Heather?? Clover?? Clover?? Heather??

[Hoomin_erra]

The heather is starting, but the fields around are overflowing with clover.

I assume that getting heather honey will be a bit difficult?
Which are bees gonna go for as a priority? Heather or clover?

[Calum]

Bees being very lazy creatures will go for whichever is closer/easier/less of a gradient.

[GRIZZLY]

The bees will go for whichever plant has the highest sucrose content in the nectar.When we used to go to fruit polination in the south of England we used to have to make sure that the orchards had been mowed to cut down the dandelions which had a much higher sugar content,otherwise the bees would work that and the poor farmers trees wouldn't yeild so highly in the autumn.

[Hoomin_erra]

So which is higher?

[gavin]

Bees can also be a bit random. Some colonies might get the taste for one or the other and focus on it whereas others might work both. Also the conditions that plants need vary and clover likes it hot for example.

But perhaps the best answer is that a clover-heather blend is delicious!

You may be able to partially separate any mixture at harvest as heather is a rich amber colour and clover pale and they may have focused on the two at different times.

[Trog]

That's very true. I had a colony one year which was specialising in blackcurrants and opening the hive was like taking the roof off a ribena factory! None of the others had this scent.

I'll be a little surprised if I get a crop of honey at all this year, as I've concentrated on trying to increase stocks. The wet July actually left 5 colonies starving, so I'm having to feed them!

[Calum]

[QUOTE=Trog;1761]That's very true. I had a colony one year which was specialising in blackcurrants and opening the hive was like taking the roof off a ribena factory! None of the others had this scent.

wow shocking how tough it is over there.
I had a relatively poor year, from 7 colonies only 150kg honey and 14 new colonies. Over here people are reporting 60kg per colony in some areas. Around here varied between 20 - 40 kg.. Wouldn’t swap with you !

[Jon]

The weather here turned cool and rainy from the last week of June - and July was a total washout.
August looks like more of the same.
According to the Met office this was the dullest July in NI since records began in 1927.
I checked a few colonies last weekend and I noticed they had moved honey from the supers down into the brood nest.
Hunkering down for winter already.

[Hoomin_erra]

Just had a thought. If they do go for both.
I can spin the combs to get the Clover out, and because heather is wotsitropic, it'll stay, and i can press that out later. :)

[HensandBees]

that does nt work! (Been there done that) After carefully uncapping and wearing my arm out spinning I found the bees had taken themselves off to the heather between 1 and 1+1/2 miles away (depending on direction)....... the heather honey prevented the floral from spinning out and I had to press the lot . lovely flavour .....hard work until Chrissy pressy of a heather press