Took my first honey today

[hoosierlogger]

This is the second full year I have had bees, I had always been leery of taking from them. I was afraid I would take too much and they wouldn't have enough to make it through winter. Well last week I put the second honey super on my strongest hive. I decided today that I would go take 3 frames from them. The 3 medium frames netted me 3 quarts, and 3 half pints us a little extra. So I got almost 12 pounds of honey from my bees. Only have to get about 150 more pounds to break even!!!

Wife put a couple pics on face book and people are already wanting to buy some. I wish I had enough to sell.

There is no honey in the world sweeter than that from your own bees.

[smokeywolf]

Used to have a co worker who kept bees. I'd buy 10 pounds of orange honey once a year from him. Wasn't cheap but I got what I paid for. It was delicious; especially in tea. Raw honey beats the heck out of the processed, filtered junk on the store shelves.

Congrats on your first harvest.

[Bzcraig]

Brother you are right! The stuff purchased in stores is awful compared to real honey! It even smells different.

[duckey]

You can always feed them sugar water in the fall to ensure they have enough saved up for winter.

[hoosierlogger]

You can always feed them sugar water in the fall to ensure they have enough saved up for winter.

Yes I usually do, the past years they had to build all of the comb aswell as make the honey. This year all they have had to do was make the honey, they built the comb last year. I put about 10 pounds of sugar on top of the hive too. They eat it and it helps to absorb moisture in the winter.

[CastingFool]

I get my honey from a local beekeeper. He runs about 150 hives. I usually buy one, sometimes 2 gals of raw honey at a time, but we do share with family. I get wax from him, too.

[BrentD]

I generally get 3-5 supers from each of my two hives. I harvest in August and make sure that they have at least one full super for winter, plus whatever else is in the hive bodies. I have only twice in over 10 yrs lost a hive to winter. They have never starved over winter, but one year it was super cold, then we had a long 70 degree warm spell for 2 weeks that kicked them into "Spring mode" with lots of eggs being laid at Christmas time. And then the REAL winter hit long and hard. And that killed off one of my hives.

If I feed them at all, I give them back some of their honey in the spring, but normally, they don't need it. I protect my bees very well, unlike most folks over winter, and that really helps with the rate that they burn honey to keep warm.

[Plate plinker]

Nice doggies and yummy honey.

[BrentD]

Life is good for my bees. This year looks especially good so I imagine I'll have plenty to give away this year. But the girls will get to keep a bunch so the winter, no matter how cold or long will be no problem for them. They easily have 40-50 pounds put up already and we havent' even started the basswood flowering yet. That's the cream of the honey crop for us.

[rancher1913]

we have several hives and bought 3 more packages this spring to increase our numbers, all of the packages died. we purchased them through our bee keepers club and not a single packed survived for the whole club--about a semi load. on the bright side a tree fell in the pasture the other day and we discovered it was full of honey and had a nice little colony of bees, we rescued the bees and strapped their combs onto frames in a hive box, so far they seem happy and have settled into their new home.

[BrentD]

Rancher, do you ever try dividing hives? If I lose a hive for some reason, or lose a queen, I have been able to rescue or restore a colony by taking from the healthy one. I only have 1 hive but have managed to avoid buying bees for a long time now, but working with them this way. Once in a while I bring in a new queen for refreshing the gene pool a bit, but that's all. Keeps my expenses way down.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
This has been an encouraging read for me. One day we will settle up north there and I trust in a place we can have our own hives. I grew up in SW Michigan and numerous people had hives . Never lacked any honey. Down here there are numerous mountain villagers that have hives and we always have a couple quart containers handy. Thank you each of you for posting this.
Mike in Peru

[rancher1913]

sorry brentd but I'm not skilled enough to try that yet. I have so many irons in the fire its easier to just buy a package and this is the first time we've had a problem. I have 2 wild hives in buildings that I want to relocate but don't want to ruin the buildings (plaster inside and stucco outside).

[Blammer]

here's my honey



and here is where I keep my bees.



just kidding. That's where I collected a hive from one time.

If you put two honey supers on, you should have no problem taking one full one for yourself.

[Blammer]

here's what I bottled up yesterday.



and it's all sold already.

[meterman]

Saw some containers of comb honey yesterday in the supermarket, $18 a pound. Wow..

[BrentD]

sorry brentd but I'm not skilled enough to try that yet. I have so many irons in the fire its easier to just buy a package and this is the first time we've had a problem. I have 2 wild hives in buildings that I want to relocate but don't want to ruin the buildings (plaster inside and stucco outside).

Rancher, it is a lot easier than you think. No real skill. If you can harvest honey you can split a hive.

Say, how much are you guys getting for your honey, if you are selling it? I used to sell at $2/lb (wholesale to a local food coop). But I imagine the price is much higher now.

I need to throw another pair of supers on my hives before I take off for Raton on Thursday. That should keep them until I get back, I hope. The basswood bloom is going to hit like gangbusters as I'm pulling out of the driveway. I wish I could be here for it. It is one sweet smelling time.

[Bad Water Bill]

Jist got Girtys nu shuz all polishd an her mane brushd n redi fer da trip ta git sum uv dat nekter den u sez ALL SOLD OUT.

[MaryB]

I need to find a local honey supplier. Last stuff I bought in the store was beyond nasty. Think it was mostly corn syrup

[Bad Water Bill]

The store I drop my books for vets also sells honey.

Yes right out of the old Pullman area of Chiraq.

Gun shots all day. Not sure how good OR safe it would be?