Welcome to Sun Mountain Apiary 2025
Queen and her court
First, the good news. As I look out my office window, it is not raining (at the moment) and we are slowly building our apiary back up from the winter losses we experienced. Through some purchases, splitting existing colonies and captured swarms (one from in front of the Pro Shop at the Orchard’s Golf Course in Altamont) we are coming back up to strength.
The bad news is the weather has really been an issue. We have had well north of 12” of rain in under the past 30 days here at the farm. That is nearly an inch every two days. There have been full weeks where the bees have been unable to get out and work even though there were lots of blooms for them to take advantage of. Besides hindering the bees' foraging, the cold, damp spring we have been dealing with is not a healthy one for bees. While it is a setback for us, it has been really hard on any farm trying to plant crops or harvest early hay. So many fields are saturated, a tractor would get stuck just driving by them! Because of the weather and bees coming out of winter weaker than normal, our honey harvest will be delayed. The bees are easily 2-3 weeks behind where they should be by now so I am anticipating we will not be able to open the store until at least mid-July. It will be very dependent on the weather in the upcoming weeks. Watch for further updates. Several folks have asked for an update on the massive honeybee colony loss across the country. Unfortunately, none of it is good.
Bee trivia: What makes bees such great pollinators? While there are literally thousands of pollinators and some are necessary for specific plants, bees are the work horse of the commercial pollination market. One reason is that they have “floral fidelity,” something most pollinators don’t have. It means if for instance apple blossoms are ready for pollination, the honeybees will generally visit only apple blossoms that day. As they move from blossom to blossom, they are transferring the necessary pollen between the flowers in a very efficient manner. Most pollinators tend to visit a variety of plants in a given time period and may not even visit the same type twice in a day. Photo by Bob Muller Secondly, you have a colony with high numbers that can be kept in hives that are relatively easy to transport. This allows a commercial beekeeper to pollinate almonds in California in April/May and move the hives to Louisiana to pollinate cucumbers or watermelons in May/June throughout the season. Be well and stay safe! Bob 
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Speaking of items that are popular this time of year, if you get chapped hands and finger “splits,” then you should try Linda’s very popular lotion bars. These all natural beeswax based bars will heal your hands faster than most over-the-counter remedies. They are available in both unscented and lavender. I keep one in my pickup and one on my nightstand and use them regularly. They make great stocking stuffers too at only $6 each.
"I tried absolutely everything to help with my chronic chapped fingers. Your lotion bars have been the BEST BY FAR and one of the few products which actually helps! Thank you!" - K. Abbate, Colonie
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In 2020 we went through the testing and inspection process to become a “NY Grown and Certified Honey Producer.” While all claim their honey is pure, and bees are the best, we decided to back the claims up with the documentation and inspections that prove we have healthy hives, excellent sanitation in extraction, and nothing but pure, raw NY local honey.
Pure - Natural- Raw |
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