# Oct 1st today who's still extracting honey???



## rainesridgefarm (Sep 4, 2001)

maybe three hundred supers left then done. Need to start feeding


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

should have about 400 supers to do pretty soon. that will be all.


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## dixiebooks (Jun 21, 2010)

Thought I was done, but apparently will be able to harvest at least 2 or 3 supers of goldenrod. Looking forward to that. -js


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

We just pulled our last 1/2-1 ton of honey today. Plan to extract on Wednesday.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Not quite done here. Couple more days should do it.


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## Kevin245 (Apr 5, 2010)

We pulled Spring honey in July. Plan to pull the Fall flow (Goldenrod) late this month.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Got the last dribbles of wildflower(Goldenrod and Aster) to go through in the shop, but right now feeding the first round takes priority.

Crazy Roland


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## bevy's honeybees (Apr 21, 2011)

I'm concerned about my fall harvest. I have 8 hives that I should be pulling honey from by now, based on last year's extraction times and surplus. I only pulled 9 capped frames so far. There is alot of uncapped honey, some empty cells. I was shocked actally. 

Now, maybe 10 days makes a difference but I don't see how. Last year I pulled starting Oct 9th. I always leave half behind for them, or more depending on how much they have. But as of the last few days, it's not looking good for surplus honey. We are in Brazillian Pepper flow for another week or two. Unless they suddenly start capping, bad fall harvest for me. Though they will have enough for themselves for sure. That part is a relief.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Calendars are good for Holiudays and Anniverserys but not so much for when bees should be worked or honey taken off. Do what needs doing when it needs doing, not when the calendar tells you to.


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

Our last honey crop is just getting started. We usually wrap up around thanksgiving.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

I only have about 20% pulled and extracted so far. If the weather holds up well I should be done in 3 weeks.


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## suttonbeeman (Aug 22, 2003)

We redid extracting room and put in larger system. What I thought would be a 3 or 4 week job turned into 2 1/2 months. Redid floor putting in drain under cowen system, filled in pit and installed auger to sump mounted under converor . Put in maxant spinner. Then three motors decided to quit in two days...one had just been rebuilt. The result is normally I'm done extracting in august. Still have honey on 370 hives. Working festivals on weekends then rain during week. Most have 4 to 5 mediumns . So i figure 1400 to go. Should be in Florida for pepper but here I am in KY. Anyone looking for a job?? Oh what a mess...anything that can go wrong has....hard to pull honey extract bottle and deliver along with festivals. Stay busy this time of year bottling and with festivals let alone extracting.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Finished up yesterday. The 3 month siege is officially over and it's also the reason I'm stalling in my office this morning....today is cleanup. 
I feel your pain, been there done that. That happens a lot after a remodel, everything looks great until you actually start using it, then the problems begin. Hey, at least you have honey to run.


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

jim lyon said:


> Hey, at least you have honey to run.


Amen to that. Many of us, like myself, won't turn on the spinner this year.


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

Rick, I know what you mean. I setup a new extracting setup in a new building this year. Then honey started coming in 3 weeks early this year. Hurry , Hurry, Hurry. 
Here comes the rain again.
Cleaning up machines and emptying tanks today. Last batch of wax going in the melter.:thumbsup:


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Just got the last of my honey off of the hives today. Colonies are looking good and strong.


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## benstung (Mar 20, 2011)

Today is our last day and it feels good.

Decent crop hope the bee's hold up so we can do it again.


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## James Kellie (Oct 30, 2010)

Been at it since Sept 4th. Will finish up Tuesday. Break down and clean equipment then barrel up the tank on Wednesday.


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

Ive got contract honey sitting up in pulled supers, Ive gotta clear our a bottling tank for it. bleh.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

I've been finished for awhile, and am almost done with feeding. Three more yards and some nucs to top off, and it's time to pick up feeders and wrap.

We had a good crop in this area, and some hobbyists say their best ever. Mine was a bit above average. Don't have a final colony count, but it's over a hundred pound average. I supered extra early because of all the swarm reports coming from beekeepers in the south, and then mid-atlantic, and then connecticut...

Every bloom seemed to yield nectar. Starting with maple, the bees were in the supers right off. Sumac was the best I've seen. Decent clovers, and a great basswood flow. Goldenrod started two weeks early...saw goldenrod blooming on June 28??...smelled it on August 6, and not much happened. Flow ended soon after EAS meeting. Hives were light and I was figuring on heavy feeding. But, something came in in September and filled up the brood nests. Small White Aster I think. Only normal feeding required this year.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Michael Palmer said:


> But, something came in in September and filled up the brood nests. Small White Aster I think. Only normal feeding required this year.


Congratulations Mike, you folks were due after last year. We saw a little Aster honey come in very late but something very dark came in here in the latter part of the summer in certain areas. It came in during a time of brutally high temps and very, very dry conditions. Its been a real puzzle considering that some yards made probably 100 lb. avg. off of it in areas where there is only brown as far as the eye can see. The color is in the mid 60mm range. Fortunately we had already pulled the early white honey off. My theory is tamarisk though I havent seen it anywhere or have any reason to believe it is in the area.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Do you have Japanese Bamboo yet? It blooms here about Labor Day.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Michael Palmer said:


> Do you have Japanese Bamboo yet? It blooms here about Labor Day.


I have not heard of any in the area and the flow seems a bit early as this began in early August. It is rough hilly pasture ground with a stream flowing through the area which has virtually dried up this summer. We have kept bees in the area for decades and this is the first time I have seen a flow like this.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Molasses feeder?


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## WCMN (Jan 29, 2008)

We also have had a few reports of this darker honey in Western MN. I had one yard that produce the darker honey. The beekeepers I talked to had no idea what plant produced it. It came in later summer.
They said there were no buckwheat fields in the area. As far as the molasses goes my brother in law reported see a large number of bees hovering around the silo as he was filling it with silage well adding 
molasses to sweeten it up.

Randy


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

I just remembered...I haven't seen it for awhile, but for a number of years we got a dark honey that came in before bamboo. It was in burr comb and where brood had emerged and the comb filled...must have been in August. Haven't seen any lately. No one knew the source. Some thought it might be from corn, as that's the only change in vegetation in the valley.


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

corn ?


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

When corn is growing fast, it cracks and leaks sap that the bees harvest. Yeah, I know it's a long shot but that was one of the suggestions at the time.


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## jeff123fish (Jul 3, 2007)

what about "Joe pie weed"(sp?) that flowers within the time frame and my bees will hit it during the late morning


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