The End of the Season!

2024 has been a strange year for bees and beekeepers here on the South Shore of Nova Scotia

After a fairly early start, weather seemed to be cooperating and we started the year with very low losses of bees over the winter. After a summer of swarms in 2023, we had very little swarm activity among our hives, but the bees were still not going to make things easy!
Inconsistent rainfall throughout the spring and summer meant that, while flowers were blooming and the bees were collecting mounds of pollen, those same flowers were not making substantial nectar.
Our spring honey harvest was delicious in flavour but disappointing in volume. We sold out after only 2x markets in Liverpool and Shelburne, and some farmgate sales here in Brooklyn.

With the sun shining through August, it again looked like we might have a good honey crop – but August was even drier than the spring and I watched with dismay as the hive I keep on an old package scale kept indicating a loss of weight rather than the large gains we should have at the peak of honey season. By the start of September, many beekeepers had written off their crops and started preparing the hives for fall/winter. I was going to follow that plan, but decided to wait just a week or two…. and it was a good decision. In September our hives really produced. As much as 170kg’s of honey was harvested by the end of the month as astor and goldenrod flowers flourished after an early September rain. Both of those nectar sources produce a rich and flavourful honey … but it comes with a catch.

Along with being delicious, honey that is predominantly from astor and goldenrod honey crystalizes (sugars) very quickly. While I can keep our honey in our bottling tank at a steady temperature of 36C (the average bee hive temperature), that only just keeps it liquid. As soon as it enters the jar, the time starts ticking towards the honey crystalizing and becoming solid.

For some, this isn’t a problem – crystalized honey still tastes great, is less messy to spread, and melts quickly in hot beverages. But for others raised on grocery store “heated” honey, it isn’t what they are used to and there are always questions about “has it gone bad”.

Despite the decent sized harvest this fall, it does appear we will sell out of honey by the beginning of December, so it you want yours, stop by one of our fall markets: 23 November at the Brooklyn Community Hall, or 7 December at the Privateers Christmas Market at the Best Western Hotel in Liverpool!

Thanks to everyone who supported us with bee space, markets, and purchases this year. We are looking forward to expanding the hives even further in 2025!