Author Topic: Sunflower fields. (Read 19863 times)

Yankee11 · « **on:** August 05, 2014, 05:18:26 pm »

I'll get some more pictures when in full bloom. It should be a sight to see.

I know of 6 hives less than a 1/4 mile away that are fixing to be very busy.

Jen · « **Reply #1 on:** August 05, 2014, 05:52:05 pm »

I AM SOO JEALOUS!

apisbees · « **Reply #2 on:** August 05, 2014, 07:05:08 pm »

They look so wonderful. Thanks for sharing (bragging) The bees will do well there.

Slowmodem · « **Reply #3 on:** August 05, 2014, 07:32:09 pm »

You are one lucky soul!

Riverrat · « **Reply #4 on:** August 05, 2014, 08:37:24 pm »

They say jealousy will get me nowhere but then again been there several times

Jen · « **Reply #5 on:** August 05, 2014, 10:07:50 pm »

That's Not Fair Yankee! You're getting all the good stuff this season!

Yankee11 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 06, 2014, 08:27:24 am »

Ha, as far as being lucky,

My old college football coach used to tell me after I made a good play " even a blind hog can find an acorn every now and then".
He had a way of busting your bubble.

Jen · « **Reply #7 on:** August 06, 2014, 03:05:40 pm »

Bad coach right there Bad Bad Coach! You should have given him a bloody nose for that.

I'm tickled to death with your finds and success this season. The honey you sent me is going to keep me healthy all winter long! I only used it on toast once as a mug clinker to you. The rest of that healing honey will go into my system on an empty stomach like a big vitamin pill

Yankee11 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 06, 2014, 05:11:56 pm »

Lol Jen,

Glad you are enjoying it.

Well guess what on the sunflower fields. Drove by today and a truck was out there so I had to stop. Low and behold it's and old friend of mine from way back. Man o Man. This is a test run for much much bigger plans next summer. If successful he plans on several hundred acres next summer. AND he is planting Canola after the sunflowers.

He needs a beekeeper and bees, and I just got the job.

As a test run, I am moving 2 hives(maybe 4) tonight and set right at the edge of the sunflowers tonight. I have 4 hives that I just had to put the first super on last night here at the house. They are traveling tonight.

WooHoo. this should be fun for the next 4 weeks.

Yankee11 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 06, 2014, 05:19:27 pm »

Oh, and just texted him to let him know that Sunflowers and Canola need 1 hive per acre for pollination.

His response was that I need move hives. Lol.

Jen · « **Reply #10 on:** August 06, 2014, 05:21:12 pm »

Super Cool Yankee! Now, you're getting paid for these hives to be out there?

Yankee11 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 06, 2014, 05:31:40 pm »

Not yet, as this is a test run for both of us.

We talked for about an hour and if it all works out then there will be much bigger plans. Sunflowers and Canola not normally grown here so we will see how it goes. He is planning on extracting his own Canola oil and Sunflower oil. Right here, 6 miles from my house.

So for now this is a test. But hey, so was beekeeping for me 3 years ago.

He said he wants to grow the canola then follow that planting with sunflower in the same fields. They do that here now with winter wheat then soybeans.

Jen · « **Reply #12 on:** August 06, 2014, 05:34:26 pm »

Remarkable! Good Luck with that venture. Would be nice down the road to see pics of your hives in the canola fields

Slowmodem · « **Reply #13 on:** August 06, 2014, 08:23:54 pm »

Quote from: Yankee11 on August 06, 2014, 05:11:56 pm

He needs a beekeeper and bees, and I just got the job.

You should buy a lottery ticket! This is your lucky day!

Yankee11 · « **Reply #14 on:** August 06, 2014, 11:52:50 pm »

Lol Slowmodem.

I got 2 moved tonight. They are sitting 6 feet from the edge of the sunflower field. double deeps with a super of empty pulled comb. I have 2 more hives here at the house that are double deeps with an almost filled super sitting on top. I have talked myself into moving them tomorrow night.

I only have 5 supers left in garage and no more pulled comb.

I think I will have about 40 supers out and no way I can make it with one more extraction. I am going to have to extract and set these back out. We are still a month away from Goldenrod starting to bloom. I was wanting to wait and pull all supers when goldenrod started blooming and let them fill their upper deep with goldenrod to overwinter on.

The hives out on the cotton fields are going nuts. That cotton was blooming on 4th of July and is still blooming (4 weeks). The other cotton fields have just started blooming last week. I have these hives 3 supers high already. I swear they had an empty super/pulled comb Sunday and today Wed they had almost filled 6 to 7 frames. Is this possible?

iddee · « **Reply #15 on:** August 07, 2014, 03:50:37 am »

Yankee, I have extracted a full deep, returned it to the hive, then extracted it again in 10 days. They can move fast when the goods are out there.

PS. Congrats on the happenings lately.

Slowmodem · « **Reply #16 on:** August 07, 2014, 06:06:49 am »

Quote from: Yankee11 on August 06, 2014, 11:52:50 pm

We are still a month away from Goldenrod starting to bloom. I was wanting to wait and pull all supers when goldenrod started blooming and let them fill their upper deep with goldenrod to overwinter on.

I was looking in the yard yesterday and it looks like the goldenrod is getting ready to start here very soon. I see some yellow wanting to burst out.

lazy shooter · « **Reply #17 on:** August 07, 2014, 08:24:27 am »

I pride myself on not being envious of others, and then Yankee11 comes up with this utopia situation, and makes me think "why not me Lord." Then I remember that the Lord has me on probation.

Seriously, the sunflower field alone looks like mana from Heaven. Good on you Yankee.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #18 on:** August 07, 2014, 10:05:01 am »

LOL Shooter...
And LOL @ Jen too... I got kicked off the football team for knocking teeth out with a helmet.. Unfortunately I wasnt wearing it I was holding it.. Fortunately the wrestling coach snagged me two days later. Said all that anger and aggression was good when wrestling headgear is so small and light...
(Wasnt the coaches teeth but should have been)

The sunflowers I have 6 hives on are in multiple states of blooming. SOme heads are nearing the finishing stages and others are JUST starting to open up. I can SEE the nectar being secreted on the face of many of those flowers and am interested in seeing how the hives I have there do.
I was looking at Goldenrod as well, and see the beginnings of the buds.. We got a tenth of an inch of rain last week and about half an inch yesterday and last night.. I did the happy dance in the rain last night.. (after I had some rum) This should boost the nectar flow. Last year it was horribly dry with no rain for four months. So I am thanking mother nature and pretending old man Murphy does not exist.

tecumseh · « **Reply #19 on:** August 07, 2014, 08:15:44 pm »

you should be aware Yankee that sunflower honey granulates very quickly at the first cold snap. we use to see a good bit of sunflower honey in North Dakota. Made a yellowish honey and you did need to get it off and extracted before the first cold weather. much after that experience I did think that it would have made a natural product for spun on creamed honey production.