Is the Honey Flow Over? Here's How to Know

There are several indicators that can help you determine when it’s time to harvest your honey.

The major nectar-producing flowers begin to die.

The specific flowers will vary by region, but every area has a few key plants that produce most of the nectar bees turn into surplus honey for us to harvest. Talking with local beekeepers to identify these plants is incredibly helpful. When these flowers begin to die off, harvest time is likely just around the corner. Fortunately, this usually happens around the same time each year—typically within a week or two. Once you figure out when the nectar flow typically ends in your area, you’ll often be able to harvest around the same time each season.

What are your bees doing?

When the nectar flow ends completely, you may notice bees begin to uncap the honey and consume it. Ideally, you want to harvest before this happens. You’ll also observe that the bees are no longer storing large amounts of fresh nectar, are capping what remains, and there are fewer uncapped, open cells of nectar in the hive. Bees may also become more prone to robbing, with workers from other hives attempting to steal honey during inspections.

The bees have capped and cured the honey.

This is often one of the most confusing aspects for new beekeepers. Bees don’t always cap every cell on every frame, and that’s okay. Sometimes the nectar flow ends suddenly, and they don’t finish capping all the cells. In these cases, rely on the indicators above and use a shake test if there are large amounts of uncapped honey in the super. To do this, hold a frame horizontally over an open hive and shake it vigorously. If nectar rains out, the honey is not cured, and you should wait another week before testing again. If little or no nectar comes out, the honey is cured and ready to harvest. If an entire super contains very little capped honey, it’s generally not ready. However, if about half the cells are capped, and the nectar flow has ended based on timing and bee behavior, it’s typically safe to harvest.