The Italian Bee

02/26/2026

Bee care is essential for a thriving ecosystem. Visit our website for expert tips on how to support these vital pollinators and ensure their survival.

http://theitalianbee.com

04/27/2025

Bees for Sale | Excellent! Offspring of a 12-year and running mother hive. All Medium Frame - Sizes vary from Nucs to Double Medium Deep. Delivery is possible depending on location. [theitalianbee@gmail.com]. Licensed to sell in PA and NJ.

04/12/2025

10/24/2024

Bee.a.trice O’Honey has been having the best time at Snipes Farm Fall Fest Weekends during the month of October! Only one weekend left! Make sure and stop by this upcoming weekend!

Visitors to the Cider Barn or Apiary Mailbox can ask Bee.a.trice a Pollinator question. When she answers on Snipes Face Book Page, you’ll win a FREE Jar of Honey!

Bee.a.trice was super excited that Liam stopped by the Apiary Mailbox last weekend! He wanted to know: “How many types of bees are there?” That’s a great question!

There are over 20,000 known bee species across the world and roughly 4,000 varieties are Native to the United States.

Of the 20,000 known species, less than 4% produce honey. 4,000 are Native Bees. Apis Mellifera [APE-ISS-MELL-if-er-uh], the Western Honey Bee, is not one of them! Apis Mellifera arrived in the 1600’s when immigrants arrived to the United States.

20,000 Bee Species | 4,000 Native Bee Species | Roughly 4% Make Honey . Apis Millifera Ligustica and Carnica live at the Apiary on Snipes Farm. They are AMAZING honey producers and so Happy to call Snipes Farm Home!

Thanks for the question Liam! Stop by the Big Red Barn and pick up your Free Jar of Honey from the Cashier!

10/08/2024

SNIPES FARM FALL FEST | Ask Bee.a.trice O’Honey!
Arianna stopped by Snipes Farm Fall Fest and stopped by the Bee Corner in the Cider Barn! She was curious about honey and how bees actually make it!
Honey bees make honey to store as food to last them through the winter months. Unlike most bumblebees where the Queen hibernates underground, honey bees do not hibernate, and just like us, they need to eat!
Honey is typically made from nectar, the sweet liquid produced by flowers. A worker bee sucks up the nectar through a long, thin tube called a proboscis and keeps it in a special honey stomach, known as the crop. She can carry up to 80% of her weight in nectar. Inside the bee’s crop, enzymes are added, including one called invertase, this helps break down nectar’s complex sugars into simpler ones.
Once the worker returns to the hive, forager bees pass the nectar to receiver bees who pack the nectar into honeycomb cells. Next, they fan the nectar with their wings to encourage evaporation.
Nectar can be 70 to 80 per cent water. Evaporation reduces the water content to approximately 16- 18 %. The high concentration of sugar, ensures that bacteria and fungi can’t grow, meaning honey can be stored indefinitely without spoiling. Once at 16-18% moisture, the bees cover the cell with fresh beeswax to store until needed!
Thanks for your question Arianna! Stop by Snipes Farm & Education Center during Fall Fest and pick up a FREE jar of honey and Thanks for your great question!
Love, Bee.a.trice

03/27/2024

Don't just click 'Like!'... Try Donate!! Feel Good!! Bee Happy!

Snipes Farm & Education Center, located in beautiful Bucks County PA strives to send c… The-Italian Bee needs your support for Help Send A Kid to Summer Camp!

02/29/2024

A 2020 Cornell University report that analyzed more than 1,100
peer-reviewed studies found that neonicotinoid corn and soybean seed treatments pose substantial risks to bees and other pollinators but provide no overall net income benefits to farms. DFW similarly recognizes that neonicotinoid use contributes to declining pollinator populations.
STATE OF VERMONT.
BILL AS INTRODUCED H.706
2024 Page 1 of 15
**Get out the vote!
Question: Why isn't this everywhere?
*Image courtesy of Scott Famous @ Montco Bees

02/23/2024

Beekeeping for Bee.Ginners! Registration now open! :)
https://www.snipesfarm.org/our-programs/community-education/beekeeping-for-beginners.html

Have you ever wanted to learn what it takes to be a Beekeeper? Curious about bees and what you can do to help them and other pollinators in your yard? Come and get a beginner’s view into the wonderful world of Beekeeping, and the complicated yet fascinating lives of honey bees! Come away with resource information on what to consider if you would like to get started in this rewarding hobby, including a plant list for pollinators. Mason Bees, a gentle native pollinator that is easy to raise and house on a small scale, will also be discussed. Come share the love!
3 Virtual Sessions: Thursday 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 6:30-8:00PM
Followed by a Hands-On Session in the Apiary!
Registration Coming Soon @ Snipesfarm.org/Community Education
PM for more details & Registration Information!

02/22/2024

Beekeeping for Beginners | Snipes Farm & Education Center
Have you ever wanted to learn what it takes to be a Beekeeper? Curious about bees and what you can do to help them and other pollinators in your yard? Come and get a beginner’s view into the wonderful world of Beekeeping, and the complicated yet fascinating lives of honey bees! Come away with resource information on what to consider if you would like to get started in this rewarding hobby, including a plant list for pollinators. Mason Bees, a gentle native pollinator that is easy to raise and house on a small scale, will also be discussed. Come share the love!
3 Virtual Sessions: Thursday 3/21, 3/28, 4/4, 6:30-8:00PM
Followed by a Hands-On Session in the Apiary!
Registration Coming Soon @ Snipesfarm.org/Community Education
PM for more details & Registration Information!