BEEKEEPING TIP: How to Set up a Colony for Ivy Honey Production

Ivy honey is great. If you can get it. It’s also a pain in the backside because it granulates in the comb and takes forever to process due to its high glucose content. But for sore throats, coughs and respiratory health, it’s absolute dynamite! In this practical blog, we’ll look at how best to set up a honeybee colony for ivy honey production. Not all colonies are suitable to produce ivy honey. This is what is required for a colony to be set up for Ivy honey:

Full Brood Box

After summer harvest, you may want to provide your colonies with supplementary feeding to replenish their brood boxes. A well-fed colony is better equipped to take advantage of the incoming ivy nectar. Regardless of whether or not you feed your bees, in order to get a crop of ivy honey, when the ivy nectar starts coming in, the brood box needs to be already nearly full. The bees are then forced to store the honey on top, which makes it easier for you to harvest.

Varroa Management

If treating for varroa, do so immediately after the summer harvest. Keep a vigilant eye on varroa mites, as they can jeopardise your hive’s health. Timely treatment, if necessary, is essential. Make sure never to treat when the bees are gathering nectar or supers are on.

Single Brood Box Configuration

Transition your colonies into single brood box configurations. A single brood box allows the bees to focus their efforts on storing ivy honey above it.

Health and Vigour

Ensure that your colonies are healthy, robust and teeming with bees, willing and able to take full advantage of the Ivy flow when it arrives. Struggling or weak colonies will not produce a crop of Ivy honey. Consider joining two colonies if the numbers are not adequate but colonies otherwise healthy.

Young Laying Queen

The colony should be led by a young queen produced that year in spring, who will be stimulated to lay eggs as ivy pollen becomes available. This ensures that the brood box remains primarily for brood, while the bees channel their energy into storing ivy honey above it. A summer queen may well be good enough to lay lots of eggs, but if there has been a recent brood break, there is a chance there are not enough bees to build wax or gather nectar. If the number of bees is inadequate, consider combining two colonies to increase the numbers.

Timing and what box to use for Ivy Honey Production

As autumn arrives and you start noticing ample yellow pollen and the blooming of ivy, it’s time to set up the hive for the ivy flow. First is the box itself. You can use either a super or an eke.

If using a super, don’t waste your pristine drawn comb but consider using starter strips instead. This is because there is a lot of wasted time, effort and wax if the colony does not fill the whole super with honey (and they seldom will). All comb has to be cut out and melted down when extracting, even if the bees only gather a little bit of honey. More efficient is to provide just starter strips that can be cut out and replaced easily.

The best way, and the most economic in terms of time, wax and processing, is to use an eke. An eke is a shallow frame, about half the height of a super, that is used to give bees space, for instance when treating for varroa with apiguard, or as an extender. Using an eke is brilliant as it allows minimum preparations, and you lose no wax foundation, drawn comb or time. The bees will build comb and fill as needed, and you can then just cut it out for processing. Simple!

Insulation and ventilation

Ivy honey production demands a warm environment, or rather wax building does. Top insulation is advisable to maintain the necessary high temperatures for wax production. Ensure the varroa mesh floor at the bottom is closed or at least partly sealed, as fluctuating autumn temperatures can hinder wax formation, prompting bees to store honey within the brood box where the wax is already built. Read more about insulation and ventilation here: Beehive insulation, condensation and ventilation

Other considerations for Ivy Honey Production

• Resist the temptation to stack two supers, as it could create a chilling void above the brood nest during cold nights and cold spells.
• Make sure not to feed your bees or treat them during this time, as it will taint the honey.
• If there is a strong flow, make sure to leave the entrance large enough for bees to enter and exit. Once the flow tapers off, reduce entrance size and insert mouse guard.
• Use a queen excluder if using a super, but make sure to remove it if leaving the super on over winter. Otherwise, you could have a situation where bees go up for food leaving the queen isolated below the queen excluder. Queen excluders should never be left on in the winter.

For more about the health benefits of Ivy honey, read this blog: https://hannasbees.ie/ivy-honey-benefits-naturally-healing-soothing/

Hanna Bäckmo

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