We overwinter our bees in south Florida, where the warmth keeps them active throughout most of the winter months. The initial Brazilian Pepper bloom gives our bees a great head start for the cold months, but we have to monitor them carefully (especially the queens!) to make sure they will survive the winter and thrive in the spring. A good flow here means even our weaker hives should be able to come back and do just fine through the winter.
The late summer period is one of our least hectic, but most crucial times on Register Family Farm. With nectar production down and bee populations up, we have to focus less on making honey and more on the survivability of our hives. We're introducing new queens and making sure they're correctly mated so that they can lay a good pattern of workers and drones. A mistake here could spell doom for the hive.
As the honey season progresses, the bees continue to target the ever-changing nectar and pollen sources as some plants are done blooming and others are just beginning. This time of year, Register Family Farm is working largely in the agricultural areas of northwest Florida making cotton honey. Most nectar-producing plants in our area only bloom for two to three weeks. The cotton honey flow, though a low volume producer comparatively, can last for more than a month. This allows for a nice change of pace as we are coming off of the popcorn flow and the hectic cycle of; move, super, pull, extract, move of the last few months.
Pest Control As the seasons change, our hives face certain risks, such as attacks from parasites and being underprepared for the winter to come. From the mites feeding on our bees to the moths trying to destroy our hives, we have a lot of work cut out for us as we manage the safety of our bees. We must diligently check for signs of infestation and take steps to keep our hives as strong as they can be. Weakened Hives Around this time of year, with the changes in temperature and often damp weather, our bee populations are very susceptible to...
The saying "busy as a bee" is quite a literal expression on our veteran and family-owned bee farm, Register Family Farm. Every season the journey of producing our raw honey starts all over again in our home located in the Florida panhandle. It is an all-hands-on-deck operation to make sure that we are giving our honeybees the ideal conditions to produce the best honey in the greatest quantity possible.
