I have been super stressed lately about the lack of rain this year, which is both unlike me and I’ve found that people have just not shared in my concern. I had been having a hard time explaining why exactly I am so unnerved until speaking with an employee at Backwoods Bees, in Windham. “If there’s no rain, there’s no nectar flow...and if there’s no nectar flow, there’s no honey”.

While I am a huge fan of The XX, it’s not pressure that crystallizes honey...and it’s doesn’t mean the honey has gone bad (phew!). As a matter of fact, raw unpasteurized honey with all it’s amazing nutrition is MORE likely to crystallize than commercially sold varieties (for more on the difference, see our Blog What’s the Difference).

For a Master Beekeeper, that realization and certification is both the end of a journey and the beginning of an adventure! Although there are now several ways to become a Master Beekeeper, the most recognized way is to test through the Eastern Apiculture Society (henceforth referred to as EAS) at their annual conference.

I’ll bet you hadn’t put much thought into what happens to bees who die inside the hive. No shame, I hadn’t either. But in the fascinating social world of bees, no stone goes unturned. And so, for at home departures, there are undertaker bees.