We put incredible value on knowing where our food comes from and knowing who our farmers or beekeepers are. Being able to share our process with you in this space is one way for us to invite you to learn alongside us and to see the effort we put in to ensure a great end product. We are simply going to start where we currently are - we hope you will join us.
Strong Bees
At the beginning of every bee season we spend a significant amount of time making sure our hives are cleaned and the bees are as strong as possible. To ensure our hive numbers stay were we want them, we make nuc boxes (baby bee hives). We take a few frames from very strong hives (leaving the queens behind) and make a new hive. This takes time and patience but it's well worth the effort.
Dandelions
Dandelions are one of the first flowers the bees forage off. They produce an almost colourless very mild honey. One of my favourites.
Nuc Boxes
Kevin is checking the nuc boxes. They are growing in numbers and will soon be ready for another box. I know you're asking why he isn’t wearing gloves. Well, when you’re just checking things, taking your time, and being gentle, you don’t often need to wear gloves. He only got stung once at this site! The bees can size you up pretty quickly and when they don’t feel threatened, they don’t sting.
A New Queen
Kevin is inserting a new queen into a nuc box. We order our queens from Hawaii. I know, who would have thought that queens from Hawaii could survive in our sub-arctic Saskatchewan winters but they do fabulously well. They are well tempered and good producers. The queen arrives in a cage with 5-6 workers to support her. She only lays eggs and needs help with everything else. The hive bees need some time to get used to a new queen so over the course of the next couple of days, the queen’s helpers eat their way out and the hive bees eat their way in. Usually it’s a good match.
State of the Union
Cracking open some hives to check the state of the union. This hive looks great. There is a good number of worker bees which means the queen is healthy and laying a lot of eggs. With a few more flowers blooming, this hive will need a honey super added in the next couple of days.
To the Market
Farmers Market Season is upon us. We will be at Swift Current’s Market Square every Saturday until the end of September. We love these market days and being able to connect with so many of our customers. From our hives to your table - it makes us happy!
The Nectar Flow
With all the rain (followed by beautiful sunshine) southwest Saskatchewan has been experiencing, the flowers are exploding in both quantity and quality. Along with a prolific amount of flowers (canola, alfalfa, clover) comes a magnificent nectar flow. Busy as a bee is exactly what’s happening right now! The bees are collecting as much nectar as possible and bringing it back to the hive. As the bees get busier so do we. We visit the hives every 4-5 days to ensure they have plenty of room for honey making and add supers as needed. The hives are stacking up!
2020 Honey Pull
We’ve started. Here is the first honey super pulled off the field for 2020! This is what we work toward all year. This is why we plan, and learn, and take a few risks, and put in long hours looking after our bees, and why we pray hard. Michael had the honour this year. Today we are profoundly grateful to begin our harvest.
Adding Supers
All summer long, beginning in the middle of June, we head out to the apiaries every couple of days to see if honey supers need to be added to the hives. If the weather is nice and warm, the flowers are blooming, and the bees are happy, they can fill a box in 3-4 days. It’s very important to ensure that the bees have enough room to make honey.
Canola Flowers
Honey bees love canola flowers. These yellow flowers are packed with nectar and are prolific growers in southwest Saskatchewan. Canola honey does tend to crystallize quickly, therefore, we don’t target this flower but if the bees are within flying distance of a canola field we do not complain.
Pulling Honey
This is the hard work of beekeeping. Once the honey supers are full of honey, we begin the process of taking the supers off the hive and transporting them to the extraction shop. We do this process slowly and methodically while still maintaining a good working relationship with the bees. If the nectar flow remains strong they don’t mind us taking away the supers. They know there is plenty more where that came from.
