# Off flavored honey (wet dog)



## gator75 (Apr 21, 2021)

This is my first early spring with bees. I pulled a frame of freshly capped honey yesterday. It was from this spring, not last year. The smell and taste is not enjoyable. A bit like wet dog. Problem is that my bees in two of my hives have filled at least 2 supers of it? What do I do with this honey? I'm afraid to even give it away as people don't understand how honey flavors work. I'm in N. Fl so I don't need nearly this much for over winter stores. I'd love to know where it's coming from. Blackberries are popping. They are all over bottle brush in the neighborhood. Not sure what other sources are out there. Everything is blooming. Our biggest nectar source is tallow in June. I don't even want this mixed.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

Do you have enough freezer space to store it until the Fall and stick it back on so they can eat it over late fall and winter? I know you said you don't need it all, but this will allow you to take all of the tallow off in late June, early July.

"Wet Dog Honey" does not make a very appetizing label.


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## gator75 (Apr 21, 2021)

psm1212 said:


> Do you have enough freezer space to store it until the Fall and stick it back on so they can eat it over late fall and winter? I know you said you don't need it all, but this will allow you to take all of the tallow off in late June, early July.
> 
> "Wet Dog Honey" does not make a very appetizing label.


It's not an appetizing flavor either. I left on a few frames of honey in each hive last fall and it never got touched over the winter. I'm afraid it would sit in our freezer for a long time. I think I'll just extract it all frame by frame and keep whats edible and dump the rest.


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

gator75 said:


> It's not an appetizing flavor either. I left on a few frames of honey in each hive last fall and it never got touched over the winter. I'm afraid it would sit in our freezer for a long time. I think I'll just extract it all frame by frame and keep whats edible and dump the rest.


If it is not too crystallized!

I had some that would not extract so I put it out to get robbed out. Ants got in on the party and any cells that had pollen in got chewed out right through the midrib. Bees did not seem interested in patching holed cell bottoms. Success probably depends on your local honey crystallizing tendencies.


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## Tumbleweed (Mar 17, 2021)

psm1212 said:


> Do you have enough freezer space to store it until the Fall and stick it back on so they can eat it over late fall and winter? I know you said you don't need it all, but this will allow you to take all of the tallow off in late June, early July.
> 
> "Wet Dog Honey" does not make a very appetizing label.


Maybe “dog on it honey”


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

how about a Hearty Mead called "hair of the dog"

GG


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## mill-j (10 mo ago)

As long as the honey isn't spoiled, I would NOT dump it out. Extract and store to feed later. The bees don't mind and its better than feeding sugar syrup especially when the weather gets colder. If you have a lot just get some food safe five gallon buckets. Later, just liquify as you need it. It'll be bee feed for many years to come


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

No idea what the source is, but it is not blackberries. 
Make a mead/ melomel with it. You can probably overpower the bad taste with other fruits, berries, spices. If it still tastes bad, well we all have a friend who will drink anything. J


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I agree with mill-j, don't throw it away. worst case feed it back to the bees. But sometimes honey that doesn't taste good gets better tasting after some time. Try it again in a few months and see what it tastes like.


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## thill (Nov 30, 2020)

I saw a Bob Binnie video where there was a lot of Mountain Laurel and I think Queen Ann's Lace, and the honey picked up an awful aftertaste.

If I recall, the bees picked up a lot of it during dry spring seasons, when other forage was not making nectar.


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