With the arrival of the Spring, we prepare to be busy bees this season. Overwinter Nucs and Spring nucs were pulled. We had a wonderful time seeing so many old friends and meet some new ones.

Springtime means that the bees are ready to be split and given enough room to bulk up for the Summer. We spent a few weeks going through each hive, splitting them into additional colonies, and prepping for the honey flows. Bee yards were set up in optimal places and honey supers set. We hope to harvest as much honey as possible.

In our region of WNC, we have 2 distinct honey flows. The first being our Spring honey, this honey contains nectar from tulip poplar trees, locust trees, blackberry bushes, and whatever flower is blooming at that time. This honey contains a lot of tree nectar, we have called this our Mountain Wildflower Honey. This flow begins towards the end of April (when the tulip poplar blooms) and ends the first couple of weeks of June. Our Spring honey is excellent for locals who suffer from allergies, due to the pollen that is in the air.

The second flow is our Summer honey, this honey contains a high percentage of nectar from the Sourwood tree and late flowers. The Sourwood Tree blooms at a certain elevation and for a limited amount of time, typically the beginning of July. This honey is light in color, has a buttery smooth finish, and is one of Jon’s favorites.