Harvesting the Honey

Claire Waring describes how you can collect and prepare to store your sweet crop

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You have successfully controlled swarming in your colonies so they have remained strong. The weather has been good and the nectar has flowed. You have added supers as the bees needed space and have a good honey crop. That is our ideal dream. The problem is that things don’t always work out that way. UK weather is notoriously fickle so each year starts in hope and anticipation. Some years our hopes are realised. Sometimes they aren’t. Beekeepers are among the most optimistic people in the world. After a mediocre or bad season, they will say, ‘Well, there’s always next year. That’s bound to be better’.

Most beekeepers start with the aim of getting their own delicious honey. As you have worked with your bees and gained experience, I hope your appreciation of these fascinating insects has widened. Sometimes I think that dealing with the honey crop is a quite demanding but it is still good to see the golden liquid spinning from the combs.

LEAVE THE BEES WITH ENOUGH FOR THEIR WINTER AND SPRING NEEDS

First things first. Your bees have stored honey for their own purposes. Properly stored, it will stay good throughout the winter and provide food for the colony. If you want to remove some of their stores, you are responsible for ensuring they do not run short. This is not just over the winter but at any time when the weather prevents them foraging or when little nectar is available. Remember how cold some of our springs have been recently leading to the need for stores.