# Have You Smelled It Yet?



## Mangonpeach (Nov 24, 2012)

I haven't smelled it yet but Knotweed on the west coast is about to bloom soon. It's about two weeks early here.


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## rwlaw (May 4, 2009)

Nope, you're not having flashbacks MP. It's blooming around here, my hives are getting that "smelly" smell. Seems too early to me also.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

OH no hold off I don't have my supers and frames built yet and this weekend is my brothers wedding.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Snooze ya loose.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Michael Palmer said:


> Snooze ya loose.


LOL don't I know it.


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## jly500 (Jul 28, 2013)

I thought I smelled it but it was my kids socks he left outside. .
Not blooming here yet but it's getting close. That smell!!


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

I've been smelling it for a few days here, north of Albany NY- with just the slightest yellow haze visible across my fields and marsh which are still pink and cream with Joe Pye weed and Boneset. Seems early to me, too, but this season has been characterized by peculiar, out of order bloom patterns. 

I know people complain about the smell - and it may vary accross the country with the many local species of goldenrod - but I really like that tangy, yeasty, sourdough-like, odor. 

Better chances for a good flow, I think, if it starts early than if the main bloom holds of until the cooler, drier weather typical of late August/early September. Nothing we can do about it, though.

Enj.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

I still find humor in how we can define happiness, After a very wet spring and summer dearth, our hives can smell like dirty socks and we're tickled. I guess it's all in the perspective how we define the "sweet smell of success." Oh please bring some my way!


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## fntsyfan (Jun 1, 2015)

I have a ton of Goldenrod and it is starting to bloom. 

Question: What are the chances that my bees can or will pull a 10 frame medium with just foundation during this flow?


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

fntsyfan said:


> I have a ton of Goldenrod and it is starting to bloom.
> 
> Question: What are the chances that my bees can or will pull a 10 frame medium with just foundation during this flow?


I just got enuff frames to make 5 new supers looks like I will find out.


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## fntsyfan (Jun 1, 2015)

I have three to do and 2 Nucs also. Getting a good soaking rain today so it shouldnt burn out.


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## AstroZomBEE (Aug 1, 2006)

Can't smell it yet here in Central Pennsylvania, but i have been seeing the early tassels turning a nice color of yellow.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Ours is starting to yellow up with only a small percentage actually "bloomed". I thought I smelled it in a couple nucs... but I haven't seen the pollen come yet. 
Time for me to wax some medium foundation and get some frames built. See if I can't get some honey supers drawn.

Michael, last year our fall flow seemed to be... nonexistent. I don't remember the weather exactly. You mention hot and humid. Is that the main trigger for a "flow"? We have had tons of rain in May and June and July was even pretty moist compared to normal. It's a little dry now, though.
How much does ground moisture factor in?


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

It's blooming in patches around here.

Alas, goldenrod refuses to grow at our place. For some reason it cuts off sharply a couple of miles away. May be our soil conditions. We get abundant wingstem instead.


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## WWBee (Jun 18, 2015)

its blooming here and the single bee entrance on the bottom board of a dbl deep 5fr nuc is stained yellow from pollen the last few days,no smell yet,other six hives very busy gonna look inside this weekend


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## Sky (Jul 7, 2015)

Mangonpeach said:


> I haven't smelled it yet but Knotweed on the west coast is about to bloom soon. It's about two weeks early here.


Mango - I'm up north of you a bit- knotweed is just barely beginning to flower in the Skykomish Valley-it's gonna be early, and it looks like it will be a phenomenal bloom. Put the supers [or add another] back on the hives.........

- Only goldenrod around here seems to be at the nursery...

Sky


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

Been seeing what looks like GR pollen for a couple of weeks....yesterday thought I caught a whiff while making up nucs, but it was fleeting.

Today smelled it distinctly both here in Leominster, and in Concord (even tasted a bit from the comb).

To quote Lynrd Skynyrd...."OOOOhhhhh that smell....."


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

he who smelt it dealt it.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

jwcarlson said:


> How much does ground moisture factor in?


A lot I would say.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Michael Palmer said:


> A lot I would say.


Which way triggers goldenrod Mike? A lot of moisture or drying up?


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Moisture in the ground and hot/humid weather


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Just the opposite of what we are getting here. I might get lucky with the nephews up this weekend to help.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Oh boy they are into it now. Nucs rolling in with nice yellow orange pollen and smells like sourdough!


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

I would guess we are 10-14 days from any nectar flow here. The first round of bloom is ussually not a productive variety.

About 30 years ago we had a good fall flow. Can't remember the ground moisture levels , but it was not too dry. The weather was 3 weeks of clear skies, highs in the low 70's, no rain.

Crazy Roland


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## jly500 (Jul 28, 2013)

Speaking of pollen I've noticed today for the first time in weeks bee's bringing in bright orange and pale yellow pollen.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

No smell yet. We still have dutch clover in bloom.


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## McBee7 (Dec 25, 2013)

The early goldenrod is abundant here, but it's the alsik clover that the bees are currently bringing in, the whitest wax and clear honey, a change from the yellows of buttercups, trefoil, dandilions, and other wild yellows in this area . 

==McBee7==


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

NO smell in my yards although I see bees on the goldenrod. All my yards have purple looestrief blooming and the bees are pretty loyal to it right now. Tall goldenrod just about to bloom.


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## kingd (Oct 31, 2013)

rwlaw said:


> Nope, you're not having flashbacks MP. It's blooming around here, my hives are getting that "smelly" smell. Seems too early to me also.


 I was thinking the same thing,seems early. I have not noticed the smell yet and only seen small patches of it so far.


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## MichiganMike (Mar 25, 2014)

No smell yet but the fields have started to turn yellow.


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## green2btree (Sep 9, 2010)

No smell yet here, but yellowing and some starting to open. The sweet clover is still in the last gasp of blooming stage, so looks like no dearth here this year. Which is great because I have a bunch of nucs.

JC


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

It's been blooming here for over a week, I've seen it in the ditches but there's so little of it that I haven't caught a whiff of it yet or I would have pulled honey. A few more weeks is all I need before I let them start building up for winther


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## fntsyfan (Jun 1, 2015)

Lots of it here in various stages of bloom. Bees are ignoring it for now and bringing in a variety of white clover according to the plant book. My wife went for a ride and tracked them down to a big patch on Saturday.


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## kilocharlie (Dec 27, 2010)

Acebird said:


> LOL don't I know it.


Sounds like your brother might be getting hitched in a bee suit...or carpentry coveralls?


I am grateful for another bloom of California Pepper Tree, just in time to stave off robbing, and a little bit of sumacs, and a big blue agave that gave the bees a real thrill. Mostly they are surfing a C&H pure cane sugar syrup flow out of my pocketbook.


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## j.kuder (Dec 5, 2010)

it started to bloom about a week ago here cumberland mts north east tenn. and thought I got a wiff as I was putting robber screens on some nucs. we aint getting as much rain as i'd like to see. next chance mid.next week. hope their wrong again.


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## Bob J (Feb 25, 2013)

Got the first whiff in my yard last Sunday....;- )


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Just starting to bloom here. I put all the winter storage honey supers on last weekend.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

kilocharlie said:


> Sounds like your brother might be getting hitched in a bee suit...or carpentry coveralls?


I am not getting it, sorry.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

Seeing it but not smelling it. Last year (my first year in PA) the early GR produced nothing.

Knotweed is just starting to bloom here though. That seems a bit earlier than I remember from last year.

Wayne


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## mcon672 (Mar 5, 2015)

Acebird said:


> I am not getting it, sorry.


Because you said your supers weren't built yet and his wedding is this weekend. Since bees trump most everything else he thought you and your brother would be assembling supers, wedding or not, therefore he would be wearing work clothes and not a tux.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

mcon672, being too busy to super is probably good for Ace's bees. Wouldn't want another SHB outbreak where pretty much no SHBs exist again this year.


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## jfmcree (Mar 10, 2014)

Yes! I smelled it this past weekend and thought, "Uh oh....foul smell - something is wrong." I could not find anything though. Thank you for the reminder! I have quite a bit of goldenrod around the hives. It was just starting to bloom. 1 Hive hit me with a wave of foul air when I opened it. The other 4 hives right next to it did not smell. They must not have found it yet (or I really do have a problem!).


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

Pretty soon that foul smell will make you drool....mmmm....sweatsocks.....ggghhhhhhasa


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## flyin-lowe (May 15, 2014)

Last year when my hive started working the goldenrod it smelled like popcorn, not dirty socks. Not sure what's in the soil down there but Ill take the popcorn smell. LOL


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Sourdough with a hint of buttery socks. Getting pretty strong now.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Hey Mike P, I am not snoozing anymore. I got three boxes ready for the goldenrod flow now all it has to do is stop raining. Next Thursday should be good.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

mcon672 said:


> Because you said your supers weren't built yet and his wedding is this weekend.


Got it. I can't picture my brother getting involved with bees. He likes the honey though.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

Smelling it now in northeast PA. Saw them working it along the roadside yesterday and could smell it strong last night.

Just in time.

Wayne


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

85-90, sunny, and humid. The odor is strong and the bees are flying like wild things.


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## skidmld (Jul 15, 2004)

Got a good whif of it today. I think it smells great.


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## dgrc (May 4, 2015)

Started blooming in southern Minnesota about a week ago. Looks like the girls are bringing in lots of pollen. Caught a whiff of "sourdough" the other day.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Walked into the backyard at about 10 pm to be greeted by the smell of goldenrod about 40-50 feet from my nucs.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

I smell it today. And confirmed by my wife.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I did a bike ride on a local parkway today, and it was blooming. I couldn't smell a thing, even up close. It was only being worked by the occasional black wasp. When sweet yellow clover blooms there earlier in the summer, there are honeybees all over it, so I know there are hives close by.


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## waynesgarden (Jan 3, 2009)

Phoebee said:


> I did a bike ride on a local parkway today, and it was blooming. I couldn't smell a thing, even up close.


I wouldn't think that you could. I've never smelled it even in dense goldenrod patches, only in the beeyard where the nectar was being stored and concentrated in cells and evaporated.

Wayne


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## MTBeeGirl (Apr 24, 2015)

Sourdough with a hint of socks? I've noticed a bit of GR starting to bloom. Yesterday I smelled something coming out of my hive that I thought smelled sweet and like fresh hay. It came from the hive though not the breeze of wind in the yard. ? The pollen is orange yellow?


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

I honestly think it smells good. The sweat socks is a little bit of a joke I think. Eitherway, it does "smell" humid to me... if that makes any sense. I think it has a sweet smell, but there's other stuff riding on it. It is probably what you are smelling.

My backyard smells strongly of it overnight and early in the morning, especially if it's a calm day it just kind of sits inside the yard surrounded by 6' privacy fence. Pollen varies at bit, but it's pretty much orange. They are packing a good amount of it away here.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Jym socks, no mistaken it. If you are smelling something sweet it is a mixture of something else.


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## DanielD (Jul 21, 2012)

I was in one of the hives today and took off some wacky honey filled comb. I was anticipating a taste, but it ended up tasting like a wet barnyard cow to me. It smelled similar. Would anyone describe goldenrod like that? It's been blooming for a few days around here and the bees are working hard and drawing new foundationless comb well. White, a few different yellows, and orange pollen streaming in good too.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

I suppose if you don't like dark beer you won't like goldenrod honey but what we have up here is very sweet. You cannot judge the taste by the smell of it curing in the beehive.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

But there is a weird Pavlovian thing that happems. I remember that I used to think it smelled bad....now I start to salivate.


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## seawrath (May 30, 2015)

Hello Michael, i have been searching for some time on info for your sustainable apiary model. I hope to emmulate your apiary here in northern kentucky. Any advice on where to look? Do you have a book or dvd? Or suggest one? Cheers and goodluck with the fall flow.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

The flow is on real nice here. Stinky bee yards. Found a mating nuc today that had a missing frame, and in the last week the bees made their own comb in that spot. They filled it with goldenrod nectar...still watery and thin, but... 

The queen catching crew gobbled it. Gobble, gobble. Lovely buttery, butterscotch. Yummmm!


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## Knobs (Sep 20, 2014)

The goldenrod has been blooming for 3 or 4 weeks. The bees were been bringing in pollen but no nectar up until a few days ago, then I got a light whiff of goldenrod. Today its now a strong smell so the goldenrod flow is starting to come on in the Southern Indiana / Louisville area.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Bring it on...


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

the later variety goldenrod is just now starting to open here, haven't noticed 'the smell' yet.


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## Mr.Fred (Jun 26, 2014)

First year beekeeper here, been seeing goldenrod for awhile but the last two days I have smelled it! What an interesting smell, it is funny that something so good smells like that at one point.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

"It" started here barely sort of and I've been starting to smell "it". The bees are hauling in golden pollen, it's been cool and moist so I have to assume once it gets going it's going to be good this year. (I hope) 
About 2/3 my colonies are nice and heavy but the other third I'm a little bit concerned about and am preparing to feed them. Heard that last year we had zero fall flow. 

Urban bees here and lately they have been making crayons in the bee bread area. Such bright colors!


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

We have dandelions, dutch clover, AND yellow and white sweet clover still blooming. Not huge amounts of the sweet, but there are a good number of fresh blooms in select patches. Pretty wild. We got a good shot a rain on Friday night, now a week or so of highs in the 90s and mostly sunny (except the smoke from the Pacific Northwest). Been a wild, late flow year here. Got lot of alfalfa blooming near a couple of my yards too.

If I only had drawn comb...


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## BHH (May 29, 2015)

Hmm yeah think finally smelling it today. 

Wet socks with a hint of sulfur.


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## schmism (Feb 7, 2009)

just starting to bloom around my house here in Perioa IL. we have forcast a week of 90's. should be good weather for it.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

jwcarlson said:


> Bring it on...


Temps are great but it is the rain that makes the nectar. The small amount of rain we have been getting is putting weight back on my hives. Yea!


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Acebird said:


> Temps are great but it is the rain that makes the nectar. The small amount of rain we have been getting is putting weight back on my hives. Yea!


We dried up a bit, but had such a wet spring and early summer. Been getting timely rains... sweet clover still blooming is evidence of that.
Would have been a phenominal year for me to NOT have been jacking around with silly top bars. Probably could have got twice as much comb drawn.
Pity.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Just got my first wiff of the buttery aroma two days ago.


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## northernpike (Mar 27, 2014)

It's starting to stink here


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## sharpdog (Jun 6, 2012)

Does golden rod smell like Bee Go? We have had a mystery odour that comes and goes around our home yard, and we are always trying to figure out how BeeGo could have got spilled.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

The "slop" was yellow today for the first time. The scale hive crawled it's way back up to balanced, and should gain tomorrow.

Crazy Roland


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

jwcarlson said:


> Probably could have got twice as much comb drawn.
> Pity.


Look ahead not behind.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Acebird said:


> Look ahead not behind.


I am. Looking ahead to all the honey they could have been storing right now. 

My beeyards all have a lovely odor of goldenrod. We have already had more goldenrod flow than we had all of last fall based on my completely unscientific assessment. Fall flow here last year was a joke.
Going to be a fun few days!

Between goldenrod and blooming alfalfa, every bee who comes back is one bee less syrup I may have to feed.


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## CreamPuffFarm (Apr 28, 2011)

I'm wondering now if it's GR I've been smelling these past couple falls. I noticed my hives smell a certain way in the fall, but then when I'm out in the pasture and around it smells the same. I thought it was aster? One year in the drought we had tons of aster. I would describe it as more of a sweet smell. 
Now I'm curious what I am really smelling.


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## zhiv9 (Aug 3, 2012)

deknow said:


> But there is a weird Pavlovian thing that happems. I remember that I used to think it smelled bad....now I start to salivate.


This is where I'm at. It's certainly no worse than curing buckwheat.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

The scale hive is up 25 lbs since the beginning of Goldenrod bloom. Yee-haa.

Crazy Roland


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Nice, Roland. It's pouring in here, has been great weather. 85-92* highs, lows around 60-65*. Sunny.
That's going to come to an end in a bit, though. Pulled some honey, going to spin it tomorrow. Modest crop. Wasn't planning on taking anything... but a couple colonies are plugging up a little bit, so I'll clean them out some and give them a place to move it up into. Can't we just have a flow like this forever?


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## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

Yes the HOt weather here in MI also has the bees rocking on the golden rod Had a straight super in 5 days!


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

I put a box on the package hive beacase they were the only one bearding.


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

This past week the smell and hive activity has been very strong. Last night I could smell it all night, I could even smell it when I got up before dawn this morning. 

Last night I came in and my wife was changing the kitchen garbage bag. I had just come in from taking it out. She said that something must have spilled because it stunk. I told her that was the goldenrod nectar. That is the first time the smell has made it into the kitchen!

I really like the basswood honey but, goldenrod is my favorite!

Tom


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

Goldenrod honey binds to the (natural) candy corn receptors in your brain.


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## kc8258 (Sep 10, 2015)

smell is strong, new to bees, question I have bumble bees trying to invade my hives, I have one strong hive and two weaker hives because of a swarm what should I do about the bumble bees I know where their hive is, its about 50 yds from my honey bee hives, what's the opinion
thanks 
kevin


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## Connie1 (Jun 19, 2013)

Oh yeah! I'm in western New York; extremely hot and humid. I can smell it from my house which is quite a distance from my apiary.


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## woodsy (Mar 3, 2013)

Yesterday hot (90)humid calm could smell the 2 hives 100' away. They been busy lately.


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## Setternut (Jul 9, 2015)

It has been plenty hot here in my part of KS. In the last 2 weeks the Goldenrod has come out big time in my 70 acres of pasture.
I was looking at my two hives yesterday and I had a huge number of bees taking orientation flights. Should have plenty of young girls to get out there.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

kc8258 said:


> what should I do about the bumble bees I know where their hive is, its about 50 yds from my honey bee hives, what's the opinion
> thanks
> kevin


Kevin, you may not value my opinion but let nature decide what is best. I think I have a high population of bumble bees and wasps. If you baby your bees you will have less of them.


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## Greenride (Jul 7, 2013)

All I smell is the Apiguard.
Fabian


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## dweber85rc (Nov 25, 2013)

I never smelled much golden rod in central mn. We had plenty around but my bees didn't seem to touch it all the other local bees/ pollinators were pounding on it though. Hives weights dropped significantly in August for me. Need to start feeding..


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## dobeedobeedo (Oct 21, 2014)

DanielD said:


> I was anticipating a taste, but it ended up tasting like a wet barnyard cow to me. It smelled similar. Would anyone describe goldenrod like that?


Oh, my!!  I have to admit, I'm not sure what a wet barnyard cow tastes like. . .but I am fairly sure I don't want to try it! Not only can I smell goldenrod, but it has been blooming all round my yard for the past 2 weeks or so. My hubby is allergic, but I am noticing those full pollen sacs of bright orange piling into the hives of late. 

I suspect another super will be in my immediate future, on both hives, if I am lucky!


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## maudbid (Jul 21, 2014)

I had three medium supers on my hives after adding a third with undrawn foundation a week ago. Last night all three supers on each hive were packed full, including the frames which needed to be drawn. I added my last available super and had to extract some fully capped frames to make more room in the hives. These hives have been bearding heavily during the hot spell, and the beards are still heavy even in this cool weather. The bees are working both golden rod and knotweed. The earthy golden rod smell changed to a sweet smell a week or so ago when the knotweed took off, along with my hive weights.

The extracted honey is the very dark color typical of knotweed, I love the taste of this stuff. I don't know what I am going to do with this much honey.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

maudbid said:


> I don't know what I am going to do with this much honey.


Time to learn how to make mead.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

"The smell is gone, the smell has gone away", B.B. King...sort of


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

....the smell is dead. Long live the smell?


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Goldenrod smell waning here too, lots of cool days now. Asters just burst open in full force so hopefully enough to munch on until my MAQS is done and I can feed to weight.


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## maudbid (Jul 21, 2014)

Acebird said:


> Time to learn how to make mead.


Proving once again that alcohol is the answer to many of life's problems.


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## dobeedobeedo (Oct 21, 2014)

Acebird said:


> Time to learn how to make mead.


I just had a friend ask me when the mead will be ready when he heard I was harvesting!!


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Kind of like honey ... You do the work and I will help you consume it.


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

I'm in SE NC. I've heard of people getting GR honey but I've never tried. Do you need haves that are super size? I've had supers on during the fall just to see what the bees would do but never got excess honey. 
I hear it tastes poor? 
Maybe good bee feed? 
Is it also a good pollen source? 
Thanks


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

challenger said:


> I hear it tastes poor?
> Maybe good bee feed?
> Is it also a good pollen source?
> Thanks


Taste is subjective. I think it is awesome. "They" say it is hard on the bees as winter food. I find it hard to believe it is bad for the bees when they collect the nectar with a vengeance. NC may not have a good goldenrod flow, you would have to ask around. The taste and whether it is good for the bees could also be affected by your location.

There are maple trees all over the country but the North Eastern states have the best maple syrup.


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## maudbid (Jul 21, 2014)

challenger said:


> I hear it tastes poor?
> Maybe good bee feed?
> Is it also a good pollen source?
> Thanks


I don't know the difference between goldenrod and knotweed honey since around here they both come in at the same time. I think the knotweed is the more dominant flow, since that is when the weight goes on fast. The honey is very dark and earthy tasting, similar to buckwheat but not as strong. I suspect this honey is frequently sold as buckwheat honey. Occasionally I see dark honey labelled as "Bamboo Honey", but 95% of the time dark honey is labelled as buckwheat. Since this flow is the strongest of the year typically producing much more honey than bees need for winter stores, there should be more of it on the shelves. Makes sense that it would be labelled buckwheat since Japanese knotweed is a member of the buckwheat family. While some people prefer the less strong flavors from spring and summer flows, buckwheat honey sells at a premium price here so the taste can't be too objectionable.

I know I prefer it. In fact, I would much rather have this than the very light basswood honey I collected this year. I'll have to make some mead from it, it might give a really cool darker colored mead.

The only problem with this honey is that it crystallizes really quickly. This is probably due to the high ash content, which "they" say is not good for bees who have limited ability to make cleansing flights during the winters around here. My mentor likes to harvest this honey heavily and supplement with sugar syrup. The problem is, by the time the flow is done when the supers are full, the brood boxes are also packed so getting them to take syrup is tough.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

challenger said:


> I hear it tastes poor? Maybe good bee feed? Is it also a good pollen source?


It's wonderful honey. Buttery/butterscotch flavor. Yummm!

I don't super for the goldenrod flow. I super for the main flow, and maybe over-super a bit. But, I want the main flow in the supers not in the broodnest. By goldenrod, those supers are full and any goldenrod goes in the broodnest. I try to get the supers off by goldenrod, but with a big crop, I never get it finished by then. When I take the supers I expect the broodnest to be on the light side...not heavy enough for winter. The goldenrod/aster flow fills the top of the broodnest and usually means no feeding for winter. The bees winter well on the goldenrod/aster flow, less than 10% loss here last winter.

Yes, goldenrod is a good pollen source. In fact, the entrance gets stained yellow from the pollen covered foragers entering the hive.


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## Tejones121 (Apr 28, 2015)

Strong today. First time recognizing that smell.


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## jly500 (Jul 28, 2013)

Very strong here today also. Flow is on hives really gaining weight.


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## TalonRedding (Jul 19, 2013)

Hives are heavy and still gaining weight. I'm having to keep a close eye on them for swarm tendencies with all the nectar. I've not seen a fall flow like this before. It's something else!


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## BigBlackBirds (Aug 26, 2011)

Looks to be wrapping up here. There was a lot of bloom out there for last two weeks probably from the wet summer and I'd say it was at least an average honey production year for it. they did draw a fair amount of comb on it and are in good shape weight wise. About all I can hope for with it. Looks like got lucky and my July nucs will make it after all 

Still some goldenrod in bloom but most has turned brownish and is heading to seed. I continue to smell "fall honey" in yards but looked at a big field today in nice weather and never saw honeybee on it. Asters are moving along and did see them working those. 

And another season has passed. Time to think about equipment and breeder queens for next year.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Our GR is starting to brown up too, but there's a flush of later blooming stuff that still looks good. Asters took off like a rocket ship this past week or so... suddenly they're every where. Bees are working something HARD when it's warm enough to do so. Pollen rolling in like crazy.

Hard to believe my 2nd season is in the books. All that's left is a little feeding (surprisingly little, honestly) most colonies only need 10-20# a couple frequent swarmers need a bit more, but will have smaller clusters too. Nucs probably need a gallon of 2:1 each. Going to feed all at once and not dink around with a dozen trips to outyards like I did last year. If they need 30#, they get 30#.

Going to be a better beekeeper next year. Learned a ton so far, hoping the lesson learned about mites is one that I can learn without too much bee cost. It's all over but the waiting pretty much!


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

jwcarlson said:


> It's all over but the waiting pretty much!


It's a long way from over for me. I haven't even harvested yet.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Acebird said:


> It's a long way from over for me. I haven't even harvested yet.


Or inspected!


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Yeah, that too.


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## jakec (May 26, 2015)

I hope we get as good as flow as most of yall have had. it hasn't started here yet but should soon. I thought it had when I saw, I thought, a field full of yellow blooms the other day. it was just the light colored tops no blooms yet. there is a 250 acre field about 1/4 mile from my house that is slap full of goldenrod so maybe ill get a frame or 2 out of it.


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## Estell Tabor (Aug 5, 2014)

I got my 1st ever whiff on 29th of August. I like the butterscotch smell I hope it taste the way it smells. Took a peek on the 7th of sept and the super was empty. Super was 1/2 filled yesterday,but nothing capped off yet.


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## TWall (May 19, 2010)

Going by the 'nose' test this should be a really good goldrod crop. The smell has been the strongest, longest I have seen. It has even been strong many cool mornings.

I am just starting to see some asters blooming.

Tom


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## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

I have goldenrod blooming all around me, second wave actually. But nothing seems to be coming in like last year. Last year the smell was strong and the entrances were stained yellow. Nothing yet, hope they get as good of a bloom as the rest of you seem.


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## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

dobeedobeedo said:


> Oh, my!!  I have to admit, I'm not sure what a wet barnyard cow tastes like. . .but I am fairly sure I don't want to try it! Not only can I smell goldenrod, but it has been blooming all round my yard for the past 2 weeks or so. My hubby is allergic, but I am noticing those full pollen sacs of bright orange piling into the hives of late.
> 
> I suspect another super will be in my immediate future, on both hives, if I am lucky!


your hubby is allergic to golden rod? That is weird, it's got a heavy pollen and very little is wind blown, I would suspect one of the ragweed varieties is the culprit http://blog.nwf.org/2014/09/the-goldenrod-allergy-myth/


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

same here rookie, although i think i got just a little 'whiff' of it in the yard today. i have noticed that the pollen coming in is transitioning from mostly white and some yellow to about half white and half yellow. seeing very strong foraging especially in the mid afternoon.


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## Creed bee (Sep 3, 2013)

Officially smelled it today. Looking forward to checking the hives this weekend. Typically I don't get a harvestable amount but I also typically don't smell it.


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## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

squarepeg said:


> same here rookie, although i think i got just a little 'whiff' of it in the yard today. i have noticed that the pollen coming in is transitioning from mostly white and some yellow to about half white and half yellow. seeing very strong foraging especially in the mid afternoon.


Went out to the yard after posting to do a couple quick inspects. And finally, got the smell,  Didn't smell it until I was in it, but it is awesome. I actually bought 100 more pounds of sugar on the way home. Hope I won't need it for syrup, but bricks instead. 

Still have a few frames that need drawn. Hope they get them all drawn on this last flow.


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## beestudent (Jun 10, 2015)

been smelling it for a month, seems to be lessening now, and feed has been disapearing quite a lot faster, (a quart of 2:1 a day, as opposed to 3 days for 1) and now hoping i can get about 6 frames drawn between 2 strong colonies.


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## ShiftyCrow (Jun 4, 2015)

South Florida newbie beek, and the goldenrod is still blooming here. Both of our hives positively REEK of sourdough/butterscotch feet. O_O That's...normal, I gather? That's goldenrod?


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## wcubed (Aug 24, 2008)

That's goldenrod?
Maybe. Will come back to this thread when I have more time.
Walt


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

It had stopped for a while (bees on knotweed dawn to dusk), but smelled it again today...a second bloom?


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## TalonRedding (Jul 19, 2013)

GR has been in bloom for 3 weeks now and the bees have just now really started to work it. Maybe it is the difference in areas, but this is the first year I've ever seen bees really go after the goldenrod, and I am in the fields and woods A LOT! I'm not saying that the bees would never work it in the past but it's the first time I've seen them so interested in it.
Another thing about GR that's very interesting to read is everyone's description of its smell. I've read everything about goldenrod smelling like butterscotch, sweaty socks, to a sweaty gym room. Perhaps it's the difference in soil ph from region to region? I don't know, but whatever it is our GR actually smells sweet. No sweaty socks or gyms here lol.


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## missybee (Sep 6, 2014)

Standing near our hives, the smell is great! Real sweet, hard to define, but great. They are bringing in a lot of beautiful yellow pollen.

It has been blooming here for quite a while, but we were really dry, finally got some rain, the bees started working it. We planted a ton of it around the edges of our field.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

smelling it from 20' away these past couple of days.


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## johno (Dec 4, 2011)

I have never harvested any GR honey yet, this year I have about 5 acres in full bloom over 6 feet tall so I have added supers to my strongest hives. We will see what happens.
Johno


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Does it rebloom if there's enough moisture? We got 4.5" of rain towards the end of the bloom and I swear I saw some fresh shoots coming up with blooms getting ready to go. 

Otherwise it's pretty well tailed off, still some looks good but mostly browning. Asters are about all that's left now! Feeding time if they need it here.


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## wcubed (Aug 24, 2008)

I'm back.
In past discussions of the "smell" here on beesource, there has been some difference of opinion on whether or not the smell was goldenrod or aster influenced. None of the aster gang has stepped forward to comment on this thread so far. I am working toward the opinion that it is neither, but the influence of aphids generating "honey dew" in abundance in the trees in the fall period.

Have reported that my bees show little interest in goldenrod in the Sept. period, but work the Oct. species. So, it's Sept and now is the time to investigate the fall influence of aphids.
I am not physically able to tromp the woods looking for the tree with bees working honeydew. It turned out to be easier than that. Overhanging limbs along my road to the village showed "wet" pavement along the way. A closer look at those trees showed that they were eat up with Wooly aphids. What was even more a surprise, was that those twigs actually had leaves with small puddles of clear liquid where the juices collected. About half the trees along my route had enough enough of this juice to drip on, and wet the pavement below. If the bees find this stuff attractive as a nectar substitute, imagine the amount available in an acre of woods.

Enough for now.
Walt


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## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

johno said:


> I have never harvested any GR honey yet, this year I have about 5 acres in full bloom over 6 feet tall so I have added supers to my strongest hives. We will see what happens.
> Johno


me either. Added supers to the strongest/heaviest hives hoping that conditions were right this year, and it sure looked like it, for a grod harvest.
checked 2 weeks later and there was a spits worth of nectar in the supers. pulled them the same day.
Now pollen collection, that's off the charts and the traps are filled quickly.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

wcubed said:


> I'm back... but the influence of aphids generating "honey dew" in abundance in the trees in the fall period.
> 
> Walt


You da man Walt. Your observation are oh so keen. I made it point to observe GR today in my area and it is all but done for. Yet we have seen no frost. This is exactly what I see in our gardens. Flowers bloom and then they are done. OK a few here and there but bees don't forage the here and there unless there is nothing else. But what I am noticing is aphids. Aphids under the leaves of weeds. Are weeds now good? Should I not pull them in the fall? There is no way I can pull all the weeds but I would like to know if I am helping or hurting.


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## wcubed (Aug 24, 2008)

Ace,
Your garden can't compete with the honey dew in adjacent wooded areas, if it is anything like what I see here. According to Google descriptions, thousands of residents in a large tree would be normal. No need to fuss over a 100 on your weeds. The sample that we collected had 20 or more per leaf, and some flew off in the collection process.

I am embarrassed that I did not see this during twenty years beekeeping. When i was telling the daughter about my activities of the day, she said they BITE. (They call them "ash bugs")
That seems to be an apt name - a flake of ash on a breeze would look very much like a wooly on the wing. As to the "biting" they do have the equipment to penetrate a leaf.

We are not through with this subject. yet.

Walt


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

wcubed said:


> Ace,
> Your garden can't compete with the honey dew in adjacent wooded areas,


There is still about 3-4 acres of undeveloped wood lands next to my gardens but it is mostly box elder and we have millions of those bugs. I have not seen the aphids under the box elder leaves. That doesn't mean they are not there.


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## Dave Warren (May 14, 2012)

last week the wind wasn't blowing and smelled the hives, their about 250Ft. from my house, no wind was blowing, it's amazing how smells can put a smile on your face


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

wcubed said:


> Ace,
> Your garden can't compete with the honey dew in adjacent wooded areas, if it is anything like what I see here. According to Google descriptions, thousands of residents in a large tree would be normal. No need to fuss over a 100 on your weeds. The sample that we collected had 20 or more per leaf, and some flew off in the collection process.
> 
> I am embarrassed that I did not see this during twenty years beekeeping. When i was telling the daughter about my activities of the day, she said they BITE. (They call them "ash bugs")
> ...


The subject of honey dew came up a couple of months back. Our place in WV had a short but intense flow the last week of June, first week of July. Never could find what was blooming, but did hear a lot of woodpecker activity. Someone suggested that it might be honey dew, but I never saw the oversized aphids.

Could use some now. My wife is considering making disguises so she can slip back into the grocery store and buy more sugar when they have their "Limit of 4 bags) sign up.


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

found this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeydew_(secretion)

"Honeydew is collected by certain species of birds, wasps, stingless bees[3] and honey bees, which process it into a dark, strong honey (honeydew honey). This is highly prized in parts of Europe and Asia for its reputed medicinal value."

the honey i am harvesting now is dark and strong. hmmm.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

After reading this thread last night, I decided to pay attention to the GR on my trip to town today.
We have two types of GR with overlapping bloom dates. The type with one spike bloomed first. I have smelled the smell since it started blooming, however my hives are gaining very little weight.
The type that puts on a pyramid looking bloom are getting ripe and there are a lot of them. I hope I see a better weight gain than on the first type.
I have not noticed any honeydew or Wooly Aphids, but I haven't been looking either.

Alex


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## j.kuder (Dec 5, 2010)

:lpf:


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## j.kuder (Dec 5, 2010)

AHudd said:


> After reading this thread last night, I decided to pay attention to the GR on my trip to town today.
> We have two types of GR with overlapping bloom dates. The type with one spike bloomed first. I have smelled the smell since it started blooming, however my hives are gaining very little weight.
> The type that puts on a pyramid looking bloom are getting ripe and there are a lot of them. I hope I see a better weight gain than on the first type.
> I have not noticed any honeydew or Wooly Aphids, but I haven't been looking either.
> ...


you may have more than 2 varieties. I read that there are over 120 different varieties in north America and there is supposed to be 30 different varieties here in tenn. I've seen like 5 different varieties in my area so far. each variety only blooms for about a week and a half to 2 weeks. our first goldenrod started blooming mid august and there are varieties that are just starting to bloom and many look similar but there are slight differences.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

wcubed said:


> I'm back.
> In past discussions of the "smell" here on beesource, there has been some difference of opinion on whether or not the smell was goldenrod or aster influenced. None of the aster gang has stepped forward to comment on this thread so far. I am working toward the opinion that it is neither, but the influence of aphids generating "honey dew" in abundance in the trees in the fall period.
> Walt


You mean like a honey dew flow in abundance in the forest? By forest bees?


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Stumbling thru a field within forager range, I finally found a little goldenrod a few days ago. The tall varieties for some reason cut off hard at a nearby mountain gap, and I thought our WV valley had none.

I finally found a swampy little area full of some fleabane-like aster, and down in it some stubby little goldenrods, about a foot high, with blossom clusters about an inch long.

But we smell nothing. Maybe it a nose-blind guy thing, and I can't smell dirty socks. More likely, this sprinkling is an insignificant forage source.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

We went up to NW Ar. yesterday. The highway right of ways have a lot of GR in them. Quite a few varieties also.
I have at least three varieties near me.

Alex


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Phoebee said:


> this sprinkling is an insignificant forage source.


There you go. It needs to be a field. Not quite like a corn field in Indiana but a field.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Acebird said:


> There you go. It needs to be a field. Not quite like a corn field in Indiana but a field.


Our forage has all but dried up. I get green with envy looking at all the goldenrod on the drive to our apiary, in a Prius loaded down with sugar.

The bees are so desperate to find flowers that they're checking out dead and seedy stalks, and all sorts of things that could not possibly be flowers. This includes my wife, me, the Prius, the wheelbarrow, fence posts ... I feel kinda sorry for the girls. Plus it has been raining cats and dogs, so what little there is is soggy. If things dry out (probably over a week from now) I'd like to get back to that little patch and see if they are working it.


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## deknow (Jul 17, 2006)

There is always disagreement about gr honey. It can be very light (almost white), or very dark. I don't know if this is a varietal difference or if it indicates knotweed and aster.

Even the light stuff has the smell...I'm skeptical of the claim that the smell is from honeydew.

To me, the taste exactly meshes with the naturally occurring candy corn receptors in your brain.

Honey was an original ingredient in candy corn (I did a little research a few years ago), and I always wonder if gr honey is the origin of the 'buttery' flavor of candy corn.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

deknow said:


> Even the light stuff has the smell...I'm skeptical of the claim that the smell is from honeydew.


And anyone who claims that smell is from ripening honeydew has never experienced a real goldenrod flow.


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## wcubed (Aug 24, 2008)

I have not completed my cursory checks of the effects of the aphids on the fall preps of the bee colony. At this time, what I see does not support my conjecture of the effects. I don't mind being wrong - but we should be aware of the influence of this source on available feed for the bees. Most of the inputs in bee literature reflect the quote provided by squarepeg to the extent that honeydew honey is a European consideration, like we do not have that here. I can understand the logic that realizing that our honey is partially bug poop would be a turn-off for some folks - even beekeepers. Maybe it's in the best interest of beeks to downplay this info for the public. But I think it should be info shared by beeks to understand colony operations. Just an opinion.

Ace,
We have learned that the woolies have no interest in maples. Box elder is a member of the maple family. A box elder in the backyard has no woolies. 30 yards away, a Hackberry that has been literally eaten up by them. The outbourn twigs of the hackberry are leafless, and those further in are showing less green - ready to drop. I suppose that we could attribute the damage to the woolies.

Another entry on the internet reports that one wooly is named the hackberry aphid. We have substantial hackberrys in the area. A daughter in the area, reported that this morning the air was filled with woolies. Had her car covered up. Also noticed that barn swallows in the area were flying at higher levels than normal. They normally fly the fields at the top of the grass levels - to feed on the insects moving about in the weeds and grass. Today, they were flying about 6 to 8 feet higher in their feeding flights. That's about the level of the woolies just tooling around in search of another stopping place. The air around any stopping place in the last few days has been full of those woolies in the air.

Will continue with further observations of local effects as we check other observations.
Weather has not been cooperating. 

Walt


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

wcubed said:


> Maybe it's in the best interest of beeks to downplay this info for the public. Just an opinion.


Bad plan in my opinion. If you harvest honeydew, and sell it to your customers, they should know what it is.


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## j.kuder (Dec 5, 2010)

the caramel smell always coincides with the late small white asters. that odor just started here in the last 4 days and the asters also started here in the last 4 days. our goldenrod started over a month ago and there are still some varieties blooming.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

So a woolie is an aphid? Never heard that before.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

We have many Hackberry trees on our place, but not any Wooly aphids that I have seen. As of last evening my hives are beginning to put out the odor of Butterscotch. This is coinciding with the change in the type of GR that is now blooming. Asters are also blooming at this time. I am seeing more grey to almost white pollen rather than yellow.

Alex


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## TalonRedding (Jul 19, 2013)

I found it ironic that this was in our local news today given the honeydew reference. I'll have to admit that I've never seen bees work honeydew but I can certainly testify to its existence as well as the wooly aphids as the back of our house is covered with it and the aphids due to the large hackberry tree that we have. 
http://www.newschannel5.com/news/local-news/increase-in-sap-on-cars-due-to-aphid-bugs

As for the color and taste/smell of goldenrod honey I have no idea in reality as I've never ran DNA analysis on my honey, but I would speculate that the pH of the soil would determine a lot of factors including color and smell and how it reacts with enzymes in the bees' gut.


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## ksp107 (May 19, 2013)

Mine smell exactly like butterscotch! Makes me want to dive in and get a handful! I checked supers on Monday, I have about 20 or so full medium frames I'm going to extract this weekend. This will be my first harvest of fall honey, can't wait to see how it tastes!


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

When I saw "have you smelled it yet" and then that the author was Mike, you other long timers here can imagine what ran through my head, has the internet gone olfactory? Did Mike bomb us? I hear he eats a lot of greens! Seriously, standing in a bee yard, in upstate New York, on a warm summer night with the bees all doing the harmonic hum honey drying song and the scent of goldenrod filling your senses is something akin to Zanadu, Love those heady beekeeping moments.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Joel said:


> Seriously, standing in a bee yard, in upstate New York, on a warm summer night with the bees all doing the harmonic hum honey drying song and the scent of goldenrod filling your senses is something akin to Zanadu, Love those heady beekeeping moments.


I close my chickens in every evening about dark, and when the goldenrod is blooming, and the flow is on, I sit for awhile in my home apiary, and listen to the roar and smell the smell. God, I love it.


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## jly500 (Jul 28, 2013)

Michael Palmer said:


> I close my chickens in every evening about dark, and when the goldenrod is blooming, and the flow is on, I sit for awhile in my home apiary, and listen to the roar and smell the smell. God, I love it.


I have a lawn chair I set up in my yard like to drink tea and smell the smell the smell. If I eat late I will take my dinner out and take it all in. I love autumn.


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## maynard (Jul 7, 2014)

I wonder if different people have different sensitivity to a component in goldenrod curing. 

The first time I smelled it, I thought that my observation hive had some brood disease. It smelled like fecal matter, and I couldn't get within 5 feet of the hive without wondering if I was going to wretch.

The observation hive is currently at a spot where many beekeepers are visiting, and everybody says it smells good. 

Go figure.


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

Of course, farmers like cows ... city folk can't stand them.


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## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

Yeah, well I have heard a lot of people say it smells like dirty socks. They haven't smelled my socks, because if they did, they wouldn't describe it that way no more. I too, love the smell


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

We have a good amount of golden rod here but the bees don't forage it much. They prefer (and we do too) the finer nectar from the "golden honey plant". We have acres of it. Tastes better than clover honey to all I have had try it. Nice to have golden rod as a back up but my does it have a expensive wine smell and taste to it!


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## phopkinsiii (May 4, 2014)

Tennessee's Bees LLC said:


> We have a good amount of golden rod here but the bees don't forage it much. They prefer (and we do too) the finer nectar from the "golden honey plant". We have acres of it. Tastes better than clover honey to all I have had try it. Nice to have golden rod as a back up but my does it have a expensive wine smell and taste to it!


I was wondering what that was. Not quite as prevalent in our area as the Goldenrod, but I'm glad to hear the bees like it.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Tennessee's Bees LLC said:


> We have a good amount of golden rod here but the bees don't forage it much. They prefer (and we do too) the finer nectar from the "golden honey plant". We have acres of it. Tastes better than clover honey to all I have had try it. Nice to have golden rod as a back up but my does it have a expensive wine smell and taste to it!


And you just smile and wave at us, sitting on that sack of seeds?

Where do I get me some?


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

I am not sure if they are sold. In my area due to the terrain very little commercial crops are grown. Pastures are few, small and flood. We have alot of hillside pasture in this area that folks don't run cows on. So Ironweed, blackberry, golden rod, golden honey plant, ragweed, wild mints that yield white pollen and few more plants cover acre of hillside. Not to mention creek banks and fence rows.

Big Ag and weed killers sure have destroyed alot of our diverse bee food.


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

Phoebee said:


> And you just smile and wave at us, sitting on that sack of seeds?
> 
> Where do I get me some?


http://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/view_seed_item/2279

found some


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## Acebird (Mar 17, 2011)

I don't know what is going on. After getting most of the honey off my hives the bees were crazy active yesterday and I could smell it again. I thought the golden rod was done. All I see is aster. Does that have a smell too? Does golden rod rebloom after a rain?

I put cappings on one hive on the inner cover and they are on it but not cleaning it up like I thought they would.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?187581-Hive-Odor&p=20674#post20674
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?221694-stinky-honey&p=344258#post344258


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Tennessee's Bees LLC said:


> http://www.plant-world-seeds.com/store/view_seed_item/2279
> 
> found some


Wingstem! Well, why didn't you say so? That's what grows in our little valley _*instead*_ of goldenrod, with fields full for a month or so. The bees like it, and the Virginia mint, and a long list of other natives, but we have yet so see a measurable flow from it. They do get plenty of pollen from it. 

A soil test this summer revealed that our soil is particularly pathetic, too acid and has low N, K, and P. We're starting to experiment with amendments to see if we can improve nectar production.


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## pfin3 (Sep 26, 2014)

My wife locks up the chickens in the evening and comes in complaining about the smell. I just smile and think to myself what a wonderful aroma.


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

My hives have taken on a distinct odor of Butterscotch. I still have not noticed any aphids on the Hackberries.

Alex


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## Kamon A. Reynolds (Apr 15, 2012)

Phoebee said:


> Wingstem! Well, why didn't you say so? That's what grows in our little valley _*instead*_ of goldenrod, with fields full for a month or so. The bees like it, and the Virginia mint, and a long list of other natives, but we have yet so see a measurable flow from it. They do get plenty of pollen from it.
> 
> A soil test this summer revealed that our soil is particularly pathetic, too acid and has low N, K, and P. We're starting to experiment with amendments to see if we can improve nectar production.


If our colonies are double deep and strong we can make a little surplus from "wingstem" but it takes to much feeding in the summer and I prefer splits over honey crops. That said we just took off some of the honey and it is prime.


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## McBee7 (Dec 25, 2013)

Phoebee said:


> And you just smile and wave at us, sitting on that sack of seeds?
> 
> Where do I get me some?


But now I think that's a different kind of seed in that sack your sitting on 

https://youtu.be/xyjlxIcu8AM

And you thought you got away with that one Pheobee 

==McBee7==


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

McBee7 said:


> But now I think that's a different kind of seed in that sack your sitting on
> 
> https://youtu.be/xyjlxIcu8AM
> 
> ...


Guess I'm just showing my age. That was pretty popular for a couple of weeks in the 70's. 

But as I ask my Master Gardener wife every time she mentions a new plant, "Do the bees like it?"


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## jakec (May 26, 2015)

got the smell yesterday. very strong.


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## Zanotti (May 8, 2018)

Just came back from the bee yard in SE Pennsylvania. Smelled something a little like rotten apples, musty but difficult to find. Did not have equipment to open hives, but from outside its a fleeting smell. If I go around the top of the hives I do not smell it, but walking around the hives a get this whiff sometimes.

Please reassure me its goldenrod season in PA!


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

just a little whiff here and there. what new wax cappings i am seeing are more white instead of yellow.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Last year the back yard had heavy goldenrod smell for days in a row.
I finally experienced what it is.
The goldenrod honey is highly rated in my household. 
Keeper for the family use.
I have some on my desk right now. Having a spoon of the stuff while at it... 

This year - not just yet. 
But hope for more of the same.


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## idlemere (Sep 25, 2017)

Smelling it in SE Michigan this week!


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

we have had the earlier blooming variety come and go already. if you guys up north are just now smelling it then we should get the later blooming variety here in a few weeks.

last year i saw more than ever blooming but we got no rain during that time to support a nectar flow from it. no smell, no goldenrod honey.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

my whole back field is full of 5 acres of the stuff but i cant honestly say i can smell anything odd even walking through the field where its all flowering. Maybe im nose blind


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

aran said:


> my whole back field is full of 5 acres of the stuff but i cant honestly say i can smell anything odd even walking through the field where its all flowering. Maybe im nose blind


It is not the bloom.
It is bees making honey out of goldenrod nectar - that what produces the strong smell around the hives (smell is in the bee yard to be clear, not out in the field).


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## MichiganMike (Mar 25, 2014)

I’ve been smelling it for better than a week.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

aran said:


> my whole back field is full of 5 acres of the stuff but i cant honestly say i can smell anything odd even walking through the field where its all flowering. Maybe im nose blind


no nectar yet, and even worse, no pollen at all so far.


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

Its been blooming here for almost two weeks. Seems like its blooming about a month early if I remember right. Not much of it is growing by either of my apiaries. But it seems like I usually harvest during its second week of bloom which is usually late Sept.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

wildbranch2007 said:


> no nectar yet, and even worse, no pollen at all so far.


i havent been in my hives this week but will take a look at the skaneateles yard this weekend weather allowing.
The goldenrod is blooming for sure but you havent seen ur bees bringing in pollen or nectar? Im still a relative noob but i thought if the flowers were blooming that the bees would be gathering pollen/nectar from them.


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## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

Got the smell about a week ago , love it !!! there bringing in alot of pollen also .


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

aran said:


> i havent been in my hives this week but will take a look at the skaneateles yard this weekend weather allowing.
> The goldenrod is blooming for sure but you havent seen ur bees bringing in pollen or nectar? Im still a relative noob but i thought if the flowers were blooming that the bees would be gathering pollen/nectar from them.


some years golden rod just doesn't produce, usually during a drought, which we had in July, also if I remember correctly, it likes warm days with cool nights to produce nectar, the days have been really warm, and the nights the same, now with the heavy rain we just had, and the cool nights it may start to produce. :scratch:


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## ProfessorBob (Jun 17, 2015)

wildbranch2007 said:


> some years golden rod just doesn't produce, usually during a drought, which we had in July, also if I remember correctly, it likes warm days with cool nights to produce nectar, the days have been really warm, and the nights the same, now with the heavy rain we just had, and the cool nights it may start to produce. :scratch:


Goldenrod coming on strong here in Western NY as is the Japanese knotweed. Probably a week or so from peak goldenrod bloom. Definite smell from the hives. So much activity to/from hives the other day I thought they were swarming.


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## leadchunker (May 23, 2014)

Yup one of my yards has the smell. I thought I had a swarm as I was walking to the yard. Bees everywhere working like crazy. Yippie


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Smelling it now too.


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## woodedareas (Sep 10, 2010)

For some reason I have not had goldenrod smell for the past years that I am aware of. Now it’s strong. My question is simply the goldenrod pollen is being brought into my hives that are wilflower honey. Can I mix these two types of honey as I doubt I can tell the difference as I harvest?


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## Munkbee (Aug 3, 2018)

We have had the smell for about a week in central Minnesota. The bottom board is turning yellow, the clear tube to the observation hive is turning yellow and the bees are loaded. We have several acres around with a lot of golden rod. The earliest bloom is starting to turn so we have about 1-1/2 to 2 weeks left, then its over for another year.


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## cbay (Mar 27, 2017)

The smell is here now. Dade county Mo.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

weird i was inspecting one of the yards today...all hives had pollen coming in and all are at least 2 10F deeps tall with most 3 or more boxes tall and i didnt smell anything funky at all..lol maybe i am nose blind after all.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

aran said:


> weird i was inspecting one of the yards today...all hives had pollen coming in and all are at least 2 10F deeps tall with most 3 or more boxes tall and i didnt smell anything funky at all..lol maybe i am nose blind after all.


not nose blind, no GR making nectar so far this year.


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## bxtplus (Jun 8, 2012)

Golden rod has been strong for a full week. Surprising in light of the lack of rain here this summer. Knotweed just starting but slowly (need rain). I added what ever empty mediums and shallows I had with drawn comb UNDERNEATH 3 or 4 full supers on some really strong colonies and immediately after pulling supers from others. Several of these are full of nectar a week later. Hoping to prevent those late season swarms which always bring mixed results. As much as I love goldenrod honey, I may just leave these on for winter stores. Overall an amazing bee season with even without a drop of basswood. Should be either side of a ton this year.
Mostly raspberry, clover, vetch, milkweed, trefoil. Just the way I like it.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

We don't normally get a true goldenrod flow here in Richmond. Yesterday I am working a friend's hive with him and got to thinking I really needed to wash my bee jacket. Stepped away from the hive and the smell went away. So that is what goldenrod smells like. May need to give the bees more sugar than we planned on.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

JWPalmer said:


> ......... May need to give the bees more sugar than we planned on.


Don't.
It is the only ripening nectar gives off that smell.

Goldrenrod honey is really, really good, has its own unique taste, and does not smell that much at all (rather some very faint aroma).
If I can load up on Goldenrod, I will with no second thoughts.
Kids gobble it up.
My landlords asked for more of "that really good honey".

PS: though I also had comments like "this is too strong to my taste" - well, there is always that generic "clover honey".


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Greg, my line of thinking was that the bees might suddenly find themselves with a lot less stored honey, hence the need for the additional sugar. I'm not sure which frames have the goldenrod honey in them but we put an empty drawn super on them so we'll see what we can get. Looking forward to a taste.

Really wish I had some blooming in my bee's foraging area. This hive is about 10 miles away.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

JWPalmer said:


> Greg, my line of thinking was that the bees might suddenly find themselves with a lot less stored honey, hence the need for the additional sugar. I'm not sure which frames have the goldenrod honey in them but we put an empty drawn super on them so we'll see what we can get. Looking forward to a taste.
> 
> Really wish I had some blooming in my bee's foraging area. This hive is about 10 miles away.


Oh, I see.
I am a fortunate one maybe.
Goldenrods of many varieties here are everywhere as far as one can see. 
We got warm and humid September too in 2018 - talking historic floods of 2018.
Also, this is the kind of honey the mid-summer splits really load up on - they finally have large enough workforce.
Since I am a very small batch C&S type (1-2 frame size batches), get to taste many different honey mixes and recipes.


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## wildbranch2007 (Dec 3, 2008)

some yellow staining on the front of hives in a couple of yards, not a very good flow so far this year.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

i saw a TON of my bees working the golden rod in the field this past weekend. Dunno how much they are bringing in though.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

After 3 (?) weeks of rain(16 inches total?), the Sun should wake up the Goldenrod now.

Crazy Roland


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## baybee (Jan 10, 2016)

A big and busy hive in my backyard started to give away quite a distinct smell a week or two ago: strong, earthy and herbal, really concentrated but sweet. The smell is not too bad but not really a pleasant aroma. 

Is a goldenrod flow going on in the SF Peninsula coastal areas? Or could this be an English ivy flow?


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## frustrateddrone (Jan 31, 2015)

We've had a few long lasting rain systems. Bees have brought in quite a lot of pollen. I have yet to smell it though. I typically don't visually see it, but this year I have. I am betting on a bumper crop. With the weather changing to Fall it's a matter of drying out for collecting pollen. I am planning on single deeps this winter.


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

We did not see much Goldenrod due to the continued showers. We did see activity in the Purple and White Asters, and a small amount of surplus.


Crazy Roland


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## AHudd (Mar 5, 2015)

The rain stopped a couple days ago here. The GR is beginning to open. They have put away some surplus on the small white and light blue Asters. It could be good.

Alex


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

There is plenty of goldenrod blooming in southwest Alabama right now (Bay Minette). Walking my brother's property saw bees working it. No hives in the vicinity that we are aware of. Next year he gets swarm traps to start his beekeeping adventures.


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