# Hows the sourwood flow



## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

Got a few hives near Boone NC and wondering how everyone in the area is doing. Havent been back up there since I set them there three weeks ago. Hope the flow is better than last year. Cant be worse,I dont think!! Thanks Dave


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## Bee Macy (Apr 24, 2012)

Not sure about Boone. I am in Wilkes County and I am not very hopeful. It has been so hot and dry for the last few weeks I am afraid it has dried up. My girls seem to be slowing down. My spring honey was great! Good Luck! Hope the higher elevation has helped you.


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## jadell (Jun 19, 2011)

I'll be checking tomorrow.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

thanks yall. Doesnt sound too promising. I had an awful flow this spring. Some hives did good but others just never got the hint it was time to go!!!. Been out of town alot and been really wanting to head up there and check them out but no time. Hopefully Jadell you will have some great news,your adding supers!!! Thanks Peace Dave


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## kenr (Sep 25, 2005)

I've got over twenty mature trees within view of my hives only one is blooming others showing nothing.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I put hives at about 3000ft in western NC about three weeks ago. Checked last weekend and the sourwood at that elevation was in full bloom. Hummingbirds were thick on them.The hives had filled nearly two shallow supers each. I added another and will check them within the next week.
I haven't moved hives up for sourwood before, so I don't have any idea what is normal.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

Ok that sounds more promising. Mine are at 3700 ft. There was NO flow last year that Im aware of. Had a real good spring flow of tulip poplar last year though. Now going back summer 2010 had a good blackberry crop,heavy and some tulip poplar mixed in. The same this year but the flow for me was down. Now dont know if that has anything to do with this year but Im trying to draw a parallel. That same summer got 13 gallons of sourwood off 4 hives. My spring honey was awful. Just 13 gallons off of 8 hives. So here is to pulling out the year with a bang. I wont be able to get to my hives for at least another two weeks. Will probably just wait until end of July and pick them up,so let me know what you find out next week. Thanks alot Peace Dave


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## BlairC (Mar 26, 2012)

I have a few hives in NW Surry County, 2 miles from the blue ridge parkway. I last checked on them 7/4 and there was nothing. I saw a bunch of sourwood in bloom, but the only one I could get a clear view of looked like it was just opening up, maybe 20% of the bells were open and there were bumblebees on it. Hopefully they'll all get going. It's my first year up there (just summering it), so I don't know what to expect.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

Well Blair that sounds like a good spot. I took mine up toward middle of June and havent seen them since. If you had drawn comb you probably should have seen something. The nectar is really as clear as water. Flipped me out the first time I saw it. It just really depends on the year. Last year 4 hives 1 1/3 qt. It was sourwood though,but really not enough to spin. The girls were actually starving when they got back here. The year before like I said 13 gallons. We will see Here is a link to the state Beekeeper website and the link is for what is blooming in the Mountains. This chart is good to a week or so. CU Dave http://www.ncbeekeepers.org/mountains.php


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## kenr (Sep 25, 2005)

Although looks like sourwood will be a bust my supers are heavy!!!With what I have no ideal maybe White Dutch.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

Kenr when did you super them? Yeah I know,I just need to head up there and check myself. Usually I do but this year I cant


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## Belewsboy (Jun 6, 2012)

I'm not sure what mine are bringing in, but they are loaded. In the early morning, they stumble when they land due to the pollen and nectar. The pollen ranges from a muddy color to white. The only thing I see in bloom is Crepe Myrtle and what I think is Locust. There are a few Sourwoods in the area, but not enough to be filling the frames like the girls are. I just supered 2 of my hives yesterday which is amazing as dry as things have been. But it doesn't last long. By noon they've slowed down a lot... probably bring in water. These 100 degree days are taking their toll. Well, tct1w...when you bring back the Motherlode from the mountains, don't forget about us low-landers!


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## kenr (Sep 25, 2005)

I took off the spring flow second week of June and put supers back on day after robbing.TcT1w hate to pry but where is Belews Creek if you don't mind me asking.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

Kenr no problem at all. If you have a map,where 65 head up toward Walnut Cove off of Belews Creek Road. Im within 1000 ft of that intersection. Their are quite a few of us near here.


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## cdanderson (May 26, 2007)

I live in the NW part of SC. My bees do harvest some sourwood each year. It is not as pure as in NC but usually does have the buttery swd taste. They have made alot of honey during the swd bloom time. It will be interesting to see what quality it is. I have heard from some beekeepers about 30 minutes north of me and they are seeing alot of sourwood production. It seems spotty though as some folks in north ga have reported low yield.


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## kenr (Sep 25, 2005)

tct1w what county LOL!!


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

thanks everyone starting to get my hopes up. Actually was figuring how many gallons six full supers were. Now talking about counting your chickens before they hatch:} Kenr the girls are in Watauga . Near Aho gap


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## Dunkel (Jun 12, 2009)

About 15 gallons if they are mediums, give or take a quart. I don't nothing about chickens though:scratch:


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

**** has gotten 16 of my chickens. If I can make up for it with 15 gallons Ill be in tall cotton:}


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## luke0927 (Aug 16, 2011)

mine are up at our Land around Blairsville GA will be checking on Saturday, starting seeing good bloom about the middle of June, but didn't seem as good last year haven't check them since then so hopefully its going decent.


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## kenr (Sep 25, 2005)

I hate *****.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

me too. Maybe I caught one this week.


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## kenr (Sep 25, 2005)

Well I'm seeing more sourwood starting to bloom it's a little late .


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I got up to see mine today. At 3000ft the blooms are winding down. At 3800 still full bloom. My hives have mostly filled two shallow supers and some three. I added a few extras today. Since I've never done this before, I don't know if this is good or bad. I'm thinking that anything is good but will have to find a balance between expense and return. We shall see.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

Dan anything is good. Well you know what I mean. I should start to wind down soon. Im really looking forward to heading up there and seeing. Wont be this weekend but maybe the one after. Hope to be buying queens this Saturday. The ones here at the house are replaced. Then Ill go up Thanks for the update. Dave


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

My friend, the property owner, went up Wednesday. He said that in the higher elevations the sourwood were still in bloom. Also, all the hives are still upright…no bears yet. Another week or ten days, I’m thinking I’ll pull supers.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

Thats awesome. Sound good. Yeah,it should be winding up. I saw some "sourwood"today when I went and got some queens but it was some kind of mix. Wasnt pure sourwood,I dont think. I will have to get the "taste tester" to check out what we get. The only thing blooming there should be sourwood but what I saw was amber. Not the clear water sourwood. Im pulling supers next weekend. Hope to bring alot down


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

I went up today with the expectation that I would remove some supers tomorrow. At the 4000ft elevation there were still some blooms.
Got to my hives. Bears had discovered them. I had only taken eight up. Two were totally trashed. I pulled supers on the remaining, hooked up the trailer, tied down the hives and brought them all home. Just finished unloading (11:30PM). My best guess is that I’ll get about 30 – 40lbs from each of the remaining hives.
Next year….more hives, a fence and a real plan.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

Sorry to hear about the trashed hives. I went up last nite and only had three hives up there. Well thats all I took,but anyway stopped at Miller and they were telling me the flow was awful. No one got any. Well on the drive up I was pretty bummed. Stopped and got dinner in Deep Gap and made it up there about 6:30. Much to my surprise I had 5 medium supers pretty much full. It was nice light sourwood. Now pulling honey was a different story. Got totally lit up. Fume board was not cutting it and they were ill. I was pulling stingers out of my coat and jeans. I almost wore shorts. Anyhow got them back down to the flat lands and will spin Sunday afternoon. Should get ten or so gallons. Maybe more. The trailer thing sounds like the way to go. I can drive just so far and then hand truck them the rest of the way. If I can find a little 5X8 trailer next year Im going to see if I can bring that . Lordy it would make it much easier. Thanks alot for the report. CU Dave


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## Bee Macy (Apr 24, 2012)

Sorry about the bears! They have started seeing bears in our area and it has me paranoid. Planning to check and see what I have next week. Took a peak mid July and I am hoping for a little Sourwood.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

To get to the location where I’d placed my bees, I had to cross a river without a bridge. I posted some photos in the photo forum a few weeks ago. Crossing that river last night, in the dark, with a trailer load of bees got the ol’ adrenaline going.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I bet it did. I had a similar experience on Spring in SC when the low country river were flooding. I was in my pickup truck driving thru water so high I swear I was pushing it w/ my headlights. Praying no one would be coming towards me, not really knowing exactly where the road was. Thankful when I hit dry ground again after a mile or more.

How has the sourwood crop been. I hear the flow is over. Is it?


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

sqkcrk said:


> How has the sourwood crop been. I hear the flow is over. Is it?


This was my first trip so I don't have any reference but.....where my bees were, the flow is over. My best estimate is that it largely ended about three weeks ago (I know when I added supers and can tell by the ones completely filled, those partially and those untouched). I'd said they made around 30 - 40lbs each....I'm also guessing it will be on the low side of that estimate.
Is this normal, good or bad? I have no idea.
Was it worth it? Economically...no. As a trial run, the value of lessons learned and whatever products result....the jury is still out.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Takes about 5 years to really access the value of a yd, don't you think? Unless you just don't see much of anything the first cpl years.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

sqkcrk said:


> Takes about 5 years to really access the value of a yd, don't you think?


I agree, after five years you should have a pretty good idea. Yards and hives seem to be in cycles. Last year's booming yard may be this year's laggard. The same with hives. Those who went great guns last season, typically under-perform the next. Actually, that is one of the reasons I've wondered at the idea of queen breeders selecting for honey production.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Got it extracted today. About three gallons per hive. Very light. About 19% water. The honey house is closed up and the dehumidifier is running. 
Much of the cappings were extremely white and brittle. May be normal but it caught my attention. I'll melt them separately.
I'll operate with a plan next year.


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## kenr (Sep 25, 2005)

I'm pulling mine this week we still have a little bloom going but not enough to stop me from pulling I'm wanting to make some queens from my good hive and I think this week will be the cutoff to do it.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

Well I got mine extracted today. Pulling it Friday nite was tuff on me and the girls. Got hit quit a few times. I just took three hives and spun 10 gallons,just about to the drop. This is my third year at that location. First year,four hive and 13 gallons. Second year 1 and 1/3 qt. Now that was a bummer. This year it was good. I stopped in Miller on the way up and they said the flow was awful. Well there on Brushy Mountain it was. I was alot higher. I was surprised at what I got. Next year,new plan. Must use a trailer. Dont know if I have room for it at that spot. Going to talk to the landowner and see what he thinks. The sourwood I got was darker than the last couple of years. Its sourwood though,but have no idea why its that way. Beside my spring crop of tulip poplar it looks clear as water though. CU Dave


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## kenr (Sep 25, 2005)

Put my bee escape under one hive that has abput 30 Lbs of mixture sourwood and somthing dark.On my other hives got some frames some sourwood and somthing that almost looks like poplar honey.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

Kenr when I first spun mine It was dark too. Had spots in the frames that were dark I have no idea what that is. The poplar flow had ended here when I took mine up so I dont think thats it,but anyhow it really has lightened up no in the bottle . Maybe I will post a picture of poplar beside the sourwood. Huge difference. CU


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

One is sourwood....one is my wildflower. Care to guess which is which?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Were I to guess, I would guess, the lighter colored one.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

And you guessed correctly. I've realized that I haven't ever had any 'real' sourwood honey. I don't have a very refined honey palate but this is quite different.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

OK I guessed correctly too.Im getting on my soapbox for a minute. Sorry. I dont want to get into a big debate about sourwood,I know the only way to know actually what the nectar if from is to test the pollen source. My pollen source sampling machine is down. Here is how I look at it. 3 yrs ago I took 4 hives to a location a 3700 ft and ended up with 13 gallons. The man told me there is a hollow about a mile away by a waterfall loaded with sourwood trees . Backing up a little my wife's grandfather use to go to the mountains every year and buy sourwood from a beekeeper. She "knows" the flavor. Ok last year I took the hives to the exact same spot and got 1 1/3 qt. Same number of hives. This year once again same spot and adding what came off the cappings I got 12 gallons with 3 hives. Its sourwood. It has that taste and light color. You look at the NC State Beekeepers website and it gives what is blooming and where. In the mountains from late June to late July sourwood. I have got honey before that said it was sourwood in the mountains and it was actually sugar water. Yeah I was ill. It had the guys name on it but I didnt call him. Its sort of a tourist trap in the mountains. This years sourwood is not as light as 3 years ago but its still sourwood. Why it is darker I have no idea but its all good. Thanks for listening


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## kenr (Sep 25, 2005)

I had five frames of pure Sourwood honey(Sorry not a fan!)And the other frames where 70% sourwood and 30% maybe sumac or some other kinda flower with three frames of buckwheat now this combination made some of the best honey I've ever tasted I guess the other nectar muted the sour taste a little.Got two and a half gallons off of one hive.


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

Kenr dont know how I got off on that tangent!!. You know i have some customers you would think Im selling crack too. They about drink the stuff. Im not a big fan either. Im much more into tulip poplar. That is the best I produce. Put the first jars of sourwood in the store up the street today. Lets see how it goes. CU Dave


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## Bee Macy (Apr 24, 2012)

Well I have learned a lesson. 2 weeks ago took a quick check on my hives. I was so excited cause it looked like the girls had made me some sourwood. That is all I have heard from my customers since spring. I want sourwood. Well the weather has been stormy and cloudy and rainy for most of the last 2 weeks. Finally got everything ready to go today to take it off. Had to wait on clouds to clear again this morning. Well guess what? My sourwood is gone. We have evidently hit a dearth and they have used it up. Morale of the story, either get it off sooner or just be glad they had something to eat. Feeders are on all hives now.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

tct1w said:


> OK I guessed correctly too.Im getting on my soapbox for a minute.


Was there something in my prior post that triggered this?


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## tct1w (Jun 6, 2008)

No not at all. I dont know what got me starting ranting. Sorry. Sometimes I guess people just question the nectar source of honey and with all the work moving hives up to the hills,well I dont know.You didnt say a thing about it so once again sorry. 
Macy sorry to hear about the loss. Yes we are in dearth. Golden Rod is all we have left and I havent seen alot of blooming. Not like last year . Maybe with them not bringing in the pollen much that should trigger the girls to slow down and not consume the stores. I requeen half of my hive recently so have left them alone so have no idea what the stores are like. Anyhow,everyone take care and thanks for all of the feedback Dave


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

A friend of mine keeps bees in NY. He spends a lot of time in SC during the Winter months. He sometimes sets up a booth at an open market near Myrtle Beach. One time he was selling honey at his booth, NY honey. A customer who had bought some honey before asked for some of the sourwood honey like he got before. My friend explained that he didn't sell sourwood honey, so he must have gotten it somewhere else. "No, I am sure I got it from you and it was sourwood. I know what sourwood tastes like." So my friend said,"Oh, yeah, I have some down here in another box especially for people who really know what it is and are willing to pay for it. I didn't want to sell out too quickly."

The customer is always right.


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Carl and Virginia Webb keep bees in N GA. They specialize in sourwood honey. In 2005 they went to Apimondia in Ireland (I think) and entered their sourwood honey in the international honey contest. You know, where folks from all over the world bring their finest honeys. Anyway…the Webbs won the blue ribbon. In 2007 they didn’t attend…Australia was too far to go but in 2009 they went again. It was in France, I believe. They entered their sourwood honey again…..and guess what?

Of course, I didn't go and take any honey or the results would surely have been different.


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## kenr (Sep 25, 2005)

As I've always said the beekeepers in the know keep there spring crop for themselfs and sell the summer crop to people who don't know any better.Up here in Yancey Goldenrod don't start putting out until around the first of Sept.


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