Inspira Homestead Honey bees
Honey Bee Magic
Walking into an apiary is an incredible experience. Mile long to-do lists shrink as I enter the bee's domain. I could sit here for hours watching them fly in and out of the hives. However, real magic happens when you crack open the lid and find yourself surrounded by bees. Here, everything else melts away. The noise inside my head vanishes and I feel connected to the entire Universe. It is truly a sacred moment. I suspect the same feeling is true for my honey bee mentors, Mr. and Mrs. McCullough. They are the friends I always needed. Their zest for life is contagious. Everyone knows bees hold a special place in their heart. After 50 years of bee partnership, they can still work an apiary and love talking about the captivating honey bee.
Pollination
Did you know
- bees are responsible for 75% of global food production
- a single bee can visit 5,000 flowers in a single day
- a bee can travel 500 miles in its lifetime
- honey bees are an indicator species for environmental health
We followed healthy farming practices. But once honey bees joined our Homestead we realized some of our habits needed to change in order for our new friends to thrive.
We stopped using pesticides + herbicides and switched to full organic practices. Then we let our clover flower. We planted flowers, flowers and more flowers. We added zinnias and phacelia along the driveway. Then native perennial beds and fields of buckwheat. Now we welcome all kinds of pollinators like hummingbirds, butterflies, bats and endangered insects.
One thing led to another and now each fall as bees prepare for winter, I start dreaming of next year's flowers. One of our goals at Inspira Homestead is to increase biodiversity. Native perennials and large meadows of flowers are an excellent way to do this. You should see the array of insect pollinators, birds and bats that now show up in summer! It is incredible what a few small changes can do.
Bees have the most adorable, furry little bodies. As they gather nectar and pollen, they rub all over a plant's reproductive parts which allows flowers to set fruit. From nuts and spices to fruits and veggies...we need bees.
Honey bees have "flower fidelity" meaning they will repeatedly visit the same kind of flower on a single foraging trip. This behavior allows colonies to sort incoming pollen and nectar by plant varietal. When you pull a frame from the hive it is absolutely stunning -like stained glass in an old cathedral.
Nectar is passed among hive bees who break complex sugars into simple sugars. Once converted, bees deposit nectar into hexagonal cells called honeycomb. Now they work together to heat and fan the hive in a process that reduces nectar's moisture content. Their teamwork can process over 550,000 cells at a time.
After moisture in the nectar drops from 80% to less than 18% it's called honey. Bees put a wax cap on their hard work and move on to the next job. I've never seen a sitting bee inside a hive; they are busy and communicate flawlessly.
55,000 miles of collective flight, 2 million flowers, trillions of tiny dehumidifier wing flaps and like magic watery nectar becomes the thick, beautiful, incredibly complex honey in a single jar.
Yes, you read that correctly.
All that work for one single pound jar of honey.
Bees. Are. Incredible.
Honey
Just in case you feel sorry for eating the bee's hard work, you should know:
Happy bees produce far more honey in a year than they could possibly consume. In addition to their brood chamber, a hive needs one box of honey to survive the winter, feed themselves and grow baby bees in spring. Last year each of our hives produced 10+ boxes of honey.
That is a tall stack of boxes! If left on the hive it would topple in winter, exposing chambers to icy wind and pouring rain. It would create more space than bees could protect. Hive beetles, wax moths and robber insects would make a meal out of poorly guarded honey.
Perhaps the most detrimental effect of leaving too much honey: the queen would run out of room to lay thousands of eggs each day. Without new bees to protect the hive, the operation would fail, disease would take over and the colony would collapse.
We are committed to the health of our hives. One, because we positively LOVE the bees. And two, because our little business depends upon their vitality. For more information on ethical beekeeping and how you can become an informed consumer, CLICK HERE.
Now onto the magic of Inspira Homestead honey.
Just like fine wine, chocolate and coffee, honey is an expression of place. Each apiary reflects the terroir of its environment. Our bees forage South Mountain's Backyard; a rustic subrange of the Appalachian Mountains with peaks above 3,000 feet, countless waterfalls, protected headwaters and some really cool animals. Bear, bobcat, otter, bald eagle and osprey all call South Mountain's 20,000 acres of preserved forest home.
Our bees take refuge in the rich biodiversity this land provides. Native hardwoods like tulip poplar, oak, elm, red bud, pine, holly and sourwood are essential sources of food for our bees. The spectacular flavor of our honey is the result of nectar provided by these trees.
Honey is best if consumed raw (heat destroys fragile compounds) and unfiltered (so all the beautiful bits of pollen + propolis are mixed in).
According to research, honey:
- Is rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and enzymes
- Is crazy high in antioxidants
- Is antimicrobial, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory
- Promotes cellular growth and regeneration
- Is a natural antiseptic
- Is a humectant (encourages retention of moisture)
- Is an emollient (softens the skin)
- Relieves seasonal allergies
- Sooths sore throat and cough
- Tastes freaking delicious!!