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Hivelights: Almost a Decade with my Prairie Sweethearts
Beeyard Basics: The Importance of Nutrition
Tips and tools: 2025 Beekeeping Calendar
Upcoming Speaking Opportunities
Limited 2024 Honey Available
Bees, Bees, Bees: Waitlist Open
2025 Intern Program
School Presentations (with live bees)
Sweet Beesus: Recipes Dripping with Goodness
Bees in Guatemala: Laughter is the Best Medicine
Hivelights: Almost a Decade with my Prairie Sweethearts
I’m heading into my 10th season working with honey bees! In some ways, it feels like I was just getting started yesterday and in other ways, I feel like I’ve been working in the bee yard my whole life. Here’s the story of how I got started.
I’ve always loved bees. My first real digging into them was when I was in RRC Polytech’s Creative Communications course back in 2004, writing an article about honey bees and the health benefits of pollen. The more I learned about bees, the more fascinated I became.
My mom always found a way to support everything I did and this time it was by giving me the book, The Secret Life of Bees. This gift took on new meaning when she suddenly passed away on February 29 of that year while saving someone’s life during a trip to Guatemala. That book was the last thing she gave me.
I read and reread that book over and over. I held it close to my heart because it’s about a young girl who loses her mother and finds love from a group of women beekeepers and their honey bees. Woven throughout the book are messages about love and strength along with tidbits about how honey bees function and the mystery of beekeeping. My curiosity about bees continued to grow each time I reread the book.
Fast forward 11 years and two children later, I registered for the “Beekeeping for the Hobbyist” course at the University of Manitoba in 2014. The course was filled with great information and my passion grew, but I didn’t feel ready to manage my own hives afterwards.
I joined the Red River Apiarists’ Association and immediately met my mentor, Ted Scheuneman. His philosophy was, “You have to think like a bee. It is our job as beekeepers to figure out what the bees intend to do and then help them get it done.” He was a bee-whisperer, a brilliant bee-engineer, so wise and kind — he genuinely cared about the life of each and every bee.
I learned from Ted for over a year before buying my first two nucs from him that following spring of 2016, after a healing trip to remember my mom in Guatemala.
As you can imagine, there are many stories that came out of that trip, but related to this one was the day I spent learning about bees from two amazing women near Lago Atitlan. It filled my soul and got me excited to start this adventure with my bees.
Since then I’ve learned about bees in India, Mexico, the United States and across Manitoba and Canada. I’ve taken courses, watched videos, joined webinars, studied research papers and absorbed just about anything I could find about the fascinating world of honey bees.
Most recently, I completed the Master Beekeeping program at Cornell University — an 18-month series of modules with courses including Evolution, Biology & Behaviour, Science & Art of Beekeeping, Managing Pests & Diseases and the Rewards & Contributions of Beekeeping.
It’s really my bees who taught me the most over the past 10 years though. I genuinely love them! I enjoy every minute of caring for them (especially queen rearing) and sharing what I know with other beekeepers. As mentors, it’s important to share about both our successes and challenges in the bee yard, especially when it comes to pests and diseases.
My PS Honey Intern Program is a perfect way for newer beekeepers to learn and connect with the beekeeping community in a reciprocal way. You get hands-on experience with the bees in exchange for your time helping me with jobs related to bees (extracting, jarring, labelling, equipment assembly etc.). And as a beekeeper, these skills are important to know too!
I find that the key to everything is to keep an open mind, stay humble and always be willing to learn. Ted said he was still learning when he passed away at the age of 94. The lessons that we, as humans, can learn from the bees are never ending. They are equals in the hive. No judgement. No comparing. No opinions of each other based on color or looks. Every bee does its job to the best of its ability and always for the good of the whole hive.
The bees know how to work together as a community to get things done. My mom did too. Let’s all follow their lead!
Beeyard Basics: The Importance of Good Nutrition: Carbs and Protein
This time of year is tough for the bees and they often need a helping hand to hang on a little longer until we see that first big flow of nectar and pollen.
As beekeepers we need to be checking our hives when the weather lets up to see if they are short on supplies and require that boost to make it through to the finish line, which often comes when we see the first sightings of dandelions, crocus and willows.
Understanding the principles behind good nutrition helps anticipate colony needs. Adequate nutrition allows for healthy brood, well-functioning immune systems and storage of food for times of shortage.
For spring nutrition purposes, we basically need to know that brood and young bees require a protein-rich diet, while older bees feed mainly on carbs. Pollen and nectar from spring blossoms are better than any substitutes, but until this is available, we can reduce nutritional stress by supplementing.
Nectar provides bees with their carbs and feeding bees their own honey saved from a previous year is ideal. Another good substitute is a light 1:1 mix of sugar water. There are various methods to feed them including bucket feeding, frame feeders and more. There are many options on what and how to feed your bees substitutes for nectar, so it’s best to do proper research and figure out what works for your bee yard.
Pollen provides honey bees with their protein and can kickstart a colony’s brood production to build their strength for summer. Pollen is the sole source of amino acids in the honey bee diet and we shouldn’t hesitate to use pollen supplements if there is a chance our bees might need them.
You can save and store pollen from a previous year, make your own pollen patties or buy from a local apiary or bee store. Again, the choices for ingredients and quality are limitless and you need to sort out what makes you the most comfortable for your colonies.
All-in-all, research shows that well-fed colonies with balanced diets have the edge over those with nutritionally deficient diets. A healthy immune system helps honey bees fight off the many growing threats including pathogens, parasites and other disease.
Getting a handle on your mite count is also of the utmost importance this time of year – but that’s a whole other story! Fingers crossed for good overwinter success, I myself and feeling very nervous for my bees! Here to a great 2025 bee season.
Tips and Tools: Create a 2025 Beekeeping Calendar
Creating an annual beekeeping calendar is a great tool to help you organize and plan ahead for the busy bee season!
My 2025 calendar outlines yearly goals for the apiary along with a monthly summary of what the bees are up to and beekeeping jobs needed to stay on top of colony health ie. what to look for during inspections, general nutrition and pests and diseases you should be on the look out for.
It includes a monthly snapshot of weather patterns and what is typically available for the bees to forage on at that time. There are also reminders of other tasks in the bee yard along with some tips, tricks and resources to help stay on stop of things.
If you are interested in having a PDF of my 2025 beekeeping calendar, simply send an email to prairiesweethearthoney@gmail.com and I’ll pass along the link. By doing this, you will be subscribing to my upcoming emails this bee season, which will include more tips and tricks in the bee yard!
*Huge sidenote — the bees (and the weather) have their own plans and they like theirs better than yours — so although it’s great to have a plan, you must be prepared to roll with the punches and flip things on a dime.
Buzzworthy:
Upcoming Speaking Opportunities
I’m so excited to be a speaker for two of my favourite organizations, Direct Farm Manitoba (DFM) and the Red River Apiarists’ Association (RRAA)!
On Saturday, March 1st, Phil “The Beeman” Velduis and I will be having a conversation about how we got started in the world of beekeeping and what goes into managing our different-sized apiaries at the DFM Marketing Conference in Morden, MB. There’s even a music jam happening on the Friday night!
Then on Tuesday, April 8th, I’ll be part of a RRAA panel discussion with three other beekeepers to talk about the ins and outs of managing colonies – we’ll chat about our bee yard equipment, inspections, monitoring practices, treatments and more. Should be interesting because remember, for every question you ask four beekeepers, you get 20 answers! Hahah.
I’m mostly looking forward to the connections and sense of community with lots of listening, sharing and feeling inspired — I hope to come away with new ideas and new friends.
Limited 2024 Honey Still Available
This honey is the best on the planet! What else can you expect when our bees like to forage from places like Assiniboine Forest, Assiniboine Park, Assiniboine River, the Leo Mol Gardens, Canada’s Diversity Gardens and other nearby sources. It’ll have you drooling for more.
Our craft collection features creamed and naturally flavoured honey with creamed, cinnamon creamed, ginger creamed, lemon creamed, saskatoon creamed and hot & spicy. Get it while you can!
Simply CLICK HERE to order online.
If you prefer to pay by etransfer or cash for any items, please send an email to prairiesweethearthoney@gmail.com with your order and we’ll sort out the details.
Bees, Bees, Bees: 2025 Spring Nucs Available
These strong, healthy, five-frame nucs will give you a great start to the bee season. Our five-frame nucleus colonies will include a robust laying queen from the previous season, three frames of brood and bees and two frames of bees and feed.
Combing Soon: Intern Experience
Come experience the world of bees through a reciprocal exchange program this summer. This unique experience provides hands-on learning in the bee yard in exchange for work related to bees.
If you are interested in participating or learning more, please send an email to prairiesweethearthoney@gmail.com.
Book Your Honey Bee School Presentations Early!
Education is my passion! I love sharing about the life cycle of the honey bee, the important role they play in our environment and the amazing ways they communicate and work together to get things done. We can learn so much from the bees.
My buzzworthy news is that my observation hive was a hit this year! It’s been amazing to be able to safely bring live bees to my presentations! Let’s see how fast you can find the queen.
Presentations are available for schools, garden clubs, senior centres, bee clubs, businesses and more. Prices vary depending on topic, audience, location and length of time.
Book now if you’re interested as there are select dates available. Simply contact Rebecca at prairiesweethearthoney@gmail.com or 204-391-4765.
Sweet Beesus: Recipes Dripping with Goodness
PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP FROZEN YOGURT BARS
- 1 1/2 cups of Greek yogurt (Plain, vanilla or capacino)
- 1/2 cup of peanut butter
- 1/4 cup of PS Honey
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix Greek yogurt, peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract and chocolate chips until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a lined baking dish or silicone mold.
- Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top, if using.
- Freeze for at least four hours or until firm.
- Once frozen, cut into bars or squares and gobble up immediately.
Source: My friend Jen’s Recipe
Bees in Guatemala: Laughter is Good for the Soul
Now I’ll take you back to March 2016 when I visited an apiary in the Lago Atitlan area of Guatemala.
I took an early ferry from Santiago Atitlan to Pueblo a Pueblo’s office in the town of San Lucas, Toliman. Pueblo a Pueblo is a not-for-profit organization committed to improving the health, education, and food security of communities in Guatemala through integrated community-based programs.
Genaro, Pueblo a Pueblo’s Organic School Gardens and Beekeeping Project Technician, was there to greet me at 8am and it didn’t take long before we were in the truck driving down the winding road to the small village of Pampojila.
Once we arrived, we met up with Filipa and Ana. These two ladies were part of the original Pampojila farmers, a 2013 pilot program that provided the group with training, support, and the tools needed to initiate beekeeping and production of cooperative honey, diversifying their source of income and allowing them to better provide for their needs and those of their families.
We hiked to the apiary with some light conversation along the way and by the time we arrived they had warmed up to me. We shared quite the laugh as they were getting dressed in their gear and lighting their smokers because Ana couldn’t do up the buttons on her shirt. It’s one of my favourite videos to this day!
Felipa had no previous experience with beekeeping when she joined—she only knew that, as a widow raising five children alone, it may be the only way she could afford to keep her children in school. When I asked if she liked working with bees, she gave a hearty laugh and told me she didn’t like it at all, but it helps put food on the table and allows her to take care of her family.
To begin with, we visited the native stingless bees, Cabeza Negra and Castrigona. These bees produce small amounts of honey and are known as a source of medicinal products. Genero was very passionate about these native pollinators and was in discussions with the local government to help protect them. He was also advocating to have these native bees officially recognized as a type of bee that produces honey.
Like our honey bees, they are social and form colonies with a queen and workers, many of which collect nectar from various flowers before bringing it back home to churn into honey. Honey isn’t stored in wax cells, but instead is stored in little “pots” that are located around a central nest of brood comb. Larvae aren’t fed by nurses, instead an egg is laid among a store of honey and pollen and then the cell is sealed. The Maya would keep them in hollow logs with mud plugs on the ends, then remove the plugs to harvest the honey stored at the outside of the nest. Genaro said the stingless bees are pickier than their European counterparts about what flowers they visit, making them important for keeping the tropical forests healthy.
Their honey is different, containing more water — you would probably drink it as opposed to eating it with a spoon. It had a bit of a medicinal odor and very unique taste that’s hard to describe. Sweet medicine? It’s also more difficult to extract, with only a couple of litres produced per year. As their name implies, they lack stingers and are generally less aggressive than honey bees, making them easier to raise and often are tended to by children.
This native Mayan pollinator is in serious danger of dying out. Populations have declined with deforestation and beekeepers are less frequently passing on their traditions to younger generations as they move to cities.
We left the stingless crew behind and made our way to the Apis Melifera. I was giddy with excitement as this was just before I installed my first two nucs later that spring. I could hardly wait to get some hands-on learning. And they didn’t disappoint!
They thought it was so funny how enthusiastic I was to work with the bees. They were so patient and happy to show me what they were looking for including larva, capped brood and we even found the queen! My questions were basic as I didn’t know enough about our own season to ask them about differences in theirs!
All in all, I was awestruck at the strength of these women who work so hard to provide for their families, and they seemed to do it with a smile on their faces and a few belly laughs along the way. The Pampojila farmers group named itself “Aj Tikonel Kab’,” Kakchiquel for “Harvester of Honey.” Although the project focuses on beekeeping and honey production, it also teaches transferable skills like management and teamwork, accounting, price setting, marketing, and investing for future growth.
Today, the group manages itself and its own honey production initiave, separate from Pueblo a Pueblo. Felipa, Ana, Genaro, and others from the original Pampojila group have been sharing their knowledge and training other farmers in neighbouring communities.
I asked Ana what she felt about the project and she said, “This project helped us all work together, something that was new for many of us. We have learned how to develop a wonderful group that is supportive of each other and other communities.”
This web of caring communication and mutual encouragement will only grow stronger as the group continues to work together and shares their knowledge with others.