Sweet golden nectar

Throughout our bee-keeping journey, we are often asked if we will be selling our honey. It's a great thought. We might, depending on how much we harvest when the time comes, but the truth of the matter is that honey is just a by-product of what we started bee-keeping for: pollination. We got out little bumble butts up and running to help the orchard (you may have read this in a previous post) that we had planted at James' parents' farm. We never really anticipated harvesting honey to sell. I like to drink green tea with a dab of honey, especially now, when I am suffering from what is likely a sinus and upper respiratory infection. Not only does it sooth my throat, but it helps develop an immunity to local allergens, too, I am told. 

About half-way through the summer we checked on our little friends to see how everything was going. Low and behold they had already set up their little bee nursery and honey comb. The bees had only been in their new 'hood for a few short weeks and they were already busting their butts. That's what bees do, anyway, right? 

James holding up one of the frames, heavy with brood stock (below) and honey(above).

James approached them and pulled out a frame for me to see. The same frames that I had just recently built and places in their hive was now glowing golden yellow and literally dripping with honey. I placed my hand under the frame and let the hot honey drip out onto my fingers for a taste. Yup. Grade A, certified, organic, all natural bee juice. 

That's honey! Dripping off of the frame.

It was amazing to see how much our bees had accomplished in such a small amount of time. It was also exciting to see what they could be making for us. Now this honey was on a regular hive frame, so it wasn't our honey to take. We set up honey supers shortly after. Honey supers are special hive boxes that are placed on top of the regular hive, with a separator between them. The separator keeps the queen from getting into the honey supers and laying eggs. This means the honey supers are filled with honey, just for harvesting. Unfortunately, since it is our bees first year, the honey supers didn't have much in them by the time fall came around and we decided to leave what was there alone, so they would have more to eat over the winter, and hopefully be a strong hive when they emerge this spring.

Me, holding some of the burr comb honey that they had built on the top of the frame.

But, alas, we had had our first taste of our own bees' honey. It was glorious. We have been told that each hive should produce between 80-100 pounds of honey next year so Be on the lookout next year for some freshly jarred honey. You'll know exactly where it came from!