# Not much for honey this year.



## thequeensblessing (Mar 30, 2003)

We had a very wet spring and early summer. We had a really, really, nice locust and clover bloom early in the year and a couple of sunny days here and there for the bees to get out and work, but I think the rain was just too much for the nectar to be any good. We have 31 hives in 3 different apiaries in 2 different counties, when and we went to harvest our honey there was none to speak of. We still have the apiary in another county to check, but so far, it hasn't been good. Good brood and active hives, but no real honey stores. Now, we've had no rain for a month. The golden rod is just now starting to bloom so there's hope, if we get a little rain soon. I just want them to have enough honey for winter feeding. 
Anyone else having a low honey yield this year?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Yup. Think candy boards in Oct. 

 Al


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## a+blessed+life (Mar 27, 2013)

I've had the same problem, too much rain this year. The bees have worked overtime, but not much to show for it. It's gonna be close on the honey stores. Checking them again tomorrow, hoping they've made more this past few weeks!


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## snettrecker (Jan 27, 2006)

here in tn, we've had the same problem. There won't even be enough to get them through our mild winters.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Start doing a search for candy board recipes and decide which you want to use and how you want to place them for the bees to use. I saw one site where they poured the canday in frames to harden. Looked like a good Idea but really a waste if the bees won't move to new frames like they some times do with honey. Best to lay it on top of the top bars I think.

 Al


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## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

No honey harvest for me this year, although I was reasonably successful building my apiary back up after losing most colonies last winter. We're having a good fall flow - goldenrod and asters following the joe-pye and ironweed blooms. Checked hives today and I'm thinking they look pretty good. A couple more good weeks and they should have ample stores for winter.


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

I went out hoping for a good harvest as I had put on quite a few extra honey supers. I was surprised to find out that they'd already started moving it all back down. My 'super hive' had one totally empty honey super and another that was only half filled. I normally leave a full honey super on the hive, along with the two hive bodies, so I just pulled five frames of the full capped honey super, moved down some of the partially capped frames and left the other honey super on for them to finish pulling into the hives. I'm expecting high losses this winter, but hope some will make it through to next year. I don't like feeding them either sugar water or candy boards as I'd rather they eat what they make.


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## Batt (Sep 8, 2006)

Reports from our local Bkprs club reports a great honey crop this year. Course after the drought of the last 2 years, anything would be good. Most reports from members is from 2 to 5 filled supers per hive. Our rains came at just the right time.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

*"I don't like feeding them either sugar water or candy boards as I'd rather they eat what they make." *


Expecting heavy losses this winter yet you took honey away from them? :shrug: Whats the wisdom of that?:shrug:

 Al


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## dieseldoctor (Aug 27, 2013)

I've been hearing either pretty good to exece llent or like me not so much. Hives are working great, I see a couple different colors of pollen, but hives are light.New hives this (late) spring, they built up good just not much honey. I'll feed sugar syrup for a little while and maybe some fondant this winter. using all 8 frame hives and 2 are 4 high. At least if they make it through I'll have drawn comb next year.

Walt


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## Timber (Jun 15, 2003)

Same here this year but with the Buckfast bees. 
They over winter with large build up in the spring. Before the first flow I put in a plastic queen excluder, and honey supper. They filled the second brood box with honey, and what it looks like they reduced brood. They were in the honey supper all year, and build nothing except increased the brood comb in the middle in a few. Kind of lost of what happen.
Will see what they do this year.


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