October 19, 2011

Honey crop 2011

I've been working in a sticky (but sweet) situation for the past couple of days- we helped dad with his bees and now I'm in the process of draining the honey from two large containers into quart and pint jars. In between fillings I've been trying to make the rounds and catch up on my blog friends...
This years' honey crop is about half of last years- 5 gallons compared to 9 last year. Dad seemed to think the dry hot summer left the bees with little to work with.
But I still think it's beautiful... *Sigh*
If you are as fascinated by the interesting little honey bee as much I am, or know nothing about them and would like to know more- click on these links to go to some of my older honey bee posts.

Want to see a video of me "feeding" a honey bee some sugar water? Click here.
Want to learn some interesting and cool facts about bees you might not know? Click here.
Want to learn more about the process of "taking off" the honey from the hive? Click here.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

25 comments:

  1. yum! congrats on a good crop - even if it wasn't as good as last year!

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  2. I have always enjoyed and been fascinated by you and your dad's honey bees. Love your photos. Have a great evening, Paula, and give Lily a hug!

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  3. Paula, that honey looks so good. I use honey in my whole wheat bread. I am sure yours would taste much better, though, than what I buy at Walmart. With the horribly hot summer we all had, I am not surprised for your crop to be down. I hope you have a wonderful evening, my friend. Give Lily a scratch behind the ears for me.

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  4. Do you or your Dad sell that?! I am amazed!!
    Looks DIVINE!!

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  5. Amazing video, Paula. I had no idea you could do that. I love honey and it's good for you, too!

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  6. YUMMY! Love honey! Hope your day was good!

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  7. Liquid sunshine! Good on a buttered biscuit...LOL!

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  8. Such beauty! You are a lucky girl. I think it is so interesting and am sorry it is less honey than last year.

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  9. That honey really looks great. It must be sourwood it's so clear. My nephew has bees and he didn't get as much this year. I agree with your dad, it must have been the hot summer..Blessings.

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  10. Wonderful -- bring on the butter and biscuits!

    At one time we had bees; one of our daughters had beekeeping as a 4-H project. I remember one time the bees swarmed into a tree and were gathered into a hive. They are really quite the little workers. We don't see many bees here anymore.

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  11. Looks like gold to me :)
    I LOVE that you are keeping bees! One of these days.... it's what I want to do too!
    This has been a strange year, for crops and critters alike.
    Hopefully next year, you will have a bumper crop of honey!
    Thanks for all the awesome links!

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  12. you post the sweetest things! OH MY cold wintry morning - biscuits and honey - nothing much better.

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  13. Your liquid gold is just gorgeous!!! I bet it tastes wonderful too;)

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  14. I so loved your video.. That is amazing.. And your honey looks so sweet.. smile...
    Blessings dear friend...

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  15. I would love to be a beekeeper but hubby is nervous. He needs to come here and see how effortless you make it look.
    Way to go Paula!~

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  16. Beautiful liquid gold! It looks wonderful - wish I was close enough to swap you something for a jar!

    Cute little chickies!

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  17. I LOVE your honeybee posts!!! The honey looks absolutely wonderful ~ "liquid gold," just like one other commenter called it!

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  18. I have been wondering about the honey this year. Looks good and I know it is yummy stuff!
    Linda

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  19. I truly enjoyed that video. It is amazing that you could feed them like that.He did look like a very hungry little thing.
    I love homemade honey.I miss having it around.
    Have a great weekend.

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  20. I LOVE honey and I will no longer run when one flies towards me...Hahaaaa
    hughugs

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  21. The honey is beautiful. I LOVE honey. Love those little plastic bears full of it!
    I was wondering how your bees are...
    Love, Debra

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  22. I apologize for not visiting my favorite blogs lately, and i promise to do some catching-up with everyone in the next few days. We are experiencing cooler weather starting today (Thursday) and as for myself I'm looking forward to falls return to the Lancaster Pennsylvania area. And are the color of the leaves changing your your way folks as they are mine. Hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoy the beautiful fall season that has now begun. Richard from Amish Stories.

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  23. Paula, I am going to sit down tomorrow night and read about your dad's bees. I find them so very interesting! The honey is a beautiful color, and I am not surprised they did not make as much this year. I think everything has suffered in the weather extremes we have had, and now here in Kansas, it got down to freezing last night 35 days before Thanksgiving!

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  24. I love honeybees too, and am so worried about them dying off! It's a lot to worry about as we depend on them so much! I had heard of apiary works where bees are transported to fields to help pollinate crops when the bees are scarce in that area. We were fortunate enough on our recent travels to actually see a truck that had "Apiary" and a company name written on the door that was transporting bees. It isn't something you see every day!

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