Apiary Diary March 2022

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5,764
6,323
canterbury
Experience
Commercial
Phew..... we got the last of the West Coast extracting finished yesterday...... some beautifull honey that s white and sweet, and goes hard as heck when left in the pipes for a few days.
We're stll moving bees up into the Honey Dew ...... we've left a box of clover on them above the feeder as the dew seems to be a bit hit and miss this late summer.... which we'll take off if and when we get a flow.2C1808E7-51CB-450A-A237-4764938C8DB6.jpeg
 

kaihoka

Gold
328
270
whanganui inlet
Experience
Hobbyist
some beautifull honey that s white and sweet, and goes hard as heck when left in the pipes for a few days.
It was unexpected that rata would flower three yrs in a row .
I think I never get pure rata in my hives , it takes a while to crystalise .
Is there much of a market for rata honey .
Ukraine is 5th biggest honey producer . I wonder if whats happening their will affect the market much .
 
445
327
Mid Canterbury
Experience
Semi Commercial
Hi Kaihoka - Great to hear about your rata crop. Where exactly R U? Recently I drove Takaka/Farewll Spit and I saw a sign Kaihoka Lakes. Is this where u r? Southern Rata is a sought after crop, but cos it isn't produced in Canty I can't tell you a price, although there are some outfits here that go to Westland to chase it. How much did you produce? All v exciting.

Re Ukraine honey production, when I google this depending on what page I view, one says that Russia are the 5th biggest honey producer. Another says Ukraine is the 9 biggest world producer, followed by NZ.

But sites do seem to agree that 2% of the Ukranian pop are beekeepers. I also note that the av Ukranian wage is $525 p.w - don't know whether this is US$ or NZ$. At $525 it's probably on par p.w. with a few NZ beekeepers!!!!
 

kaihoka

Gold
328
270
whanganui inlet
Experience
Hobbyist
I am not a commercial beek .
James has commented on issues trying to sell honey and I was wondering how it was for rata .
I live near the turn off for kaihoka lakes . Did you go there ? . Its a great place for a swim. The water there is still 23 degrees
 

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445
327
Mid Canterbury
Experience
Semi Commercial
I am not a commercial beek .
James has commented on issues trying to sell honey and I was wondering how it was for rata .
I live near the turn off for kaihoka lakes . Did you go there ? . Its a great place for a swim. The water there is still 23 degrees
Hi Kaihoka - Didn't go there, another time, I have a cousin at Bainham. In early August I had a very long walk at Farewell Spit, but the temp dropped. It was a fab drive from Takaka, no tourists on the road or other traffic, surreal. I have taken on board your comments re swimming and water temp for a future tiki tour! With beekeeping it's not always possible to go away in NZ when the water is warm!
 
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5,764
6,323
canterbury
Experience
Commercial
That looks like a nice place to swim with the fishes……
This year there is demand for our honey with several buyers keen to take it. The good Rata is quite sought after as it is sooo white.
The price is up a little from last year….. I guess ut all comes down to what sort of terms we negotiate a deal on….. drip feed over eight months , or settled on the 20th of the month.
It’s not rocket science really…. Most of our bills that come in these days are expected to be settled within 7 days.
 

southbee

Gold
315
264
Southland
Experience
Commercial
I am not a commercial beek .
James has commented on issues trying to sell honey and I was wondering how it was for rata .
I live near the turn off for kaihoka lakes . Did you go there ? . Its a great place for a swim. The water there is still 23 degrees
Looks so beautiful!!
 

southbee

Gold
315
264
Southland
Experience
Commercial
Phew..... we got the last of the West Coast extracting finished yesterday...... some beautifull honey that s white and sweet, and goes hard as heck when left in the pipes for a few days.
We're stll moving bees up into the Honey Dew ...... we've left a box of clover on them above the feeder as the dew seems to be a bit hit and miss this late summer.... which we'll take off if and when we get a flow.View attachment 1267
Lots of work, keep up your spirits and good luck!!
 

southbee

Gold
315
264
Southland
Experience
Commercial
Found a little swarm under a bottom board today, it must have been there for a while as it had capped brood. Healthy brood, no sign of varroa, hasn't been robbed, then we come along and cut off their comb, put them all in a box, give them some extra food and a proper roof over their heads, I hope they'll be thankful!
 

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5,764
6,323
canterbury
Experience
Commercial
Well here we are, the last yard to put Bayvarol in…..
B138CCAA-8231-4B0A-B3AF-BB79B1FE360B.jpeg
and as I drink tea in the truck and supervise the crew I did some mental arithmatic ….. honey produced, less input costs….. I need $10/kg for what we produced.

Best offer this year is in the $6-7 range.
I worked for nothing again.
 
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southbee

Gold
315
264
Southland
Experience
Commercial
Well here we are, the last yard to put Bayvarol in…..
View attachment 1292
and as I drink tea in the truck and supervise the crew I did some mental arithmatic ….. honey produced, less input costs….. I need $10/kg for what we produced.

Best offer this year is in the $6-7 range.
I worked for nothing again.
Sounds like you need a pat on the shoulder and a wakachangi or two.
 
5,764
6,323
canterbury
Experience
Commercial
Finished the extracting friday. Sump pump spat the dummy…. Extractor 1 wound out the final spin with rumbly bearings and the Humma drive beltsmoked the room out.
So I shut the door, gave the crew a week off and headed for the hills64322E2E-D746-4E4A-A694-A00EC85C8E38.jpeg
Came south to do a great walk at Te Anau. I was surprised at motel prices… $350 for a room with lakeside frontage…$95 one street back.
Its been an average year for production … so settled on econo
 
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southbee

Gold
315
264
Southland
Experience
Commercial
Uh oh, you're in the deep south, the place of big lakes, big mountains, big hearts and good beer. Enjoy your walk and forget about the bees for a while! If you head any further south you're more than welcome to drop in and I might cook you up some whitebait....:)
 
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