When Is Honey Harvested? Professional Guide To Variables

When is honey harvested? The short answer is when there is honey to harvest! Bees are not like cows, where you milk them at specific times based on a schedule. There are many factors that determine the answer to the question of “When is honey harvested?” In this article, we will have a look at these factors.

There are a lot of misconceptions about bees and honey production.  It is really important to understand the logistics of how the bees make honey, what they need, and how this impacts the rate at which they produce honey, how much, and how often we can harvest. To understand this, let us look at a few really cool facts to demonstrate how the hive works.

Foraging Time

The amount of time the bees can be out collecting nectar is really important. Bees need light (mostly) to be able to navigate to flowers. This means that when the Sun is down the bees will not collect nectar. In certain parts of the world, you can have very long day lengths that coincide with large flower blooms. This means that the bees can work up to 24 hours a day (arctic parts of Alaska, Canada, Scandinavia, and Russia are good examples of where this is possible).

Foraging Temperature

Even if there is Sunlight, it is possible that it is less than 50-55°F. If this is the case, the bees will not be able to venture out of the hives. Even if the Sun is up for 24 hours a day, the bees will do nothing if the temperature is too low. So if we have a long photoperiod and temperatures in the 60°F or above range we are looking good for honey production. However…

Worker Population

If the temperature is right, and the days are long, we may have a situation where the bees do not have enough workers. It is important to select genetics suited to your climate. It is also important for you to ensure that they have enough food in terms of honey/sugar stores and sugar feeding in winter and spring to give the bees the boost they need!

Forage – Flowers

You can have a huge beehive, perfect flying temperature, and a really long photoperiod, but if there are no flowers, your bees will not make honey.

Bees produce the most honey if the flowers they are working on are very close to the hive. Crops such as buckwheat can produce very strong honey flows. In some cases, there are parts of the world where incredible honey flows actually occur in the middle of winter when days are the shortest.

In South Africa and Australia, Eucalyptus species that flower in the middle of the winter can produce intense honey flows, despite the bees only being able to forage for three to five hours a day.

It also helps if it rains! Sometimes you can have an irritating situation where there are good rains, causing lots of plants to flower, and then a sudden drought sets in, and the flowers have no nectar because the ground has dried out and the plants have no water!

Ok, So We Have Got Through The Bits and Pieces, But When Is Honey Harvested?

Quite simply, honey is harvested when it can be harvested!! This will depend on your management style as well. How much honey do you want the bees to have as backup stores? When a super is full, and the bees are working hard, harvest the honey. That is simple!

Honey that is in your honey house is converted to cash and quality of life relatively easily. Honey that is sitting on a hive is occupying space that the bees could refill with honey.  The longer honey stays in a hive, the greater the risk that a bear, a human, or some other pest will pinch it.

During strong honey flows, such as Canola, Buckwheat, Sunflower, Eucalyptus, and citrus to name a few, you should check hives at least once a week during the flow. In a strong flow when is honey harvested? Hives should be emptied of honey and replenished with empty supers to fill as fast as possible. This maximizes your honey flow. This can mean that you will be pulling 40 or more pounds of honey per hive per week if you are lucky. Don’t count on this sort of thing, but when it happens enjoy it!

When Is A Good Time To Harvest Honey?

If you are a skilled beekeeper, and there is a strong honey flow, you can harvest honey at any time of day. It really does not matter. The bees will be so busy they will hardly even notice you doing things.

If you are starting out, when is honey harvested? I suggest taking honey off just before Sunset. The reason for this is not that this is the best time. It is because if the bees are really strong and working hard, and you get them all angry, then there is not too much time for them to wreak havoc on stinging things they find.

When there is a strong honey flow on the go, you can find the bees get a bit tense and cranky. This can be due to certain pollen types. When this happens, even the most placid calm beehives can become very unpleasant to work with. I have had this in Slovakia when working bees in Sunflower fields there. These bees are genetically some of the nicest bees on Earth. They normally would give you three weeks’ written notice of their intention to sting you. When they are tired and exhausted from working 16 hours a day on Sunflowers in mid-summer heat and humidity, their sense of humor is however stretched and they can sting a lot. In an area like this, harvesting close to Sunset also makes sense.

So when is honey harvested? When there is honey in more supply than that needed by your bees. Honey in a bottle on your shelf or in a shop is worth more to you than honey taking up space in a hive. Get your honey into storage as soon and as often as possible. Because remember, time is honey. Honey is money. If you enjoyed this please share.

Honey Harvest FAQs

What factors determine when honey is harvested?

Honey is harvested based on several factors, including hive strength, foraging conditions, temperature, and the availability of flowers. The goal is to harvest when the bees have excess honey stored beyond their immediate needs.

Can honey be harvested year-round?

In some regions, yes. However, honey is typically harvested during periods of high nectar flow, often in late spring and summer, depending on the local climate and forage availability.

How do bees know when to cap honey?

Bees cap honey when it reaches the correct moisture content, typically around 18%. This signals that the honey is fully ripened and ready for long-term storage in the hive.

How often can honey be harvested from a hive?

During strong honey flows, hives can be harvested weekly. It depends on how quickly the bees are producing surplus honey and filling the supers.

Should I harvest honey before or after winter?

It’s best to harvest honey before winter, ensuring the bees have enough stores to survive. Late-season honey flows may be left for the bees to sustain them through colder months.

How much honey should I leave for the bees?

The amount of honey to leave depends on your region. In colder climates, bees need more stores (60–80 pounds) to survive winter, whereas in milder climates, 30–50 pounds may suffice.

What time of day is best for harvesting honey?

Experienced beekeepers can harvest anytime, but beginners are advised to harvest near sunset when bees are less active and calmer, minimizing the chance of stings.

Can honey be harvested if the weather is bad?

Bad weather can impact bee activity and nectar collection. It’s ideal to harvest when conditions are good, but if honey stores are full and conditions worsen, it’s better to harvest sooner rather than later.

What happens if I don’t harvest honey in time?

If honey isn’t harvested, bees may swarm due to overcrowding, or pests like wax moths or bears may steal it. Timely harvests also ensure fresh honey and maximize storage space.

Is it necessary to harvest honey every year?

If bees don’t produce enough surplus honey, it may not be necessary to harvest every year. Monitor hive conditions and make decisions based on how much excess honey the colony has produced.