Is your honey raw?

Yes! Our honey is entirely unadulterated. Once removed from the comb, it is heated at very low temperatures (below 110 degrees) in order to allow it to pass through straining material. This removes the larger bits of wax that are left from the process of removing the honey from the comb. This is not equivalent to pasteurization. Some commercial packers of honey will super-heat honey in order to extend it's shelf life and also to allow the honey to pass through ultra-fine filtering material. This process destroys some of the natural enzymes in the honey and can affect the flavor of the honey. Our honey still contains natural enzymes and pollen. 

No. Honey will never spoil. All honey will granulate (or crystallize) over time. To ungranulate it, place it in a pan of warm (not boiling) water and let it sit until it has returned to its liquid state.  

It depends on the flower source of the honey. Generally, the honey we process in the spring is lighter in color and has a sweeter taste. It comes primarily from clover. The honey we process in the summer and fall tends to be a little darker in color with more of a "floral" flavor.  

A healthy colony of bees will swarm. This means that a large number of the bees will leave from the hive usually with a queen and fly off together to start a new colony. It is the colonies natural means of reproduction. When they leave the hive, they will generally congregate in a temporary location until they have found a more permanent structure to build a hive. This temporary location is often on a low (or high) branch of a tree or on a bush or shrub. Sometimes, though, it might be on the side of a house or somewhere else that is inconvenient for us humans. These bees will resemble a "ball" of bees. They are usually not aggressive at all and they will remain there for a few hours or a few days. During this time, they will send out scout bees to find a permanent location. This could be in a hollowed out tree or in the walls of your house. A swarm is usually relatively easy for a beekeeper to "catch". Because they are looking for a permanent home and a beekeeper is looking to provide them a permanent home, the process is generally pretty simple and quick. As soon as the bees have moved into their permanent location, they will begin to build comb and bring in nectar and pollen, making proper removal more complicated.  

Yes. We recommend that if you have an established colony somewhere you don't want that you call us to come remove them rather than use a pesticide to kill the bees. Without bees to regulate the temperature of the location, the wax comb will begin to melt and the unfinished nectar will ferment, leaving a big mess. We will properly remove the bees and the comb for a small per hour fee.