Honey By The Ton From Top Bar Hives

摘要

This article provides data on cotton honey production from top-bar hives collected over two seasons. The first season was a trial run, setting the stage for a larger study in the second year. I am planning a third season too.At the end of the growing season, vast expanses of cotton reveal the split open bolls (see Figure 1, see below), each boll once a white okra-like flower (see Figure 2) yielding nectar. (The plant also has extrafloral nectaries.) Cotton honey has a prettylight-amber color (see Figure 3). However, the honey is not regarded as "table grade," due to its bland taste and propensity to granulate. I have a long history with cotton honey as a strategic asset to feed my pollination top-bar colonies, knowing thedifficulties without Summer nectar.