Kertz Beekeeping

07/06/2024

Look at the absolute fantastic display Social Graze STLouis made using a whole frame of local honey! 🐝 😍 We've been trying our hand at these specialty products this year and am in awe with Kim's talent making our honey a highlight of this display! These frames are still available for anyone to order but quantities are very limited. Each frame is 4lb+ of raw honey served in the natural comb that the bees built it in.

07/05/2024

Honey stand is fully stocked again. Feel free to swing by 3128 Bentwater Pl. and grab a jar! We accept Venmo (QR on the door) and there is a cash jar inside.

Post coming soon for creamed honey!

06/12/2024

Today when harvesting honey my 5 year old, Xavier, wanted to try a sample. I went ahead and got him a spoon and let the honey gate stream over it and handed it to him. After tasting it he smacked his lips and exclaimed, “Mmmm!! It’s really good. They’re going to love it!”

2024 Harvest #2 is complete!

Date: June 7th, 2024
Moisture: 16.5%
Weight: 185lbs

Order available here, no volume limits anymore! Creamed honey and comb honey varieties will be available in a couple more weeks.

06/08/2024

Easiest swarm catch to date!

05/29/2024

Help! I’m over run with lettuce! If any of my Charlestowne / New Town neighbors would like some heads of lettuce message me and we can get you some! I planted way more than my family can eat and I’d really like them picked before they bolt.

Please to not help yourself, message me and I’ll give you a little tour and some lettuce!

05/11/2024

Our first harvest of 2024 is in the books! We pulled 165lb of delicious spring honey! 🍯 🤤 After filling orders from those of you who signed up for our waitlist, we have ~65lbs left! Thank you so much!!

If you would like to place an order please fill out this link and we will reach out to you shortly!

https://forms.gle/gxX1XeTvMU2XeN2dA

Photo 4: A comparison of this honey’s (middle) color versus our most amber and our lightest previous harvests.

05/04/2024

Honey harvest begins tomorrow!

We added escape boards to honey supers this morning which allow bees to leave the honey boxes but not return. Once they’ve had a chance to leave the boxes we will brush the last of the bees out of their frames and bring them home to extract the honey!

Last call to join our wait list for spring honey, quantities will be limited as the spring harvest is a specialty cut. Details to come after we harvest and know how much honey we have but you can expect initial order sizes to be limited while we work through the waitlist. Once everyone has had a chance to get their taste we will open up to filling larger orders!

https://forms.gle/nTv1CqUx3i8EK6ED9

04/22/2024

Really hoping we have an opportunity to organize a group to adopt our local Boschert Greenway! I’ll keep everyone posted as the program progresses. Ideally the greenway is up for adoption and we can organize our members here along with neighborhood groups to keep our greenways clean!

04/13/2024

It’s swarm season! If you or a neighbor see a bundle of bees where they don’t belong give me a call at 316-303-5643 and I’ll be sure to rescue the bees and put them in a safe place where they are protected!

When nectar and pollen are plentiful the bee population in a colony explodes and often overcomes the capacity of the space they are in. In response to overcrowding bees will raise a new queen and the old queen will leave with a portion of the colony to look for a new home.

Here are some photos of what a swarm may look like and how they’re rehoused!

03/29/2024

My custom order stamp came in today! We will be stamping out frame of comb honey we sell this year so when people host a party using our frame of comb honey as their center piece their guest know where to get more!

In this, I learned that just because the stamp is 5 x 1.5in doesn’t mean you have to use the whole stamp. 😅 maybe next time my stamp will fit on the frame!

03/18/2024

Hey there! We've been playing with new logos. We remixed Kertz Beekeeping through some designs and there are our favorites, which do you prefer? People's choice will be our logo in '24!

A. Wild beehive on a branch
B. Queen bee in a circle
C. Bee in flight in a hexagon - our original logo.

03/11/2024

Visited the hives today! The groundhog was right this year, Spring is definitely early!

I have 5 hives coming out of winter strong. Each received a second deep box today and they were going absolutely gangbusters raising babies and bringing pollen in!

I also upgraded my wagon to a larger version that helps me take the hike across the field without spilling my load when I cross the ditch or hit a pot hole.

We should be getting our honey equipment out in the next week or two.

03/01/2024

Raspberries are sprouting and I’ve started my lettuce starts! Spring is on its way!

02/16/2024

Love a pretty snow fall! Went to check on the bees today to make sure the front entrances were not obstructed. While it may look snow packed every hive melted about an inch of snow off the back of the snow piles, enough to let the bees breathe as needed!

02/02/2024

February 1 Hive & Honey Update!

The Hives -
I visited the hives this week to see how they faired through the recent cold snap. During my inspection I visited six of my eight hives with the aim on seeing which hive had life and consolidate them down by removing any frames (and boxes) that no longer have honey in them. Overall five of the 6 hives were healthy and had eaten about half of their winter stores of honey. The sixth hive seems to have lost their queen (I didn't look too closely as the temps were still a bit cold for keeping the hives open long) which is a bummer and likely means that hive will not pull through the winter. As a beekeeper my goal is to have six hives producing honey each year and I bring eight into the winter knowing about 50% of hives in Missouri do not make it through the winter season.

This weekend I will do a longer inspection mid day with the aim of consolidating the bees around the remaining queens and inspecting the two hives that I didn't get to this last round.

The Honey -
With the cold weather & time, honey on your counter tops is likely getting grainy or forming crystals. Remember, this is normal. Honey is a super saturated sugar solution that's eager to precipitate out. Remember making rock crystals as a kid? Yep! Same thing is going on in that jar on our counter right about now. To return honey to the smooth liquid state most prefer, simply fill a deep bowl or pot with hot water from your tap and let it set for a couple hours refilling with fresh hot water as needed. To preserve quality, do not boil or microwave.

🍯 In Stock 🍯
We're down to the last few pound of honey for the year with the next harvest expected in May.

1lb creamed honey ($14) - 2 jars
1lb raw honey ($12) - 11 jars
3lb (quart) raw honey ($30) - 5 jars
1.5lb chunk honey ($18) - 6 jars

12/09/2023

So happy to serve New Town via bicycle! The infrastructure decisions made in the neighborhood make it a fantastic place to walk, bike, and enjoy community!

Ask a Dutch person why they cycle so much, and they’ll shrug: “It’s just in our culture”; unaware of the vast infrastructure investments that make it so easy.

Ask an American why they drive so much, and they’ll do the same.

First we shape our streets; then our streets shape us.

11/25/2023

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend! While everyone is relaxing, spending time with family, and shopping local for Christmas gifts. We wanted to take part in this year’s Giving Tuesday!

We will be donating 100% of the profits on orders confirmed from now until midnight Tuesday (Nov 28th) to the Great Rivers Greenway Foundation! Great Rivers Greenway enables and encourages members of our local community to get out and about and enjoy the outdoors. You can see their immediate impact in the development (and now maintenance) of Bochert Greenway which connects our neighborhoods to the fabulous Katy Trail!

More about the foundation that support this amazing organization here: https://greatriversgreenway.org/about-the-great-rivers-greenway-foundation/

🍯 Current Stock 🐝
♻️ Return glass jar and band for a $2 discount on your next purchase! ♻️

1lb quilted glass jar of raw honey - $12
3lb (quart) glass jar of raw honey - $30
1lb quilted glass jar of cinnamon creamed honey* - $15
1lb quilted glass jar of creamed honey* - $15
22oz (pint) glass jar of raw honey with comb - $18
6oz honey dispenser- $10
6in honey dipper - $2

We accept Cash or Venmo. Delivery is FREE on a weekly route within and around the Charlestowne and New Town neighborhoods of St. Charles. We will also have porch pickup via our “honey stand,” address available upon request!

Fine print: We will be using a simple profit calculation of (purchase price - $2 per jar) to calculate our donation amount. $2 is a simple approximation of our jar and labeling cost, our labor and honey production costs are being donated as part of this.

10/29/2023

Our honey stand is closed for the season due to the chilly weather. Have no fear though, you’re always welcome to message me to place an order anytime!

We have been absolutely loving honey as part of charcuterie boards for gatherings with friends! Grab yourself some meats, cheeses, wine, and our honey and you’ll be sure to please a crowd!

10/28/2023

All tucked in for the winter! Cold weather is here, time to go through the winter prep check list!

Each hive weighs >100lbs stocked with loads o honey! ✅
Hives have egg laying queens 👸
Close up the screened bottom boards ✅
Insulate ceilings to avoid condensation from dripping down on the bees ✅
Vent slightly in the lid to allow warm moist air to escape. ✅

Now time to disconnect those water hoses before they freeze!

08/15/2023

Congrats to the local beekeepers who entered and won!

08/14/2023

Taking orders for Wednesday porch deliveries! Included in your selection this week are 6 pieces of comb honey! Great for cheese plates and other family gatherings! The comb honey runs $1/oz and the weights are written in each container pictured.

The comb honey is from one of my mentees who does not seek to sell honey themselves but has extra to offload. As a rule, I do occasionally advertise honey from other keepers but I will always explicitly indicate when the honey for sale isn’t my own.

Full details: https://www.kertzbeekeeping.com/products/

08/14/2023

Melted down some wax today! These block are 2lbs each. I’ll be storing them in block form and selling processed wax by the ounce cutting off how ever much is requested!

Wax $0.75/once ($12/lb)

Plenty of honey available as well!

07/31/2023

This came back on a jar return today. 🤒

What are your favorite was to have local honey? Do you have a recipe to share?

07/30/2023

Locked and loaded for our biggest harvest ever!

07/15/2023

Enjoyed a hot bike ride this afternoon doing my weekly deliveries! Thank you to those who ordered this week for porch delivery!

As always, porch delivery is free to all Newts and whenever possible delivery is via this 100lb human powered bike/trailer combo instead of a 3,000lb gas powered sedan.

First photo was from today, others over the years.

07/12/2023

Our latest harvest was wrapped up just before the holiday! As always, every jar of honey we produce taken from our own hives here in Saint Charles, spun in the hand crank extractor, then strained to remove larger bits of pollen and wax. During this process we maintain that no jar contains honey from more than one harvest making each batch unique to it's season and harvest date! There is a minor exception for creamed honey as like sour dough, creamed honey takes a starter which is inevitably from another batch of creamed honey.

Chunk honey is ready! It takes a lot of energy for the bees to make the comb used for chunk honey. The bees have done their part and we officially have a few dozen jars of chunk honey available. Buy one for a unique gift or take the comb out of the jar and place it on a charcuterie board for guests to enjoy with cheeses!

We are now taking orders of creamed and cinnamon creamed honey! Creamed honey takes two to three weeks to seed and set up, therefore we will be taking orders for these honeys in advance.

🍯 Current Stock 🍯

♻️ Return glass jar and band for a $2 discount on your next purchase! ♻️

$12 - 1lb quilted glass jar of raw honey
$15 - 1lb quilted glass jar of cinnamon creamed honey (~2 wk wait time)
$15 - 1lb quilted glass jar of creamed honey (~2 wk wait time)
$18 - 23oz (pint) glass jar of raw honey with comb
$30 - 3lb (quart) glass jar of raw honey
$50 - 6lb (1/2gal) glass jar of raw honey
$10 - 6oz honey dispenser
$2 - 6in honey dipper
Beeswax available upon request.
How Can I Get a Jar?
There are three ways we can get honey to you:
1. We offer free delivery to residence of New Town, Charlestowne, and Fox Hill neighborhoods on a "paper boy" route with deliveries once a week.

2. We proudly work with Sweet Things Bakery in New Town Saint Charles who has our honey in stock in their store front.

3. You can swing by our home in Charlestowne, Saint Charles for porch pickup!

Please contact us on Facebook, email: [email protected], or text (316) 303-5643 for porch pickup or delivery details!

Sign up for emails at: https://www.kertzbeekeeping.com/comb-honey-available/

Our latest harvest was wrapped up just before the holiday! As always, every jar of honey we produce taken from our own hives here in Saint Charles, spun in the hand crank extractor, then strained to remove larger bits of pollen and wax. During this process we maintain that no

07/10/2023

Not honey bee related but Little Man and I harvested 60lbs of potatoes and ~150 onions from the garden this weekend! I will be curing the onions on chicken wire in the basement and storing the potatoes in vented buckets with paper every two layers deep. Interestingly, our red potatoes yeilded 3x that of the yellow ones even though they both had the same amount of area.

Tell us your favorite potato and onion recipes and storage adivce, we'll need them! 😂

06/29/2023

Caught a swarm from New Town Monday! Thanks to my community for reaching out and commenting me with the swarm to give them a safe home! Video of the bees rushing in after the queen in the comments!

06/25/2023

post!

We label and date all of our frames according to their foundation type. The year helps us rotate out frames as the age, the foundation type lettering helps me know whether a frame is intended for the queen’s brood chamber (w = wired wax), for liquid honey production (p = plastic) which has the strength to go through the extractor, or for cut comb productions (f - foundation-less) meaning that it was 100% built by the bees with no human supports.

Here you can see how frames of various years. They are continually sterilized by the bees using propolis, making them darker as they get older. The “23” frames are brand new, yet to be claimed by the bees. It wont be long before they earn their yellow propolis color.

More about propolis here: https://www.beeculture.com/propolis/

06/22/2023

We have harvested our second batch of honey for the 2023 season! On June 13th we harvested a small batch of Spring honey. At that time we were in a relative drought and held off any announcements of additional honey, letting our existing contacts absorb the honey we've harvested. Since then, the recent rains have done the clover well and bees are back at it filling our supers with honey! Our recent batch is a lighter honey in color showcasing much of the Black Locust color with a tad of White Clover, coming in at 14.8% moisture this honey is also thicker and heavier than you'd normally expect, largely due to the dry weather preceding the harvest. Dryer honey is said to be richer as there is less water to dilute it's natural flavors, I can't tell the difference but maybe you can!

For the bulk honey lovers we are now offering quarts for sale! To date we have harvested 6 honey supers with another 14 on the hives, this has given us the confidence to offer the larger quarts without worrying that we'll have to turn folks away! Like most agriculture, we're hoping for decent rains throughout the summer to boost our harvest for all!

🍯 Current Stock 🍯
♻️ Return glass jar and band for a $2 discount on your next purchase! ♻️

1lb quilted glass jar of raw spring honey - $11
3lb quart mason jar of raw spring honey - $25
6in honey dipper - $2
Honey pollen, whole unextracted frames, and beeswax are available upon request.

How Can I Get a Jar?
There are three ways we can get honey to you:
1. We offer free delivery to residence of New Town, Charlestowne, and Fox Hill neighborhoods on a "paper boy" route with deliveries once a week.
2. We proudly work with Sweet Things Bakery in New Town Saint Charles who has our honey in stock in their store front.
3. You can swing by our home in Charlestowne, Saint Charles for porch pickup!

Please contact us on at [email protected] or text (316) 303-5643 for porch pickup or delivery details!

* prices may be slightly higher when purchasing from Sweet Things Bakery in New Town to help cover storefront overhead. Spread the word and share the love!

Subscribe at: www.kertzbeekeeping.com