Winter is here, and I personally hope for steady cold temperatures until spring--wild back and forth temperature swings can be harder on colonies than a steady cold for the winter. Winter is a great time to start planning for spring and to get any indoor projects done, or to make products from your honey or beeswax.
- Spring bee orders are live on the website, with early spring package bees (late March expected) for Carlisle, PA and mid April for Nicholson, PA. These will have 2026 Latshaw Carniolan queens. A limited number of nucs are also available.
- Beekeeping classes are also now open for reservation, with a hybrid class planned for early May at the Carlisle, PA farm shop and an indoor class for those who want some basics before buying bees is on the schedule for Nicholson, PA in February.
- As the winter goes on, you may want to check your hive weights, and December is the time that those needing to add food might add fondant or candy boards. If you are wanting something ready to go and not making your own, products like Hive Alive fondant, Hillco Turbo fondant, Golden Barrel fondant, Dadant winter patties, and similar are all fine to use. Ideally colonies have enough honey stored for winter, but there are times when new colonies or certain circumstances prevent that. We have winter fondant (Hive Alive) available in stock at the farm shop.
- Winter mite treatments? Some people do an oxalic acid dribble or vapor treatment during broodless (or mostly broodless) times around Thanksgiving or Christmas. For those who use oxalic acid vapor (OAV), you may find this interesting regarding the label change to 4 grams per brood box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUBFeq2S2Cg&t=15s
- Our fall honey is available in multiple sizes and we have both early fall (medium color, more goldenrod than knotweed) as well as late fall where we isolated more knotweed than goldenrod. For the early fall (medium color) we offer cases of our honey in 12 packs of 1-lb glass jars or plastic bottles for holiday gifts at a discount ($130 per case special through December, $120 for 2 or more cases). Let us know in advance if you are buying cases. Also, if you ask in advance, we can add a Merry Christmas or a snowflake label to the top of each jar (otherwise it will be the PA Preferred label). Send us a message to order!