2020 Season.

The heather is still in bloom here, so I'm still hopeful for some kind of crop but it doesn't look good...

Well, September is here and, though the heather is still in bloom, there is no real flow of honey coming in.  I remember back in the 1980s, there was a year where my hives averaged a mere 6lbs per hive. That was the worst I'd seen, but this year looks to be even worse than that.  The best hives have maybe 25 -30 lbs, but many others have little or nothing.  2 years ago, my best hives gave over 150lbs each and even the weakest gave 20lbs! That's beekeeping in Ireland for you! Anyone unfortunate enough to have invested money in bees last Spring is facing big losses.  Ah well... there's always next year!

Just got back from the mart and our Honey supplier has had a very bad year also. He brought in just five pounds which flew out the door for eight euro fifty a jar (less than a pound). I will take none this year although there is plenty of action around the hives. They are also working the flower garden which is good to see.

I intend to take what little surplus they have on Monday. Whatever else they gather from then on (primarily ivy) will be left to them.

These past few settled days have seen a fair bit of action. Huge amounts of bright yellow pollen are being gathered. Must be some early Ivy as apart from a little action on garden flowers there is little else to be had around here. I will have a look-see at the weekend.

Stripped the hives yesterday - pleasantly surprised! They brought in a crop over the last five days. Not a great crop, but something anyway! And, being mostly ling heather, it'll sell at a premium price. Last crop of ling I had ( two years ago) sold at 19.50 euros per 12 oz jar

Going through the supers today, found a good 8d bit of Bell Heather honey along with the Ling. This is a very rare, high quality honey, very dark in colour and fantastic flavour. Once ever before I got a crop of it - back in 1989!

There was a horse running in Wolverhampton today called "Bell Heather". Needless to say, I had to back him. He charged home first at 11/2.

Comhghairdeas. That may offset the lack of Honey income. This warm spell see`s my girls working apace. Checking the suppers yesterday I was pleased to find the stores increasing well. I was tempted to take a bit but thought better of it.

Yes, good honey flow on here for the past few days - mainly ivy, bits of heather and ragwort I think.. I don't think it will be very tasty honey but all the hives now have full brood chambers and a full super of honey each - and many are venturing up into a second super.

I had to put a second Super on one of the hives. By the smell of it, a good Ivy flow has been underway. A few weeks ago I was watching the Drones being evicted, poor things but, one colony has retained their lads! This was a late swarm and I hope they are just superseding I hope. I didn't have too many problems with Wasps I am glad to say but, my traps were full of the blighters in no time. My girls are powerful and with reduced entrance beat off all comers. Not so a happy tail for one local Beekeeper. Her lost five nucs to wasp attack. Now the weather has gone tits up for a while we may have seen the last of the Ivy flow although there still seems to be plenty about if the girls venture out.

I have a problem with the swarm that came in July. They are now Queen less. The colony has dwindled and still have its Drones. They seem to be working well enough so despite the lateness in the season I have decided to give them a chance. I have put a frame of young brood and eggs into the hive and see what happens. I have read accounts of Beekeepers re-queening in mid November in the UK so fingers crossed. I will check in a few weeks and see whats what. If they have produced Queen cells I will add half of the full super from the other colony to give them a bit of a boost. I am very impressed with the other colony, powerful and crammed with stores.

It is possible to get a queen this late. Much depends on the weather. You'll need a few hot days just at the time the queen needs to fly. Chances are slim, but worth a try - nothing to lose. Good luck with it!

The colony sadly died out which was no great surprise. My remain hive has been put to bed for the winter. They did very well on the Ivy so wont go hungry. The spare boxes and frames have all spent a day in the freezer and now stored away. Now I am planning for next year with the making of some nuk hives.