My Bees.

[jdmidwest]

I will know by the end of next week.  I pulled about 8 gallons off the 3 hives at the farm Sat.  I split 2 of them into 2 new hives.  Honey extraction equipment just got set up in my kitchen and I will spin out that batch tomorrow after work.

I will pull honey off of 5 hives at the other spot this week if the weather clears.  Not sure how much they have on them.  The others were started this year from my wintered hives.  Taking bees to make splits early cuts into the honey production.  So does a swarm, I know one hive did that.  But I caught the swarm and it is growing well.

A well managed hive in a good year should produce at least 5 gallons of honey.  The farm has mostly pasture and trees for the bees to collect.  The other spot has some crops nearby.  Weather has been good this year, flowers are still blooming and stuff is green.  Last year, June was a drought and bees used honey instead of storing it.  July greened up and they stored up well for the winter and all but one of my hives over wintered well and came out strong.

[Flysmallie]

13 hours ago, jdmidwest said:

Honey extraction equipment just got set up in my kitchen and I will spin out that batch tomorrow after work.

 

We need some video of that. 

[jdmidwest]

Too late.  Just got done, 11 gallons.

I still have the rest of the hives to do this week or next.

[Flysmallie]

That’s a nice haul! 

[JestersHK]

Thanks for answering!  Thats allot of honey!  

[jdmidwest]

Clover was good this year, light sweet honey.  Usually the farm produces a thicker, darker honey from a mixture of wild flowers.

[jdmidwest]

I finished out the honey extraction on Sat, took 7 hours to do the honey off the hives at the house.  Ended up with 15 gallons from the house, total harvest over 30 gallons this year.  My best yet. 

A few pounds of bees wax from the cappings too.  I have 2 small crock pots to melt that down in.

[snagged in outlet 3]

What do you do with it all, @jdmidwest?

[fishinwrench]

9 minutes ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

What do you do with it all, @jdmidwest?

He's gonna bring me some next month 😊

Come chase whites with me and I might make you a peanut butter and honey sandwich. 😋

[jdmidwest]

Sell it.  This is first year I have a surplus over what friends and family use.