Beverley
Beekeepers' Association
The
local Beekeeping Association for East
Yorkshire
Oilseed
Rape
Oilseed
rape (Brassica
napus)
is one of the most widely grown crops in East Yorkshire,
and elsewhere. The bright yellow patchwork of fields bring
colour to the countryside in spring for the autumn sown
crop and in summer for the less common spring sown crop.
Oilseed rape produces a seed which is pressed to release
the oil for use as vegetable oil, in animal feed and in the
production of bio diesel.
Bees love it and collect vast quantities of nectar and
pollen. Oilseed rape honey is quick to crystallize and
produces a set honey with a fine texture. For this reason
it is mostly reserved for set honey but is rarely labelled
as rape honey. In the early days of rape harvests, the
quick setting rape honey was a problem to beekeepers as it
tended to set in the hive. More recent cultivars are much
less of a problem although they do seem to yield less
nectar and thus less honey.
As oilseed rape is so widely grown it is rare for
beekeepers to move their hives to rape but they rely on
their bees flying to it from home.