Bee trivia Honey bees are not native to North America. They were first introduced in Jamestown in 1622 and gradually spread on their own throughout the colonies and eventually westward. The Native Americans called them “white man’s flies.” By the early 1900's, the US was the largest honey producer in the world and NYS was the largest honey producing state in the country.
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More Bee trivia: Did you know many churches still require 100% beeswax candles and the Catholic Church requires candles used for mass be at least 51% beeswax? (Excerpt below from Catholic Magazine, 1991)Light, as the New Catholic Encyclopedia notes, signifies “joy, optimism, goodness, purity, beauty, festiveness, dignity and life. It is opposed to darkness, which signifies sadness, gloom, desolation, death, ignorance, error, and evil in general.” We find that by Jerome’s time, “In all the churches of the East lights are lit when the Gospel is to be read, even though the sun is rising, but the purpose is not to dispel the darkness but to give a visible sign of joy.” When the meaning of the beeswax candle was pondered, particularly in the Middle Ages, a rich and detailed symbolism emerged. Christ had declared, “I am the light of the world” (John 9:5), and the candle’s light came to be the symbol for his presence. The pale wax of the candle symbolizes Christ’s flesh, his sacred humanity. The wick, embedded in the center of the candle, represents his soul. The flame, as it burns down the wick, consumes the wax to give us light. It burns, expending itself, sacrificing itself, just as Christ sacrificed himself. The burning candle is aesthetically pleasing, and it gives a sweet aroma as it burns, another reminder of the presence of our Lord. The wax produced by the honeybee is considered the sweetest and purist, the most appropriate for symbolizing the humanity of Christ. It is produced by the bees actually consuming honey. Honey itself is a symbol for the superlative in sweetness, the sweetness of the Word of God.
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Comments from Bob!
February 21, 2025 Despite the cold temps, sales, like the weather have been brisk! We are now down to just 2 and 3lb jars, plus some comb honey, candles and lotion bars. We will be open through this weekend and Monday morning, but closing for the season on Monday, February 24 in the afternoon. As usual, we will try to re-open with the 2025 harvest about July 1. If you can't make it this weekend, shoot me an email and let me know what you want and I will set it aside for you. You can arrange a pickup time with me in the next 30 days at your convenience. We are really looking forward to the warmer weather next week as the bees have not had a warm enough day all winter for them to take a "cleansing flight." As we have previously discussed, bees will not defecate in the hive, so they "hold it" until they can finally get outside. That is fine for a couple months but now going on over 3 months you can understand it is an added stress on the bees in an already stressful winter. News continues to come in locally and nationally about colony loss and the weakness of the surviving colonies. I will be attending a conference in later March that I hope will shed a little light on the potential causes. Hopefully by that time we also get some days above 50F so I can get into our own hives and assess how the survivors are doing. To be continued.... I am sure everyone is really looking forward to spring this year so let's end on a vision of better days ahead! I for one look forward to seeing those dandelions in April!! Bee well, Bee safe, and we will stay in touch! Bob =============================================================================== February 12, 2025 It has been an ugly year in the world of beekeeping. The hurricanes Florida and Carolinas claimed a lot of bees as did the fires in California. Then in December I began to hear rumblings from beekeepers in the MidAtlantic Region saying they were experiencing very high losses. These losses were soon being reported across the country and most alarming by friends in the area with as large or larger apiaries than my own. This came out just this week and was published by multiple outlets: WASHINGTON — As commercial beekeepers in the USA inspect their bees after winter, to transport over 90% of the nation’s managed honey bees to pollinate California almonds, they are discovering alarming colony losses. These losses are severe, broad, and may impact food security through inadequate pollination services. Survey results are still accumulating, but information gathered from 234 beekeepers found average recent losses well over 50%, with a combined financial loss of over $139M. Combined with losses during other times of year, this additional loss puts many beekeepers at a loss rate of 70%-100% over the past 12 months. (Honey Bee Coalition, Published February 10, 2025 ; https://www.morningagclips.com/severe-and-sudden-losses-of-managed-honey-bees-across-the-nation). Closer to home, we know it has been an unusually cold winter which followed an extended warm fall. The warm fall weakens the bees as these are “winter bees” which are fatter and not made to forage every day for the nectar and pollen that no longer exists. It wears them out and uses up more of their winter stores than cold weather does. Bees can tolerate very cold weather but do need an occasional warm day for them to leave the hive and defecate for maximum health. Those days were in short supply this year. The first day in January where I felt it was safe to do a quick check of the hives already indicated trouble with many dead. About 10 days ago I did a second check of their food stores and colony health. It was humbling to go from less than 3% loss last year to approaching 50% this year. The reports are now coming in daily about the losses and strong concerns about the ability to pollinate not only almonds but the fruits and vegetables we take for granted. The losses are reminiscent of the Colony Collapse Disorder that swept through beekeeping operations 20 years ago. While there are theories as to the reasons for the losses, researchers have not yet identified any direct causal link. It may even be that the environment hit a tipping point of saturation from a combination of pesticides, herbicides, other chemicals and invasive pests (varroa mites) that our beloved bees can no longer tolerate in combination. We will be watching very carefully as they unravel this. With literally billions of dollars at risk one hopes it is getting top priority and the agencies that would be able to react are still able to. For our own operation, we will be able to replace the losses through a combination of splitting our own remaining hives and purchasing some from a reputable breeder known for outstanding queens. This is an expensive proposition and severely limits honey production – you can make bees or honey; rarely, if ever, both. It takes a strong, well-established colony to produce the 100+lbs of honey most of our colonies produced this past year. With newly established colonies you are very lucky to get 20-30 lbs. so we know our production will be much lower this next year. The good news is you can still take advantage of the banner year we had in 2024 as we still have honey! We have 2, 3, 4 and 6 lb. jars left as well as some comb honey, lotion bars and candles. All are in limited supply. US honey production is likely to be severely cut everywhere this year so if you like to make sure you are stocked up, buy now! Remember ALL pure, raw honey will granulate. It is a sign of purity and that it hasn’t been pasteurized and/or ultrafiltered. There is nothing wrong with it; just warm it in a pan of water to reliquefy. Don’t microwave as that will kill the beneficial enzymes. Heating it gently in hot water will retain all the goodness that was there when it was made! Bee Safe and Bee Kind! Bob ====================================================================================================== Jan. 17, 2025 Happy New Year and we hope everyone is staying warm and healthy in this chilly winter. Speaking of cold, it is supposed to get much stormier and colder to close out the month; do you have honey for that tea as you watch the winds blow? See below for a special treat too that will warm those days up, if even just in your mind! Because it is so cold, I thought it would be a good time to share a beautiful shot our customer and friend Linda Wegner took this past fall and shared with us. It's like a space heater for your soul! This year is unusual in that we usually sell out by now. With the great harvest we had this past summer though, we still have honey available. We are sold out of 1lb jars and 2 ½ lb cut-comb honey but other sizes are still available. Inventory is shrinking with less than two dozen remaining of any size. This stock tends to deplete fairly quickly once there is less to choose from so stop by soon and stock up! Cooking Corner – We get lots of questions about our comb honey, so I am reprinting the placard we have in the store here: WHAT IS COMB HONEY? Comb honey is honey exactly as the bees made it - untouched by human hands. Considered to be the most flavorful of honey, it is honey that the bees have sealed in their natural wax comb. The wax is 100% natural from the bees and completely edible. The honey is packed full of nutritious enzymes, vitamins, bee pollen, and antioxidants, ready for you to enjoy in its most natural state. Beeswax is the basis of many cosmetics (ex. lip balms) and in years gone by was chewed much like gum today! Every box will have a subtle flavor difference depending on the flowers and nectar sources available to the bees over the few days it took to make your square of comb. WHAT DO I DO WITH COMB HONEY? While some like scooping it right out of the container as an exquisite treat, here are some common ways to enjoy our comb honey: Put it on a warm biscuit, waffles, or hot toast. You won’t even notice the wax and your taste buds will love you forever! Want an upscale salad? Put a small square of comb honey on your fresh garden salad to take your salad to the next level! Need something for a dinner party? On a large platter, place your square of Sun Mountain Comb Honey, a block of Brie Cheese (or other salty cheese) and your choice of crackers. Smear the cracker with cheese and add a small dollop of honey. The combination of the sweet and salty is divine! This is our go-to dish to bring and I can assure you that once folks try it, it doesn’t last long! “Since I spoke with you in the store I have taken the comb honey and brie to two different gatherings this season. It was a huge hit both times! It is definitely one of my favorite appetizers and snack. Thanks for the tip!” Mike H. – Altamont. Mike doesn't have to be the only one to enjoy this treat. Our comb honey is now on sale so you can try some too! Current Sales Comb honey - $12 (reg $14) 4lb honey - $26 (reg $30) 12lb honey - $60 (reg $74) (while supplies last). Bee well and bee safe, Bob Bob Muller Sun Mountain Apiary A "NY Grown and Certified" Honey Producer 127 Marcus Road, Delanson NY [email protected] Visit us at www.sunmountainapiary.com Rate us on Google at https://g.page/r/CfCJvoWkPQbTEAI/review
Sun Mountain Apiary 127 Marcus Road Delanson, NY 12053
