Honey bees grow rapidly during the springtime. Populations explode and honey production starts up in full swing. Beekeepers need to add space to keep up with the hustle and bustle of the colony!

Spring means an abundance of nectar and pollen for honey bees that have been cooped up all winter. Through a ripening process, bees turn that nectar into the honey that we all enjoy!

During summer, beehives get busy as worker bees go out to collect nectar and pollen, which they turn into honey - the main food for the colony. As the bee population grows, they build more honeycomb and living space inside the hive, with colonies reaching sizes of over 50,000 bees.

As a beekeeper, I often get asked common questions about starting a beehive and keeping bees in the yard. In early 2022, I purchased my first two packages of bees, and yes, they can come in the mail!

In 2022, a fellow Northeast Ohio beekeeper kickstarted what has become The Monarch Bee, providing me with two hives worth of bees and a list of equipment to order. Since then, I've grown my apiary and focused on becoming a prominent supplier of raw honey for Aurora, Ohio, and surrounding communities, enjoying the unique flavors that emerge from each hive throughout the year.