea.

[MASTERS]

What do you do with all the honey?

I’ve sold all of what I’ve harvested in years past. Some years are better than others. I fed 350-400 gallons of syrup last year as it was terribly dry during the late winter and early spring so the spring nectar flow was pretty non existent. Longtime local beekeeper in my area passed last summer, so I’ve picked a bunch of his clientele. I keep bees as a hobby, around work, life, hunting and fishing and am very hands on with my bees. I know several stand off, let the bees do what bees do beeks that let nature take its course, and to each his own. I am not knocking that approach in any way but choose not to do it that way myself. I was advised by a mentor of mine several years ago to keep on top of the things you can control in your hives and the rest will work itself out. Food levels, low might levels, and good genetics in fresh queens were what he held of highest priority during that discussion. I worked hard last year to keep those managed as best I could and this spring I’ve had to hold on and try and play keep up with the bountiful nectar flow we’ve been blessed with.

[hog_down]

Holy Toledo that is beautiful...