BUMPER HONEY HARVEST: 300lbs PLUS
Many thanks to those members that answered the call for volunteer extractors – we couldn’t have done it without you.
We should also thank the bees who have worked hard this year to produce a bumper crop which we estimate will be over 300lbs (136kilos). As expected, the bees were so keen to get involved that they queued outside the Portakabin door. Fortunately the bees that did sneak inside concentrated their efforts on trying to get back out via the closed windows. We think the air conditioning unit Tony provided may have encouraged the bees to try to leave the Portakabin instead of bothering the indoor team.
Work started a little after 10am. Apiary Manager, Tony (ably assisted by Association Chair, John), supervised the outside team who were responsible for removing full supers, returning empty “wet” supers, burning rubbish and cleaning extractors.
Evan took on the same role as last year – that of hiding away indoors. Initially six or seven people formed the super removal gang, stacking supers into the wheelbarrow, covering same with a sheet and ferrying to Tony in the yard, who blew stragglers off before supers were taken into the Portakabin. Once all supers removed, some of the outside-gang moved inside to boost the numbers of the Portakabin-gang to seven. There were so many supers that we had two extractors on the go. Eventually there were enough wet supers for the bee-suited outside team to start returning them to the hive.
All hands mucked in to clear and clean up. This longer than planned session (due to the larger honey harvest) was finished and the compound gates locked by approximately 3pm.
Extra thanks go to Tony who prepared the Portakabin by laying cardboard over the floor, setting out tables, installing his air conditioning unit and also providing the pressure washer for the essential cleaning of the extractors. Additional thanks to Paul, who helped Tony put on the clearer boards on the Thursday before the extraction.
