Our first Summer Honey

The Grove House Levisham honey harvest for 2018 has started with our very first Summer Honey.   

Our Honey Bees leave their Valley Hives and forage on the profusion of Newtondale wildflowers and woodland tree blossoms, then naturally blend the nectars.  Early on 24th July 2018 this light honey was selected from Valley Hive II, spun from the frames, strained and jarred, all without heating or stirring so it is just as the Honey Bees intended it to be.

Valley Hive II Colony Provenance

Bees at Levisham Hall swarmed earlier in the summer and not wishing to increase their apiary further, we were offered the bees.  We were delighted and having collected the frames of sealed brood and young not yet flying bees we housed them in Valley Hive II.  We then waited for one of the Queen Cells to hatch, mate and start laying her eggs.  This process was successfully completed and has resulted in our very first small harvest of Summer Honey.

In total from just six frames we jarred about 8 kilos of honey. 

Lucky late summer guests have been able to enjoy complimentary comb honey cut straight from the frame or have taken a small sample home.

The Honey Bees are now busy on the Heather, and Levisham Moor is alive with the bees buzzing.

For more photographs of the process follow our Instagram link at the bottom of this webpage.