Mrs Webmuppet Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 The Webmuppets are very excited, I took off our first frames of honey today. Just as well Little Miss Webmuppet isn't at home otherwise she would be sitting there with a teaspoon sampling it, straight from the frames Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Nothing better than your own honey. Well done. Save a jar for posterity. I have a jar saved from every year. None for me till August. We had wonderful dark Spring Tree honey last year that tasted of toffee as well as the Summer crop but this year all we've had is wind and rain. I'm having to feed a couple of the splits through the June Gap. Well done again. PS Just as well Little Miss Webmuppet isn't at home otherwise she would be sitting there with a teaspoon sampling it, straight from the frames Little Miss is right, it's the only way to eat honey, warm,on the comb, straight from the hive. I love to do that when I'm making cut comb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 I have got some unwired foundation to make cut comb....I plan to do a couple of frames on my strongest hive. But as I have had to split one hive and one appears to be in the process of supercedure it may have to wait. Plus my mentor and I moved my hives to a better location this evening so I now have to wait for them to settle in. One amusing thing that happened whilst we were at the bees new home. We were setting up my spare hive and along came several honey bees.....definitely not mine, wrong colour. My mentor, stopped, peered at the bees, stood up looked around , sniffed the air, chuckled and said ' there's a swarm around here, wouldn't be surprised if they're checking out your spare hive'. 4 hives is quite sufficient (according to my creaky back) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 There's nothing as good as your first honey crop! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 4, 2015 Share Posted June 4, 2015 My mentor, stopped, peered at the bees, stood up looked around , sniffed the air, chuckled and said ' there's a swarm around here, Bee whisperer is he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted June 4, 2015 Author Share Posted June 4, 2015 Before now he has got out of the 'bee mobile' (as LMW calls his car) and said there's a swarm round here.....go find it (and off I go on a bee hunt and he is invariably right). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted June 7, 2015 Share Posted June 7, 2015 I love the idea of a bee whisperer! I went with a beekeeping friend to collect a swarm yesterday. We located it in the front garden of the property, I turned back to the car to pick up the nuc box and as I did so he said 'They're off!' and the swarm took flight. I've collected a good few swarms but only seen this happen once before - an amazing sight as the air filled with bees. We watched them go over the roof of the house opposite, so we went down an alleyway to find them settling in a hollow tree just behind it. Unfortunately I suspect someone will complain to the housing authority and ask for them to be destroyed as they are on a footpath and only a few feet from the ground. No swarm to take home, but it was an experience I wouldn't have missed for anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 Having carefully moved our bees to a less cramped spot, I now find I have bees back in the garden....looks like scout bees are checking out the place. My mentor said I hope you have put a bait box out..otherwise you'll only have to go an retrieve them from a neighbours tree . Fortunately they went straight for my nuc box. On the upside I extracted our first crop of honey today...nearly filled a 15lb bucket just need to strain it now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 . Fortunately they went straight for my nuc box. You have another swarm in your nuc box? . On the upside I extracted our first crop of honey today...nearly filled a 15lb bucket just need to strain it now Don't strain it again. Once through a strainer as you empty the extractor is enough....and tastes better.........unless, of course you are showing it then you will have to strain the living daylights out of it. You can't beat your first honey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 I had a swarm turn up in my garden last year and one turned up today (by the looks ofit) and moved into my nuc box. And whilst I was doing the watering a lady asked me to collect a swarm from her car port about 3 doors down on the other side of the road. So hopefully I have persuaded the bees in the car port (I will pop back in a bit to check)that the hive borrowed from my mentor was a far better choice than shopping trolley they had taken up residence in. my mentor was laughing so hard when I collected a spare hive off him he had to wipe his eyes. I didn't strain the honey once it had been extracted so I'm trying to get it done now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Having carefully moved our bees to a less cramped spot, I now find I have bees back in the garden....looks like scout bees are checking out the place. My mentor said I hope you have put a bait box out..otherwise you'll only have to go an retrieve them from a neighbours tree . Fortunately they went straight for my nuc box. On the upside I extracted our first crop of honey today...nearly filled a 15lb bucket just need to strain it now You think you finally have figured out that English language and then someone goes about and writes stuff like this! <--- the different stages of my confusion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 Don't worry I get confused by the English language.... I was brought up speaking English and French .....even now I get in a muddle between the languages (especially when tired or had a drink or two) . Added to that I also learnt German and Spanish. I got higher scores in foreign languages than English at school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
