This was one of those adventures. There were some bees living in a old propane tank lid. So the guys went out to capture them. These bees were very tame for wild bees so they brought them home to start another hive. We really like the sturdiness of wild bees and are hoping to re-queen them with a domestic queen to help with the aggressiveness.
Once the bees were out of the hive it didn’t look quite so nice.
The guys brought home the propane lid and started the process of separating the honey from the wax. They used some of the comb to lay a foundation on a couple of frames in the new box for the bees.
They used this shirt to help strain the solids from the honey. When they were done they hung it up in the bee yard. The bees loved it.
They got about 3 quarts of honey from their little adventure. Fortunately for me, this is honey we’ll use. Gabriel will sell the honey from the hives when we harvest but probably not this wild honey.
Just in time for our fall allergy season…
Angi Schneider is the author of The Ultimate Guide to Preserving Vegetables and Pressure Canning for Beginners and Beyond, both published by Page Street Publishing. She has taught canning classes for 177 Milk Street, been featured in Serious Eats, and written for Countryside Magazine. Angi has been sharing gardening, preserving, and simple living skills since 2010.
How very exciting! We collected wild honey once and it was so amazing; however, it fermented pretty quickly so we were not able to eat all of it. I love how dark your honey looks.
How fun. I never knew you could collect wild honey until recently. It’s fun to see the different colors and taste the different flavors of the honey.
Just out of curiosity, but do honey and allergies have something in common?
I’ve read many articles that say that local unpasturized honey will help with seasonal allergies. Local being within a 50 mile radius of where you live. I’m not sure exactly how it works, the idea is that the small amount of pollen in the honey helps your body prepare for the large amounts of pollen in the air. One article I read suggested 2-3 teaspoons per day for children over the age of 2, 2-3 tablespoons for teens and adults. Don’t give raw honey to children under the age of 2.