Designing Your Bee Garden

Thursday, 28 April 2022 / Published in Beekeeping, Honeybees
Bee Garden

The bad news:  Bee habitat is on the decline, and honeybee populations are crashing.  The good news:  a small garden gesture can have a very positive impact!  How can one person help increase the bee population and diversity?  Easy!  By simply providing a consistent source of pollen and nectar and creating a safe habitat, you can instantly create a safe haven for the entire life cycle of our pollinating friends.  In return, the bees will not only amplify your garden’s fruit and veggie yield but will also provide you with nature’s most delicious, healthy food: honey!

What to plant

Choose a variety of flowers that have staggered bloom periods throughout the year, ensuring a steady food supply for the bees. The USDA plant hardiness zone map can help you choose optimal plants, both for survival and for bloom time.  Native plants will not only foster native bee communities, but will also promote habitat for other native insects, birds, and wildlife.  Native plants will also help to strengthen the natural enemies of your plants and their pests, protecting both the bees and your garden.  Local plant nurseries will be able to help you select native plants.  To attract bees, it is best to avoid hybridized plants.  While attractive to us, hybridized plants have been bred not to seed, so their pollen is scarce.

Diversify

Bees love purple, blue, violet, yellow, and white.  Plant flowers of a single species in clusters of about four-foot diameter, to help catch the eyes of the bees.  A variety of flower shapes will attract a diversity of bees, though single flower tops, such as marigolds or daisies, produce more nectar than do double flower topped plants.

What to avoid

Herbicides and pesticides have many unintended consequences.  Chief among them is the unintentional killing of the “good bugs”.  With an eye toward soil (and subsequent plant) health, you will foster communities of natural predators, such as ladybugs, praying mantises, and spiders.  The bonus, of course, is better health for kids, pets, and ourselves, as we venture forth into our gardens!

Providing shelter

Native bees need safe places to nest.  While wood-nesting bees may take up residence in a beetle tunnel of a dead tree, a ground-nesting bee may excavate tunnels under bare ground.  Bumble bees may nest in cavities, such as an abandoned rodent burrow.  In lieu of setting aside a vacant piece of land for bees to inhabit, you could build a nesting block  Alternatively, these portable nesting sites can be purchased at garden centers or backyard bird shops.  Staking your box three to six feet above the ground is appropriate, with entrance holes facing southeast or east to capture the morning sun.

Winter Honeybees at work

Thursday, 20 January 2022 / Published in Beekeeping

What’s happening in the hive?

We’ve begun a new year, and the curious beekeepers can’t help but wonder what those winter honeybees are doing.  We packed

Honeybee cluster to keep warm in winter

Honeybee cluster to keep warm in winter

up the colonies with food during the fall and hoped for the best.  Now we still have a few months of potentially cold weather before we can hope for extended Spring temperatures.  Genetics always plays an important part in honeybee behavior and some bees will be active at colder temperatures than others.

Hopefully, the bees are alive and existing in a cluster.  Winter honeybees do not hibernate but they will cluster together for warmth during cold weather and become inactive.  Honey is the fuel that the bees use for energy to vibrate their wing muscles and create heat.  No honey – no heat – dead bees.  Too much warm weather during winter can be as bad as too cold.  The bees may eat all of their winter stores before the spring flowers appear and starve as a result.

New Life Begins in the beehive

Some queens may lay a small amount of brood all winter but most take a break during late fall.  If you do a minimal inspection of your hive during late winter you may find a small patch of brood.  This is a good sign.  As January progresses and the red maples bloom, our winter honeybees are already thinking about Spring.

10 Health Benefits of Honey

Wednesday, 13 October 2021 / Published in Honey
honey

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Source: Real Food For Life

Discover the health benefits of honey – one of the oldest sweeteners on earth, plus some interesting trivia, some great recipes and a few cautions.

Bees swallow, digest, and regurgitate nectar to make honey; this nectar contains almost 600 compounds. We need our bees, so let’s do everything we can to save them and keep them here on this earth.

Honey is so good we have included it in our list of power foods that should be in your kitchen right now.

“My son, eat thou honey, for it is good” — King Solomon – Proverbs: 24:13

Health Benefits of Honey

1. Prevent cancer and heart disease

Honey contains flavonoids, antioxidants that help reduce the risk of some cancers and heart disease.

2. Reduce ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders

Recent research shows that honey treatment may help disorders such as ulcers and bacterial gastroenteritis. This may be related to the 3rd benefit.

3. Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-fungal

“All honey is antibacterial because the bees add an enzyme that makes hydrogen peroxide,” said Peter Molan, director of the Honey Research Unit at the University of Waikato in New Zealand.

4. Increase athletic performance

Ancient Olympic athletes would eat honey and dried figs to enhance their performance. This has now been verified with modern studies, showing that it is superior in maintaining glycogen levels and improving recovery time than other sweeteners.

5. Reduce cough and throat irritation

Honey helps with coughs, particularly buckwheat honey. In a study of 105 children, a single dose of buckwheat honey was just as effective as a single dose of dextromethorphan in relieving nocturnal cough and allowing proper sleep.

6. Balance the 5 elements

Honey has been used in ayurvedic medicine in India for at least 4000 years and is considered to affect all three of the body’s primitive material imbalances positively. It is also said to be useful in improving eyesight, weight loss, curing impotence and premature ejaculation, urinary tract disorders, bronchial asthma, diarrhea, and nausea.

Honey is referred to as “Yogavahi” since it has the quality of penetrating the deepest tissues of the body. When honey is used with other herbal preparations, it enhances the medicinal qualities of those preparations and also helps them to reach the deeper tissues.

7. Blood sugar regulation

Even though honey contains simple sugars, it is NOT the same as white sugar or artificial sweeteners. Its exact combination of fructose and glucose actually helps the body regulate blood sugar levels. Some kinds of honey have a low hypoglycemic index, so they don’t jolt your blood sugar.  Watch this video Sweetener Comparison where I compare stevia, brown rice syrup, honey, molasses, and agave, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each.

8. Heal wounds and burns

External application of honey has been shown to be as effective as conventional treatment with silver sulfadiazine. It is speculated that the drying effect of the simple sugars and honey’s antibacterial nature combine to create this effect. Studies have shown honey to be very successful in healing wounds.

9. Probiotic

Some varieties of honey possess large amounts of friendly bacteria. This includes up to 6 species of lactobacilli and 4 species of bifidobacteria. This may explain many of the “mysterious therapeutic properties of honey.”

10. Strengthen the immune system

Manuka Honey has been found to stimulate the production of immune cells according to a study at the School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK.

The Beekeeper’s Fall

Wednesday, 13 October 2021 / Published in Beekeeping

The Beekeeper’s Fall is a special time for human and bee alike.  The hot muggy days of the southern summer are almost at an end.  Most bee colonies have been at their largest population and are starting reduce in number.  As the “cluster” size diminishes the beekeeper will want to make sure that the colony is not left with too much space to patrol .  Too much inside space with too few patrol bees can result in an infestation of pests such as Small Hive Beetles or Wax Moths.   The Beekeeper in Fall will also need to evaluate the amount of honey that is stored for winter.  Bees do not fly when the weather is cold and winter (even in our area) rarely offers much in the way of nectar.  Failure to provide the bee colony with proper winter food is a failure on the part of the fall Beekeeper.

Enjoy the cooler weather.  Inspect your colonies before it gets too cold.  Get ready for a nice winter rest while your bees are resting and dreaming of Spring.

The Last Sip of Fall Nectar

Tuesday, 05 October 2021 / Published in Beekeeping

Our honeybees are off across the hills enjoying the last bit of nectar before winter.  The shortening daylight hours and the cool night temps are signaling the end of the harvest season for beekeepers everywhere.  Honeybees will not be able to collect nectar during the cold winter months even though they may fly out on warm days.  They must have sufficient stored honey and pollen to meet their needs until the first blossoms of late winter/early spring.   The fall flow in our area will sometimes result in a small amount of honey for the beekeeper but it is usually reserved for adding to the bees winter storage.

The Fall Flow (if you are lucky enough to have one in your area) will consist of many flowers – some of which are not very noticeable.  One of the most showy is the Goldenrod.  There are different types of goldenrodGoldenrod and the amount of nectar they secrete will vary between types and weather conditions.  Remember, just because you see a beautiful bloom does not guarantee a good fall nectar flow.  Observing Goldenrod in bloom in a field or along the roadside, you will notice not only honeybees but also many different types of wasps, bumblebees and other pollinators.  All of these insects are enjoying the last nectar and pollen of the season.  The honeybees will hopefully overwinter as a group in their hive and the reproductive “queen” wasps and bumblebees will hibernate and start a new family group next Spring.

sawtooth sunflower
Sawtooth Sunflower blooms from mid-August to late October in moist areas and partial shade.  This plant is good for bees and serves as browse for deer also.

Aromatic Aster (above right) is a small plant you will find from mid-September to November in sunny fields and woodland edges.  Several different types of Aster contribute to our bees needs and provide nectar until a deep freeze.aromatic aster

One of the most important tasks for a beekeeper is to make sure their managed bee colony has sufficient winter food before cold weather begins.  Once a deep freeze has killed all the available blooms, the bees will only find a few sheltered blossoms until the first dandelions of Spring.

Varroa Mites and Bees

Monday, 16 August 2021 / Published in Beekeeping

Varroa mites are a parasitic pest of honeybees and create a “world of woes” for beekeepers worldwide.  They varroadeveloped in Indonesia –  where they only reproduced in drone brood and did little damage to the bee colony as a whole.  In other parts of the world, Varroa has had a devastating effect on Apis Mellifera (our European Honeybee).  The reddish mites are small but visible to the naked eye.  They suck the blood (hemolymph) from adult bees and feed off of brood.  In addition to weakening the bees, the mite also serves are a vector for viruses.  There is no treatment for a virus.  Our best plan of management is to keep the “mite load” low so we will have the largest number of healthy bees possible.

August is the time of year when varroa mite numbers start to explode in our area.  Also, the queen bees may slow or stop laying eggs and the result is a lower number of bees and more mites.   Hot daily temperatures in August causes many beekeepers to be less than vigilant in monitoring their hive and the total collapse of the colony may be the result.   There are many resources online regarding how to take a “mite count” and how many are too many.  Sometimes these sources disagree but the general consensus is that if you do a “sticky board count”  you don’t want more than 50 mites dropped in a 24 hour period in August.

Once you have an idea of how infested your colony may be, you need to decide on a treatment option.  Bee Well Honey has several products available for mite control.  Ranging from a synthetic chemical (such as Apistan) to the “softer” more natural options such as “thymol” or “mite away”.  Beekeepers have wonderful arguments over the best treatment method but there seems to be no silver bullet for varroa.   Each product has directions on the package.  Be sure to read and follow directions in regards to placement and removal of strips and temperature restrictions.varroa

Managing varroa levels now will help insure that you have healthier bees in September that will be able to raise  healthy over-winter bees.

Don’t delay – send mites away !

 

Home Sweet Home – Your First Vegetable Garden

Wednesday, 24 March 2021 / Published in Gifts

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Planting your own vegetable garden is a great way to save money on vegetables and even improve the value of your property. It does take some time and effort to get started, but once you know what you are doing tending a vegetable garden can be very fun and rewarding. Here are some tips that should help you get started.

Starting Small

If you’ve never planted a vegetable garden before and you aren’t totally familiar with growing anything on your property, it’s always best to start out small. Decide what kinds of vegetables you want to grow, and only plant as much as you think you’ll need. Keep in mind that a lot of vegetables such as tomatoes, squash and peppers will keep growing throughout the season, so you can actually get a lot of food with relatively little work. Just don’t overdo it.

Know How Much Space You’ll Need

The next step in growing a vegetable garden is determining how much space you will need. You could choose to grow your garden in a dedicated area in your yard and make it a semi-permanent addition to your property, or you can choose to grow your plants in pots if you don’t want to dig up a part of your yard. In any case, you’ll be surprised to find that you don’t need a lot of space to plant a good vegetable garden, and in fact a smaller space around ten square feet in size should be enough for most properties.

Picking the Best Spot

Choosing a good spot for your garden is very important, perhaps more important than knowing how much space is needed. In order for any garden to thrive, it needs a space that gets plenty of sunlight and has plenty of soft soil rich in organic matter such as compost or peat moss. You also need to make sure your vegetable garden gets plenty of water since many of the vegetables you find in most gardens aren’t very drought-resistant.

Caring for Your Garden

Caring for a vegetable garden usually involves keeping the soil moist since, as we said before, many of the vegetables don’t do well in drought conditions. This means watering when the top inch of soil is dry and watering at least once a week for in-ground crops. Since weeds compete with your vegetables for water and nutrients, they should be removed as you see them. A hoe will help remove seedlings before they start to grow.

Harvesting Your Vegetables

You will be able to harvest many of your vegetables at several stages; you don’t always need to wait until they’re ripe. Lettuce can be harvested when it is still young, especially since you can just snip some leaves and let the rest of the plant continue to grow. Squash and tomatoes can be harvested when the fruit looks big enough to eat. Use your own judgment, and know that there will always be more vegetables as long as you take care of your garden.

Source:
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/vegetable/vegetables/planning-your-first-vegetable-garden/#page=0

The Varroa Mite

Monday, 15 March 2021 / Published in Beekeeping

Source: Bayer Magazine

Beekeeper Ernst Caspari has 20 colonies of bees that collect honey for him, and he needs to protect his bees against their greatest enemy, the Varroa mite. This parasite, measuring one to two millimetres in length, is a major cause of bee losses during the winter.

The Varroa mite first appeared in Germany in 1978. Caspari still remembers the Varroa-free time before that: “Bee-keeping was simpler. Previously, you could expect losses of up to ten per cent during the winter. A queen might die, or a shrew might get into the beehive.” Now, however, individual beekeepers may lose 30 per cent or more of their bee populations throughout a year. “That is why beekeepers have to take action, otherwise their colonies will not survive for long,” says the 86-year-old from Leverkusen.

The mite finds its way into the bee brood shortly before the brood cells are capped, and reproduces there. The progeny of the mite and the mite itself feed on the bee larvae/pupae. After the young honeybees, which are already damaged, have hatched, the parasite and its progeny also emerge into the open. “The damaged bees,” explains Peter Trodtfeld, bee health expert in the Bayer Bee Care Center and also a beekeeper himself, “are weakened and susceptible to viral infections, such as the deformed wing virus, for example. The bees then hatch with mutilated wings and have a reduced lifespan.”

The Varroa mite is less noticeable in spring when the colony strength is increasing. “But when the number of brood cells or bees decreases in late summer and the mites are reproducing unhindered, the colony is in danger,” explains Trodtfeld. “So the Varroa population has to be reduced towards the end of the summer so that a possible infestation in autumn and winter may be kept as low as possible.”

Since its first appearance of the mite in Germany, Bayer has also been searching for a suitable antidote to protect the honeybee. As a chemical engineer and member of the Leverkusen Beekeepers’ Association, Caspari has followed all the developments from the first study onwards: “In the past, the bees were still being treated with a fumigant – a dreadful stuff that stank and polluted the honeycombs. Bayer’s product containing the active substance coumaphos, on the other hand, was a blessing for us beekeepers when it came onto the market.”

Caspari treats his bees with it every year in winter. “I trickle it over the bees in the bee space, and then when the mites suck the bee blood (haemolymph), they die,” is how he explains its action.

Another chemical varroacide is available that the Leverkusen resident has also used for the control of the Varroa. “These are plastic strips with the active substance flumethrin. You hang them in the beehive, the bees crawl over them and spread the active substance around, which then attacks the parasites’ nervous system,” explains Caspari. Organic acids and other synthetic varroacides are also used in the fight against the Varroa.

Another product containing the active substance flumethrin is being developed by Bayer. With this, the active substance is used in strips with holes in them. These are placed at the entrance to the beehive so that the bees come into contact with the active substance as they enter and leave the hive, where they spread it around.

Ernst Caspari is only too well aware after his many years’ experience that one single product is not sufficient to counteract the Varroa mite. The parasite is constantly developing resistance. “That means that products containing different active substances have to be alternated with one another,” explains Caspari. “All these products are only used after the honey harvest in order to avoid product residues in the honey.”

He does not know exactly how badly his 20 colonies are affected by the Varroa mite. Only after appropriate treatment he can see if many dead mites are lying on the bottom of the hive. But of one thing he is well aware: without the beekeeper’s help, the bee colonies would die within one to three years.

 

Spring Beekeeping Tips

Thursday, 04 March 2021 / Published in Beekeeping
beekeeper

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

The weather is getting warmer and days are staying lighter a little longer. So, spring can’t be that far away.

To help you care for your bees this spring, we’ve compiled a few tips designed to get your colonies ready for a successful season.

Make Room for the Queen

Make sure that the queen has enough space to lay. Sometimes colonies can be full of over wintered stores. If the queen is unable to lay the colony won’t expand at this crucial time. Also this limits their space making them more likely to swarm at a later stage.

Bees Need Ample Stores

If the bees have utilized all their stores all it takes is a few wet/cold days for bees not to progress or the possible loss of a colony. Normal practice is to feed 1:1 sugar/water mix. Syrup can also be fed at this time to accelerate colony expansion.

Check for Brood and Eggs

If you don’t have a queen you don’t have a colony. An increasing problem we see is queens not surviving the winter or not mating correctly. Check to see if brood is present and in particular look for eggs and if you cannot see them, young larvae are easier to find.

Check the Brood Pattern

How does your brood pattern look? Compare the colony to your other colonies. If there is a smaller amount of brood or a high ratio of drone cells you may have a poorly mated queen. Think about replacing her. A spotty brood pattern could be an indication of poor mating but could also be an indication of disease.

Add Foundation

Now is the time to get foundation drawn out. It allows you to have comb ready for the larger flows and keeps the bees busy and less likely to swarm.

Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.

While you still have some time, begin preparing for the season ahead. If expanding your colonies, ensure you have hives ready for splits and that you have the relevant nucs, hive material etc.

If your focus is on honey ensure you have as much foundation drawn out and aim to have your hives as strong as possible as opposed to having multiple hives. Ensure you have a sufficient number of supers!

Can I keep bees?

Wednesday, 13 January 2021 / Published in Beekeeping
beekeeping

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

YES you can.

We’re in the dead of winter. It’s cold. And, we can’t wait for spring.  Hundreds of new beekeepers will go forth this Spring into the fascinating world of beekeeping.  The study of bee culture dates back to ancient times and volumes of books have been written on the subject.

honeybees at work

Inspecting a full-size colony

If this is your first beekeeping adventure or you are returning to beekeeping after years of absence, keep a few things in mind. The internet is a wonderful resource of information.  However, not all beekeeping books are well written or correct.  Even if a certain approach works for someone in Nevada, you may not be as successful with those methods in South Carolina. You really need to find a local club, mentor, or beekeeping supply company to provide guidance on your journey.

Bees should be ordered in January and February for delivery in March, April, and May.  The earliest dates are sought after by experienced beekeepers and will sell out so don’t delay in placing an order.   Beekeeping is filled with many “do-dads” and inventions that are fun to use but you don’t need all of them in the beginning.  At the most basic, you will need a hat, veil, hive tool, and smoker.

Dry pine needles are good fuel for your smoker

Dry pine needles are good fuel for your smoker

The smoker is used to mask the alarm pheromone that angry bees may release to rouse the hive into action.  We have found that dry pine needles make a great fuel so try to find a place to keep a small box of them.  At first, firing up the smoker can be a bit difficult but in time you will learn how to do this effectively.  We want a smoker producing cool, white smoke – not grey/black hot smoke.  Practice lighting your smoker before going to the bee yard and never go to the bee yard without one.  It is much easier to keep the bees calm than to calm down a hive of angry bees.   For other

Some beekeepers wear full suits - that's ok.

Some beekeepers wear full suits – that’s ok.

protective gear, at the minimum you need a hat and veil to protect your face and eyes.  You may choose to purchase a beekeeping jacket or full suit with or without gloves.  Do not be ashamed to wear full gear in the beginning or throughout your beekeeping adventure.  The most important thing is to feel calm and comfortable so you can enjoy the bees.

Where can I keep bees ?

In addition to preparing the hive, ordering bees, and purchasing tools you need to consider the location for your hives.  Bees can be kept in almost any location including rural pastures and city rooftops.  You may need to check local regulations before purchasing your hives.  Try to find a sunny location that is not too near your home or your neighbors home.  Most colonies are peaceful if left alone but maybe provoked if placed too near active areas.

One of your first decisions if you decide to keep bees is where should I put them?

  • Sunny location (no shade)
  • not too close to human dwelling
  • place them up off the ground – on a hive stand – cement blocks etc
  • how far apart?  24″ is a good number but they can be closer

These are the most important first steps in your plan to keep bees.  Read, learn, observe.

It’s a bee-utiful adventure.

Bee Packages vs Nucs

Wednesday, 13 January 2021 / Published in Beekeeping, Honeybees
bee well honey

What is the best way to get started as a beekeeper?  The first step in your journey may be to choose a source of bees!  When buying bees, you will be faced with the decision of purchasing package bees vs nucs.  Both choices have advantages and disadvantages.

Package Bees

bee packages

Bee Well Honey Bee Packages arrive in a wire and wooden package.

Thousands of packages of honeybees are sold each year.  The most popular size is a 3# (weight) package of bees with a young mated queen.  They are transported inside a small wire/wooden box with a can of sugar syrup to feed them on their journey.

Package Bees are the most economical and readily available source of bees.  Generally available early in the Spring season, package bees are often preferred for beekeepers who want to get started early in the season.

Nucs

Nucs (also know as nucleus colonies) are small starter bee colonies.  A nuc usually consists of 5 frames of bees (including drawn comb, honey and brood) and a mated queen.  Not all nucs are created equal and when purchasing you should be clear on the size of the colony (# of frames)  you are purchasing.

Which is better – packages vs nucs ?

Which is better for the new beekeeper?  Packages vs nucs?  Unfortunately, there is no clear answer to this question and the best answer will depend on the genetics of the bees involved, the climate/geographic location and the management style of the beekeeper.

Packages vs Nuc   (the nitty-gritty)

Package Bees are more economical, less prone to spread pests or diseases (because no honeycomb is involved), and are more readily available.  They are slower to build up a working population and have to go through the queen acceptance procedure.

Nucs – Nuc colonies are more expensive than packages of bees.  They include a drawn honeycomb, some brood, and bees to cover the frames.  Their mated queen will already be laying and accepted.  This gives them a jump start initially over package bees.  However, the presence of a drawn comb also brings with it the opportunity for pests and disease.

Both package bees and nucs are a great way to get started in beekeeping.  Bee Well Honey Farm has been providing bees to area beekeepers for more than 20 years.  Always purchase your bees from a reputable dealer and this will help ensure that you get off to the best start possible.

Becoming a Beekeeper

Tuesday, 18 September 2018 / Published in Beekeeping
beekeeping

Becoming a Beekeeper is an exciting journey that many people wait years to experience.  Unless you are lucky enough to have a beekeeper in your family, you might find yourself exploring the possibilities during mid life or later.  This is okay.  Beekeeping can be a meaningful adventure for young and old alike.  Even though the craft does involve hard work and some heavy lifting, you can learn management techniques to help lighten the load.

Becoming a Beekeeper involves not only an education in honeybee biology and maintenance but also an understanding of natural local botany and climate conditions.  Good beekeepers need to know when the food providing plants will bloom in their area.  Weather conditions can affect honeybee colonies significantly and beekeepers must be prepared to step in when conditions warrant.

Those most likely to succeed will prepare well in advance of actually receiving the honeybees.  Selecting a proper location, assembling equipment and learning the basics of honeybee management will help you to become a beekeeper worthy of the name.  Remember you want to become a successful beekeeper not a “bee haver” .

Why Perform Colony Inspections?

Tuesday, 18 September 2018 / Published in Beekeeping
colony inspections

Honeybee colony inspections are a very important part of being a good beekeeper. The beekeeper has to decide when to intervene and when to leave the bees to their own plans.

Honeybee colonies do not require a lot of management on a regular basis but there will be times of the year when you need to do perform important maintenance.  Right now is one of those times.

The bulk of the honey flow is over in our area and most beekeepers have harvested the excess.  Now is the time to make sure the bees have lots of stores left and to plan for any mite treatments.  Healthy bees in September will produce healthy bees in October for the important over wintering population.

Check out our Beekeeping Tips for September for more information about what we recommend you do in this month.

 

Beekeeping Class – Bee Well Beekeeping Boot Camp – March 11, 2017

Saturday, 04 March 2017 / Published in Beekeeping

Beekeeping Class

Would you like to know more about honeybees?  Do you wonder what all the fuss is about?  Could you picture yourself in a beekeeping suit but are afraid to try?

If you answered yes to any of these questions,  our beekeeping class may be for you.

Our popular one day Beekeeping Boot Camp is a good introduction to the world of the honeybee.

This beekeeping class will give you a great start on your journey to become a new beekeeper.

Commercial Beekeeper, Kerry Owen, owns Bee Well Honey Farm and operates over 2000 hives.

Our next class is Saturday March 11, 2017- cost is $75. Register now.

beekeeping class register now

Bee Well Honey Farm Presents 2017 NC & SC Joint Spring Meeting of the SC Beekeepers Association

Saturday, 18 February 2017 / Published in Beekeeping

Bee Well Honey Farm Presents the 2017 NC & SC Joint Spring Meeting of the South Carolina Beekeepers Association

Please make plans to join us for the annual spring conference of the South Carolina Beekeepers Association to be held in Rock Hill, SC March 3-4, 2017.

More Information/Register

Keynote Speakers


south carolina beekeepers associationEmeritus  Professor of Entomology & Wildlife Ecology, Univ of Delaware, & Affiliate Professor, Dept Horticulture, Oregon State University. He as has 50 years beekeeping, 40+ years teaching beekeeping, doing bee extension and bee research at Cornell (1966-1970), University of MD (1970-1981) and University of DE (1981-2009). He is joining our spring meeting after spending 5 months in Bolivia where he keeps 8+ colonies of Africanized bees and teaches beekeeping at University de San Simon and among communities in the Andes Mountains. Following retirement, he moved from the east coast to Portland, OR to be closer to (and spoil) grand kids while continuing to write, talk about bees, and teach beekeeping. He as 5 backyard colonies in Tigard, OR.

south carolina beekeepers association

Editor of “Keeping Bees with a Smile”, comprehensive resource on keeping bees naturally in horizontal hives. He is a regular contributor to American Bee Journal, Bee Culture, The Beekeepers Quarterly (UK), and other major publications, and speaks internationally on sustainable beekeeping and organic growing. He holds a PHD in Forestry from the University of Missouri and Master’s in Natural Resources from Indiana University. Author of world-renowned research in sustainable agriculture, he lives with his wife and four children on a forest homestead in the Ozarks in southern Missouri where they catch feral survivor-stock swarms and raise bees in several dozen low-maintenance, easy-to-build horizontal hives.

south carolina beekeepers associationOriginally from California, Jennifer has been studying honey bees for over 15 years. She received her PhD at the University of California at Davis, was a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue University and has studied honey mites, and genomic imprinting. Since joining Clemson University as SC’s Apiculture Specialist in 2014, she has been working on research projects related to honey bee genetics and pesticide exposure in ornamental landscapes. Jennifer has also been organizing and speaking at scientific and stakeholder meetings, guest lecturing, participating in field days ,and holding training programs and outreach events.
south carolina beekeepers association Lawrence Connor was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and earned his doctorate in honey bee pollination of crops at Michigan Sate University. He has worked as Extension Bee Specialist at The Ohio State University, President of Genetics Systems, Inc. (which produced tens of thousands of instrumentally inseminated queens honey bees as well as the Starline and Midnite breeding stock), and now owns and operates Wicwas Press, specializing in publication of quality bee books. He relocated (from Connecticut) back to Michigan in April 2007 to continue growth of his publishing and writing activities. He has edited and published over two dozen books and recently written: Increase Essentials (2006), Bee Sex Essentials (2008), Queen Rearing Essentials, Bee-ssentials: A Field Guide, Swarm Essentials (with Steve Repasky), Honey Edition, Queen Rearing Essentials Second Edition and Mating Biology of honey bees (with G. and N. Koeniger and J. Ellis). Connor is a regular contributor to The American Bee Journal and to Bee Culture Magazine. He travels extensively and lectures on a wide range of subjects concerning honey bees, bee breeding, pollination and colony management.

Beekeeper’s Calendar

Friday, 17 February 2017 / Published in Beekeeping
beekeeper

Source: SC State Beekeepers

To be a successful South Carolina beekeeper you should adapt a beekeeping calendar so that you are prepared for each season. You should know the current and future weather forecast so you can protect your managed colonies if necessary. Share with other beekeepers to see they are doing the same procedures. Remember have fun!

This calendar was created by Pickens County Beekeepers.

January

During colder weather, the queen is surrounded by thousands of worker bees. This is considered the “Winter Cluster.” You should not disturb this cluster, only open the hive and work bees when the cluster is loose. Activity will be apparent on warmer days (45-50 degrees). This is when bees are taking cleansing flights. These days are acceptable for colony inspection. If feeding is needed, choose a feeding method that is near the bees so they can feed even when clustered. If the colony needs protein, a pollen patty may be placed directly over cluster of bees.

  • Check food stores (pollen & honey)
  • Check for proper ventilation
  • Attend bee meetings
  • Assemble bee equipment
  • Order Bees

February

The queen still remains in the cluster and as the days become milder she begins to lay more eggs. The previous protein (pollen patty) is used to feed young larva. These bees will hatch out of the cell in 21 days. When young bees are being raised and days are warm the bees will consume more food. At this time, the cluster will begin to grow in size. A varroa mite and foulbrood inspection should be done and a proper evaluation of “queen activity”. By mid February, you should see bees carrying natural pollen into the hive. When this occurs, the queen will also begin to lay drone eggs (unfertile eggs). These drones will hatch in 24 days.

  • Check food stores (pollen and honey)
  • Treat for varroa mites or voulbrood if needed
  • Begin a “bloom calendar” to document pollen and nectar
  • Attend bee meeting
  • Assemble equipment
  • Order queens

March

This is the critical time for starvation. The young bees are hatching daily and the size of the colony increases by hundreds if not thousands per day. The worker bees are beginning to forage and drones begin to appear. As the days grow longer, the queen increases her rate of egg production and colonies wishing to swarm may start to raise swarm cells and colonies with failing queens may start supersedure cells. These will hatch in 16 days. Weather permitting, a few early swarms could occur in March. Food stores are being consumed at a rapid rate. Natural pollen is coming in rapidly but cold, windy weather can affect nectar sources, so a close watch on food stores is critical.

  • Check honey stores
  • Re-queen failing queens
  • Make sure all medications are removed as specified on label
  • When hive body is full of bees add Honey super
  • Attend bee meetings
  • Update “bloom calendar”

April

It is a steady pace, bees are roaring, new bees are humming with orientation flights and drones are on the hunt. This is when swarming is at an all time high. Swarming generally occurs right before the heavy “honey flow”. Drones are fully mature for mating and queen cells are hatching. Love is in the air. Overcrowded hives need more room so additional equipment should be placed on top of these hives to allow space for brood rearing and honey storage. The honey flow has started when bees are coming in heavy. This is noticeable by the dip that the workers make upon entering the hive entrance. They are carrying in fresh nectar to process into honey.

  • Watch for swarms
  • Catch the swarms
  • Watch for full boxes and keep adding empty boxes
  • Have additional equipment ready to house more swarms

May

The hive is working at top speed. Beekeepers hustle to keep up with the working bees by adding empty boxes underestimating how much equipment you need could cost you a honey crop and could enhance the warming impulse. Make sure to keep an empty box on top during this time of year. Swarming continues as new bees continue to overcrowd colonies.

  • Watch for swarms
  • Apply empty supers
  • Attend bee meetings
  • Update “bloom calendar”

June

Colonies that did not swarm will be boiling over with bees and the “honey flow” continues. Keep up swarm inspections and continue adding additional space as needed. Spring honey sources start to fade and a short honey dearth may happen between blooming cycles. Rain and weather conditions affect the summer nectar sources greatly. Under good conditions, the bees will continue to make honey. The start and stop honey flow will sometimes cause a few “after swarms”. The pace of honey production slows a bit and the Queen starts to lay fewer eggs. Fully capped honey supers may be removed and extracted.

  • Watch for swarms
  • Keep adding empty supers as needed
  • Remove fully capped honey
  • Attend bee meetings
  • Update “bloom calendar”

July

This is a “hot and humid “month and the bees will cluster on the outside of the hive to cool off. They will continue to make honey, weather permitting, and beekeepers should start to remove ripe honey. Remember to leave enough honey for the bees. If you remove all the honey, the stress level of the bees elevates and could cause an unhealthy colony. If weather conditions are too dry, collapse could occur due to starvation. Remember to keep enough empty room for the bees when they come inside. Perform a queen check and mark colonies for re-queening.

  • Remove honey
  • Leave enough honey for the bees (at least one full super)
  • Keep at least one empty super on top
  • Extra ventilation
  • Order queens
  • Attend state beekeepers association meeting
  • Update “bloom calendar”

August

The colony’s growth is diminishing in numbers and the honey flow is coming to an end. When bees stop producing honey, remove all honey supers. (Except one!) Remember to leave one full super of honey for the bees. This is what they will live on during the winter. No more chance of swarming and the honey dearth will appear. Weaker colonies may get robbed of their honey so entrance reducers should be placed on weak colonies or move weak colonies to another bee yard. The varroa mite levels are high now and an evaluation of Mite levels should be maintained during this time of year. If you determine mite levels are too high, an integrated pest management (IPM) practice should be added to your list of beekeeping chores. Some colonies may need food and some small clusters may need additional frames of brood to increase bee numbers.

  • Check for failing queens and re-queen.
  • Remove honey and remove empty supers
  • Check for mites (medicate if needed)
  • Feed weak colonies (pollen and syrup)
  • Equalize colonies
  • Attend bee meetings and purchase equipment
  • Update “bloom calendar”

September

Hive population continues to drop and drones start to disappear. The queen is laying fewer eggs. Some or all colonies may need feeding. Some or all colonies may need re-queening. Pollen should only be fed dry in outside feeders or mixed in syrup. No patties should be fed due to increased small hive beetle activity. Look out for robber bees-reduce the entrance.

  • Feed if necessary (especially if re-queening) pollen and syrup
  • Equalize colony strength
  • Continue mite evaluations
  • Attend bee meetings
  • Update “bloom calendar”

October

Continue to combine weaker colonies and make “double sure” all queens are accepted and present. Queenless colonies should be combined with queen-right colonies. This is the time of year to feed as much syrup as you can get them to take so they can insulate the brood nest with honey. Replace broken equipment and make sure they have good tight hives to survive the cold winter months. Not much bee activity. Close down the hive entrance to help protect unwanted intruders.

  • Combine the weak
  • Equalize bees
  • Repair or replace bad equipment
  • Attend bee meetings
  • Review “bloom calendar” for next season

November

Even less bee activity and cold weather will send the bees back into a cluster. On warm days watch for bees to fly out to make cleansing flights and forage for pollen. Keep the entrances just small enough for two bees to enter.

  • Attend bee meetings and bring a friend
  • Make sure equipment is stored properly to stop wax moth damage
  • Feed syrup when the temperature allows (45-50 degrees)
  • Talk to experienced beekeepers for winter preps
  • On warm days bees will forage for pollen
  • Pay state and local dues

December

The bees are in a tight cluster, so do not open colonies. There is nothing you can do except hope you did everything right. On warm days, visit your hives for entrance inspections. Make plans for new bee food in your apiary.

  • Read a good beekeeping book
  • Pay your state and local dues
  • Give honey as a gift
  • Continue to assemble equipment
  • Order bees
  • Plan for the New Year!

Sweet Honey Candy

Monday, 13 June 2016 / Published in Gifts, Honey
Sweet Honey Candy

One of the tastiest and healthiest treats you can eat is sweet honey candy. All the confection recipes described in this article are made from the natural result of hard-working honeybees, so every bite will call to mind the sweet honey produced by our industrious little friends. If you enjoy making your own treats, and you appreciate the natural goodness of honey, these are recipes you just can’t go wrong on. Here are a few easy-to-make treats that the whole family will love.

Honey candy

Put 2 cups of honey into a fry pan, and boil until it reaches a soft ball stage, after which you can pour it into a cooling pan. When the honey has become cool enough to handle, take it out of the cooling pan and start pulling it until a creamy consistency is achieved. Stretch this into a rope which is 1/2″ to 1″ wide, then cut into bite-size pieces.

Honey nut candy

Mix 2 cups of white sugar with 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of honey in a saucepan, and cook the whole mixture without stirring until it becomes a soft ball. Beat this until it’s thoroughly mixed, then add 1/2 cup of nuts and pour into a lightly buttered dish. Cut into snack-sized squares and enjoy!

Honey crunch candy

Mix together 1/4 cup of honey, 1/3 cup of butter, 3/4 cup of brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon into a 2-qt mixing bowl, preferably of glass construction. Microwave this mixture at a high-temperature with no covering, for about 4 1/2 minutes, or for two minutes after you first see the mixture start to boil. Add in 1 teaspoon of vanilla, 4 cups of whole-grain flakes cereal, and 1 cup of dry-roasted peanuts. After this is all well mixed, drop spoonful’s onto waxed paper and allow plenty of time for it to cool, so it can set.

Bit-o-honey candy

Mix together 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/4 cup of brown sugar, and a pinch of salt into a saucepan at medium heat, until it comes to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for 10 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Add in 7 ounces of marshmallow cream and 1 teaspoon of vanilla, before pouring the hot mixture into a lightly buttered pie dish. Allow the mixture to set by chilling, and then it will be ready to serve.

Where can you get the main ingredient?

If you live in South Carolina, or happen to be traveling through the area around Greenville and Spartanburg, make sure to stop in the town of Pickens at the Bee Well Honey Farm, where you can find the most delicious, raw and unfiltered honey anywhere around. Here we have the best honey to use for making your own sweet honey candy treats, as well as all kinds of beekeeping supplies, for those of you interested in taking up the hobby yourselves.

All Natural Honey Face Mask Recipes

Monday, 23 May 2016 / Published in Gifts, Honey
All Natural Honey Face Mask Recipes

The skin says a lot about the general health of a human body. As a result, skin care is one of the most important routines that healthy people are keen to maintain while using the right ingredients. The benefits of using natural honey for skin care have been documented over the years. An all-natural honey face mask will enable your skin tap into the potent healing properties of raw honey. In addition to the glow, healing and well-known health benefits on your face, it is easy to perform at home, only require 15-30 minutes of your time and can be used for all skin types.

Why all natural honey?

Honey cleanses pores and inhibits growth of microbes because of its strong antimicrobial properties that prevents infections. Its waxy part gives a soft, smooth and shiny appearance to your skin. Therefore, you can use it without mixing with any other ingredient. Do not be discouraged by the stickiness because it is extremely beneficial. It pulls away dust and dead skin.

Recipe for a good honey face mask

The recipe for a honey face mask depends on your skin type and purpose. For a dry skin, you need a combination of a teaspoon of natural honey, mashed avocado and plain whole milk yoghurt. Avocado and whole milk yoghurt are deeply moisturizing. When you are dealing with an oily skin you need a mix of 2 tablespoons natural honey, a puree of an apple and half teaspoon of sage. If you have a sensitive skin and react to most of other face creams or masks, combine 2 teaspoons of natural honey and a teaspoon of aloe Vera. Aloe Vera has anti-inflammatory properties to soothe you skin. Although this may seem misplaced, a mask made from natural honey and aspirin is very effective for oily skin.

A number of people need a honey mask to heal scars and clear dark spots. In this case, you need a mixture of honey and lemon. Mix two table spoons of honey with a half tablespoon of lemon juice. This mixture exfoliates the skin, lightens dark spots and fades scars. You can also add yoghurt to this combination. Alternatively, for an acne-prone skin, use a mask out of honey and cinnamon. Here, mix 3 teaspoons of natural honey and half teaspoon of cinnamon. You can go further and experiment with a combination of tea tree oil or kelp aloe vera.

Tips for getting the best out of the mask

Depending on why you are using the face mask and the nature of ingredients involved, apply the mask and rest for about 15 to 30 minutes. Use freshly prepared masks for best results. Where you are using a combination of other ingredients masks, ensure that the other ingredients are organic as well. Once in a while, you can steam your face with the mask on to help you open skin pores. Do not use any type of soap to wash the mask. The results will not come overnight so do not be too hard on yourself. Give yourself a week or two. Find out if you have any allergic reactions to any of the ingredients.

Nite Guard – Protecting your bees

Tuesday, 20 October 2015 / Published in Beekeeping
nite guard

Protecting Your Bees with Nite Guard

Beekeepers are charged with protecting their colonies from pests, diseases, environmental conditions and predators.  It is common to think of your bees as pets – even though they are considered “livestock” by USDA.   Beekeepers in many areas of the country deal with predators such as : skunks, opossums, bears and humans.  All of these “animals” may cause problems for your bees in the upstate of South Carolina.

Nite-Guard is a solar powered predator deterrent. Charged by the sun during the day,  the solar light activates at dusk and flashes all night.  Nite Guard is weather-proof and earth friendly.  Safe for people, pets and livestock – it looks like a security camera and may even deter intruders.  Many wild animals are distrustful of the flashing red light that signals danger.  While no items works in every situation with every type of predator, these lights have proven very beneficial for many users around the county.

Placement of your nite-guard lights will vary depending on the type of animal you are targeting.  The company has a great website that gives the consumer tips and ideas to ensure the best use of the product.  Nite Guard

Bee Well Honey is proud to offer Nite Guard to our customers for use in your beeyard, garden or home.

Nite Guard

Nite Guard

Pollen Patties for Honeybees

Wednesday, 14 October 2015 / Published in Honeybees

Pollen Patties For Honeybees

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As winter approaches, many beekeepers are working to make sure their bee colonies are prepared for the cold weather ahead.  Most of the focus is on providing the colony with proper honey stores .  Bees use stored honey for fuel to generate heat and once the food stores are gone the colony will fail quickly.  One of the first lessons a new beekeeper learns is how to evaluate food stores.  However, honey isn’t the only important item to look for in your hive.

Honeybees gather pollen from many flowers throughout the bee season.  This pollen is used to feed baby bees that will grow into adults and maintain the colony.  No pollen = no young bees= colony failure.   During the Fall, bees will collect pollen from the many blooming plants and store it for use during the winter months.  When the colony starts to rebuild their population in January/February, we want to make sure they have adequate pollen stores in place.

Due to the recent rains in South Carolina, some beekeepers are finding that their colonies do not have the amount of surplus pollen stores that we want to see for this time of the season.  You can assist your colony by the use of pollen patties.  These patties should be cut in small strips and given to the colony by placing on the top bars near the brood area.  Pollen Patties should be used with caution as they can increase your chance of Small Hive Beetle problems.  Only give the colony as much of the patty as they can consume in a few days – especially in Fall when the temperatures are still warm enough for Small Hive Beetle to reproduce.

Check your colony now and provide pollen if needed.  We have pollen patties in stock in our Natural Market now !

Bee Well Honey – local honey at its best !

Tuesday, 29 September 2015 / Published in Honey

bees

Local honey from local honeybees

Everyone knows that local honey is produced by the amazing honeybee ! Bee Well Honey has been producing local honey for over 12 years.  Operating over 2,000 hives in the South Carolina region, our Wildflower is the most popular local honey around.

Bee Well Honey is pure raw honey that is never pasteurized or heat treated.

In addition to our local varieties such as : Wildflower, Sourwood and Echinacea we also buy specialty honey from regional producers.  You may enjoy orange blossom, star thistle, clover, tupelo and other specialty honey in season.

Bee Well Honey – local honey- is available in our retail market in Pickens SC and at fine stores across the southeast.  You can also order our honey online and we will deliver it right to your door. !

Shop Now

Buy Bee Well Honey Local Honey and enjoy natures goodness !

Local Honey for Seasonal allergies ?

Wednesday, 16 September 2015 / Published in Honey

Many people in the medical and non-medical field recommend using raw local honey as a form of treatment for nasal allergies. Science continues to argue about whether this form of treatment is effective or if it does work – why ?

While we may not have definitive proof that local honey is effective for allergy treatment, we do have hundreds of customers that do not want to be without it during allergy season.

Please pick up a jar of Bee Well Honey – Wildflower Honey today and start the sweet treatment regime of 1 tablespoon per day. Maybe you will also find some relief from your local allergies. Our Wildflower Honey is available in our natural market in Pickens and at fine retail locations across the Southeast.

You may also order online and have our fine products delivered right to your door ! Order Now.local honey

Vanishing of the Bees

Tuesday, 23 June 2015 / Published in Honeybees

Vanishing of the bees

This DVD is a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon.  Pour yourself a glass of iced sweet tea and kick back in the air-conditioning.  Vanishing of the Bees is a 2009 documentary film by Hive Mentality Films & Hipfuel films, directed by George Langworthy and Maryam Henein and released in the United Kingdom.  Available in our store for $14.99 plus tax.

Honeybees and Bears

Tuesday, 23 June 2015 / Published in Beekeeping

If you are a beekeeper who lives in an area near bear habitat, you will most likely have to deal with black bears at some point.  Many beekeepers build electric fences around their bee yards to deter the bear. There are many ways to do this and some of them are more successful than others.    How to build a bear fence click here

Bee Well Honey manages over 2000 hives across the upstate region and having a bear fence at each location is just impossible.  Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t !  This video below features the view that owner, Kerry Owen, experienced recently at the bee farm near Six Mile, SC.  This was a heartbreaking loss but it was “mating nucs” containing new queens not our honey production colonies.  Luckily this was just one yard but it showcases the damage that bears can do in just one night !

Bears Visit Bee Yard

Beekeepers enjoying honeybees in the summer heat

Monday, 22 June 2015 / Published in Beekeeping

Beekeepers in the Summer Heat

The summer heat has arrived with a vengeance. Those beekeepers who are new to the profession are getting to experience just how hot it gets here in South Carolina while wearing a beesuit.  Yes, unfortunately sweating goes hand in hand with bee hive management during the summer months.  One thing the South Carolina beekeepers need to be aware of is a possible change in temperament of your bee colonies.

That sweet colony of honeybees that you have nurtured from a small package back in the early Spring has grown into a massive colony.  With that size comes strength and it is natural for a larger colony to be a bit more defensive than a small one.  Lets add to this size issue, the fact that the colony now has brood to protect and honey stores.  The bees “know” that the main harvest time is over and they are already starting to prepare for Fall/Winter. beekeepers

Now we add the heat !  Bee colonies “in general” tend to be more defensive during really hot weather !  Well, are you surprised – it makes humans grumpy also.  So it might be a good idea to postpone beehive management, until the heat wave breaks.  If you must go into the colony be sure to wear appropriate gear and take your smoker.

 

The Bee Well Team

 

Package Bees – spreading their wings

Monday, 11 May 2015 / Published in Beekeeping

Package Bees the first summer

bee packages

Bee Well Honey Bee Packages arrive in a wire and wooden package.

Across the Carolinas, many beekeepers buy package bees each year to fill up boxes from lost winter colonies or to expand their bee yard.  Package Bees are also the starting point for many new beekeepers.  Though some people recommend purchasing a nuc (nucleus hive) to give your colony a headstart, many beekeepers prefer package bees and actually say that packages can out perform nucs during the season.

If you are installing your package on new foundation, your bees have a lot of work to do before they will be self sustainable.  As the beekeeper, it is your responsibility to tend to the maintenance issues that will keep your packages on a good growth trend to full functioning colony.

Are you keeping the feeders full ?

Feed your bees well.  If you have a lot of blooming nectar producing plants in the area, your package bees may actually slow consumption of sugar syrup or quit all together.  Sugar syrup left in the feeder too long can grow cloudy or even mold.   When the natural nectar dries up as the summer grows hot and dry, colonies that had been ignoring your feeder may suddenly consume the syrup at an alarming rate.  Bee Well Honey recommends feeding your colony until the bees have “drawn out” on all 10 frames in the hive body and at least a shallow supper.  We want the shallow supper to be full of honey before the end of fall.  Don’t neglect proper feeding during this first summer.  Always, remove the feeder when adding honey collection suppers for yourself.

Check your Queen periodically

queen on comb

Queen bee

Bee Well Honey always reminds you to check your queen status a few weeks after installing a package of bees.  We want to see the queen present and a good brood pattern.  What is a good brood pattern ?  A nice area of capped brood with few empty cells in the area, brood of similar ages grouped together, not an overabundance of drone brood and drone brood should be on the perimeter of the nest area not in the middle.

If you have trouble finding your queen, don’t panic.  Keeping a marked queen in your hive does make it easier to locate her on a frame with thousands of bees.  You don’t have to look for the queen everytime you  inspect your colony.  In fact, you may be disturbing the bees unnecessarily and causing them stress.  Instead look for signs of the queen,  if you see a good brood pattern with fresh larva and eggs chances are your queen is just fine.   Check for her presence at least once a month throughout the summer.    If your colony swarms (yes packages CAN swarm their first year) you want to make sure the colony is successful in requeening itself.

Mites & Pests

By mid summer the varroa mite population will be climbing.  Research and decide on a varroa management plan for varroa_mite06your hives.  There are several different methods for evaluation and treatment.  Doing nothing for mite control is not an option for most of us.  Mites can weaken your colony even if they do not cause the collapse of your hive completely. You will need to implement your plan in mid Summer to allow for healthy winter bees to emerge in the Fall.

 

We want our Spring Bee Packages to have a good laying queen,  a plentiful population of healthy bees and a full food super come October.  Do you best and remember that beekeeping isn’t always easy and sometimes the beekeeper who does his/her best will still experience hive failures.  Don’t give up, beekeeping is a learning process that takes time and patience.

Happy Bee Keeping – Bee Well Honey

Getting package bees off to a good start !

Tuesday, 05 May 2015 / Published in Beekeeping

Package bees – the first few months

bee packages

Bee Well Honey Bee Packages arrive in a wire and wooden package.

Buying package bees is one of the most popular ways to get started in beekeeping.   Bee farms will shake bees into a screen wire and wood package ( usually about 3# which is around 10,000 bees).    To this box they will add a can of sugar syrup so the bees with have some food for their journey and a Benton queen cage containing a new mated queen and a few attendants. Honeybees contained in this manner can be easily transported to their new homes.  However, this is an artificial living arrangement and the new group of bees should be placed in their new home as soon as possible.  Please install them on the day you pick them up.  Keep them in a cool place prior to installation.

The new beekeeper makes it home with their package bees and installs them.  Congratulations you have passed your first right of passage !   The first months are a critical time for hive development.  The bees will have a lot of work to do to create a fully functioning colony.   The queen will be released over the next few days by the worker bees chewing on the candy blocking her cage exit.  She may begin to lay eggs immediately upon release but it may take a few days for her to start.  It is best to leave the queen alone and allow her time to settle down before inspecting the hive.  The worker bees will begin constructing comb on the foundation for the queen to use.

A week after installation, you should be able to find your queen and possibly see eggs or small larva.  If for any reason, you do not see a queen or brood (eggs or larva) by the 2 week period you may have a queen failure.  This is not a common occurrence but it is a situation that you would need to address if it occurs.  The best solution is to order a replacement queen. (Bee Well Honey normally has queens available all during the season).

During this first season, it is vitally important to feed your bees.  The package bee colony has a lot of honeycomb to

queen on comb

Queen bee lays eggs in newly constructed comb.

create and that requires the consumption of large amounts of honey.  Your bees will eat the sugar syrup you provide on days that are too rainy/windy for flight and even at night.  They will also collect nectar and pollen from natural sources during this time.  Bees are not lazy.  Feeding them will not prevent them from working.  As the early season progresses and many trees and flower blossom, your package bee colony may slow down their intake of syrup.  However, once the spring bloom fades and we continue into the hot dry months of June, July and August expect your colony to begin using the syrup more heavily.  Needless to say,  you must NEVER feed syrup will you have your own honey collection boxes on the hive – the honey produced from your syrup would not be real honey !

How long do you feed ?   Bee Well Honey recommends you feed your package bees until they have drawn out all the comb on the 2 boxes that you have designated for their home – AND filled the top box with honey stores for winter.  Once this is accomplished, you can discontinue feeding until late summer when

you will check to ensure they have adequate stores for winter.

How long will it take for my package bees to construct all the comb ?   There is really no way to tell.  Factors such as bee genetics, colony health and local forage conditions will affect the length of time required.  Feeding your bees properly will be a great advantage to their progress.

Keeping your bees well fed and checking your queen status during the first few months will give your package bees the best chances to grow into a robust colony.

 

 

New Beekeepers – Are you ready ?

Monday, 06 April 2015 / Published in Beekeeping
package bees

As we continue through Springtime, we see more and more new beekeepers who are getting ready for their first lineonbeedaypackage of honeybees.  Some of you have attended our Beekeeping Class “Beekeeping Boot Camp” and we have seen your enthusiasm. (We will be holding another bootcamp on April 25)   New Beekeepers can be overwhelmed this time of year.  Don’t be overwhelmed by the strange terminology – you don’t have to learn everything in the first week.

New Beekeeper’s First Steps

1)  Read and learn all that you can. Take a class.

2) Order Your Bees – Order early for the best selection of dates.  Bees are generally ordered in Jan-April for Mar & April Pick up.  At this time we still have packages available for the new beekeeper on April 18 & May 2.

3) Buy your basic supplies and get them assembled and painted.  Bee Well Honey has everything the new beekeepers needs as well as supplies for the veteran beekeeper.  You can drop by the store or order online !

4) Decide where to put your bees.  A sunny location is best.  It is a good idea to raise the colonies off the ground to help protect them from skunks.  Make sure your stand is sturdy !!!  You will be amazed at how heavy a hive can be when filled with bees and honey !  Your bees will “orient” to your hive location.  It is important to put it where you want to  leave it for a while.

5) Make plans to feed your bees.  Your new package MUST be fed. The bees have a lot of work to do in those first few months.  They will not fly at night or on rainy days.  A full feeder will help to ensure that their growth will continue.  Improper feeding is the #1 problems that new beekeepers face.  Feed 1:1 sugar water and this may continue for several months.  Adding a bit of “Honey B Healthy” to the water will help keep it fresh until the bees consume the syrup but is not absolutely necessary.  Your bees will likely consume the syrup before it goes bad unless you are using very large capacity feeders.

6) When you pick up your package of bees, they can ride in the car with you. “You may even sing – Happy Bee Day to me if you are feeling extra happy about your New Beekeeper Experience”.  Bees should not be able to escape the screen package.

7) Once the bees are installed in their new home and fed.  You have time to relax a bit and congratulate yourself on what a great job you have done !  Now you are a beekeeper.

8) Your job doesn’t end here.  Continue to feed and monitor your bees. (Don’t look in there everyday !).  Continue to learn and read.  Join a local bee club (if you don’t feel comfortable at the first one continue to visit others).  A group of helpful experienced beekeepers are a blessing to the new beekeeper.

package beesREMEMBER – Bee Well Honey is always here to help you.

 

 

The package bees are coming……

Saturday, 21 March 2015 / Published in Beekeeping

beesPackage Bees Are Coming

Kerry Owen has the red freightliner loaded down with package bees for our sold out bee day tomorrow !  Hundreds of excited beekeepers will be at the Pickens store bright and early Saturday morning to pick up bees that they have preordered.  Each box of bees contains a mated queen, approximately 3#  (10,000) bees and a can of sugar syrup for the journey.  (You take snacks when you travel right ?)  Bees need constant energy and this can of sugar will provide that until the new owners get them home and in a hive.

bees packages

WOW, that’s ALOT of bee packages.

Kerry is very serious about providing good package bees for our customers.  He does not have them shipped but actually goes and picks up the bees himself.  These Italian Hygenic bees will fill up hives all across the upstate.  Some beekeepers will experiment with new lines by replacing the Italian queen with one of the Carniolan Queens we have in stock.  We stock all the bees supplies you might need.

Bee Day is always an exciting time and we are opening one hour early tomorrow to allow excited beekeepers to get those bees soon.  We hope that everyone has their equipment ready and some sugar water already mixed as feeding new packages is very important.

We have several more bees days planned for the next few weeks and still have a few available for sale.   Visit our Bees for sale page or call (864) 898-5122 to place your order.  Spring is a great time to get started in bees and we will be glad to help you on your beekeeping journey.

Now, if you see a lot of excitement at Bee Well Honey early in the morning…. you will know why !

Honeybees and Spring

Monday, 26 January 2015 / Published in Honeybees

Honeybees and Spring

The Christmas Holidays have passed and now we begin to look towards working with our honeybees and Spring.  Tired of long, damp winter days we look forward to opening the hives and evaluating the condition of our bee colonies.   New beekeepers are reading and learning all they can as they prepare to establish hives for the first season. It is a great time to look for classes as most local bee associations will offer them in Jan-Feb.  Bee Well Honey offers a one day Boot Camp in early March.

Red Maple Flowers Blush in tree tops

Red Maple Flowers Blush in tree tops

Red Maples are one of the first major nectar and pollen sources for the bees.  You will notice the reddish blush in the tops of trees.  Red Maple flowers are very small but their resources help the small overwintered colonies start their buildup for the major flowering season.  Most beekeepers do not see any surplus honey from the Red Maple bloom.  Cool chilly weather will prevent the bees from harvesting on many late winter days.

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The pollen brought in from the Red Maples is not red but is actually a light greenish color.

Remember, bees do eat pollen but its major use is to feed their baby bees.  It is a protein source.  They don’t really need pollen to make honey but they do need it to make bees !

Knowing the natural bloom time of local plants is of great benefit to the beekeeper.

 

Free Bees

Tuesday, 13 January 2015 / Published in Honeybees

free bees

Join the excitement of Spring 2015 with a chance to win free bees from Bee Well Honey in Pickens SC.  The bees must be picked up at the Pickens, SC store.  Visit our Facebook page for more information and instructions to enter the contest.  We hope this opportunity will encourage more people to think about becoming beekeepers !  What better way to get started in the hobby than to receive free bees !

Are your bees ready for cold ?

Tuesday, 06 January 2015 / Published in Beekeeping

Are your bees ready for cold ?bees

Artic cold is on its way.  Are your bees ready for cold ?  All local beekeepers will be watching the temperatures in the following days and hoping that their bees are alive and well.  Honeybees store honey to eat during the winter and generate heat for survival.  If the bees are unable to store enough food, most beekeepers will supplement by feeding them sugar water.  All of these activities need to be completed before the bitter cold arrives. Having the bees ready for cold before it arrives is the key to success.

Want to know how the hive keeps warm ?   Click here

In our area, if we try to heat the hive we may cause more problems than we solve.  Bees inside a warm hive would want to fly out.  They will not survive very long in the cold temps and usually end up dead on the ground.  Our best plan is to make sure they have food inside near the cluster and hope they will be able to withstand a few cold days.  We are lucky to not experience long periods of bitter cold in South Carolina.

Beekeepers are an inventive group of folks.  Some will place dry sugar inside the hive for an emergency feed.  Others make candy boards well in advance of winter.  In the south, some beekeepers feed sugar syrup during the warmer days of winter.  Various candy/sugar feeding options

We all have the same goal.  We want to get the hives through the coldest part of winter and look towards Spring.

We hope everyone’s bees survive this artic blast !

Becoming a Beekeeper with Bee Well Honey

Wednesday, 10 December 2014 / Published in Beekeeping, Gifts

Becoming a Beekeeper with Bee Well Honey

As we near the end of 2014, we begin to think about what will be in store for the next year.  Perhaps you are considering a new hobby ?  Maybe you have always been interested in honeybees but don’t know where to start ?  Here at Bee Well Honey we have been helping people become beekeepers for many years.  The world of beekeeping is exciting and filled with many ideas.  Each person who desires to succeed will have to chose their path as there are many thoughts on how to manage honeybees.

Each Spring Bee Well Honey provides hundreds of packages of bees to upstate beekeepers.  These packages help replace winter loses for experienced beekeepers and fill new hives for people who are just becoming a beekeeper.  Call now to place your order for Spring delivery.beginners kit

We have a special package that contains the most needed items for the new beekeeper.  We call this the Beginners Kit and it will be a big help to the new person becoming a beekeeper and unsure of which items to purchase.  In addition, starting December 13, 2014 thru Christmas – we will be having our 20% off sale so this is a great time to get those special gifts.

Call Bee Well Today   864-898-5122

or visit us online at   beewellhoneyfarm.com

Bee Well Honey Annual Sale

Tuesday, 09 December 2014 / Published in Honey

Bee Well Honey Annual Sale

Bee Well Honey is known for providing high quality products at reasonable prices.  Once a year, we have a special sale to say thank you to our loyal customers.  As the Christmas season approaches, our customers look forward to the sale with great anticipation.  Join us starting this Saturday December 13, 2014 for the kick off to this event.   Our 20% off Sale always causes a buzz….annual sale

Getting our Christmas Groove On the Bee Well Way

Monday, 08 December 2014 / Published in Beekeeping, Gifts

Christmas is just around the corner.

 

bee gifts

Here at Bee Well Honey we have been getting in the Christmas spirit for quite a while.  Our shelves are stocked to overflowing with all types of great gifts for you, your family and friends.  We have a selection of ready to give baskets for those customers who need a gift in a hurry.  Our staff selects special items from our large inventory that are known customer favorites.  We have locally made fine pottery and handmade soaps and candles.

honey extractorsIn our beekeeping center, you will find everything the beekeeper needs to make plans for the new year.  Got a beekeeper in your family ?  All beekeepers enjoy receiving new equipment, tools and books to help them with their hobby.  Maybe its time to upgrade to a honey extractor ?  We have several sizes to choose from.

We extend the best wishes for a joyous holiday season to all of our customers and friends.

Bee Well

 

 

The Beekeeper’s Supplies and Education

Tuesday, 18 November 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

become a beekeeper

A beekeeper’s joy

Beekeeper’s Supplies and Education – Important Parts of a fascinating hobby

One of the most important facets of becoming a beekeeper is the beekeeper’s supplies and education.  These elements are considered long before the bees ever arrive.  At least this is the optimum way to become involved in beekeeping.  Americans have enjoyed the hobby of beekeeping ever since the colonists first arrived – some bringing colonies of honeybees with them in the 1600’s.

Today the hobby of beekeeping is seeing a resurgence in popularity brought on by the media coverage of large honeybee losses.  Keeping honeybees has changed a lot in the last 30 years.  It is the intelligent approach to beekeeping that is most likely to yield good results.  Many catalogs contain pages and pages of Beekeeper Supplies that can be overwhelming.  Proper Beekeeper education can help the new hobbyist prepare for and mange their colonies.

Bee Well Honey has provided a full line of beekeeping supplies for years.  We have everything you need to get started from beginners books to wooden ware and even the bees themselves.   After a very successful event in the Fall of 2014, we will be offering a one day Beekeeping Bootcamp in the Spring of 2015.  This one day class will feature lecture time and field time in actual hives.  Date and price to be determined.Are you ready to dive into beekeeping ?

Order your bees NOW for spring delivery.  Order bees here

Want more information about the Beekeeper Boot Camp ?  Email us at : [email protected]

Beekeepers getting ready for winter ?

Tuesday, 04 November 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

The coolness of Fall is a delight to all beekeepers who have been suffering from humidity and sweat all during the long Carolina summer.  Our beesuits that were resplendent, crisp and white in early Spring are now sweaty, smokey and possibly covered with dirt, wax, propolis and bee poop.  (Unless of course you have laundered your suit periodically – as you should).

Hopefully you have checked your colonies to insure they have sufficient winter stores before the cold weather is here to stay.  In Upstate SC, we have now experienced a killing frost- very little or no fresh nectar will be available for foraging.  You may also be running out of time to feed them  sugar water as they can not access it well during the cold.  We encourage our customers to check the honey stores of their colonies in September-October to give the bees their best chance of survival.

Honeybee hive prepared for winter by an Alaskan beekeeper.

Honeybee hive prepared for winter by an Alaskan beekeeper.

 

In our local area, it is not necessary to wrap beehives for the winter.  In fact, most beekeepers leave the screen bottom boards open and only reduce the entrance to help the bees protect the hive as bee numbers dwindle over winter.  You may start out will a large cluster in late Fall but the number of bees alive in January/February will be less as bees start to die before new ones are produced.  A healthy cluster with plenty of food stores in the correct location should be able to maintain survival temperatures.  The bees must consume food to generate heat.  We are often impressed by beekeepers in colder regions who require extensive insulation to help their bees.  One of our customers photographed this Alaskan beehive that was fully wrapped in straw against the winter cold.   Luckily, this is not necessary here and you may even do more harm by trapping excess moisture inside the hive.

 

Honeybees practice homeostasis and maintain a nearly constant temperature during the winter but only inside the cluster itself.  With the warmest temps in the middle of the cluster – it becomes cooler on the outside wall of bees and the temps inside the hive itself may get quite cold.  Bees don’t need or require a heated space.  Thermal imaging shows where the clusters are located in the boxes by the colors shown in the image.

So make sure your bees are ready for winter with good stores and we will hope for an early spring.  thermal bee hive

 

 

 

Package bees & Nucs for the new beekeeper

Monday, 03 November 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

 

One of the many debated topics among beekeepers is the issue of starting new hives with package bees orpackage bees nucs.  A package of bees is usually a 3# screen and wire cage containing about 10,000 bees and a mated queen (in a cage) with a can of syrup for the journey.  A nuc (pronounced nuke) is short for nucleus colony.  A nuc should contain 4 or 5 frames of complete honeycomb including bees, brood, honey, pollen and a mated and accepted queen.  Both methods have advantage and disadvantages.

Package bees is probably the most common way to grow your apiary.  Thousands of bee packages are sold each year in the US.  Quality varies greatly so it is important to find a supplier that delivers healthy bees.  Then the job of taking care of them is up to you the beekeeper.

Disadvantages of Packages:

the bees in the box are not usually related and have not yet accepted the queen included

the bees do not have any brood or stores in honeycomb

Advantages of Packages:

you will have no sealed brood for about 10 days (this can be a varroa mite break)

available earlier in the season

cost less than nucs

easier to deal with in the beginning, smaller cluster of bees, less propolis and sticky frames, all comb built will be new

 

Nucs are usually 4 or 5 frames of bees, complete honeycomb, stores, brood and an accepted queen.  They are generally available a little later in the season and have a head start on packages purchased at the same time of year.

Disadvantages of Nucs:

Not all nucs are created equal and involve more variables than packages.  When comparing costs you should have a complete understanding of how many frames you are getting and how full of bees those frames will be.  Are the frames and comb old or new ?  Is the comb completely drawn out or partial or just foundation ?  Plastic or wax ?

Nucs can be hard to find when you want to purchase and are not always available early due to winter/spring weather.  If the Spring is especially cold and nucs are slow to develop you may end up with nothing if you miss the package delivery dates.

Nucs with drawn comb and brood can more easily carry along pests such as (hive beetles, wax moths etc) and diseases.

Nucs are more expensive

Advantages of Nucs:

A good nuc colony has a head start over a package as it has brood, stores and drawn comb.

A queen that has been accepted by the bees and has already been laying.

 

Both methods are great ways to get involved in beekeeping for newbies or those wanting to expand their apiaries.  We are taking orders for package bee now and the earliest dates will sell out.  Place your order now !

https://beewellhoneyfarm.com/beekeeping-supplies/honeybees-sale/

 

 

Bee Well Honey growing in the Southeast

Wednesday, 29 October 2014 / Published in Honey

Bee Well Honey has seen a lot of growth over the last several years.  What began as one man’s dream to pollinate a small apple orchard, has grown into a major contender in the raw honey market in the Carolinas.   Beekeeper, Kerry Owen along with family and a staff of loyal employees spend many hours each season providing customers (retail and wholesale) with a good crop of raw honey.  The Natural Market began as a charming wooden structure on the farm and now is housed on a busy street corner near downtown Pickens.  Please stop by our current location and enjoy all the healthy foods, supplements, gifts and beekeeping supplies that we have to offer as Bee Well Honey continues growing.

First retail store at Bee Well Honey Farm

First retail store at Bee Well Honey Farm

Bees For Sale

Wednesday, 22 October 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

BEES FOR SALEbees for sale

The term “bees for sale” brings forth great excitement in the minds of beekeepers everywhere.  Each year Bee Well Honey in Pickens SC offers packages of honeybees for sale to new and experienced beekeepers in the region.  We have been doing this for over 10 years and we believe that we have a good system of providing new colonies to meet your needs.  Honeybees are facing many difficulties and there is no perfect bee or perfect beekeeper.  Getting your colony off to a good start in early Spring is an important part of having a successful beekeeping program.  Interested in Bees but don’t know how to become a beekeeper ?  Bee Well can help you there also with our experienced staff and one day Beekeeping BootCamp.   Order your packages now to secure the best early dates and be ready to start off 2015 with a “BUZZ” !

Click here to order

Sourwood Honey – how sweet it is !

Tuesday, 14 October 2014 / Published in Honey

Most honey lovers in our local region are familiar with Sourwood Honey.  But what is it exactly and where does it come from ?sourwood tree range

Along the Southern range of the Appalachian Mountains, we find the Sourwood tree .  Named thus for the sour taste of the tree leaves.  This tree of small stature produces one of the most sought after honey’s in the world. White clusters of bell shaped flowers appear in late June/early July.  The best nectar flow is from trees at the higher elevations.  Trees in the lower piedmont regions may bloom but rarely produce enough nectar for a honey crop.   Sourwood Honey is consumed mostly by local honey connoisseurs as the demand always exceeds supply.

We are able to enjoy Sourwood Honey because the trees bloom at a time that not many other nectar giving plants are in bloom and also because the honeybee practices “flower fidelity”.  Once the bees find a good source of nectar, they will work that flower until it is finished.  You may have the odd few bees that will work other area flowers but the majority will be the target crop.sourwood blooms

Therefore, when the Sourwood tree starts to bloom,  We move the bees to the area and put empty honey storage boxes on the hives.  After the sourwood bloom is finished, the full boxes of honey are taken to the honey house and extracted.  Southern regions tend to have a sourwood color that is a little darker than the almost clear sourwood honey made at the highest elevations.

Sourwood Honey is sought after by many but the supply is always limited and usually available only for a short time.  If you like the sweet spicy buttery taste of Sourwood, get it while you can.

Cooking With Honey Cookbook

Monday, 29 September 2014 / Published in Honey

Cooking with honey has been a part of our culture for thousands of years.  One of the earliest sweeteners known cooking with honeyto man, today we are still impressed by this natural sugar.  Laurey Masterton author of The Fresh Honey Cookbook has selected 84 recipes from a Beekeepers Kitchen.  In the pages of this book you will find complete recipes, color pictures and detailed information on the delicate flavors of various honeys.

“The Fresh Honey Cookbook” is featured in our book section at Bee Well Honey & Natural Market.  Here you will find informational books on many life skills, herbal remedies, homesteading, etc.

Stop by our market in Pickens, SC and browse our selection today !

 

Ordering honeybees for Spring.

Tuesday, 02 September 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

Will you be ordering honeybees for Spring delivery ?  Thousands of beekeepers across the US need new packages of honeybees each year.  The bees usually come from the Southern Regions (especially Georgia) because the milder winters make it more economical to build up colony size for an early Spring delivery.  Beekeepers order packages of bees for several reasons: to replace colonies that die out over the winter, to increase the number of hives in their apiary and excited new beekeepers who are starting with bees for the first time.

Honeybees are not in unlimited supply so the early delivery dates sell out fast.  It is not unusual for beekeepers to order bees in October that will be delivered in March and April.  It is a simple matter of supply and demand.  Getting the new packages of bees as early as your season allows will help insure that they are in the hive and ready to take advantage of the Spring season nectar flow.

Each year, Bee Well Honey sells hundreds of packages of honeybees and has done so for over ten years.  We have many repeat customers who order honeybees from us each year.  Your bees arrive in a screen and wooden cage that contains approximately 3# of bees (Italian mix), a can of syrup and a young mated queen bee (held in a special cage.)

Ordering honeybee packages is a great way to get started with bees.   Bee Well is taking orders now for 2015.  Place your order now to reserve your space and pay in early January.

https://beewellhoneyfarm.com/beekeeping-supplies/

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Varroa mites & Honeybees

Tuesday, 12 August 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

Most experts will agree that the relationship between varroa mites & honeybees is a basic problem for beekeepers. Understanding the life cycle of each one can help make good management decisions. Enjoy this video prepared by Jeff Harris (USDA-ARS) to learn more about the interactions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2vg59Snt6c

Beekeeper Education… Yes you need it !

Monday, 11 August 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

Good beekeepers must not over look the need for continuing beekeeper education.  New pests and disease as well as environmental changes are constantly affecting our honeybee colonies.  Bee Well Honey is offering a Fall Beekeeping Boot Camp to help local beekeepers get their bees ready for winter !

Join us on August 23, 2014 and you will be entered in a drawing to win this fabulous door prize donated by Brushy Mtn Bee Farm.

Beekeeping Boot Camp Door Prize

Get those bees ready for winter.

Monday, 04 August 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

Attend Bee Well Beekeeping Bootcamp  August 23 2014bootcampjpg

Buying Honeybees

Tuesday, 29 July 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

Even though we are still in the grips of a hot southern summer – next Spring will arrive before we know it.  This is a great time to pre-order honeybees for delivery next March-April.  Buying honeybees is an important step for new beekeepers or those wanting to expand their bee yard.

young beekeeper

Many people do not realize that the earliest honeybee delivery dates always sell out.  Those beekeepers who order early are best assured of prime pickup dates.

Bee Well is taking orders NOW for Spring Delivery of Honeybee Packages

Pickup Dates will be made available when the orders are finalized in early January.

3#  Italian Pkg with mated Queen   $95 cash    $97 credit card

Call to reserve your packages today !

864-898-5122

Bee Well Honey at the Beekeepers meeting in Clemson

Monday, 28 July 2014 / Published in Gifts, Honey

Each year Bee Well Honey enjoys being part of the South Carolina Beekeepers Association meeting in Clemson SC during late July.  This meeting of beekeepers from all across the state offers a time of learning, shopping and socializing for many of the states 3,000 small scale beekeepers.  Bee Well Honey sets up a booth for the event each year.

SCBA meeting

Yes, we sell honey but we also offer much much more !

Bee Well Honey at Clemson

Gifts, beeswax candles, pottery and other special items were on display and are available in our store every day.

Beekeepers Meeting in Clemson

We really enjoyed the conference this year and meeting so many of our regular customers as well as making new friends.  Bee Well Honey has been helping beekeepers for over 1o years and hopes to continue for many more.

 

Beehive Bearding

Monday, 21 July 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

Beehive Bearding is often a very scary site for the new beekeeper.  This most often happens with strong colonies in the hot humid summertime.  Temperatures inside the colony must be kept near 92 degrees F to support proper brood rearing.  If the temp gets too high – brood will die.  Bees control internal temperatures by fanning air throughout the hive, as well as placing water drops on the surface of the comb to provide evaporative cooling.  To aid in the process, a large number of bees will often be seen hanging on the outside of the hive (we call this bearding) especially in the late afternoon and evenings of the summer.  While this activity is not an indicator for swarming, it does mean that the colony may be strong and may need additional monitoring.  So, don’t be too alarmed at the site of a large beehive beard, it is just another wonderful miracle of the bee.

bearding bees

Nucleus Colonies..a beekeeper’s tool

Monday, 14 July 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

Nucleus Colonies (also known as nucs) are a valuable tool for the backyard beekeeper.  Nucleus colonies contain 5 large brood frames instead of the 10 that is normal for a basic hive.   These nuc colonies will house the queen and enough bees to maintain a small family and carry on regular hive operations.  They do require more management than a regular size hive because they can outgrow their space quickly.  Once the main honey flow is over and we still have plenty of summer (warm) weather, you still have time to set up a few nucleus colonies.  There are many ways to make nucs (or splits).  One of our favorites is to remove 3 frames of bees (capped brood) from a overcrowded colony.  (Be sure to get some with capped brood, honey and pollen)  Then add one frame of very fresh eggs ( 1 day old), this will allow the bees to make a new queen for the nuc.  Be sure to put a lot of bees in the small colony to ward off a small hive beetle invasion.    Feed the nuc until they are well established and the new queen has bees hatching – longer if needed to finished comb construction and storage of honey.  Bee Well Honey has nuc woodenware ready to assemble for $ 43.95 plus tax.

nucleus colony

nucleus colony

Honey Extracting

Wednesday, 09 July 2014 / Published in Beekeeping

Honey Extraction is one of the best times of the beekeeper year.  Having the proper equipment can make the job much more enjoyable.  Honey Extractors come in many sizes and configurations from the humble 4 frame to the monster sizes powered by electric motors.  We offer several types of honey extractors at Bee Well Honey for the beginner or seasoned beekeeper. This featured Economy 6 frame extractor is hand crank and only $ 415 plus tax.  Investing in quality beekeeping supplies are a great long term investment.

Honey Extractor

Local pottery at Bee Well

Monday, 07 July 2014 / Published in Gifts

Local pottery is once again available at Bee Well Honey & Natural Market.  These unique handmade pieces make a great gift for someone special or even yourself !  Handmade by a local potter each piece is beautiful and one of a kind.  Bee Well Honey has a great selection of gift items and our local pottery section is just one example.  Stop by today to enjoy the best selection.

local potteryHoney pots

Honeybee buzz at Bee Well

Monday, 30 June 2014 / Published in Beekeeping, Honey

honeybee on comb

The Honeybee buzz is on at Bee Well Honey.  The Spring flow continues with the honeybees gathering nectar from many available blooming plants.  This nectar is ripened and transformed into pure sweet honey for all of you to enjoy.  The process from nectar to finished honey takes several weeks.  As the honeybees finish the honey, we will be extracting (actually we have already started) and new honey becomes available.  Enjoy the golden sunshine collected by our honeybees and made available for your enjoyment.  Drop by our Pickens store, one of our retail partners or order online today !