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2019 Local Queen Rearing – Our very own Queen babies

Not only is our honey is local (to Bergen County, NJ), we raise our bees right here in Bergen County, NJ too.
We go to great lengths to ensure we raise all of our colonies as local as we can. We take care of their health and nutrition. We put in lot of hard work in ensuring the colonies have best chance at survival through Jersey winters.

Our hard work paid off and the colonies survived yet another winter. 2019 spring is here and it is time for Honey Bee colonies to expand at a rapid rate. This is also time for us to raise our very own local queens so we can continue expanding our apiary with our local queens.

Queen rearing is an elaborate, intricate and time consuming process. However, it is also very satisfying to see our work come to fruition and the bees feed the queen grafts ample amount of royal jelly.

Attached is the picture of our first batch of queen cells. Notice how each queen cup (platic cell) has good amount of white substance. The white substance is the royal jelly mix that nurse bees have put in for queen larvae to feed on.
The queen cells are still open in this picture. In about a week, they will be capped (closed) enabling the queen larvae to pupate and turn into adults.

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2019 Spring Is Here

What a difference one week makes, especially when its spring time. Our apple trees buds “suddenly” turned into tiny leaves, peach tree put out beautiful pinkish red flowers, apricots have put up beautiful display of pink flowers.

And our local bee hives are exploding with population growth. Tis the season of rapid expansion for honey bee colonies. Before we know it, the swarm season will be here. If you or someone you know notice honey bee swarm, please call us so we can rescue the swarm and give them opportunity to survive and thrive.

We have local honey available if you want some. Our local honey is truly made by our hives that never leave Bergen County. They overwinter right here in Bergen County.

Call or Text us for honey at (201) 749-1849

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Honey Bee Swarming

Honey Bees swarm as means of reproducing hives in nature. They swarm when following conditions are met:

  • A healthy, rapidly growing colony
  • Limited usable space to continue expansion
  • Abundant nectar sources, such as the one Spring time typically offers

The act of swarming, Colony planning and preparation leading up to it is both intriguing and extensive. Dr. Thomas (Tom) Seeley did extensive research and authored literature with insights into Honey Bee swarming.

Contrary to the 1978 horror movie “The Swarm”,  and commonly misused context of “swarm”, swarming Honey Bees are most gentle during reproductive swarming.

In preparation for long flight and risks a head of finding new home, they have gorged themselves with nectar. They have only ONE goal during swarming, that is to find their new home as soon as possible and start preparing, building hive, collect nectar, pollen and enable Queen Bee to start laying next generation of bees.

If you witness a real swarm of Honey Bees, do not disturb it, do not swat them. Remain calm, enjoy the organized chaos of Nature and call a BeeKeeping Association or a BeeKeeper to come collect the swarm.

And please, consider NOT spaying the swarm or Honey Bee hives with any chemicals or pesticides.

Here is a picture of a Honey Bee Swarm that is about to setup home on the side of a historical building in Ridgewood, NJ.  I collected and re-homed the swarm and they are doing well.