How We Prepare For Honey-Making Season In Toronto
Our apiary is a hidden gem nestled on the highest plain of the city, where over 10,000 Italian bees work tirelessly to produce the liquid gold we all love—honey. As spring rolls around, it's time for us to roll up our sleeves and get the hives buzzing with activity. Which got to us thinking…what if we shared our honey-making checklist?
Here’s what we do every spring time!
Hive Inspections
The first order of business in spring is to conduct thorough inspections of each hive. We carefully examine the frames, looking for signs of disease, pest infestations, and the overall health of the colony. This is also a great opportunity to assess the strength of the hive and determine if any maintenance or repairs are needed.
Feeding
Spring can be a challenging time for bees as they emerge from winter hibernation with depleted food stores. To give our bees a nutritional boost, we provide them with supplemental feeding. This ensures they have enough energy to forage for nectar and pollen as flowers begin to bloom across the city.
Hive Expansion
As the colony grows in size, we need to accommodate their needs by adding additional hive boxes. This creates more space for the bees to store honey and raise brood, preventing overcrowding and swarming—a natural instinct of bees to establish new colonies.
Queen Management
The queen bee plays a pivotal role in the hive, laying thousands of eggs each day to sustain the colony. In spring, we closely monitor the queen's performance and may introduce a new queen if necessary to maintain a healthy and productive hive.
Pest Control
With the warmer weather comes the resurgence of pests like varroa mites and hive beetles, which can wreak havoc on bee colonies if left unchecked. We implement integrated pest management strategies to keep these invaders at bay, using techniques such as drone brood removal and natural predators like nematodes.
Pollinator Support
As advocates for pollinator conservation, we take pride in providing a sanctuary for our bees amidst the urban landscape of Toronto. We plant bee-friendly flowers and herbs around the apiary, ensuring our bees have access to a diverse range of pollen and nectar sources.
Harvest Preparation
While the honey-making season is still a few months away, it's never too early to start preparing for the harvest. We clean and sterilize our honey extraction equipment, readying it for the sweet bounty that awaits us in the summer months.
Our focus may be great design and stellar video production but we also see ourselves as stewards of the land, fostering a symbiotic relationship between bees and humans while promoting environmental sustainability. The next time you enjoy a taste of our locally-sourced honey, just know that it's also our sweet labour of love.