Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => General Beekeeping => Topic started by: Marbees on January 24, 2014, 01:31:19 am

Title: What Is The Average Honey Harvest In Your Area
Post by: Marbees on January 24, 2014, 01:31:19 am

Just started this conversation in the Welcome Forum, thought , it would be better to have it here.
In our part of Ontario ( Northumberland County) in average year it would be around 120 lb/hive.
When bumper crop happens it goes over 200 lb. This is for the stationary operation without chasing black locust bloom in the spring, or going pollinating  buckwheat in the summer. What are your numbers?

Title: Re: What Is The Average Honey Harvest In Your Area
Post by: pistolpete on January 24, 2014, 01:38:36 am

Here it's very highly rain dependent.  A wet year will bring long Alfa Alfa blooms and lead to 200 to 250 lb. surplus per hive.   In a dry year all the flows are done by end of June and the yields are in the 120 to 150 range.

Title: Re: What Is The Average Honey Harvest In Your Area
Post by: Edward on January 24, 2014, 01:46:29 am

35kg where I live and that is the average for Sweden. 77 pounds

In the South they have two harvest of rape seeds so they get up to or more 100kg - 220. pounds but they have to harvest it quickly or it turns into cement in the frames and is impossible to extract.

Title: Re: What Is The Average Honey Harvest In Your Area
Post by: Perry on January 24, 2014, 08:02:23 am

On the South Shore of Nova Scotia where we lived up until 2 years ago, harvests of around 100 lbs. were not uncommon. Then we moved to the breadbasket of Nova Scotia, the Annapolis Valley. I was surprised to realize that the harvest here are quite a bit less, despite being surrounded by agriculture. The competition for forage here is intense at times. 60 lb harvest on average.
I discovered this year that open barrel feeding in August was happening in order for winter build up by the largest keep.

Title: Re: What Is The Average Honey Harvest In Your Area
Post by: Gypsi on January 25, 2014, 03:00:45 pm

When it rains I would GUESS 50 lbs a hive. It quit raining the year before I got bees. I harvested about 50 lbs last year from 5 or 6 hives and that was taking ALL their stores due to EFB contagion.  My little corner of the world is much worse for bees than going a few miles in any direction. Light industrial is light industrial

Title: Re: What Is The Average Honey Harvest In Your Area
Post by: Gary on January 25, 2014, 08:24:30 pm

North Central Kansas. First year. Started with 3 lb package bees last April. Harvested honey from 10 of 12 hives. 94 pounds average per hive. Lost a queen during June in one hive and skunks nearly depleted another. Both recovered but not in time to take honey. Average among local keeps is 65 pounds per hive.

Title: Re: What Is The Average Honey Harvest In Your Area
Post by: pistolpete on January 29, 2014, 11:13:39 pm

I guess I didn't know just how good we have it up here.  I always assumed that longer summers meant a bigger harvest, but I guess not.

Title: Re: What Is The Average Honey Harvest In Your Area
Post by: tbonekel on January 30, 2014, 07:29:17 am

In my area, I don't know. I haven't had one yet. I hope I find out soon!  8)