I can hardly believe that as I write this we are on day 15 of continuous rain, and there doesn’t seem to be a break in sight for another week!  YUK!  So what does that mean for the bees?  A LOT!  All of this rain is washing away nectar, a key component in honey. What does it mean for you?  Well, it means that there will likely be a shortage of honey (at least from East Coast Beekeepers) and a slight increase in price.  

So, last week I went to pick up some bees.  Not only is our honey local, our bees are too!  Anyway, I put three Nucleus Colonies in the back of my car.  Of course, it was a rainy day, so the windows were up. Anyway, those little ladies were very resourceful in escaping thier escape proof transport box.  By the time I got home, I had a couple hundred bees flying around inside my car….hah!  Talk about  a lesson in keeping cool.  I kept thinking about what I would do if I were pulled over!

By now everyone should be aware of the massive losses of honeybees.  We lost most of our bees over the winter as well.  In fact, across the US,  Beekeepers lost 44% of their colonies. It’s really a disaster, especially if you consider what would happen if we said 44% of cattle were dying!  

Bees thrive on a diverse collection of flowers.  Often, it’s those pesky weeds like clover and dandelions that we try so hard to kill that provide bees with a great source of nutrition.  Poisoning these plants not only takes away a great food source, but also puts poison into the bee hives and into your honey! 

This time of year is also when bees are very rapidly expanding – in numbers not size – and causing them to swarm.  Swarming is a very natural activity and is how bees reproduce.  Contrary to the scary term of “swarm,” an actual swarm consists of a very gentle cluster of bees who are looking for a new home.  If you find a mass of honeybees clustered on just about any random object, please call a local beekeeper.  Exterminators are likely to kill them, and that doesn’t help anyone.  A beekeeper will gladly come and collect the swarm from your property for free. If you are in the Northern Virginia area, please contact my bee club!

This time of year is also the time for mosquito spraying.  If you choose a professional company to spray for mosquitos, please try to spray in the early morning or later in the evening.  This is a time when the bees are tucked into their hives and can avoid the spray.  If you have neighbors with bees, let them know when you will be spraying so beekeepers can take precautions.

You all are awesome! We have been doing a lot of business over the past couple of months, both online and at a couple of fairs.  It’s so validating to have people enjoy the products of our labor enough to come back for more and to tell friends and family!  

Because of the volume of business, we are out of our own honey and sourcing our honey from other regional beekeepers in surrounding counties, until around July when we can harvest our own.  Rest assured, however, that this honey is the same quality of raw and unfiltered goodness.  Because it is local to the region, it will still have the same allergy relieving benefits.

• Healing Balm with Emu Oil  – Emu oil was first used by the Aborigines of Australia and has been used for thousands of years.  In fact, cave drawings show first uses of emu oil to over 4000 years ago.  This stuff is a real wonder. 

Over 70% of the fatty acids in the oil are unsaturated omega 3, 6, and 9. Since good fatty acids should be in our diets it’s not a surprise that emu oil has many benefits. Some of those benefits can range from all types of skin applications such as eczema, cuts, burns, dry skin, sunburn, and irritation. The emu oil works in order to mimic the top layer of your skin since it is 100% triglyceride lipid, almost similar to that found in our skin. The reason emu oil for skin is important is because emu oil has a powerful transdermal agent that can penetrate deep into the skin.

This healing ointment is made from Emu Oil, Shea Butter, Avocado Oil, Beeswax, and a blend of Tea Tree, Helichrysum, Rosemary, Neroli, and Lavender essential oils.

• Marrakesh Soap – Marrakesh is just a dream. This soap is 40% olive oil and contains Moroccan Rhassoul Clay and Tussah Silk just to make this something close to magical. The Moroccan Clay is mined in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and contains naturally high levels of skin-loving, beneficial minerals and can improve skin tone, texture, elasticity, and clarity while eliminating dryness and flakiness. The silk makes the lather smooth and creamy. This is the perfect soap for soft and dry skin. You are really gonna love this.
• Sunscreen – Elsa cooked up some all natural sunscreen with the same skin friendly oils and butters that we know you love. This has the added SPF protection from Zinc Oxide. We aren’t a lab, so we can’t tell you exactly what SPF it is, but it’s at least 20! I can tell you that I took Sophia to the Zoo on one of our sunny days, and she did not get a sunburn!
• 2-pound honey bottles – By popular demand, we are now offering 2-pound bottles of our delicious honey!

• New soaps (in more manly scents!)
• Beard products
• An all new Amazing Adventure of Sweet Sophia!  This time she visits Cleopatra, who was known to bath in milk and honey!

For being such awesome customers, we use the coupon code SWEETBEE when checking out of your next order and save 10% or your entire order!

Thank you all!