More tests were done on this honey than usual, in fact, most marketed raw honey has no laboratory testing at all. Notice that the high profile microbes are all less than 3/gram, or better. The mold count, probably comes from viable spores, since no fungal structures were microscopically observed in product. Most of the honey now has been extracted and put in jars of all sizes. Several pounds remaining will be sterilized and made into honey-butter, whipped honey and just sterile honey for Max.

collecting honey

After Hilary opened the hives and smoked the bees slightly, Paul used a leaf blower to brush off the bees remaining on the frames removed from teh hive. This was fairly gentle and a lot faster than by hand. The bees were later given sugar water, not a fair trade, but it pacified them somewhat.

Golden rod and wild asters are abundant but not many other flowers are available now. Lidino clover planted this spring did not do well, the area is probably too wet.

We have not weighed the extracted honey yet, we also saved several frames for comb honey, actually our favorite for eating.



Tomorrow Hilary and I will test composites for Salmonella, Listeria, total coliform, E. coli, staphylococci, streptococci and clostridium. We do this periotically when we remove honey, with satisfactory results.