Beekeeping

[MegsyB007]

Yes, I have had it since then Lesgold, and no adverse effects. It was just that one jar. I guess that makes sense too, which makes it pot luck when I don't know what that plant is... And when you're choking and can't breathe, you grab the first thing to hand (apparently) - because I don't usually drink vodka - but I sure did that day! Luckily it worked!

 

[Gpx5000]

This is a great thread. Being a new beekeeper myself, I'll be keeping my eye on this one.
Thanks for posting everything so far.
Keep up the great work!!

 

[Lesgold]

Welcome aboard Gpx. Theres some people out there with heaps of knowledge and great ideas. Its extremely interesting to see how people go about keeping bees and also their willingness to share what they do. Hopefully the posts will continue.

Cheers

Les

 

[Gpx5000]

Hi Les,
Thanks for the welcome.
This is my first hive, got my 1st lot of bees on Friday, last week.
It's like having kids all over again, I keep going out, checking on them.....yeah yeah I know, sad.

Cheers,
Paddy

 

[Lesgold]

Well done Paddy. You will enjoy them. There is so much to learn. I have spent some time talking to a guy who is in his 84th year of beekeeping and he is still learning. He was managing nearly 60 hives at the age of 89. An amazing character. You realise that next year you will probably split that hive and then have 2. The year after, 4 hives. And so it goes on. There are people who are contributing here that have so much more knowledge and experience than I. If you have any questions, please ask. I am sure that you will get plenty of advice.

Cheers

Les

 

[Gpx5000]

Hi Les,
I don't know what the law is in your state, but we have to register our hives, even if it's only one as they are classed as livestock, and register myself as a food producer, because I may sell some honey one day.
Sounds like oop: to me but I'll check it out as SA love their revenue from fines. :money: :money:

 

[DropBear]

Finally packaged the lot I harvested. All tubs are over 1kg, some are close to 1.2kg. You can see how thick it is.
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/4748/1541368609_20181103_183916.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/4748/1541368609_20181103_185231.jpg

Wow dude! How much? Do you post? I would 100% buy some erfect: erfect:

 

[Lesgold]

Yep, its a good idea to be registered. Helps when disease issues arise. I actually asked an inspector to come out and visit me when I first started. Wanted to make sure that everything was done according to the book. Unfortunately there doesnt appear to be as many inspectors around as there used to be. I would expect govt. cutbacks like everywhere else.

On another issue, Hard Luck mentioned that a lot of the honey that he collects crystallises very quickly. This is an issue with many unprocessed honeys. Some of the honey that I harvest will candy within a month or two. Other honeys may last for over twelve months before issues arise. It is not a problem and does not impact on the properties of the honey at all. Some people like candied honey, others dont. It can set solid in the storage container and therefore can not be decanted. This makes life a little more difficult for me. If a jar of honey goes candy, most people place the jar into hot water (not boiling) in the sink. The crystals will eventually dissolve and the honey will become liquid again. As long as you dont over heat the honey, the nutritional qualities will remain. Crystallisation occurs more readily during the cooler months. When a bucket of honey starts to candy, I place it in a warming cabinet for a few days. This will fix the problem. I use an old fridge as the cabinet. It it well insulated and holds the heat quite well. My aim is to warm the honey to a temperature that is just above what would occur in the beehive. (35-39 degrees) To achieve this, I attached two 60W spot light globes to the underside of the bottom shelf. The heat from the globes provides enough heat to warm the fridge.

A small 12V computer fan circulates the air within the fridge.

Both the lights and fan are attached to a digital temperature controller. The lights turn on and off according to the temperature settings programmed into the thermostat.

A plug pack runs the fan.

The beauty about this system is that the temperature is electronically controlled and the honey cant be overheated. The temperature controller, fan and plug pack are readily sourced on eBay. The cost to set up the cabinet was less than $50. It is a good investment if you are producing a reasonable quantity of honey.

Cheers for now

Les

 

[Solid Luck]

. The large companies blend their honeys and filter them to remove any impurities such as fine particles of pollen and wax. Have you tried any honey since that time? (for medicinal purposes).

You mean remove all the goodness. Funny how some people see thick crystalised honey and think there is something wrong with it.
Consumers have been conditioned to think that honey is clear and runny. It is. When it has had the crap processed out of it's life.

 

[Solid Luck]

Finally packaged the lot I harvested. All tubs are over 1kg, some are close to 1.2kg. You can see how thick it is.
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/4748/1541368609_20181103_183916.jpg
https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/4748/1541368609_20181103_185231.jpg

Wow dude! How much? Do you post? I would 100% buy some erfect: erfect:

I don't post DropBear. plus there are quarantine regs to consider. :Y:

 

[Mackka]

I must admit that I personally dont like crystallised honey, not that there is anything wrong with it, I have simply been Conditioned to accept that honey runs off my spoon table or ladle and that is it.
I loved sucking the honeycomb as a kid, but as a bearded oldie, its not a pretty sight :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Les, however, I will make an exception when I visit you sometime in the future, trust me it will happen layful: layful: layful: :Y: erfect:
Mackka

 

[Lesgold]

Not wrong there Hard Luck. The honey that my wife and I eat comes from the top of each storage bucket. It contains the wax and pollen that rises to the surface as the honey settles. More people are starting to realise this and the type of honey that you produce is becoming very popular due to its health benefits. It is the large companies that see the fine particles as impurities. We live in a clean, sterile and precious world.

 

[Lesgold]

Good onya Mackka,

Our front door is always open. Should be able to get that beard of yours covered in sticky stuff. And you are right, we are conditioned over time to expect things a certain way. As Hard Luck said we expect to see clear honey in a plastic tub with a fancy label packed on a shelf in a supermarket. Every container has to look the same and have exactly the same taste as the last tub we bought. Its a bit sad actually.

 

[Gpx5000]

Sterile world? Every other ad on TV is for a dettol hand wash, surface wipe or floor disinfectant.
Kids would die nowa days if they actually played outside, climbed a tree or 2 and ate dirt.
Heaven forbid!!
What a sad (clean) world.

Paddy.

 

[Lesgold]

Hi Folks.

Just thought Id show you what the bees have been up to lately. About three to four weeks ago extra boxes were added to the tops of most hives. Each box contains nine frames with a piece of wax foundation attached to wires. Foundation sheets have a hexagonal shape embossed onto the surface to guide the bees in the drawing out of the cells.

The bees draw out the cells and fill the frame up with honey. Below is a pic of my daughter holding one of these frames.

If you look closely, the honey can bee seen inside the cells. Bees fan the honey to reduce the moisture content. When ready, they then cap the cells with a layer of wax. You may notice one cell on the right hand side has already been sealed.

The bees store this honey as a food source over the winter when there is very little happening in the bush. Beekeepers have to ensure that they leave enough honey in a hive at the end of summer to get the bees through the cooler winter months. Will give a comb honey update in a week or so. The wet weather slowed things down for a few days.

Cheers for now.

Les

 

[Gpx5000]

Good work, nice comb.
Hope mine are heading that way, they've been on the hive for a week now.

 

[Northeast]

LG - Coupla dumb questions for you

Dumb question 1) Why do you need the wax foundation? Wouldn't the bees just fill in the frame in the exact same way. Or would they miss spots and not fill the frame in properly or does this just make the process quicker as they aren't starting from scratch or does it encourage them to stay and expand the foundation rather than swarm and head somewhere else?

D Q 2) In your last picture LG the bees are starting to fill in the holes with honey. HI know they cap the end when it is full but at this stage how does the honey stay in the hole and not just drip out the end and down to the bottom of the box? It seems like a stupid question but it just looks like it would drip out...?

Thanks, NE.

 

[Lesgold]

Hi NE,
The foundation gives you a bit of control over what happens. Without it, the bees could build comb anywhere in the box. You can use narrow starter strips of foundation and let the bees build comb and fill in the rest of the frame but it his can only occur when they have full frames either side to guide the bees. Using foundation also helps the bees make cells of a uniform size. Foundation also usually speeds up the process of building the comb.

In answer to your second question, the cells are slightly angled to hold the honey in place. Honey is also quite thick when the bees ripen it (reduce the moisture content) It does not want to come out of the cell easily ( because of the suction effect/surface tension etc) thats why an extractor is used to rotate the frames quickly to throw the honey out. The questions are not dumb at all. You need time inside a hive to look and then think about whats happening. Until you do that, it can do your head in.

Cheers

Les

 

[Northeast]

Great answers LG and thanks for taking the time. I know a few have said it but this is a great thread. I was already interested and this slowly drawing me in even more.

Look forward to future updates :Y:

 

[Lesgold]

Thanks Northeast.

When I first looked into a beehive it blew me away. The thirst for knowledge about what was going on kept me awake at night. I realise that I know very little about this hobby but every day you pick up a bit more freckle. In 10 years time, there will be still stacks more to learn. Most people I talk to about beekeeping show a genuine interest so Im more than happy to share what I know. I have had stacks of people come to my place, throw on a bee suit and getup close and personal with the bees. They always come away from that experience with a smile on their faces. Thats one of the main reasons I started this thread. Will continue to post all sorts of stuff while there is still interest. Hopefully other beekeepers will continue to do so as well. So please, keep the questions coming. If I cant answer them, people like Straya or Hard Luck should be able to.

Cheers

Les