Author Topic: If you like honey, what sort do you like best? (Read 8781 times)

Barnowl · « **Reply #20 on:** October 25, 2006, 09:47:03 »

Quote from: triffid on October 24, 2006, 18:56:47

Barnowl -- Greek thyme honey?

I had it once, years and years ago and would probably like it much better now than I did. As I remember, it has an almost medicinal aroma. Is that right?

The aroma is almost medicinal. It's Turkish honey from the Datcha Peninsula but I imagine Greek would be very similar. Problem is I've never seen it for sale in the UK so have to bring loads back because we don't go there every year.

calendula · « **Reply #21 on:** October 25, 2006, 12:34:45 »

Quote from: triffid on October 24, 2006, 13:57:36

I think quite a few of A4A's beekeepers are posting on here, though :D

So far I've spotted four...
me
Robert_Brenchley
Toadspawn
and you!

et moi :)

aren't honey shows amazing - from almost clear to almost black, what a palette of colour

but you have to beware of honey descriptions unless you are familiar with the location stated on the tin - 'honest' producers will have their hives in huge fileds of single plants, such as thyme or heather (the bees won't wander from this) but so often the source is hit and miss in a jar of honey because you can't guarantee where the bees have been

tin can · « **Reply #22 on:** October 25, 2006, 13:06:17 »

Lime honey. ( as in citrus)
Had it in France years ago and have hunted for it here, France and Italy ever since- no joy :'(

supersprout · « **Reply #23 on:** October 25, 2006, 13:09:55 »

Try Poland?

http://www.alvanatural.co.uk/honey.htm

:)

triffid · « **Reply #24 on:** October 25, 2006, 13:34:57 »

Supersprout, you do find some good sites! Those Polish honeys look yummy, and the prices seem fair (though I didn't spot how much postage was). You asked about honey shows earlier... yes, they're wonderful, though at the National the only way to get a taste is to buy jars (or become a judge!)
:P

Robert: thanks for the varroa treatment link: what I've got isn't thymol crystals; it's essential oil of thyme. When I find out how the Polish beekeeper who gave me it uses it, I can pass the info on if you're interested!

supersprout · « **Reply #25 on:** October 25, 2006, 13:40:32 »

thank you triffid, I do love hunting for good food sites :-[ ;)
how long does honey last in an unopened jar in a cool dark place, please? ::)

triffid · « **Reply #26 on:** October 25, 2006, 13:41:42 »

Honey was found by archaeologists in ancient Egyptian tombs. And was still perfectly edible. ;D

triffid · « **Reply #27 on:** October 25, 2006, 13:42:29 »

(But according to Trading Standards we're supposed to put 2 or 3 years as a 'best before' date on our jars!)

supersprout · « **Reply #28 on:** October 25, 2006, 13:45:11 »

:o just add three noughts? ;D

triffid · « **Reply #29 on:** October 25, 2006, 13:47:03 »

But it would definitely have crystallised by then, so you wouldn't like it SS. :D

bombus · « **Reply #30 on:** October 26, 2006, 19:06:22 »

So what sort of year have everyone's Bees had? after what has seemed like an endless summer.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #31 on:** October 26, 2006, 23:21:00 »

I know that essential oils were tried for varroa control a few years ago, but I haven't heard anything for a long time, which suggests they didn't work.

This has been a completely lousy year for bees! First, they were slow to build up in the late spring. Then, the hot weather made them horribly swarmy, and to top that I had problems with queen mating. Then, the honey sources dried up. Obviously, a perennial isn't dependent on producing seed every year, and if it's short of water, the flowers don't produce nectar. Normally, I can count on the bramble, as there's masses about and it's really deep-rooted so it doesn't go short of moisture. This year it did. The brambles round the stream were OK, were covered in bees, and produced a good crop of blackberries. A few hundred yards away on slightly higher ground, only the early-flowering brambles were pollinated; the later ones seem to have produced no nectar at all. The result was 20lb of honey from three hives, which is totally pathetic. I've ended up feeding two of them, and that's not something I'd do normally.

Toadspawn · « **Reply #32 on:** October 26, 2006, 23:36:56 »

Hi Bombus
I did reply earlier but the message disappeared!!!!
My one hive has given me the best result this year - 70lb. I have had more honey in other years but with more hives but the average per hive has only been 20-30 lb. No idea what they were feeding on because no crops of significance around. Unfortunately next year every cultivated field within a mile is oilseed rape. Lots of honey potentially but not very exciting taste and the frames will all be spoilt. I will have to make sure the colony is strong at the time the stuff starts flowering and it seems to get earlier each year.

bombus · « **Reply #33 on:** October 27, 2006, 06:54:32 »

Sounds as if its been a mixed year, depending on your location.

I have had a really good year in spite of not being able to move my hives to the crops ( Rape, Beans, Borage ) Had an operation/recuperation period in early summer, it cramped my style for two months. Having said that i was at home with my Bees and able to artificially swarm all 6 hives.
New queens all mated ok and then went on to lay like crazy.So i ended up with very strong hives that were able to make the best of what was around my home patch.I have ended up with just short of 5 cwt of Honey for their efforts.

When my bees are on Rape I put just a starter strip of foundation in each super frame. The Bees draw this out and I don't mind if the Honey sets , I just cut it out. When the rape is over i then put my supers of drawn comb on the hives and they are not seeded by rape Honey.

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #34 on:** October 27, 2006, 09:05:50 »

I've been monitoring the way bees respond to varroa infestation, and sure enough, I've seen them cleaning out infested pupae. Only trouble is, according to what's coming out now, parasitised drones probably can't fly fast enough to catch a queen, which may explain the problems with mating. I'm going to see whether walloping the mites over winter has any effect on mating success.

bombus · « **Reply #35 on:** October 27, 2006, 18:24:21 »

Hi Robert, what Varroa treatment do you use and at what time of the year do you use it?

Regards Bombus.

Lady Cosmos · « **Reply #36 on:** October 27, 2006, 19:15:32 »

Quote from: triffid on October 24, 2006, 13:57:36

Bombus, I don't think anyone could know since not a lot of personal info gets into the admin records.

I think quite a few of A4A's beekeepers are posting on here, though :D

So far I've spotted four...
me
Robert_Brenchley
Toadspawn
and you!

And me ;D

Lady Cosmos · « **Reply #37 on:** October 27, 2006, 19:19:58 »

Every year we have about 40 beehives at the isle of TEXEL, north of the Netherlands, to get lots Borage honey. That's my favorite one. ;D

Lady Cosmos · « **Reply #38 on:** October 27, 2006, 19:25:22 »

BTW have you seen CNN report: There's much more to bees than honey.
London: Scientists have unraveled the genetic code of the honey bee, uncovering clues about its complex social behavior, heightened sense of smell and African origins. etc etc.......????

Robert_Brenchley · « **Reply #39 on:** October 27, 2006, 20:28:53 »

I use Apiguard in either spring or autumn; it seems to work fine with the temperature in the mid- to upper fifties, despite the packaging saying that it shouldn't be used under 65 Fahrenheit, but it can drive the bees out of the hive if it gets too how and it evaporates too fast. This latter isn't on the packet incidentally. As a backup, I have oxalic acid for dribbling in winter; I wouldn't use the vapour for safety reasons.

I won't use Apistan or Bayvarol, because the active ingredient (fluvalinate) is persistent in comb, and seems to have all sorts of nasty long-term effects on the bees.

News:

Author Topic: If you like honey, what sort do you like best? (Read 8781 times)