Hello!
Greetings from Alstead, NH, USA!  I'm finally finished with the first round
of honey extraction at Linden Apiaries.  The result is nearly 1200 lbs. (540
kg.) of very fine-flavored honey!  It's remarkably light-yellow for this
area, which fact I would tend to attribute to the drought.  Shallow rooted
plants suffered, but plants such as Tartarian honeysuckle (Lonicera
japonica), raspberries and blackberries (Rubus spp.), basswood (Tilia
americana), small-leaf linden (T. cordata), silver linden (T. tomentosa),
and alfalfa (Medicago sativa), the latter with roots over 100 feet deep,
still produced some honey, especially as farmers awaited growth before
cutting.  Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), is another light honey that
didn't produce as much as it can, but the weather was favorable during the
bloom.  Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) is becoming more of a factor
in the Connecticut River Valley, especially after last years floods, which
spread the seed around and promoted germination.  It is only a maintenance
flow at present, keeping hives from losing weight during the normal “dearth”
time, which is July 15-August 15.  Last year there was no dearth due to the
rain, and then good weather during the dearth time.  I suspect it helped out
last year, also.
There was a lot of white dutch clover (Trifolium repens) due to last year's
rainy spell which allowed good germination. It is a biennial.  I believe it
contributed more in the way of pollen in the area, as there were times in
July when it’s brown pollen dominated in the pollen “trap” drawers.  Drought
also affected pollen production, so I had to collect for 3 months to get 475
lbs. (215 kg.) compared to last year’s 508 lbs. (230 kg.) which came in only
half the time!  What a difference rain can make!
Now Japanese knotweed or bamboo (Polygonum cuspidatum), of the buckwheat
family, is starting to become attractive to the bees.  I don’t think the
drought will affect it too much, due to it’s growing along waterways, and it
’s deep, tuberous root system.  It may not break 1998’s Linden Apiaries
record for 24-hour production of one colony on a platform scale.  From 7:15
PM on September 5 until 7:15 PM on September 6, a two-queen colony at my
house gained 19.25 lbs. (8.7 kg.)!  Other 24h gains for the day were 16.75
lbs. (7.6 kg.), 15. (7 kg.), and for 48 hours I recorded 19.75 (9 kg.) and
28.75 lb. (13 kg.) gains.  The best yard (Paul Harlow’s) had a 6-day gain of
67.75 lbs. (30.7 kg.)!  I have a total of 6 scale hives in 5 yards.  My
previous record was 18 lbs (8.2 kg.) during the bamboo flow of 1996.  I’m
hoping that the weather will be favorable, as I have a lot of light hives
right now that could use a good “fall” flow, as it is called.  We rarely get
a true fall flow, but I can recall one year when I was surprised by good
gains in late September, when only Asters (Aster spp.) were blooming.  My
area doesn’t have sufficient goldenrod (Solidago spp.) to give more than a
1-2 lb. (.5-1 kg.) gain per day.
Now the honey and pollen are in the freezer.  Neither is ever heated, to
preserve the enzymes and apitherapeutic activity.  The cappings wax is still
draining.  Later I’ll make candles to replenish my supply.  The bees have
collected propolis during the slow time.  Feel free to write or call if you
are interested in my natural, immune-stimulating, bee products.  I have
additional information that I can email at your request.
    Have a great summer (or winter in the Southern Hemisphere!)
Best regards,
Charles F. Andros
Linden Apiaries since 1973
Beekeeping Supplies
Former NH/VT Apiary Inspector '78-’89
1 McLean Road
POB 165
Walpole, NH
03608-0165 USA/EUA
603-756-9056
Residence: Latitude: 43° 05’ North, Longitude: 72° 21’ 15" West, Elevation
1200’
Keeper of 41 two-queen colonies and one 4-queen colony
for honey, pollen, propolis, pollination,
nuclei, beeswax, apitherapy, and education

Learn, experiment, innovate, educate!
Charles Frederic Andros
July 13, 1999