Beekeeping can seem amazing, daunting, and sometimes even scary. Below, I’ve answered some of the more common questions I am asked regularly.
Of course! The number of times a beekeeper is stung in a season depends on many factors. Take into account:
- how often and how many hives are inspected (the more exposure, the higher your chances of being stung)
- the time of year (bees are more defensive in late summer when resources are low)
- the time of day (try for mid-day when most of the foragers are gone)
- the weather that day (don’t go in when it’s cloudy and about to storm)
- the condition of the hive (is it queenless?)
It also depends on the gear. I wear a triple-layer beekeeping jacket with an attached hood and thick canvas overalls. I prefer to go gloveless as it encourages me to move slower and more intentionally, but that also exposes me to stings on the hands. That’s a trade-off I’m willing to make most of the time.
(Emphatically) YES, every time. I’m not one of the lucky folks for whom stings seem to become less intense as the years go on. They surprise me and hurt every time, but it’s usually short-lived. Because a honey bee’s stinger is barbed, it remains in the skin and is torn out of the bee’s abdomen as they fly away. They will eventually die of exposure, so they’ve sacrificed themselves for the defense of the hive and don’t sting unless absolutely necessary, so I don’t take it personally. I find swearing helps the pain.
It depends on the time of year, but typically between 20,000-50,000. In my area, population peaks in July and is lowest in December/January. During my local winter, the queen slows and stops laying eggs, so the population doesn’t turn over as quickly. Winter bees can live 4-6 months; they stay snug in the colony and focus on keeping warm. Summer bees typically only live 6 weeks, as foraging for nectar and pollen is a tough job.
The bees cluster together to stay warm and will keep the interior of the hive at a balmy 94°F year round. They alternate which bees are on the outside of the cluster, and they flex their wing muscles, without flying, to generate heat! They’ll eat through their honey reserves and sometimes need emergency sugar bricks or fondant to help get them through until it’s warm enough to forage again.
Yes, we use it all the time! My hives are placed on the outside edges of my yard, with the entrances intentionally facing a direction where we’re not walking through their flight paths. It only took one sting for my dogs to learn to stay away. I won’t walk through the grass near the hives barefoot, though, just in case there are bees crawling on the ground.
There are a few easy things you can do to help pollinators of all kinds:
- Consider canceling your lawn treatments and eliminating pesticide use. Bothered by dandelions or weeds? Hand pull them, or leave them – dandelions are a great food source for bees. You’ll save money and help the environment.
- Fill your yard with pollinator-friendly plants. Here’s a link to some flowers I recommend. Plant native if you can!
- Leave your fallen leaves and yard litter – especially in the spring until temperatures are consistently above 50°F to allow beneficial insects time to emerge.
- Provide a water source for pollinators by filling a shallow dish with water and rocks/pebbles for bees and other insects to land on so they don’t drown.
- Purchase honey from a local beekeeper. Hopefully, they’re responsibly keeping honey bees and are positively contributing to the local pollinator pool. I have more information on honey here.
I have a whole page devoted to this!
Please, research, research, research! Read beginning beekeeping books, talk to beekeepers, join your local beekeeping club, and take an introduction to beekeeping course to help you decide if beekeeping is for you before you buy bees. There are many options online and in person! I love beekeeping, but it’s not for everyone. There is a lot to learn in order to keep bees responsibly. I’m not out to discourage anyone, but it’s important to take a realistic vs. idealized approach. My photos look cool and honey is a delicious perk, but there are other factors involved. Are you prepared to be stung? Do you have the space to host hives and the time/energy to do weekly hive inspections? And, do you have available finances to devote to beekeeping? These are just a few things to consider.
Obviously all of these aren’t scientific or research-based beekeeping books, but you get the idea!
Nope. My honey is cut from the comb, spun in an extractor, and filtered once. Then it’s bottled. No heat-treating, no pasteurization, no extra flavoring. This is why my honey is considered raw, and not recommended for infants under 1 year of age. Check out my honey extracting process here.
The short answer: the sugars in the honey have separated from the water and form crystals. If your honey has crystallized, don’t panic – it’s absolutely still good! Place your honey jar into a bowl of hot water to reliquefy. Don’t put your honey container in the microwave. I have more information on honey here.
Anecdotally, yes, I’ve heard folks say it helps. Medically… not so much. See this article from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America for an explanation of flower pollen vs. allergy pollen. Either way, honey is delicious and it can’t hurt to try… right?
In the beginning of the pandemic, I stumbled upon the nonprofit Don’t Give Up Signs and loved their mission. I placed one of their signs in my yard that said “We’re All In This Together” on one side, and “You Got This” on the other. That sign eventually succumbed to the elements, but was quickly replaced by another “You Got This” sign which has been proudly encouraging passers by for the last 6+ years. I’ve had neighbors, drivers, even delivery folks stop to take photos or tell me how much they love seeing it. I say the phrase often, and it’s stuck. When I started producing enough honey to sell and create a business, it was a no-brainer. Joining my love of beekeeping with this phrase was a sweet combination. Remember, no matter the situation: You Got This!
Because my honey is small-batch, I usually quickly sell out with in-person sales. As I expand, if I do have surplus, I will list it seasonally in my online shop (usually September or October). Year round, you can buy You Got This Honey merch, like apparel, stickers, magnets, etc. Feel free to represent! You can follow me on Instagram, too.
