Paradise in the Pines - Apiary and Honey Sales

03/24/2026

If you spot something like this on a tree, lamp post, fence, or even a park bench… there’s a really important step to take
- Please contact a local beekeeper ASAP.
This is exactly what we’re trained for.

We safely collect swarms in a way that protects:
🐝The bees
🐝 The public
🐝The environment

Even if the beekeeper you reach out to isn’t in your immediate area—still send the message.
Beekeepers are a connected community, and we help each other.

🐝 Let’s talk about swarms for a minute…
A swarm is not a diseased colony.
It is simply a group of bees looking for a new home.
-On their own, swarms have a low survival rate
-When a beekeeper safely collects them, their chances improve significantly

🐝A quick safety note
You may have heard that swarming bees are “gentle”…
-Sometimes they are.
But not always.
If conditions are poor, they can become defensive:
-Cold temperatures
-Rain
-Hunger
-Stress from being exposed
My rule of thumb: admire from a distance and call someone trained.

🐝 Please be mindful who you call
Not everyone who responds to swarm calls has the same approach.
Some individuals believe swarms should be destroyed and may refer to them as a “public nuisance.

🐝Before agreeing to a swarm removal, always ask:
“What do you charge?”
Here’s the reality:
Many beekeepers will collect easy-to-access swarms for free
(This depends on the beekeeper and the situation)
If a swarm is:
-Low
-Easy to reach
-Not inside a structure
…it’s often a simple collection.
Bee Haven 2026
🐝 If someone quotes a very high price, it’s okay to:
-Call another beekeeper
-Get a second opinion
There are many of us out there who are happy to help

🐝 If you spot a swarm and can’t find a local beekeeper to collect it…
Please send me a PM.
I will put the call out to our beekeeping community, and I am very confident we can connect you with someone who can help.
That’s what this community does best 🐝

— Bee Haven 🐝

03/21/2026

I will have splits for sale when the weather permits (approx first week of May)
$175 for 8-frame medium

03/17/2026

Did you know honey bees make their own kind of “bread”?
Yup!! And honestly… it might be one of the healthiest “breads” around — absolutely jammed packed with protein.

Now… it’s not bread like we think of it.
No flour, no baking, no rising in the traditional sense…
BUT…
There is a little bit of time involved where the bees let it transform into something even better.

Let’s talk about bee bread
This is one of those things in the hive that doesn’t always get the spotlight… but it should.
When forager bees collect pollen, they bring it back on their little back legs (those famous pollen pants!).

Once inside the hive, house bees:
🐝Pack it into the cells
🐝Add a bit of nectar
🐝Mix in enzymes and beneficial microbes
🐝And then… It begins to ferment.

So what is bee bread made of?
🐝Pollen
🐝Nectar
🐝enzymes
🐝Good microbes

👉 It’s made with nectar — not honey — although there can be a little crossover in the hive and small amounts of honey may sometimes be present.

Now let’s clear this up… does it need to “cure”?
Yes… but only for a few days.
That short fermentation time is KEY.

It breaks down the pollen and makes it way more digestible and nutritious.
They are not just feeding raw pollen… they are feeding something upgraded.

Now let’s talk babies
In the first few days of life, larvae are fed royal jelly (from nurse bees, not directly from bee bread).

After about day 3… things change.
🐝Nurse bees eat the bee bread
🐝They convert it into brood food
🐝Then feed it to the larvae

And friends… this is a big one
🐝No good pollen = no good bee bread
🐝No good bee bread = no strong brood
🐝No strong brood = no strong colony

This is one of those things that really makes you stop and appreciate just how incredible bees are.

They don’t just collect food
🐝They process it
🐝They ferment it
🐝They improve it

All before feeding the next generation

03/16/2026

Do Bee Stings Make You More “Immune”?

“If you get stung a lot, do you become immune to bee stings?”

The answer is a little more complicated than a simple yes or no.

When a honey bee stings, she injects venom into the skin. That venom contains several compounds that cause the familiar pain, swelling, and redness most of us experience. Your immune system recognizes that venom as something foreign and responds by creating an inflammatory reaction.

For someone who has never been stung before, that reaction can sometimes be quite noticeable.

What happens over time?

Many beekeepers notice that after working with bees for a while, their bodies seem to react less dramatically to stings.

🐝 This is often referred to as venom tolerance.
Basically, the immune system becomes more familiar with the venom and doesn’t respond as aggressively. For some people this means:
• Less swelling
• Less redness
• Less itching or discomfort

I’ve heard many experienced beekeepers say that when they first started keeping bees, a sting would swell up quite a bit. After a few seasons, the reaction became much smaller.

But here is the important part…
🐝 This does NOT happen to everyone.
While some people develop a tolerance, others can actually become more sensitive over time. In rare cases, repeated stings can lead to someone developing an allergy to bee venom, even if they previously had no issues.

This is why it is always important to pay attention to how your body reacts.

Signs of a serious allergic reaction can include:
• Difficulty breathing
• Swelling of the face or throat
• Dizziness or fainting
• Rapid spreading hives

If those symptoms occur, it is considered a medical emergency.

🐝 So what should beekeepers keep in mind?
Even if you’ve been stung many times before without problems, it’s still important to respect the risk and be mindful of how your body responds. Protective gear, awareness, and good hive management all help reduce unnecessary stings.

Working with bees is an incredible experience, but we should always remember that their sting is a defense mechanism, and it deserves respect.

So the short answer is:
🐝 Some people develop a tolerance
🐝 Some people do not
🐝 And a small number may even develop an allergy over time

As always, listen to your body… and respect the bees.
Bee Haven 2026
If you have questions or experiences with bee stings, feel free to share them in the comments. I always enjoy hearing from fellow beekeepers. 🐝

03/08/2026

Inside a healthy hive, bees don’t leave the walls bare.

They coat the interior surfaces with propolis (PRO-po-lis), a sticky resin they collect from tree buds, bark, and plant exudates. Bees mix those plant resins with wax and enzymes to create one of the colony’s most important protective materials.

Beekeepers sometimes call propolis “bee glue,” but inside the hive it functions as something far more important: the colony’s immune system and structural sealant.

Propolis helps the hive in several ways:

• Seals cracks and gaps in the hive structure
• Strengthens the colony’s internal environment by stabilizing airflow and humidity
• Suppresses microbial growth through naturally occurring antimicrobial compounds

Research has shown that honey bee colonies actively increase propolis use when facing pathogen pressure. In other words, bees use propolis as part of their social immunity, helping protect the colony from bacteria, fungi, and other microbial threats.

That’s one of the reasons a healthy hive can house tens of thousands of bees living in extremely close contact without constant disease outbreaks.

Propolis isn’t decoration.
It’s infrastructure.

For centuries, humans have also used propolis in traditional remedies for skin support, oral health, and immune support because many of the same plant compounds bees collect—like flavonoids and phenolic acids—have well documented antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.

03/08/2026

Are dandelions good for bees… or are they just “junk food?

🐝First — dandelions are NOT junk food for honey bees. 🐝
In fact, they are one of the earliest and most important spring forage sources in many regions.
When colonies are coming out of winter, they are often low on protein stores and need fresh pollen to begin raising brood again. Dandelions provide both nectar and pollen, which helps colonies kick-start spring buildup.

🐝Now, here’s where the “junk food” myth likely started.
Dandelion pollen is not the most nutritionally balanced pollen compared to some other plants. Some research shows it can be a bit low in certain amino acids bees need for optimal brood development. But bees rarely eat just one pollen source in nature — they mix pollens from multiple flowers, creating a balanced diet.
Bee Haven 2026
Think of it like this:
If bees ate only dandelions, it wouldn’t be ideal.
But as part of a diverse pollen buffet, it’s actually very helpful.
And remember something important — early spring forage is often limited.
Dandelions bloom when not much else is available, which makes them extremely valuable.
So when you see those yellow flowers popping up in spring…
That’s not a w**d field.
That’s a bee buffet. 🌼🐝
Another reason many beekeepers hold off on mowing the lawn early in the season.
Nature knew exactly what she was doing.

03/08/2026

🐝 Can worker bees actually lay eggs?
Yes… they can.
When this starts happening in a colony, it’s called a laying worker colony.
And it’s usually not just one worker — there are often several workers laying eggs at the same time.

🐝Why does this happen?
It comes down to pheromones.
In a healthy colony, the queen releases powerful queen pheromones that keep the workers’ reproductive systems switched off. These pheromones tell the colony: “Everything is fine — I’m here and laying eggs.”

🐝But when the colony loses its queen, and enough time passes without those pheromones, something interesting happens.
Some worker bees’ ovaries begin to activate, and they start laying eggs.
However, there’s an important catch.
Worker bees cannot mate. They have no ability to mate with drones like a queen does. Because of this, the eggs they lay are unfertilized eggs, which means they can only develop into drones (male bees).
Those drones can still produce s***m and attempt to mate, but they are often considered lower quality compared to drones produced by a properly mated queen.
This is why a laying worker colony is usually doomed if a beekeeper does not intervene. The colony begins producing only drones, and without new worker bees being raised, the population slowly declines.

02/04/2026

🐝 A Little Education About Queen Bees 🐝
The Queen bee.
👑She is the only bee in her caste, and while she may be just one individual, she is absolutely vital to the survival of the colony. A healthy queen can lay up to 2000 eggs per day, keeping the hive strong and populated.
But egg laying is only part of her story — and some of the facts about queen bees might surprise you.
👑 Queen bees are NOT rulers
Despite the name, the queen does not rule the hive like a monarch giving orders.
The honey bee colony functions much more like a democracy.
Daily hive activities are guided by pheromones and chemical signals, not commands. And when it comes to big decisions — like choosing a new nesting site during a swarm — the worker bees vote.
The queen’s role is reproductive, not managerial.
👑Queens mate only once (kind of!)
Queen bees can live 2–7 years, which is long-lived by insect standards.
A queen mates during a short window early in her life, flying out to mate with multiple drones over a day or two. After that, she never mates again.
She stores all that genetic material in a special organ and uses it for the rest of her life to lay fertilized eggs. Once she runs out, she cannot replenish it — and the colony will replace her, either naturally or with help from a beekeeper.
Most queens lay well for about 3 years.
👑All fertilized eggs start the same
Here’s a big one:
Queens and workers come from the same fertilized eggs.
Unfertilized eggs → drones (males)
Fertilized eggs → workers or queens
👑So what makes a queen a queen?
Diet
All larvae get royal jelly for the first few days.
After that:
-Worker larvae switch to pollen and honey
-Queen larvae continue receiving royal jelly for their entire development
Nutrition determines destiny.
👑A royal deathmatch
When bees raise a new queen, they often raise more than one — just in case.
But a hive can usually only have one queen.
So when new queens emerge, things get intense.
A newly hatched queen will:
-Sting her unhatched rivals inside their cells
-Or, if two queens emerge at once, fight to the death
Nature does not mess around.
👑Stingers bring both life & death
A bee’s stinger is actually a modified ovipositor — an egg-laying organ.
Queen bees, however, have smooth stingers.
They don’t use them for defense — only to eliminate rival queens.
👑 Royal indigestion
A queen is never alone.
She is constantly attended by a “court” of worker bees who:
-Feed her
-Groom her
-Remove her waste
-Pre-digest her food
Yes — queens rely on workers to digest food for them.
Without this constant care, a queen cannot survive.
👑The Queen's crash diet
Before a colony swarms, worker bees put their queen on a strict diet.
Why?
Because she has to fly — something she rarely does.
To prepare, workers restrict her food so she loses about one-third of her body weight, making it possible for her to fly with the swarm to a new location.
Swarming takes weeks of planning and is risky, but it’s how honey bees reproduce at the colony level.
👑The queen bee is not a ruler — she’s a biological powerhouse, entirely shaped by nutrition, care, and cooperation.

02/04/2026

Let’s talk about the boys in the hive — the DRONES 🐝

Who are the drones?
Drones are the male honey bees.
Their role in the colony is very specific:
-Their primary (and only) job is reproduction.
-They exist to mate with virgin queens during mating flights, helping ensure the future of colonies.
No drones = no mated queens = no future bees.
What drones do NOT do
Drones:
• Do not have a stinger (so they cannot defend the hive)
• Do not collect pollen or nectar
• Do not forage
• Do not build comb
• Do not participate in thermoregulation
-They also have less-developed mouthparts, meaning they cannot feed themselves efficiently.
Because of this, drones must be fed by their sisters — the worker bees.
Do drones help with thermoregulation?
No — thermoregulation is done almost entirely by worker bees.
Worker bees:
• Form heat-generating clusters
• Shiver their flight muscles to create warmth
• Fan their wings to cool the hive
These are coordinated, energy-intensive behaviors, and drones do not take part.
Drones:
• Consume energy
• Benefit from stable hive temperatures
• But do not help maintain them
Seasonal reality: drone eviction
This is one reason drones are evicted in late summer or fall.
When resources tighten, the colony:
• Prioritizes survival
• Reduces mouths to feed
• Removes bees that do not contribute to critical tasks like foraging or thermoregulation
Bee Haven 2026
It’s not cruelty — it’s colony-level decision-making.
-Every bee has a role.
-Every role matters.
-And nature wastes nothing 💛🐝

Send a message to learn more

01/27/2026

How much weight can a honey bee carry when transporting pollen, propolis, or nectar stored in her honey stomach?

Honey bees may be tiny… but don’t let their size fool you — they are incredibly strong.
An average worker honey bee weighs about 90–110 milligrams (that’s her weight without any cargo). When she heads out to forage, she can comfortably carry 30–60% of her body weight — and in some situations, up to her own body weight if conditions allow.
What she’s carrying really matters
🐝 Nectar (stored in the honey stomach):
A forager can carry roughly 30–60 mg of nectar, sometimes more if the nectar is rich and close to the hive.
🐝Pollen (packed into pollen baskets):
Usually 15–30 mg, depending on the pollen type and how moist it is.
🐝Propolis:
This one’s heavy and sticky. Bees carry smaller amounts because propolis is dense and impacts flight much faster than nectar or pollen.
When does flight start to get harder?
30–50% of body weight: normal, efficient flight
60–80%: slower flight, higher energy use
~100%: possible, but difficult — less control, more risk
Bee Haven 2026
Bees rarely “max out” their load unless the resource is very valuable or very close to the hive. They’re excellent energy managers, constantly balancing distance, weather, load size, and colony needs.

Send a message to learn more

01/20/2026

What do honey bees do in the winter when they have to p**p?

Honey bees do not p**p inside the hive during winter. They are incredibly clean insects.

Here’s what’s happening:
- During winter, bees form a tight cluster to stay warm
-They hold their waste in their re**um for weeks — sometimes even months
-Their winter diet is mostly honey, which produces very little waste
-Healthy bees will not relieve themselves inside the hive unless they are very sick or under extreme stress

Inside the bee (step by step):
-Bees eat honey throughout the winter
-Honey is low in indigestible material → minimal waste is produced
- Waste moves through the digestive system and is stored in the re**um
-The re**um stretches and safely holds waste for long periods
-Special cells in the re**um reabsorb water, helping prevent dehydration
-The bee holds it until conditions are right
Bee Haven 2026
When do they finally go?
On the first mild, sunny day (usually above 50°F), bees take a cleansing flight.
They fly out, do their business mid-air, and head straight back to the hive.

Those little yellow-brown dots you see on snow, cars, or hive lids in late winter or early spring?
✔️ Totally normal
✔️ A great sign your bees are alive and healthy

Nature really did think of everything — even bee bathrooms 😉🐝

01/20/2026

Why does that tiny stinger packs such a punch?

🐝 It’s not the size — it’s the science
The honey bee stinger is actually a modified ovipositor (egg-laying structure), and only female worker bees can sting. While the stinger itself is very small, it’s a highly specialized delivery system.

Here’s what’s really going on:
🐝 Barbed stinger
The worker bee’s stinger has tiny barbs. When she stings mammals with elastic skin, the stinger gets stuck. As the bee pulls away, the stinger tears free from her body — along with the venom sac, muscles, and nerves.
This is why the stinger keeps pumping venom even after the bee flies off.

🐝 Venom continues to inject
The venom sac has its own muscles. That means venom can continue to be injected for 20–60 seconds if the stinger isn’t removed quickly.

What’s in the venom?
Honey bee venom is a complex cocktail, including:
🐝 Melittin
-The main reason a sting hurts
-Causes burning, pain, redness, and swelling

🐝 Phospholipase A₂
-Irritates and damages cells
-Triggers your immune system to react (swelling, itching)

🐝 Hyaluronidase
-Helps the venom spread faster through your skin
-Makes the sting feel worse and last longer

🐝 Alarm pheromones
-Sends a “danger!” signal to nearby bees
-Tells guard bees that a threat is present

Why does it hurt so much?
Pain isn’t about how big the stinger is — it’s about:
-How fast venom spreads
-How strongly it activates pain receptors
-How your immune system reacts

That’s why a tiny honey bee stinger can hurt more than a much larger insect bite.
Bee Haven 2026
-Sting tip
Scrape the stinger out quickly with a fingernail — don’t pinch it. Pinching can squeeze more venom into the skin.