Beekeeper's Blog — washington RSS



My Dad's Syrup

Maple syrup has been a fascination of mine for years now.  Maybe it was when I had my first honey harvest, but something a few years back really clicked with me about the magic of all natural sweeteners. Like honey, maple syrup is a season food, but unlike honey, maple syrup can only be produced in one part of the world.  A part of the world where I come from! My home state of Michigan has seen for the majority of my life, a downturn in it's economy due to the decline of the auto industry.  When detroit gets a cold, the entire state gets the flu!  I left my home state after college because there just weren't the opportunities...

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we took a break from online sales but we are back!

  One of the things that really sets Sunny Honey Company apart from other honey brands is our commitment to producing and sourcing from close personal beekeeper peers and carefully vetted honey operations.  We will not ever, and I mean never, go to a large distributor or commercial packing house to source honey if we run out.  We will just stop doing business.  Period.  No exceptions! One of the best things about our little business of bees and honey being busier than expected is that we get to grow and become a larger employer and supplier and producer than ever before.  One of the bad things about our little business of bees and honey is that we are always facing...

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Field day on the nooksack

It feels like August was just yesterday, with throngs of tourists packing the main arcade at Pike Place and bees getting ready for a long break in available forage.  And then it was all of a sudden October and I had only done two rounds, maybe three on a few locations, of 2 to 1 thick sugar syrup feed to fatten up food reserves for all our hives.  And now it's mid December, and I've let myself continue to prioritize other tasks, projects, and worries over my baby bees.   I think, though, that I tend to be really hard on myself, always driving to do everything to its fullest and to the far reaches of my best try...and I...

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Spring feedings and hive inspections

After taking a quick break to visit family in Chicago, It's back to the business of beekeeping for me.  Spring has sprung at least 6 weeks early this year, and before you know it it'll be swarm season!  In fact, I saw dandelions blooming in seattle today..its february!!!! We have placed order in for 20 new nucleus hives this year, and have over 2 dozen hives looking strong after a mild winter.  We hope to split those strong hives and get up to 75 beehives for summer honey production!   For now, the weather has been warm enough for the bees to be awake and eat their honey reserves, but not warm enough or long enough to put liquid feed...

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