Bee Dad Honeybees

17/05/2024

We had a great time at Souders Elementary for their Discovery Day talking about honeybees and their role in the ecosystem and importance in agriculture. We looked at an observation hive and played "Spot the Queen," we tasted real honey straight from the frame, and we learned about the equipment used in beekeeping. It's always fun to work with kids and share our love of beekeeping with the community!

09/04/2024

Honeybees during the eclipse! They treated it much like a thunderstorm. The foragers returned as it started getting darker and cooler outside. Then they waited in the hive as it got dark. The bees use the sun to tell them when to start and stop their workday. Also important for navigation for them to find their way home. So they got a few minutes of break time!

21/10/2023

Them: Wow, are you a baker?
Me: Beekeeper!

This time of year there are very few flowers left producing nectar for our honeybees. So we feed them sucrose sugar syrup. The queens also slow down laying eggs and that leaves more space in the combs. The workers fill in this space with food so they are ready for the long winter ahead!

27/09/2023

These honeybees are on cleaning duty! Watch them clear out this cell to prepare it for the queen to lay eggs in once again. Female honeybees take on cleaning duties right after they emerge from their cells up until they are 3 days old. As they grow older they move on to new jobs in the hive. Honeybees divide responsibilities based on their age and the needs of the hive.

11/09/2023

We had such a great time with the students of Woodward Elementary in Delaware teaching them about the importance of honeybees and a bit about beekeeping. Check us out in the Gazette!

Second grade students at Woodward Elementary School were buzzing with excitement Wednesday as they got an up close lesson on bees from Sunbury beekeepers.

15/08/2023

Did you know honeybees can be born with blindness? I saw this in one of my hives yesterday. This bee will rely on his sense of smell to interpret the world!

13/08/2023

Wingstem is in bloom! Blooming late summer to early fall, wingstem is a source of late-season nectar for honey bees, native bees, and butterflies.

29/07/2022

23/07/2022

🍯 Honey Extraction Day! 🍯

Our summer flow honey is a deeper color than the spring flow we had earlier this year. The flavor is different too, with notes of berry and a bright, almost citrusy aftertaste. Absolutely incredible!

Message us if you'd like to purchase some! We are located in Sunbury, Ohio. 🐝

19/07/2022

I have been hard at work this week making queens and getting the bees ready for winter. Midsummer is a turning point in the bee's year when there is not much honey being made. But there is enough time for these new queens to build up. We have a long winter season in Ohio and the honeybees will need a strong population and honey stores to get through it. The queens have been looking great so far! We got 6 queens added to the bee yard this week bringing us up to 18 total (not all are pictured here). Raising local queens from quality stock will give our colonies a much better chance at Winter survival. 🐝

19/06/2022

19/06/2022

18/06/2022

I gave a talk to a summer camp today at Hidden Creek Farm. We read a book about Honeybees and pollination. Then the kids got to scoop some honey right off of a comb. Lastly we took a look into an active hive with our observation hive. Lots of fun and I enjoyed answering all of their questions! If you have a school group interested send me a message and we can set this up.