Heather honey

Beekeeping with altitude

Note: We do not encourage beekeepers to move hives into the Carneddau from outside the area. Our members’ bees are very healthy and we want to keep it that way.

The Carneddau mountains above the Conwy Valley are covered in heather, a valuable source of honey that is still barely exploited by beekeepers.

Honey from ling heather, Calluna vulgaris, has a strong distinctive flavour and is much sought after by customers.

Beekeepers selling heather honey or heather blend honey at the Conwy Honey Fair usually have the longest queues.

These notes are based on 35 years of moving bees to the heather and may encourage others to try it.

Why move bees to the heather?

The heather flowers in August, when most valley forage has finished, apart from Himalayan balsam.
It offers the chance of a valuable late-season crop.
It is an enjoyable end to the honey season after swarm control, making nucs and queen rearing.
Beeswax from the heather has an excellent aroma.
Bees taken to the heather usually winter well.

What is the potential honey crop?

A strong hive can produce two full supers of heather honey plus its winter feed, provided there is wet weather in May and June to get the heather growing, followed by fine weather in August.

Some years you will get very little, but in most years the move is worthwhile.

How far will bees fly to the heather?

In a good summer, bees may fly two miles from home to the heather on Tal y Fan. Sometimes they will fill a super without being moved, but they usually do much better if moved right into the heather.

How do you find a hive site on the heather?

There is no substitute for strong boots, a good map and proper legwork. We do not recommend communal heather hive sites because of the risk of spreading bee diseases. We can advise members on possible sites.

Can I place hives in the forest around Betws-y-Coed?

Yes. Forest roads can give access to useful and remote sites with a wide variety of bee forage.

Natural Resources Wales requires a risk assessment, a method statement, public liability insurance for £5 million, and a map showing hive location. The annual charge is £50 for a hobby beekeeper and may be negotiable for commercial beekeepers.

Contact the Natural Resources Wales offices near Gwydir Castle, Llanrwst.

What makes a good heather hive site?

A sheltered but sunny position, perhaps behind a stone wall.
Plenty of young heather nearby.
Vehicle access right up to the hives.
A site that will not become too muddy when moving hives home.
Good distance from public footpaths.
Maximum altitude about 800ft, allowing bees to fly uphill empty and return downhill laden.

Do you need permission?

Yes. Find out who owns or farms the land and ask permission before moving hives. Agree rent in advance, for example one jar of honey per hive per year.

How do you prepare the site?

Clear any bracken and tripping hazards. Old car tyres can be used as hive stands.

How do you prepare colonies for the heather?

Choose strong colonies with a young queen and plenty of brood.
Remove summer supers and the queen excluder.
Check that the bees are healthy.
Make sure the hive woodwork is sound and free from gaps.
Set up the hive with a mesh floor, brood box and a half, crown board and roof.
No travelling screen is needed if using a mesh floor.
Close with a foam entrance block and fit two hive straps.

When do you move the bees?

Usually at the end of July or early August.

What time of day is best?

Early morning is often easiest because the bees are usually dormant and daylight is less of a problem. Evening moves can also work, once the bees have settled for the night.

How many people do you need?

Moving hives alone is hard work.
Working with another beekeeper makes the move easier and more enjoyable.
A two-person hive lifter is very useful.
Loading and unloading is much easier with two people.

What can go wrong?

Vehicle stuck on wet ground.
Bees escaping from a leaky hive.
Vehicle breakdown.
A 4WD pickup is ideal transport.

When does ling heather produce honey?

Usually from early August to the end of August. Bees may also benefit from bell heather, rosebay willowherb and blackberry until mid August. September nights at altitude are often too cool for good honey production.

Setting up the hive

Place the hive facing south on a car tyre with a heavy rock on the roof. No fencing is usually needed.

Remove the straps and make sure all foam entrance blocks are removed.

When do you fit supers?

A few days after moving the hives, fit two supers to each hive, using a mixture of thin unwired foundation and drawn comb. No queen excluder is needed at the heather.

Why unwired foundation?

The comb will be cut out for pressing, and unwired foundation avoids the risk of wire ending up in the honey.

Can bees become bad-tempered on the heather?

Yes. The flow can switch off suddenly if the weather changes. Keep manipulations to a minimum and only work the bees in fine weather.

When do you remove the honey supers?

Usually in early September, in time for the Conwy Honey Fair.

Can hives stay at the heather all year?

This is not recommended. Colonies tend to struggle through the winter, and spring pollen is limited. It is much better to bring them back down.

When do you move the bees home?

Usually in mid September.

How do you remove the honey from the combs?

Heather honey is thixotropic and cannot easily be spun out in a normal extractor. Pressing is usually the most effective method.
The Mountain Grey honey press was highly regarded and occasionally appears second-hand.
Cut out the full combs, place them in a straining bag, break them up and press out the honey.
Thorne’s sell an economy heather press. Conwy Beekeepers has one for members to hire.
Another option is the Perforextractor, which agitates the comb before spinning, though the honey yield is lower.
Heather honey can also be sold as cut comb in small plastic boxes.

Preparing heather honey for sale

A best-selling honey is often a blend of oilseed rape honey and ling heather honey. It is very popular at the Conwy Honey Fair.

Pure heather honey has a strong flavour and can ferment in storage. A blend is often easier to sell and should keep for longer.

Rape honey can be stored in buckets in a cool, dark barn until the heather honey is ready in early September.

You will need

A warming box
A 100lb settling or bottling tank
Two Thorne’s pouring aids
One Thorne’s honey creamer

Early morning

Check that the settling tank tap is fully closed.
Empty two buckets of rape honey into the settling tank.
Add one 30lb bucket of freshly pressed heather honey.
Mix thoroughly for a few minutes.
Cover the tank and leave until evening.

Same day, early evening

Bottle all the honey.

If left overnight, the mixture will begin to set and will be slower to bottle.

Store jars in a cool, dark place. Blue mushroom boxes holding 15 one-pound jars work well.

Advantages of blending heather honey

Good heather flavour
Adds value to oilseed rape honey
Less likely to ferment than pure heather honey
Sells very easily

How do you label it?

Either as Heather Blend Honey or simply Conwy Honey.

Preparing heather colonies for winter

Check for a laying queen and brood before bringing the hives home.
Fit an eke and the first Apiguard tray at the heather, or use Apivar strips after removing the honey supers. Follow the maker’s instructions.
After two weeks, once the hives are home, check weight and feed if necessary using a rapid feeder.
Fit the second Apiguard tray.
When treatment is complete, remove the eke and fit a part-filled super for any late ivy or Himalayan balsam honey.
Sometimes the bees fill the eke with late brood and wild comb. This is often left in place until spring.

Thanks for the information. Yes, I’ll be moving my bees to the heather this year.