Our Purpose
The mission of our honeybee farm is to provide our customers with only the highest quality beehives and queens to allow them to produce good brood patterns, fast spring build up for honey and to pollinate crops. We also select our breeder queens for hygienic behavior against varroa mites and other pests, pathogens and always look for gentle stock.
Our Journey
Just twenty-five years ago, our family received a beehive as a present from a friend and we started to take care of it as the bees began producing natural honey. In continuation, we took up beekeeping as a hobby and were able to produce some great natural products for our household – from fresh honey to candles. After making progress in the beekeeping process, we purchased additional hives to expand our honey production. Here in Florida, oranges are a staple of the state agriculture and as we started to grow orange trees in our backyard, the honey production improved as well. Neighbors even started to show interest, asking if they could buy natural honey, fresh from the hive. We gladly obliged and officially began to bottle our honey for others to enjoy!
Expansion
Ten years ago we started getting serious about beekeeping and decided to expand, we improved our hive development process, acquired additional hives, and grew our local reputation as honey makers. We expanded the bee yards to several locations, splitting up stronger hives and letting them raise their own queens and took special care of smaller, newer hives, nurturing them to become sustainable and efficient. We always strive to improve the process and the quality of our products. During the expansion process we partnered with another beekeeper, who was raising queen bees by grafting small larvae into wax cups. After learning the grafting methodology and copying its success, in only 6 months, we were able to triple the production and ultimately improve the quality of our queen bees.
Soon, we were approached by a new type of customer - people who were interested in buying bees from us to start beekeeping. Once again, we obliged and began growing and selling hives to new beekeepers, further growing the product line and reputation in the community! As the demand shifted from the honey to the bees in our community, so did the focus of our operation. The need in the market came from people, who wanted pre-developed beehives and strong queens to make their own honey. After successful seasons of selling beehives and queen bees, our backyard beekeeping operation became significantly busier. With the healthy, growing demand for quality queen bees, the core of our business today is to raise quality, gentle honey bees for honey, pollination, and brood-building. We only graft from strong hives that have developed and overwintered well with early spring build up, disease-free colonies. Our breeder queens are of the highest quality. We invite you to review the products as well as the beehives and queens that we have to offer! We are located in Marion County, Fort McCoy, Florida. Thanks to our customers we have been able to grow each year and looking for many more. Elena Wathey - Owner, FL Breeder 48017804
Benefits of Honey
The flavor of a particular type of honey will vary based on the types of flower from which the nectar was harvested.
Both raw and pasteurized forms of honey are available. Raw honey is removed from the hive and bottled directly, and as such will contain trace amounts of yeast, wax, and pollen. Consuming local raw honey is believed to help with seasonal allergies, due to repeated exposure to the pollen in the area. Pasteurized honey has been heated and processed to remove impurities.
Honey has high levels of monosaccharides, fructose, and glucose, and it contains about 70 to 80 percent sugar, which provides its sweetness. Honey also has antiseptic and antibacterial properties. Modern medical science has managed to find uses for honey in chronic wound management and combating infection.
Information about Queens
The queen bee is the most important bee in the hive. She is the bee that births all other bees that live in the hive. Although she begins her life as any other larva, she is nurtured to queen status by being fed a special diet. Even then, the queen has to wage battle before she is the only reproducing female left in the hive. Queen bees live a life like no other bee.