Honey Harvest

Post your questions about honey, candlemaking, mead, or pollen here!

Moderators: Jacobs, Wally

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Pharmacyman
Forager
Posts: 55
Joined: Fri Jun 12, 2020 1:05 pm

Honey Harvest

Post by Pharmacyman »

How much honey could one expect from a single colony in our area? How much honey should I leave for the bees?
Jacobs
Guard bee
Posts: 1882
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2007 12:36 pm
Location: Greensboro, NC

Re: Honey Harvest

Post by Jacobs »

I have read that the North Carolina average is 35 lbs/hive. Some produce none-others much more than the average. I have been told that you want the equivalent of a medium box of honey over the bees going into winter-about 40lbs. That being said, I remember Wally's question to me long ago before droughts/inflation sent sugar prices up; what would you rather feed your bees, $5.00/pound honey or $.50/pound sugar water? Although sugar may not be quite as good for the bees as honey, feeding 1:1 after taking honey may encourage the queen to keep up a higher level of brood production during the dearth, and feeding 2:1 starting some time in October can help them put weight on a hive that is easier for them to cap.
reedyfork
Guard bee
Posts: 173
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2019 6:09 am

Re: Honey Harvest

Post by reedyfork »

My best colonies here in Greensboro will typically produce a 5 gal bucket of honey (50-60 lbs?).

I started out following the "leave one medium super of honey for winter" approach, but have definitely switched over to harvesting all honey, putting a wet super back on after extracting, feeder sugar syrup through the fall, and then using dry sugar as emergency feed during the winter.
DuaneB
Guard bee
Posts: 132
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2018 10:12 am
Location: High Point, NC

Re: Honey Harvest

Post by DuaneB »

This.
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