Building a Better Hive

Building a Better Hive

Here's something most people don't know: approximately 94% of the synthetic chemicals found in honey were put there by the beekeeper.

Most folks assume honey contamination comes from bees foraging on sprayed flowers. That does happen. But the vast majority of chemical residues in commercial honey come from the beekeeper treating the bees or the hives themselves — miticides, antibiotics, and other inputs that get absorbed right into the wax and the honey.

Kreg knows this, and he's built his entire beekeeping approach around eliminating that problem. No treatments in the hives. No shortcuts when a chemical "fix" would be easier. He's working on genetics — selecting for bees that are cold-hardy, mite-resistant, and productive on our specific landscape — so the bees themselves can do what bees have always been able to do when we stop getting in their way. (We'll have a lot more to say about his approach as the season unfolds.)

In the meantime — a sneak peek at the hives going up.

You may also notice they're not all the same color. That's intentional, and it's not just for looks: bees navigate better when each hive is visually distinct. Our daughter Fallon has taken on the job of painting them, and she's doing a wonderful job. The apiary gets a little whimsy. The bees get a better chance of finding home.

(These photos are being taken in what will someday be our living room and dining room. The house is — let's say — still in progress. Turns out it's hard to prioritize your own walls when you're building houses for the bees.)