So what did you do with your Sunday! I started to label this years (2024) Summer Honey.
The majority of this year’s summer honey which was extracted weeks ago was delivered to pre-paid Wedding Orders as Honey favours.
The next batch which was extracted was not ripe – the water content tested at above 20% – which according to the Honey Legislation Act 2015 is technically not honey so it cannot be sold , and there is a risk it can ferment in the jars – so it was all fed back to the bees for them to deal with it correctly and this will be removed and extracted at the end of August!
This is just one of many issues we’ve had this year, see my monthly notes!
January/February 2024 – Feeding fondant – winter far too warm bees too active and ate through their winter stores too quick.
March 2024 – All hives and nucleus colonies went through the winter well – still feeding fondant
April 2024 – Bees expanding very quickly forage available – good hawthorn, blossom on fruit trees although this year no canola in the area! had to start Demeree and putting honey boxes into hives as the bees were expanding very quickly!
May 2024 – Disaster weather turns cold – large colonies need feeding eating 2.5kg a fondant a week! Many reports across the UK of starvation, queens stop laying, failing , colonies that showed signs of swarming have stopped!Majority of reared queens have failed!
June/July 2024 – Weather continued to be poor and a wash out! A few late swarms around
August 2024 – Weather getting warmer – a few honey flows – there could be some summer honey! Extracted honey not ripe! Fed back to bees!
September 2024 – Remove all surplus honey, and feeding and treating for winter, and bringing hives home for winter.
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Tags: beekeeping, bees, honey, honey bees, meltonbyhoney