Welcome to Sun Mountain Apiary 2025
As you all are keenly aware, this winter has had some pretty brutal days of wind and cold temperatures. I have even turned off a couple of the fencers that power the bear fence as the fence itself is buried in the snow and little likelihood bears will be out foraging when it is only 5 degrees. I have made a note though to keep an eye on the weather and to turn them back on very soon!
Similar to other farmers and gardeners out there, this is the season of planning. New catalogs are out with the latest innovations, our local club just put in the largest order yet for woodenware (boxes, covers, frames, etc.) with our local Amish contact and we ponder what our losses will be for the winter and what changes we need to make this coming year. Dealing with the Amish has been an unexpected delight in my beekeeping journey. I have been our club’s point of contact for the Amish and over the past several years I would like to say we have become friends. Last year he requested I assist him with some deliveries and that daylong trip of delivering and other unique assorted stops gave us a great chance to visit and come to know each other. Since my wife had goats and horses, we had a fair bit of common ground to discuss. In addition to having an active woodshop where he makes his beekeeping supplies, he also runs a herd of about 40+ goats from which he sells the milk to a cheese plant in Herkimer. It is a family affair with all but the youngest of his eleven children having a role whether it is milking and feeding the goats in the morning, tending garden, or helping in the shop with the woodworking. The shop has all the equipment you would expect in a commercial woodworking shop except for the fact it is all belt-driven by a small diesel engine. One of his sons who is often on hand at the shop is quite the wise guy (in a good way) and usually up for a harmless prank or joke. Eli himself is an outstanding craftsman, innovative, and possesses a big heart. Both he and his wife have been supportive during my wife’s cancer, sending home goodies they know she enjoys. While most Amish children leave school at about 8th grade, their math skills are exemplary. As many of his customers will attest, most of the kids can do math faster in their heads than most of us can on a calculator! Nearly all are bi-lingual as well as their native tongue is an Amish German dialect, but they are fluent in English as well. With a slight break in temperatures yesterday, I managed to get through the snow to retrieve the pictures on the camera that overlooks one of the bee yards. Folks loved seeing the animal visitors last year so I thought I would share the latest from this year as well. These are all from the same camera and are from roughly Christmas until yesterday. There is a reason we no longer have chickens, and you are seeing “Exhibit A” of the multiple homicides we experienced a year or so back. There is a pond directly in front of the bee yard and mink find it a perfect place to spend a day or two. They are incredibly fast in water too and I have often heard of them cleaning out folks' expensive, stocked trout in a pond in just a couple weeks in the months. We are very much looking forward to some warmer weather ahead when we can see how our bees fared and shake off these winter doldrums. Until then, stay well. Bob As we are sold out, the store will be closed until we reopen about July 1, 2026 
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Deer such as these three are nearly a daily occurance
Some days they are just full of it as a couple are just yearlings
We have a pair of foxes that make a regular appearance. Nice to see they are healthy with good coats.
Usually when there are coyotes, the fox are scarce in the area and vice versa. This year has been unusual as we have been seeing both with regularity
I would prefer this guy to find a different neighborhood come spring. Skunks really like eating bees and can kill a hive.
There is a reason we no longer have chickens, and you are seeing “Exhibit A” of the multiple homicides we experienced a year or so back. There is a pond directly in front of the bee yard and mink find it a perfect place to spend a day or two. They are incredibly fast in water too and I have often heard of them cleaning out folks' expensive, stocked trout in a pond in just a couple weeks in the months.
Several folks wanted to know who the others were….
Captain J.E. Hetherington was from Cherry Valley, NY. He started beekeeping at a very young age, but joined the Union Army as a sharpshooter. He was severely wounded twice and mustered out as Captain. After a couple year recovery from his wounds, he resumed beekeeping. At his peak he oversaw between 2,500 and 3,000 colonies. Interestingly, most of his honey was exported to England which was unheard of up until that time. He was also friends with and a neighbor of Moses Quimby (inventor of the bee smoker and a multitude of bee equipment still used today). Hetherington was also an inventor and developed the concept of wired foundation and using comb beeswax foundation both of which are commonly used today.
Moving further west, we have William Coggshell of Groton in Tompkins County. He also ran about 3,000 colonies and pioneered the use of “out yards” where bees were placed where the crops were rather than in one large apiary near his home. This not only helped the crops, but the bees had plentiful nectar just outside the yard so had minimal flying to do to get it. The most common crop he had "out yards" in? Buckwheat.
All three of these men were hardworking, smart and talented beekeepers, but there were other beekeepers around the country that also shared these talents. What do you think was the one thing that they also had in common that allowed these three here in NY to be the world’s largest?? Shoot us an email with your ideas! We will answer in the next email.
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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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Sun Mountain Apiary
127 Marcus Road Delanson, NY 12053 Bob Muller Cornell Certified Master Beekeeper [email protected] |
