[log in to unmask] writes:

Honey  1.50 lb. and syrup  .20 a lb.

The above are wholesale bulk prices.

The 1.50 U.S. is the high price at the moment for top grades of honey ( 
table) in the 55 gallon drum or tote container ( 275 gallon).  Not store 
price.

If $8 ( U.S.) in bulk in U.K. how many containers can you handle Chris?

The price might also reflect a 10,000 Lbs.. sale.

The buck fifty range is the  highest bulk price in around four years I 
believe.

I think the following are close for my area.

Last year was in the 90.-1.00 range

two years ago dropped as low as .60-.70

three years ago I think in .80-.90

four years ago I think was the last time prices hit a buck fifty.

The above are only what I think I remember and all areas can very in price 
and type of honey.

The .20 a pound will cover HFCS in tanker loads. However I think sucrose is 
in the .23 a pound range.
We have bought tanker loads in the .12-.15 a pound range in our area but 
higher in California.

Since we went to sucrose  we buy in totes locally and get the amount a 10 
wheeler can haul. We do not store sucrose like we did HFCS which we did 
store.( tanker load at a time)

I think our bees do better on sucrose . I like being able to buy the sucrose 
directly from the plant (although in Kansas but around 75 miles from us) as 
we get the product at the correct heat range and do not have to worry about 
the product getting too hot in tanker shipment. Which we did with HFCS on 
tankers out of the far north. I am pretty sure we received at least one or 
two tanker loads with high HMF levels in the past.

The point I was trying to make Chris is that I have read that a hive uses 
around 300 pounds of honey a year. (personally I think a researcher pulled 
the figure from the air) so if you keep bees at full strength you can see 
after a honey flow is over the bees can consume 60-100 pounds of honey in a 
hurry. Of course the queen (unless Italian) realizes the precious honey is 
not coming in and starts to shut down.

When it comes to honey production ( are you listening Randy?) I look at the 
bottom super on a stack of a strong hive to see when the bees start going 
backwards. Which will tell me when the flow is over and supers need pulled. 
In my opinion bees doing honey production do best when left alone. Bottom 
supering disturbs the bees too much. I like to slip in the yard and quietly 
keep adding supers as needed. Prop the tops up in a heavy flow and let the 
bees enter the top. However get those tops down when the bees are going 
backwards, I try not to let the bees plug out as makes a mess and causes 
robbing *when* the bees are going backwards.

When I see a stack of supers all plugged together with burr comb I believe 
the beekeeper lost a super of honey in between the boxes.

Give the bees plenty of room (drawn comb) at the start of the honey flow and 
crowd at the end.

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
Beekeeping since early teens
Beekeeping was project in Future Farmers of America

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