Should I Pull Honey Supers Or Wait For Fall Nectar Flow? (Inside Information For New Beekeepers)

Fall nectar flow....Should you wait for it or start feeding your bees now. Learn what nature has taught me over the years about the Golden rod flow. I also discuss robbing screens and how they work.
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[@sidelinerbeekeeper]

In the North East the goldenrod flow is massive right now. Rain at the right time and now it's hot and sunny. Full boxes.

[@fishmut]

As a hobby bee keeper here in Australia we have a very vast supply of plants and trees that produce beautiful honeys , haven said that RAIN is something a lot of bee keepers overlook for nectar flow and bounties of pollen , each state here has different rain falls due to tropical areas and monsoonal rain falls that can bee overwhelming to much at times and cyclones like your hurricanes etc that can be devastating . Coming out winter into spring in September my honey boxes where full no feeding so I extracted them and now in November with not really any rains since winter my boxes are ready again , doing well , drought times definitely feed and leave them alone and give them some love with feeds for sure , awesome videos as always even though I’m a tad bit late . 👍

[@massachusettsprepper]

I pulled all of my honey this year before the Goldenrod came into full bloom. I have noticed a standard rule of thumb in my area and that is if I have a wet June the Goldenrod will produce a lot of nectar. If it's dry in June not much nectar from the Goldenrod. So any nectar coming in from the Goldenrod this fall season is going straight to the bees. When I use my pollen traps I leave them on for two days and pull them and let the bees have the next five days worth of pollen. And if you leave your upper entrances open while the pollen traps are on some bees will go through those and still bring pollen into the colony on the days that you are collecting it. Here in Northwestern Massachusetts if I were to wait for the Goldenrod to finish and try to collect some of it I would not have enough time to get enough food and weight on the colonies for them to cure down before real cold weather set in. So I normally harvest before the Goldenrod is finished and start feeding. Thanks for sharing brother.

[@CastleHives]

My area is flooded with Goldenrod right now. I’m hoping it produces. This time of year does get tricky that’s for sure. Next weekend I’ll have time to dig into mine, pull supers and take next steps. Good info Jason.

[@JCsBees]

My area has several acres of GR the problem is the bloom cycle of it all. I hope you get a good flow, it's sure better for the bees to overwinter on honey than syrup if there is a choice. Good luck with you bee duties.

[@swohiobees]

Jason, Your area sounds a lot like mine. Our Goldenrod has been budding for a month now, but I still haven't seen it bloom. Grrrrr The nights are starting to get much cooler here too.

[@JCsBees]

Do you have Jewelweed in your area? My bees are hot and heavy on it right now. We've had some cool nights too. A couple of the we slept with the window open and a fan on, woke up freezing. lol I'm looking forward to Fall.

[@kathyhathaway8823]

Hello Jason it is good to see you back doing video’s again . I hope you had a great season this year . As always thanks for your information you share with all of us in your video’s. THANKS

[@MinnesotaBeekeeper]

Thanks Jason. Pulling the supers in balance with mite treatment/feeding. The balance is always in flux.

[@jamestownsendjrtbees3226]

I also have become fond of the golden rod smells and taste. The bees have been bringing it in on and off for weeks now. I pulled supers off this past Friday and have lots of dark, tasty honey. Thanks for the videos.

[@JCsBees]

That is awesome!

[@TennesseeMountainBees]

Thanks for the advice Jason! Great point on the Golden Rod flow not being guaranteed but feeding can be. I love the taste of Golden Rod honey too an am glad to hear I might grow to not mind the smell. Thank you kindly for sharing so much amazing beekeeping knowledge week after week!

[@JCsBees]

Glad your enjoyed it!

[@pastormike1971]

Thank you!! Tremendous video! I look forward to your Sunday videos!!

[@JCsBees]

Glad you like it!

[@markbee5787]

I agree Golden rod honey in my area SW Michigan is delicious. I hear a lot of negative descriptions of it. But I have customers requesting it. If the weather cooperates I’ll get a decent flow.

[@bradwamsley3465]

Great timely video. Living in southeastern NH I also experience the lack of an useful Fall nectar flow.

[@JCsBees]

Thanks for watching!

[@karenwaitley9515]

Look forward to Sunday videos.

[@JCsBees]

Glad you like them!

[@arnoldgoluboff8822]

Great information as usual. Thanks

[@JCsBees]

Thanks for watching!

[@tomsuelyblaisdell]

628 dirtrooster sent me to your channel. Heard what happened, hope to learn bee keeping from you as well.

[@JCsBees]

Thanks for coming over here. I hope you enjoy my videos.

[@mnriley59]

Thanks!

[@JCsBees]

Wow! Thank you!!

[@josefxx-kanal]

Supper und Danke Abo von mir Josef XX

[@dakota5660]

I'm in my second year as a beekeeper, and got my first honey harvest this year. I have two supers I need to pull this weekend and I had one last month. For my area we don't have much Golden rod but all my hives have about 40 lbs of stores and I plan to feed some sugar throughout the winter just in case

[@JCsBees]

Sounds like your doing very well in your beekeeping journey to this point, that's awesome! Best of luck getting them to weight and preparing them for winter.

[@wrfarms9741]

Spot on about the goldenrod and ragweed Jason. We have a sea of goldenrod, ironweed, and ragweed currently in bloom but in 16 years of beekeeping never had enough nectar flow from it to justify trying to harvest. I just let the bees keep it for the Winter. Our asters are just now starting to show signs of a near future bloom. I tried the Lorobee OAV trays, they were excellent in quality but just did not work. I finally tried using painter's tape on a spare Apimaye plastic bottom board drawer slide, taping over all of the ventilation holes. This worked better but it still leaks like a sieve. I finally settled on upping the dose of OA to 2 grams per deep box. 2 shots of OAV is rapid succession from my Oxavap ProVap EZ 110 discharges a huge amount of OAV into the hive bit it is RAPIDLY dissipated by the bees fanning and the numerous leaks in the hive design. On my Langstroth hives, installing an pulling the bottom board plastic sheet just takes too much time, causes massive corrosion of the screen on the bottom board, and it leaks anyway. I found that leaving the bottom board screen open and leaving an Imery Shim with a 3/4 inch entrance on top of the hive just under the inner cover makes a great place to apply OAV. It minimizes the risk of killing or injurying the queen and the OAV vapor sinks gradually down through the hive. It is not ideal but with 75 hives to treat, I have to make compromises with my time and my back. LOL! It works well enough. In another week or two, I will add Apivar strips for the long term treatment. The OAV is a great knock down short term treatment that can be applied repeatedly without much impact on the queen laying the Winter brood.

[@JCsBees]

Right now my bees are all over the jewelweed, we have a lot of it in the neighborhood. The ironweed is done turned brown here, Ragweed is full bloom but with the Jewelweed in bloom no bees is showing interest. lol I never gave leakage a thought on the Apimaye's but your right. It's a bummer that Lorobees tray didn't work for you. I know it's not a small investment and Rob put a lot of time into the design. The trick I am gonna share is pretty simple but does require you drill a hole in the plastic bottom board. Stay tuned to learn more... That's my cliff hanger. lol I agree with upping the dosage, good idea. Your right... Your time counts, too much time per colony adds up fast.

[@freddy-fq2fp]

Love the smell of fall Goldenrod in the nest here in western NY. I don't feed at all, we luckily have an abundant fall Goldenrod flow and I always leave it for the bees to overwinter on.

[@JCsBees]

Oh wow! Your very lucky to have a flow like that.

[@Tyler-nj5dr]

I am in Northern IL and I planned on putting my bees through winter with one deep for brood and a medium of honey. Should I give them a medium with undrawn frames and feed? Would you worry about having sugarwater in a super for next year? Awesome vid. Just subbed. You have me rethinking my entire winter plan with your moisture warnings. Much appreciated :)

[@JCsBees]

Hey Tyler, Thanks for the sub! I am gonna guess you were hoping goldenrod would force the bees to draw out the medium box and fill it with honey to overwinter on, was that the plan? Very, very unlikely, sorry! I would add the medium and start feeding, the bad think is it's gonna take 1:1 syrup to get them to draw out foundation and before long the temps will be forcing us to fed 2:1 syrup. If all else fails, I'd just plan to overwinter in the single deep, it is possible. I wouldn't worry about syrup in supers, if anything just remove the super next year and set it out in the open, the bees will rob it then you can put it back on a hive. Hope this is helpful!

[@davidgeyer3988]

It's like cow or horse the smell is acquired and I'll take it over any perfume.

[@JCsBees]

Very true. My wife would compare it to the smell of my goats. lol

[@Joe-zt2us]

I hated the smell when I started but love when it I smell it now. I am in west KY and we get a pretty good goldenrod flow. The golden rod is the states plant so I assume we have a bunch here. I try to pull all my honey late august or early september so the goldenrod flow doesn't mix with the rest of the honey. I let the bees keep almost all the golden rod but always pull some for myself before feeding. It has a distict flavor. I haven't looked into why yet but it is said to be medicinal.

[@JCsBees]

Your a lucky man to have Goldenrod to harvest. I am sure your bees love it too over syrup.

[@makewithmegma]

🔥💕👍

[@ClickinChicken]

Indian summer flow! MN

[@JCsBees]

Very true but that's been hit & miss here too!

[@ClickinChicken]

@@JCsBees That's bro. I have to get to that too. It's a joy to me, really.. (impresses the chicks!).

[@JamesCrouchX]

With 15 hives I am still selective. I pull frames as they cap them and remove a super when able. (slip in drawn or new frames in place of capped honey frames) I like to toss the extracted frames back on top in at least one super on top of the brood boxes. I do have one newer weaker colony that I am feeding syrup and portions of Hive Alive fondant and pollen patty.

[@DoubleTopHoneyCo]

I live in the mountains, surrounded by thousands of acres of trees, 200 acres are mine. I have never seen a bee on any goldenrod. There's so much more out there.

[@JCsBees]

My area is loaded with Jewelweed (yellow and orange) right now and my bees are hitting it hard. I haven't seen one bee on the goldenrod. I have seen wasp. lol Sounds like you own a nice sized plot, ever considered raising some beef or is it all woodland? I know certain trees are paying well right now, walnut is one of them.

[@DoubleTopHoneyCo]

@@JCsBees I'm mountainous but have about 20 acres I can clear soon. Looking to start with maybe 2 pregnant heifers and 2 girls about 6 months old. Get an annual harvesting pattern going on.

[@JCsBees]

Really? That awesome! Cows are a great addition to bees. Did you know a cows tongue has enzymes that make grass to re-grow faster where they have grazed? This is huge when it comes to clover for our bees. They also increase soil fertility which is another huge bonus. I am super excited for you, Bill. What breed are you considering? I've had most and my favorites are Herefords and Angus, the red Angus do better in areas with extreme heat though.

[@DoubleTopHoneyCo]

@@JCsBees I did not know about the enzymes. I'll be getting Hereford just because they're pretty, when it's time. Still have about 2 years for clearing and pasture development. Hey, I have a new honey house. It is a large metal building with more cracks than I thought before I purchased it. Waxmoths are getting in some how. I have a bait staion for waxmoths inside and it catches a lot of what comes in. They're hitting my comb in bright daylight with 2 windows. What's your best method to store comb. The fix thus far is to continue sealing the building and I have 1" plywood covering stacks about 5- 7 boxes high. I know I should be using menthol or other stuff to dissuade the moths. Give me your best method please.

[@DoubleTopHoneyCo]

I didn't see the final video of that pine tree swarm that hung around for a week. What happened?

[@catchemalive]

Very good info!!! What do you do with your pollen that you harvest from the bees? I’m thinking about giving it a try next spring and putting a trap on a hive or two but didn’t know what all to do with it.

[@JCsBees]

There is actually a market for dry pollen. It offers many health and allergy prevention benefits. Google it you'll be surprised at all the benefits and the price per bottle. I put it on cereal or pancakes before I cover them in honey.

[@planbeeapiaries]

Pavlovian conditioning is why you're are attracted to that smell now. :)

[@JCsBees]

I had to Google that one. lol

[@planbeeapiaries]

@@JCsBees haha made you look.

[@JCsBees]

😊That you did! lol

[@SortOfaBeekeeper]

Hi Jason! Thanks for sharing and the advice. I love the Goldenrod honey also. I need to take my supers off. I'm hesitant to do so. This was my first year to have honey supers on and I keep doing research on how to store the frames after I take them off. Not all the honey is capped yet. I don't know if the moisture content is right for extracting. Just trying to figure things out.

[@JCsBees]

Hey Carol, Sorry for the delay getting back to you. If you have open cells of nectar then the moisture is most likely high. Do you have a refractometer? They can be very handy for checking the moisture content. As far as storing the frames there are several methods, some work better than others. A lot of people go with storing in direct light to keep moths away.

[@SortOfaBeekeeper]

Thank you for the advice. I did get a refractometer and will be checking the moisture content if it is not capped. As always you are a wealth of information and I appreciate you! 💖

[@oneshoo]

Great video Jason! Here at the NJ Shore I have waited to pull my supers around the first or second week of August. I put back the wet supers for the bees to clean them out, and then leave one super on each hive (8 frame double deeps). Whatever Fall flow I get, I leave the super on for the Winter. They are currently somewhat filling the supers with nectar. Not sure what type? Not much golden rod around here?? What are your thoughts about feeding the girls “Hive Alive” fondant on a consistent basis throughout the Fall and Winter instead of 2to1 syrup??? I used Hive Alive last year for the first time and the bees devoured patty after patty!

[@JCsBees]

Glad to hear your bees have a flow. Mine are working the Jewelweed pretty heavily. As far as the Hive Alive fondant, I love the product. It sure saved me last winter when my hive where light on food stores. I just don't think it's gonna help your hives gain weight in the Fall. I don't see the bees storing it in cells like I do just consuming it. It would be great for their overall health but I don't think it would help prepare them for winter food wise if that makes since. Have you tried the Hive Alive syrup additive? That would be a good way for the bees to get Hive Alive in their system and still store away some stores. I have a link for a discount in my video description if you want to try some of the additive. The last few weeks I have been offering it from open feeders around my yard and the bees love it. It also keep syrup from getting mold so you can mix larger batch of syrup to refill feeders as needed.

[@oneshoo]

@@JCsBees Thanks Jason. I’ll give the Hive Alive syrup supplement a try.

[@wadebarnes6720]

This year was my fourth year with bees my mom passed a couple months ago and I got down so I didn't mess with him for about 2 months don't know exactly what happened but I lost a bunch of them never had no idea they would have got in trouble like that but I imagine like anything else if you don't keep a eye on them you can lose them quick like 15 colonies

[@JCsBees]

So sorry to hear about your mom. That can't be an easy thing to deal with, I thread the day. In my mid 20's my younger brother (2 years younger) was shot and killed, that still bothers me to this day. We were always together doing something. He had epilepsy from a young age and I as the older brother always kept a close eye on him and when he was gone, I was lost. Depression is a beast that no one wants but it happens, it how we deal with it that slows us down or move us past it. Keep your head high brother, you mama is watching over ya I'm sure! Sorry to hear about the bees, at least you can rebuild them and maybe now you will feel your moms presents in the bee yard. :)

[@eddevault4604]

Bummer Jason…..and I was so wanting this to be my year for the Goldenrod flow…like you….I’ve failed to reap the benefits of that elusive banquet for many years….with lots of excuses…too hot….too dry….too wet…although….I have had years in the past where the front of my hives have the telltale signs of smeared yellow/orange nectar and the distinct foul smell of a flow on….not often enough to warrant…..

[@JCsBees]

It's surely a hit or miss situation sadly. I know a lot of new beekeepers probably think they need to wait for that flow before they feed and that can be costly.

[@benca6151]

Ive been told by older beekeepers, the rain in july will determine the goldenrod flow. Not sure if its true or not

[@laurameno9595]

The second I try to pull supers in the fall I get yellow jackets snooping around. I also don’t use a queen excluder so I have some brood on some super frames. What should I do?

[@benca6151]

I wouldnt pull it if it has any brood. They need all the bees they can get right now to build up for winter. I know some dont like queen excluders but my grandpa, my dad and myself have always used them with no problems. If youve never used one, get one and try it.

[@JCsBees]

Yellow jackets are trouble this time of year. Have you tried setting a few traps for them to lessen the numbers of them? Here's a simple trap that works well for them and doesn't attract bees kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXW9Yq2or8yqo7M Maybe set the trap now then wait a week or so before removing them. Another you could try is to cover the supers as quickly as possible after removing so they smell doesn't get a chance to linger. If some frames have brood I would still pull them. Empty super on a hive overwinter are just trouble. It would be nice if you could time it so that brood emerges without the queen re-laying but I am not sure how hard that would be. Regardless next season the bees will clean the brood out and polish up the cells for nectar storage. Best of luck!

[@russellkoopman3004]

One other option if you have the time before winter. Take off the super and shake all the bees into the brood boxes. Put on a queen excluder and in three weeks your brood will have hatched out.

[@JCsBees]

Very good suggestion Russ!

[@laurameno9595]

I’m on these options tomorrow! Thank you

[@DoubleTopHoneyCo]

Let's talk about robbing and murder. I have an infestation of European Hornets only this year attacking my bees, carrying a few off that I've seen. They did cause my 2 x 5-frame nucs with the 3/4" tube entrances to abscond. No signs of murders going on inside. I have killed maybe 25 by hand and 50 in the wasp/wax moth vinegar/apple juice/jelly mixture, but they got smart and are staying out of the traps now. I live in the woods and cannot track the hornets to their nests. Nobody can tell me if honeydew gel kills honey bees, too. The hornets take that back to the nest and they die off. Any ideas??

[@benca6151]

So for years under oak trees ive watched yellow jackets feed on honeydew. No way it kills them. Never seen any honeybees doing this. Too much other stuff for them maybe?

[@JCsBees]

Have you tried bananas in the trap cocktail over the other fruits? That's what I always used and it worked very well. It even attracted wax moths. Here's the trap I make kzbin.info/www/bejne/mXW9Yq2or8yqo7M I am not sure about the honeydew to be honest so I have no input there. That's one thing good about the first couple cold snap it kills the hornets and wasp. I have fence to clear but I always find a yellow jacket nest this time of year and they mess me up, this year I am waiting for a couple cold snaps before I start clear it. How are you liking the tubed entrances before those colonies absconded?

[@DoubleTopHoneyCo]

@@JCsBees I don't use bananas, never worked for me and it takes days for the peel to be in the right condition. Try this. My traps start filling up with insects within minutes and full by 3 days. Has been a tough summer keeping those replenished with fresh bait. Seriously, try this one today. I hang 1/2 gal square juice bottles with a triangle opening. Bend the triangle lip upward like a porch roof to keep rainwater out. 1 cup apple juice 1 tbsb sugar 1 tbsn apple cider vinegar 1 tbsn jelly (I use strawberry jam) 3 drops Dawn As for the tubes, they didn't stop the beetles, nor does the 100 guardian entrances I have. They definitely easily facilitated European Hornets. Luckily, I only made 2, years ago from your video. The rest have guardians.

[@DoubleTopHoneyCo]

@@JCsBees When you get the chance can you answer my two questions about your process of comb/box storage and that pinetree swarm from months ago.

[@JCsBees]

Everyone has their own method of storing draw comb, I am no different. I've done it a few ways. 1. Store it in direct light as you have done. 2. Stack boxes together cover top with lid then tape any holes/seems with painters tape. 3. I've even tried storing in trash bags but that failed as the moths chewed holes in the bags to get in. 4. They make a product to keep moths away called Paramoth, never used it but heard it works well. As for the swarm in my pine tree they eventually flew off but it wasn't until the cool temps forced them to leave. Here is a video kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZDViWCBl7-kr68 Thanks for being patient, it's been a crazy week.