The colonies are about as crowded as they will be all year working sunup to sundown. This week we counted heads inside the hive, clocked just how fast a forager really flies, and pulled a couple of products into the spotlight worth keeping on hand as summer winds down.
How Many Bees Live in a Single Hive?
A healthy summer colony has thousands of bees in tight quarters, but numbers shift with seasons. Summer is peak but they dwindle as it cools. Late-summer “fat bees” store reserves to survive a Duluth winter. The colony slows brood rearing as temperatures drop. In mid-August, hives are fullest and busiest with foraging, honey production, and constant bee traffic. They’re also more irritable. Bees appearing to squabble are usually practicing trophallaxis which is mouth-to-mouth nectar sharing. Check out the videos our beekeeper Mark captured!
Why Pollinators Matter More Than You Think
Many plants we depend on can’t reproduce without pollinators moving pollen between blooms. No pollinators means no seeds, and no seeds means no next generation. That chain reaches our grocery carts, since most fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds exist only because bees or other pollinators did the work first. Supporting local beekeepers and planting pollinator-friendly flowers helps not just bees, but the food supply we all rely on! Duluth is in zone 4. You can check which zone you’re in and plan ahead for next spring’s gardening season to support your local bee population!
Bug Balm and Vanessa’s Hanging Pockets
Itchy bug bites are NO FUN, and our Bug Balm is built to shut them down. It is a tube of jojoba oil, beeswax, lanolin, and vitamin E infused with a higher concentration of lavender and peppermint essential oils for targeted treatment on angry bites. Lavender is naturally anti-inflammatory and helps calm the itch, while peppermint delivers a cooling effect that brings fast relief. The beeswax, jojoba, and lanolin create a protective barrier over the bite so the vitamin E can get to work healing. If you are spending any time outdoors this summer, it is worth having on hand. Grab a tube online, or find us at the market on Wednesdays and Saturdays, where you can also pick from Vanessa’s many different varieties of hanging pockets! She’s always finding the coolest new patterns throughout the year!
Back to School Box
Heading into a new school year? Our Back to School Box is available online only for $19.99, and it is a tidy little kit for easing into the season. The box is built around our Bee Calm Aromatherapy Chest Rub, featuring eucalyptus, lavender, and peppermint essential oils that help ease breathing, soothe the nerves, and make those hard-to-wind-down nights a little more manageable. You get to choose the beeswax lip balm to protect against the shift in weather that always comes with a new school year, plus a bar of our beeswax soap that actually makes hand washing feel like less of a chore. Rounding it all out is a 3 oz jar of our raw honey to stir into tea when the sniffles hit. Everything arrives packaged in a gift box and ships right to your door. No coupon needed, and it is available through the rest of August.
Thank you, Duluth!
We’ve got Chester Bowl coming up! This year we’ve partnered with Chester Bowl Fall Fest and we’re featured on their website! Go take a look and save the date!
Thanks for reading!
Stay sweet,
Miel Duluth
