06/08/2024
She Keeps Bees products now available at the Commanda General Store Museum 🐝🍯🕯️🛍️
Right beside fellow Powassan Farmers' Market attendee Trillium Maple Farm 😊
She Keeps Bees
- Home
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- South River, ON
- She Keeps Bees
Female owned and operated apiaries. Providing 100% pure, local, raw honey and beeswax products
05/21/2024
Happening on June 8th at the Friendly Circle in South River. Get a glimpse into all things bees and beekeeping 🐝
Drop by the library to sign up for this workshop.
05/21/2024
Copied from a private naturalist group I follow. I received a few messages/phone calls from concerned members of the public lately thinking that they have murder hornets in their back yard.
“A few people have been seeing, and asking, about giant hornets in their yard. They are European Hornets, and are no more dangerous than any other wasp or hornet. You don't need to report them to anyone - they've been in eastern North America for over 100 years. They won't sting unless provoked.
A few interesting facts from a yard perspective though...
1. They are attracted to yards with plenty of mature trees - they typically build large paper nests high up in tree branches or hollows (but won't pass up a good barn, shed or attic either!)
2. They do a lot of damage to Lilac and fruit trees - they want the sap so will eat the bark to get it to flow, which can kill your lilac bush or fruit tree. They also love rotting fruit after it hits the ground.
3. They are active at night, and will be attracted to outdoor lights, lit windows, etc.
If you see one, it will certainly get your attention, but if you leave it, it's food and it's nest alone, it should ignore you too! Check out more info online!”
05/20/2024
05/08/2024
New Product Alert🚨 Just in time for No Mow May💚 Show your support this month not just for bees but all native pollinators🦋 Made from 4mm corrugated plastic these signs will last for many seasons. Wire stand included.
10% of lawn sign sales will go to the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign
Available to purchase through our website
https://she-keeps-bees.myshopify.com/
04/29/2024
Before and After✨ All the hives are out of their winter boxes and the 2024 Beekeeping season officially begins🏁
04/12/2024
Helpful guide
04/06/2024
Great local initiative to purchase native plants for your garden beds this year
Our annual Native Plant Fundraiser is now live! Choose from over 50 species of native wildflowers, trees, and shrubs. To place your order, visit: www.georgianbaybiosphere.com/native-plant-fundraiser
The last day to place orders is May 24, 2024. All plants will be available for pick up on June 8, 2024. Pick up locations are Parry Sound (125 William Street) and Port Severn (99 Lone Pine Road).
03/31/2024
03/05/2024
Learn more https://m.facebook.com/groups/663835654841760/?ref=share join the group
03/03/2024
As seen in the video below bee brood (baby bees) is considered a food delicacy in parts of Asia and Africa. Bee brood is exceptionally high in protein. Contrary to main stream belief bears actually break into hives to access the brood more than the honey. A fellow beekeeper I knew when I started out actually tried bee brood and compared the flavour akin to toasted coconut🥥
02/16/2024
❤
01/13/2024
It’s that time of year again✨
Time to recognize all the bad ass babes making their mark in the beekeeping industry🐝
Want to participate in another woman in beekeeping world record? Post a picture of yourself beekeeping and use the following hashtags.
12/18/2023
🐝🐝
12/01/2023
Examining Einstein's Warning
Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientific minds in history, once allegedly warned that if bees were to disappear from the Earth, humanity would follow suit within four years. This quote has stirred concern and debate over the years, highlighting the crucial role that bees play in pollinating plants and ensuring our food supply. In this article, we will explore the logic behind Einstein's warning, whether it is true, and the importance of protecting bees.
To read on, go to: https://www.beeculture.com/examining-einsteins-warning/
11/08/2023
It’s been an honour to volunteer with this project, so nice to see so many beekeepers and their honey on display at the royal winter fair
Shout out to this beekeeper, who not only helped develop our honey showcase, but has played a big role behind the scenes with planning and social media aspects as well.
Meet Megan, of She Keeps Bees.
🐝💛
10/29/2023
Day 29 of shout out to my helpers. My fiancé Brock, ever the very silent partner and the one responsible for my obsession with all things bees. Not at all interested in standing anywhere near a live beehive but he makes a great 4-wheeler operator, winter box mover, deep and super assembler and babysitter when I’m at events. Isla (I-La) the littlest beekeeper herself. Already showing interest in all things green thumb and beekeeping💛🐝
10/24/2023
Day 24 of Skill or something you’d like to learn. Grafting Queens👑 Only been beekeeping in this area for a year and already noticing the need for more queen breeders. Also I’m fascinated with genetics and breeding for specific traits. Dream of mine would be to join the ORHBS Program and provide my community with hygienic queens. But I digress
10/22/2023
A rookie mistake and a sting story
Rookie mistake. Don’t go into your bee yard without a bee suit on after you just finished doing splits AND in the middle of the June dearth
Sting story. 1 sting at the hair line 2 stings to the eye brow. That sting pheromone is noo joke. Looked like quasi moto for 3 days
10/15/2023
So incredibly honoured and humbled to be recognized at this past Saturday Events at 250 Clark at their annual Honey Fest🍯🥉
Congratulations to Judy and all other contest participants I’m sure the decision was not an easy one!
Results from the Honey Judging Contest yesterday-
First place- Lisa Condon (from "Bessie Bee Honey")
Second place- Kathie Hogan (from "Hogan's Honey")
Third place- Megan Rae (from "She Keeps Bees")
Congratulations to all who entered honey for the contest. And special thanks to the judges- Mike Webster (from "Ahmic Lake Apiaries"), Robert Key, and Patty Fedeli!
10/15/2023
It’s Day 14 of
Today’s topic is something that makes your cringe and this statement is definitely a trigger 💣
Becoming a beekeeper because the pollinators are disappearing is like buying chickens if hummingbird populations started to decline. The typical honey bees (apis mellifera) are NOT native to North America and only appeared during colonization from Europe.
There are many (less expensive) alternative actions you can take first to help pollinators before making the commitment to start beekeeping
🐝 Stop raking your leaves 🍁 Majority of our native pollinators are ground nesting and use the leaf litter in the fall and spring as insulation.
🐝Less lawns more flowers. This one goes with the famous line “Build it and they will come”. The more food and suitable habitat you have available for pollinators the more likely you are at attracting them.
🐝Pollinators doesn’t always mean bees. Remember not all pollinators are bees. There’s butterflies, flies, wasps, and mosquitoes (you heard that right)
🐝No Mow May. Honestly, who likes mowing their lawn anyways? Even though dandelion’s are not native to North America and not the best forage for bees they are better than nothing and the first major nectar flow of the year.
So before you go beehive shopping 🛍️ please consider opting for these (and other) options listed above⬆️ It’s time we give our native pollinators the same love and attention as our domesticated ones🐝
10/01/2023
Day 1 of 🐝 Every day for the month of October I will be joining my fellow beeks in sharing a bit about myself, my bees and my beekeeping journey.
Day 1 starts out easy with Introduce Yourself🙋🏻♀️
Hello my name is Megan and I’m the she behind She Keeps Bees. I’m a small-scale beekeeper based in South River ON Cananada📍I specialize in terroir focused honey, flavoured honey and other hive-based products🍯 My journey with honey bees began back 2019 when I took my first introduction to beekeeping course📚 Fast forward 4 years, I now tend to almost 1 million bees of my own, a little beekeeper🎀 and small (quickly expanding) business
09/27/2023
🐝 Join us!
You'll learn how to prepare now for beekeeping in 2024. Topics covered will include ordering bees, site selection, and required equipment. Recommended resources to further your learning will also be shared. There will be lots of opportunity for discussion and to ask questions.
Register here for free: form.jotform.com/232693695361062
Address
South River, ON
Opening Hours
| Monday | 9am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 5pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |
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Videos
End of an Era 👑 The last of my original queens, Queen Victoria was superseded by her daughters last week. Opened her hive to the tell tale queen-less roaring sound from the hive. She was an absolute beast of a queen. Solid laying pattern and as sweet as honey🍯 Everything I look for in a Queen. She lived a long life for a queen (white marked 2021). Luckily I have two of her daughters in hives of their own and was able to pull a few frames of eggs from her earlier this spring to use in this year’s queen banks. I had a hunch she was starting to fail on my last inspection two weeks ago (spotty brood pattern) I honestly didn’t think she’d make it through winter but as always she preformed her best. Luckily she laid some stunning supersedure cells😍 With any luck the next heir will be just as spectacular✨ #beekeeping #beekeeperslife #rip #supersedurecell
We’ve all been there😅 #iykyk #beekeeping #justtakemymoney #beekeeperslife
It’s the little things😅 Happy Mother’s Day to all my fellow Queen Bees 👑 Managing both hives and households since the dawn of time⏳
#realtalk Shoutout to all the SO serving up reality checks 😅 #smallbusinessowner #beekeeping #dreamer #iykyk kyk
The sound of 100% survival rate. With any luck 2024 beekeeping will be a busy one 🐝
Day 30 of #31daysofbees2023I know I’m very late to the game but figured it would easier to explain if I had actual videos than just pictures and text. How do I winterized my hives? Contrary to most beekeepers in Ontario I do not use winter wraps for me bees. Instead I use a regionally specific method to the Upper Ottawa Valley. They are referred to by different names (winter boxes, snow boxes, ice boxes etc.). Designs vary slightly but the idea is generally the same. How it works ⚒️ ❄️ Outer covers are removed and hives are placed in the boxes. Boxes can hold anywhere from 1-4 single brood hives. There are also designs boxes built to hold double brood hives. ❄️ A piece of square plywood is placed to sit on the top of the landing board/hive entrance and rests on the outer wall of the winter box. This is to ensure entrances stay clear for the next step.❄️Hives are then surrounded and covered in pine shavings. Boxes are filled right to the top.Why this method?💧Better moisture control🔥Better insulation🌡️Better temperature regulation❄️Higher survival rates (typically)📈Faster brood build up in the spring. By the first week in May when I take out the hives from the boxes there will be 8 frames of brood in each hive#31daysofbees2023 #winterization #goodnightbees #thatsawrap
Doing day 15 and 16 of #31daysofbees2023 in a 2 for 1 package. Wild card and favourite way to eat honey. My most asked question at markets right now (thanks to a viral post all over Facebook). Is it okay to use a metal spoon with honey and the answer is….💯 YESSS! Using a metal spoon on honey will NOT compromise the integrity of your honey in ANY WAY. Anyone debating that is spreading fake news🚫📰 Most utensils now are made with stainless steal. Not the more traditional reactive metals such as silver or tin. The spoon’s contact with honey is so short that there is no time for any sort of reaction to occur. Still don’t believe me, google honey extractor (the machine most widely used in the world today to extract honey from the frames). All made out of stainless steel. In fact most commercial honey processing facilities contain extraction equipment made out of…you guessed it, stainless steal🤔 So if metal was truly bad for honey why is it used at all? The only time metal becomes an issue with honey is if it’s in direct contact with it for an extended period of time. This is due to honey’s typical low pH (honey is actually acidic on the pH scale) so my suggestion is just don’t leave the spoon in the jar🤷🏻♀️#31daysofbees2023 #crystalizedhoney #metalandhoney #honey #metalspoon
Day 4 of #31daysofbees2023 Your Favourite Bee picture who can choose just one? #31daysofbees2023 #beekeeper #bees
It’s Day 3 of #31daysofbees2023 and today’s topic is your favourite tool. This one I discovered thanks to @rushingriverapiaries If you’re a new beek and nervous about marking your queens I HIGHLY recommend you get yourself one of these. Able to use both bare handed or with beekeeping gloves. It also makes a great spur of the moment queen cage. How it works👑 find the queen 😉👑place canister over the queen 👑push up on the back handle slowly to close the gate at the top👑slowly push up the handle on the side that pushes the sponge pad to the top of the marker👑 ensure that the queen is lined up horizontal in-line with the gaps in the gate 👑mark your queen with the appropriate colour for the year 🔴🔵⚪️🟢🟡The gate at the top acts like a queen excluded so as you push up the sponge the attendants around the queen when you catch her will be able to fit through the gate but not the queen herself. If you’re new to queen marking and want practice, try using it with drones a couple times before the real deal Happy marking 🖊️ #31daysofbees2023 #queenmarkingcage #queenmarking #beekeepingtools
It’s Day✌🏻 of #31daysofbees2023 and today’s topic is your favourite hive🐝 And really what this question is asking is who is your favourite queen because it is the queen and her genetics that dictate the bee behaviour and temperament within a hive. And for me it’s this one☝🏻Not going to lie she sticks out like a sore thumb because she’s pretty shabby looking next to the typical decorative hives I have. But the reason for this is…I’ve never had it where they wasn’t a time there weren’t bees in this box and I could take it back to the shop to add another coat of paint to it. This is also the original hive box I purchased from my mentor when I started beekeeping by myself in 2020. So far it has housed two great queens. Queen Elizabeth I, my original queen and the best of the best Queen Victoria (cameo in the reel). Who I purchased in 2021 and is still alive and kicking this fall. Absolute power house, lays like a locomotive, and always the most calm hive to work with, you never need smoke with her. Luckily I’ve been able to produce not one but two of her daughters this season Queen Vera and Queen Viola. Both of which are just as well built (these girls are THICK) and well tempered. My hope is Queen Vic will make it through the winter and I can use her again next year to supply my queen banks She got a brand new box for her and her hive this fall but her daughter Queen Vera is now occupying this old box. As for Queen Elizabeth I. So far I’ve been lucky to continue her strain of genetics and current have her great granddaughter (Emma) and great great granddaughter (Elusive, there’s a story behind that one, also known as Ellie) in two other hives within my yard. Again great laying patterns, good over wintering success, decent hygiene and lovely docility. Some of the things I look for when choosing genetic traits I want to keep around. #beekeeping #31daysofbees2023 #favouritehive #favouritequeen
🐝🌼 Buzzing with excitement to share some fascinating bee behavior with you all! 🌼🐝 Have you ever heard of washboarding? 🚿🐝 It’s a peculiar behavior observed in honeybees that has left scientists scratching their heads! Let’s dive into this intriguing phenomenon together! 🤔💡🐝 Washboarding is when a group of worker bees gather on the surface of their hive and start moving their front legs in a repetitive motion, resembling a scrubbing motion. It’s almost as if they are washing clothes on a washboard! Hence the name! 🧺🐝🌼 Scientists have been studying this behavior for years, but its exact purpose remains a mystery. Some theories suggest that washboarding may be a form of communication among the bees. It could be a way for them to exchange information about food sources, hive conditions, or even to coordinate their activities. 🗣️🐝🚿 Another hypothesis is that washboarding might be a way for bees to clean their hive entrance. By scrubbing the surface, they could be removing dirt, debris, or even chemical residues that could potentially harm the colony. 🧹🐝🌼 Interestingly, washboarding is not observed in all honeybee colonies. It seems to be more common in certain regions or specific bee breeds. This suggests that it could be influenced by genetic factors or environmental conditions. 🌍🐝💡 While we may not have all the answers yet, it’s incredible to witness the intricate behaviors of these tiny creatures. Bees continue to amaze us with their intelligence and complex social interactions. Let’s appreciate and protect these incredible pollinators who play a vital role in our ecosystem! 🌸🐝#BeeBehavior #Washboarding #NatureFascination #BeeLove #SaveTheBees #pollinatorsmatter
Bee math🐝🧮 Am I right?
🐝🌱👶🏼🐝 Did you know that bees go through four stages of development before they become fully-formed adults? It’s true! Let’s take a closer look at the four stages of bee brood:1️⃣ Egg: The queen bee lays a tiny egg in a cell of the honeycomb. The egg is about the size of a grain of rice and hatches in just a few days.2️⃣ Larva: The newly-hatched bee is called a larva. It looks like a small, white worm and spends its time eating and growing. The worker bees feed the larva a special mixture of pollen and honey called “bee bread.”3️⃣ Pupa: After about a week, the larva spins a cocoon around itself and transforms into a pupa. During this stage, the bee’s body undergoes a complete metamorphosis, developing wings, legs, and other adult features.4️⃣ Adult: Finally, after about two weeks, the fully-formed adult bee emerges from its cocoon. It chews its way out of the cell and joins the rest of the hive in collecting nectar and pollen.🌸🍯🌼 Each stage of bee brood is crucial to the survival of the hive. Without the hard work of the queen bee, worker bees, and drones, we wouldn’t have the delicious honey and important pollination services that bees provide. Let’s do our part to protect these amazing insects! #beelife #beebrood #pollinators #savethebees #naturelovers
Happy World Bee Day! 🐝🌍 Today, we celebrate the importance of bees for our planet’s ecosystem and the challenges they face. Bees are essential for pollinating flowers and crops, ensuring food production and biodiversity. But they are also threatened by climate change, habitat loss, pesticides, and diseases.That’s why it’s crucial to raise awareness about the importance of bees and take action to protect them. We can all do our part by planting bee-friendly flowers and herbs, avoiding harmful pesticides and herbicides, buying local honey, and supporting conservation efforts to protect bee habitats and biodiversity.Let’s show our love and appreciation for these amazing creatures that do so much for us and our planet. Happy World Bee Day! 🐝❤️ #worldbeeday #savethebees #bees #biodiversity #pollinators #climatechange #habitatloss #pesticides #conservation #sustainability
Hey there, honey lovers🍯 I’m excited to announce that She Keeps Bees will be participating in not one, but TWO upcoming farmers markets in the area. You can find us at the Powassan Farmer’s Market every Saturday from 9am-1pm and at the Sundridge Market every Friday from 5-8pm. But that’s not all! I’ll also be at the Sundridge Sunflower Festival on August 12th. Come out and support local farmers and artisans while stocking up on our delicious, raw honey and other bee-related products. We can’t wait to see you there! #farmersmarket #localbusiness #rawhoney #beeproducts #supportlocal #beekeeping #sundridgesunflowerfestival
The rush is on🏃♀️ less then 24hrs till I go to pick up my hives and start the 2023 beekeeping season🐝Today is filled with last minute prep, packing and painting the boxes that will house this year’s splits🎨 #beekeeping #beekeeperslife #prep
Happy Spring Equinox🌙🌷#springequinox #spring #beekeeping #fypシ゚viral #fypシ #fypviralシ #savethebees #ontario #canada
Happy #internationalwomensday to all my fellow #beekeephers past and present. May we continue to make an impact in a typical male-associated profession #internationalwomensday #womeninbusiness #womeninag #girlpower #savethebees #womeninbeekeeping
Pouring some liquid gold this morning✨ Pure Ontario Beeswax tea lights 🔜 #candlemaking #fypviralシ #fypシ #fyp #canadiancandles #beeswaxcandles #beeswax
🐝✨📸 #fypviralシ #fyp #fypシ #beekeeperslife #beekeeper #ontario #canada #albumcover #capcut
