Not much to write lately. The bees are well fed and snug in their bed (boxes) for a long winter’s nap (not really, they don’t nap like that ..more like huddle together). It was a great year for learning. Learned a lot raising a few queens. In addition, I was able to grow from 3 hives to 13 hives.
I don’t know why but the bees didn’t make much honey this year. I was able to only sell 24 lbs at the market this year.
Lisa Phillips of Round Tuit Farms sold all of that at the farmers market. I was so hoping to have more honey so that Red’s Boutique in downtown Oak Harbor could also sell some – but the bees just never finished the honey they were working on. I kept giving them “a couple more weeks” ..but each time I went back, it just wasn’t ready. Never did harvest any more. It was my worst year, honey-wise and it was like that all along the west side of the Cascades. You would find pockets of people doing well but so many beekeepers just didn’t produce much of a honey crop.
Since I was able to make increases in bees, next year should be better. Bees and weather permitting!
I want to thank all of you who purchased what little my honey bees produced. I want to thank my wonderful hive hosts for putting up with all of my comings and goings. I want to thank Lisa of Round Tuit for selling my honey at the farmers market – AND a big “sorry” to Lonnie at the fabulous Red’s Boutique (you gotta visit her store!) for not having any honey for her to sell. It was just wonderful being a beekeeper this year. Thank you all!