Tampa Bay Honey

Here is a nice article highlighting the amazing world of bees in Florida

Bees are Florida’s backbone, but the state is becoming less pollinator-friendly

Bees are Florida’s backbone, but the state is becoming less pollinator-friendly Florida bees face a laundry list of challenges. Here’s why it spells trouble for the state.

Another bee rescue between rain drops.
The homeowners had participated in one of our bee experiences.
Until last night they had become bee hosts when a swarm moved into an owl box.
The owl box and bees are now adjusting to our home apiary. Soon they will be transferred into a proper hive box without owls.

The city of St Petersburg has a great educational kids event coming up:

https://www.facebook.com/share/1PtyTxnFF4/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Do you know that bees play a huge role in growing the fruits, vegetables, and flowers we all love? Join us for Afternoon Adventures: Better Bee-lieve It! , a fun, fascinating, FREE event where kids ages 8–12 can explore the amazing world of bees!

📅 Saturday, May 17
⏰ 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
📍 Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, 1101 Country Club Way S.

FREE event | Ages 8 – 12
Pre-registration is requested

To register, visit: stpeteparksrec.org/calendar.php?view=day&month=05&day=17&year=2025&calendar=&id=19

Spring time is growth time.
The bees are working to gather food and multiply their numbers.

We’re at our community garden location for a big garden event today.

Hurricane Milton hit St. Petersburg hard.
All of our bees are looking good - perhaps a bit hungry now that vegetation is gone.
While walking the neighborhood the morning after the storm I came across a large hive that was once an open air tree hive.
The colony was on the ground and beaten up by Milton.
After a couple hours I had banded the ten frames of brood and convinced the colony to accept their new rectangular home.

Helene left a big mess.
Sadly our Southern most Pinellas hive suffered big losses.
It sits 5-6 feet above king tide levels.
But, Helene proved bigger.

What was once a towering and thriving colony is now reduced to a single small box (super).
Hopefully the survivors will have the strength to rebuild the colony.

It has been a busy summer.
This weekend we opened our 7th location.
This new bee home (near TPA) marks the third location in Tampa.

In St. Petersburg we have hives from 54th Ave South to 54th Ave North: near downtown in Historic Old Northeast and in Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association.
The bees have been busy making lots of delicious honey.

The bees are working overtime this year and bringing in a lot of honey.
Here are images from a recent visit with the hive near the Skyway Bridge (South St. Petersburg).
Note the frame of very light (mangrove) honey - ready to harvest.

Another bee rescue underway

Watermelons!
Bees like sugar.
The high fructose in watermelon is welcome carbohydrates for honey bees.
Of course their many source for these carbs is found in the nectar from flowers.

The Owl Box
Mark contacted us for help with some bees that moved into an owl box he had made for his mother.
The box was on the ground at his home in Carrollwood, Tampa.
We moved the box to St Pete, then moved the bees into a small bee box (bees go in bee boxes. Owls go in owl boxes).
Fast Forward a couple of months. The tiny bee colony is growing rapidly and almost ready to move into a bigger box.
Thanks to Mark for doing the right thing and saving the bees!

It’s works in Florida and everywhere.

Could curing your allergies be as simple as a spoonful of local raw honey? “The main demand for our honey is people who don’t want to take drugs for their allergies."