Saturday, January 31, 2009

Isn't it cool?

We have been recognized in a local blog and we are in their list of local merchants!

In other news there was an interesting little brief in the NY Magazine about an artist who uses bees to create his sculptures. He provides the bees with wooden templates instead of the traditional frames that are usually put in a hive for the bees to draw their comb on.

It also is becoming pretty apparent that the impending drought here in California is going to impact the bees and their honey production. Less water = less flowers and less nectar produced by them.

We had a little cold spell this past week so we have postponed visiting the hive, but the sun is back out and once it warms up again we will have to get over to see them. I'd like to get them some empty frames for the hive body and put on a honey super so they have some reason to draw comb and somewhere to start putting the nectar they are doubtless bringing in so they don't get bored or crowded. Bored and crowded is surely cause to swarm.

The fruit trees, particularly the crab apples and plums are already well into their blooming and the bees are loving that.

Bee on a Crabapple



Please visit our shop to purchase Noe Valley Honey and other hive products from the Pollen Princesses.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Jump Start on Spring

The weather here has been absurdly warm -- I mean into the 70's.


Therefore the bees have been out in force. We have seen significant numbers of them on the lavender and rosemary in the neighborhood. The plum trees have not started to bloom yet, though.

In Berkeley, I've seen several bees on the jade plants which are fully in bloom now.

When we visited the Stybring Arboretum in Golden Gate park over this weekend there were bees on almost every plant that was in flower.

You can see that they are gathering pollen from the flowers they visit, which means they are getting ready for brood.

It seems likely that we will need to visit the hive in the near future to make sure that they have enough room. If the warm weather has convinced the queen to start laying again they will need some space for brood and pollen, followed by honey.



Please visit our shop to purchase Noe Valley Honey and other hive products from the Pollen Princesses.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Lip Balm available

We have added a few tubs of our citrus hemp lip balm to our shop. This is made from 100% pure beeswax from our hive blended with pure hemp oil and citrus essential oils to create a lovely emollient to moisturize, sooth and protect your lips.
Please check it out.


Please visit our shop to purchase Noe Valley Honey and other hive products from the Pollen Princesses.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Honey Laundering

Here is another interesting article about the effects of the Honey shortage in North America. Rest assured that this in no way affects our honey. We take it from the hive ourselves, so we know exactly where (and when) it comes from.

Seattle Times

Here's to locally collected and produced, natural, raw honey and the princesses that make it!
Honey bee in winter, still collecting from the rosemary.


Please visit our shop to purchase Noe Valley Honey and other hive products from the Pollen Princesses.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Fascinating Article

Everyone is aware of the fact that bees communicate with each other by a "dance" done in the hive which indicates the location of good food sources by indicating not just the direction from the hive, but also the distance. The further from the hive, the more waggles of the tail on each pass of the dance. Within a certain radius, the dance figure changes to a circle.

What none have been able to discover yet is how the bees know this dance.

The article at this link though gives some fascinating leads though. Do bees sense quarks?

http://science.box.sk/newsread.php?newsid=6321

Hmmm....



Please visit our shop to purchase Noe Valley Honey and other hive products from the Pollen Princesses.