Tag Archives: Bay Area Honeybees

Insta-ranching!

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The Bee Ranchers are now on Instagram!

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And we are not the only ones. Come visit us on Instagram and definitely “follow us”. We’ve hooked up and started following some very cool folks with like minded views on the importance of honeybees as well as the beauty of the honeybees’ natural world.

Fear not! We’ll still deliver some great “BEETOGRAPHY” on the blog from time to time but Instagram will be a visual resource for you all to check out what the Bee Ranchers are up to on a daily/weekly basis! Mike, Ranch Foreman, has been very busy lately rescuing swarms and prepping hives for delivery of bees to clients this season and never misses an opportunity to snap a pic or two in the process. Serving as Brand Foreman, I’m always keeping my eyes open for all things bee-related and bee-supportive.

So come on all you INSTAHEADS, start following The Bee Ranchers. Below are just a few folks we’ve hooked up with on Instagram, are now following and find to be very interesting:

IG_gretchen_brIG_jake_tbkIG_muxiaIG_smattoonWell I’m quite aware there may be some of you that have no idea what the heck Instagram is! It is a free APP that enables users to share images and messages with the network of followers they create/obtain. We at The Bee Ranchers find it to be just the right Social Media platform to further engage with our community and beyond. BEWARE: IT CAN BE ADDICTIVE!!!

Beetography 3

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Busy bees coming in hot!

Well after the previous “downer” post I think it is time for some righteous Beetography! And who does Brand Foreman go to for the hook-up every time? And who always delivers the freshest visuals around? Yes folks once again J.P. Lowery, our good friend from up north has graced us with some of his potent visuals. I’m going easy on you all as they are pretty heavy duty! Sit back, relax and enjoy.

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Hive Diary / PART 8

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Gone but not forgotten

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Late last year we mentioned that Ranch Foreman Mike checked our hive and reported that it did not look like it was doing well. Unfortunately I have to report that the hive did not make it through the Winter and we are saddened!

This was a tough season for honeybees and beekeeping. Ours was not the only hive to be lost. Several of our clients lost hives. In some respects it is a bit of a head scratcher but it is also a reality. Not all hives thrive at the same intensity as others. Some of our hives that were booming right out of the gate in early Spring struggled during the cold season. Some of the ones that were looking suspect did great through Winter. Always hard to predict Mother Nature.

Our garden is just not the same as when they were around. They definitely brought a sense of energy and level of activity to our yard. They are truly missed.

Come mid-April we’ll start over again with a new batch of bees. We’ll be eagerly awaiting their arrival and will welcome them to our home!

How did your bees do this year? Drop us a line to let us know!

Hive Diary / PART 6

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Autumn’s amber harvest!

High whispy clouds, sunny warm “indian summer” days, high pressure off shore winds, pumpkin carving, Halloween, apple picking, raking leaves (if you got em) a slight chill to the early mornings and evenings and of course uncrowded fishing. These are all things I look forward to during my favorite part of each year. Well I can officially add one more great thing to look forward to for Fall / Autumn and that is a late honey harvest!

Mike came over roughly a week ago and harvested our honey out of our hive. Unfortunately I had to work that day so I was unable to participate in removing the frames from the hive and placing them in the centrifuge. There were not a lot to load but just enough to get a good and memorable supply of first harvest honey. Certainly enough to share with friends and family.

While I was unable to assist with the core extraction, Mike left the bulk honey in a 5 gallon bucket with spigot so our family could have fun and participate in jarring the honey. Mike also supplied us with 9oz. jars with lids.

We decided to pick a saturday to jar our honey so the whole family could participate. First observation, the honey was extremely thick – something Mike had noticed as well. Second observation, it was a dark amber color. This is not your golden Spring time honey! Third observation, this is an activity that the whole family can have fun with, from the pouring to the jar filling. Even the littlest of hands can help, especially to clean the empty bucket with their fingers!

We’ve even been able to come up with a custom label that will be applied to each of our jars announcing our special honey.

Bottom line, super fun and well worth the wait. I can almost guarantee that the best honey you’ll ever taste will be from your own hive’s first harvest!

A shout out to our honeybees, BRAVO and well done! All your hard work is sustaining your thriving hive and leaving a little left over to share with us. Thanks, you truly are the hardest working honeybees in Contra Costa County and you’ve been a great addition to the family!!!