🐝 BeeBrief No. 6 - “The Hive Carries On A season of gratitude, rebuilding, and very determined bees.”
Presented by Buzzwell, Chief Science Bee and Occasional Spokesbee
Greetings, pollinator enthusiasts, honey lovers, and people who accidentally clicked on this newsletter while looking for weather forecasts.
Before we get into bee business, the hive would like to express something important.
This spring, Putney Ridge Raw Honey's founder underwent a major surgery. While he has been temporarily grounded from active hive duties, the outpouring of support from the Putney community, family, friends, customers, and the Putney Community Care has been overwhelming.
The bees would like everyone to know that every kind message, meal, phone call, visit, and well-wish was received and appreciated.
Now, because bees have the attention span of a squirrel on espresso, let's get back to what really matters...
The bees.
The Hive Never Missed a Beat
While our fearless founder has been observing operations from a safe distance, Putney Ridge Raw Honey has remained at full throttle thanks to Head Beekeeper Jade Christensen and her Assistant Beekeeper, who have been expertly managing hive operations here in Putney, VT.
As for our recovering beekeeper?
His official title has been changed to:
Apiary Air Traffic Controller
From a deck chair approximately 35 feet from the runway.
His duties currently include:
Counting incoming flights.
Watching bees.
Watching more bees.
Giving unsolicited advice to bees.
Watching even more bees.
Full operational status is expected by the end of summer.
The bees have assured us that his temporary reduction in responsibilities has not negatively affected production. In fact, some claim efficiency has increased.
We cannot independently verify these allegations.
Why Honey Isn't Ready Yet
Many people ask:
"If the bees are flying everywhere in May, where's the honey?"
Excellent question.
Honey production is not a microwave dinner.
May is essentially the colony's startup phase.
Worker bees are:
Raising thousands of baby bees.
Building and repairing wax comb.
Expanding the colony population.
Gathering pollen and nectar.
Defending the hive.
Cleaning house.
Imagine trying to build a city, raise an army, stock a grocery store, and remodel your kitchen at the same time.
That's May.
The major nectar flows that produce surplus honey typically arrive later in the season. The colony first has to build enough workforce to take advantage of those blooms.
So while the bees are incredibly busy right now, most of that effort is being invested back into colony growth.
Assuming weather cooperates, we expect our first honey products to become available in early July.
The Great Winter Bee Mystery
Many beekeepers throughout the region experienced significant winter losses heading into 2026.
One contributing factor was Colony Collapse Disorder.
For those unfamiliar with the term:
Colony Collapse Disorder occurs when worker bees essentially vanish from a colony, leaving behind a queen, some young bees, and a lot of unanswered questions.
Imagine showing up to work Monday morning and discovering your entire office staff has collectively decided to become nomadic poets.
That's roughly how it feels.
Scientists continue studying the issue, and it appears multiple stressors may contribute, including parasites, disease, environmental pressures, nutrition challenges, and pesticide exposure.
Whatever the cause, many hives across the region had a difficult winter.
The good news?
Our surviving colonies are rebuilding and working hard.
As bees tend to do.
Bear News
The local black bears have once again expressed strong interest in becoming honey customers.
Unfortunately, they remain unwilling to pay retail prices.
Several bears have investigated the apiary this spring.
Fortunately, a properly installed electric fence convinced them that perhaps dining elsewhere was a better life choice.
No bears were harmed.
Some bear feelings may have been slightly hurt.
Because bears have been active throughout the neighborhood, Vermont Fish & Wildlife was notified. They connected us with a representative from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
What a fantastic service.
They provided education on protecting livestock and apiaries while minimizing harm to wildlife. They can also loan equipment in some situations to help deter nuisance wildlife.
If you encounter recurring wildlife issues, a simple online search can help connect you with their services.
The Apiary Air Traffic Controller's philosophy is:
The wildlife isn't invading our space.
We're living in theirs.
After all, they were here first.
No Mow May
You may have noticed some lawns looking suspiciously untidy this month.
That isn't laziness.
Well... not always.
No Mow May encourages people to delay mowing during early spring so flowering plants such as dandelions and clover can provide food for pollinators emerging from winter.
While honey bees appreciate these blooms, so do many native pollinators that don't have thousands of sisters bringing home groceries.
Even allowing a small section of your yard to flower can provide valuable forage.
How You Can Help Pollinators
Want to help bees?
Here are a few simple ways:
🐝 Plant native flowers.
🐝 Avoid spraying pesticides when plants are blooming.
🐝 Provide a shallow water source with stones for landing spots.
🐝 Leave some areas a little wild.
🐝 Support local beekeepers.
🐝 Resist the urge to panic whenever an insect flies near you.
Most pollinators are far too busy to care what you're doing.
Carpenter Bee Corner
One particularly enthusiastic carpenter bee has been conducting aerial inspections around the apiary recently.
Unlike honey bees, carpenter bees don't live in large colonies. They excavate tunnels in untreated wood to create nesting sites.
They're impressive pollinators and generally quite peaceful.
If you'd prefer they not move into your deck, fence, or outbuildings:
Paint or seal exposed wood.
Fill old carpenter bee holes.
Repair weathered lumber.
Install hardwood facing where practical.
The goal is relocation, not extermination.
They're pollinators too.
Just slightly more interested in real estate.
Bee Fact of the Month
A strong honey bee colony can visit millions of flowers to produce a single harvest of honey.
Millions.
Suddenly that jar on your kitchen counter seems a lot less expensive.
Looking Ahead
The colonies are growing.
The queens are laying.
The foragers are flying.
The bears are plotting.
The electric fence is waiting.
And Putney Ridge Raw Honey is gearing up for another season.
We expect honey availability beginning in early July and will keep everyone updated through our website:
putneyridgerawhoney.com
Until next month,
Buzzwell
Chief Science Bee, Temporary Newsletter Correspondent, and Defender of Accurate Pollinator Information
Buzzwell
