I started beekeeping on my own February, 2021. I don't know a lot, so I appreciate any response to my "newbie" type questions.
How do we know when the spring nectar flow begins? Someone said at GCBA meeting Tuesday that it only lasts one month! Is that true? If it is, wouldn't that mean we only have one month to collect honey for harvest? How do you know when to add your first honey super for harvest?
Honey for Harvesting
Re: Honey for Harvesting
We are having an unusual early flow this year. Traditionally, our flow runs from about mid-April to beginning to mid-June. Weather in a particular year can shift these dates by several weeks. Our major nectar source in this area is the Tulip Poplar, but in some areas, a wide variety of holly type plants provide a considerable amount of a light, floral honey. I will be adding a honey super of open, drawn comb to my strongest hives in the next week or so. I have done this for the past two years. In years before that, I waited until sometime in March. I will keep an eye on the amount of nectar coming in, and add additional supers to a hive if and when needed. The bees need space to store and cure nectar into honey when the flow is strong. There is a balance between providing enough space for curing nectar while keeping an eye that there are enough bees to protect against the devastation that small hive beetles can bring.
Some folks are in areas that get a strong early flow and may be harvesting frames of honey in April, but most harvest in early June to the first week in July. I have a chest freezer, so I can harvest individual frames as they get over 80% capped and store them until I have enough to make extracting worthwhile. Some do one seasonal round of extracting in early July. Waiting any longer than that brings on the risk that the bees will eat or move the honey to other locations in the hive. In our area, it really is a matter of keeping an eye on what your bees are doing and making your moves based on what you are seeing. Some years my hives never make a full super of honey at one time (all 10 frames filled and capped) but may make more than that as I remove capped frames and put in open drawn comb for them to fill. In strong flow years, I may get more than 1 super of capped honey on a hive when I go to check and remove frames for extracting. Even within Guilford County, some areas seem considerably more productive than others.
Some folks are in areas that get a strong early flow and may be harvesting frames of honey in April, but most harvest in early June to the first week in July. I have a chest freezer, so I can harvest individual frames as they get over 80% capped and store them until I have enough to make extracting worthwhile. Some do one seasonal round of extracting in early July. Waiting any longer than that brings on the risk that the bees will eat or move the honey to other locations in the hive. In our area, it really is a matter of keeping an eye on what your bees are doing and making your moves based on what you are seeing. Some years my hives never make a full super of honey at one time (all 10 frames filled and capped) but may make more than that as I remove capped frames and put in open drawn comb for them to fill. In strong flow years, I may get more than 1 super of capped honey on a hive when I go to check and remove frames for extracting. Even within Guilford County, some areas seem considerably more productive than others.