August is here, and with it comes the fullest, busiest stretch of the season for our bees and for us. This week we went back in time to explore where bees came from, followed a forager across miles of Duluth neighborhoods, and pulled one of our quieter products into the spotlight. Here’s everything we covered.

Where Did Bees Come From?

We kicked off the week with a question that takes us back over 100 million years. Bees evolved from ancient predatory wasps during the Cretaceous period, gradually trading hunting for flower visits as they developed a taste for nectar and pollen. The oldest known bee fossil, preserved in amber, dates back roughly 100 million years, meaning bees shared the planet with dinosaurs long before humans entered the picture. From those early ancestors, they diversified into more than 20,000 species found on every continent except Antarctica. Here in Duluth, we work with the Western honeybee, the same species humans have kept for thousands of years, but it never gets old remembering just how long these creatures have been perfecting their craft.

How Far Will a Bee Fly?

A single forager can travel up to three miles from the hive on a single trip, which means every colony’s foraging territory covers roughly 18,000 acres. Our Duluth bees visit flowers across entire neighborhoods, parks, hillside wildflowers, and backyard gardens all in one afternoon. A strong forager will make a dozen or more flights per day, visiting 50 to 100 flowers each run, navigating by the sun, landmarks, and even the Earth’s magnetic field. When she gets home, she performs the waggle dance to share exact directions with her sisters. All of that effort and all of those miles for the tiny drops of nectar that eventually become the honey in your jar.

The Wood Finish You Didn’t Know You Needed

Saturday we put the spotlight on our Wood Finish, a product that exists because a customer asked for it. It’s a straightforward blend of mineral oil and beeswax that conditions and protects natural wood surfaces, from cutting boards and butcher blocks to wooden spoons and furniture. Two ingredients, no chemicals, no synthetic coatings. A thin layer rubbed in and buffed out brings out the natural grain and creates a water-resistant barrier that keeps moisture from doing damage. It’s one of those products people tend to overlook until they try it, and then it becomes a kitchen staple.

Lip Balm Five Pack: A Gift That Fits Anywhere

We also featured the Lip Balm Five Pack at the market this week. Choose any five flavors from our lineup, each made with pure beeswax, honey, jojoba oil, lanolin, and vitamin E. At $19.49 for the pack, you’re getting one balm free compared to buying individually. It fits in a birthday card, a college care package, or your own back pocket. 

The Air You Breathe: Why Beeswax Candles Are Different

Here’s something worth knowing about the candles in your home. Most candles on the market are made from paraffin, a petroleum byproduct that can release chemicals like toluene and benzene when burned. Beeswax candles are a completely different story. When 100% beeswax burns, it releases negative ions into the air. Those negative ions attach to positively charged particles like dust, pollen, mold spores, and other airborne pollutants, effectively neutralizing them and helping them settle out of the air you’re breathing. The result is a cleaner room with a warm, natural glow that closely resembles sunlight, and virtually no soot. Our Beeswax Candles are unscented because we don’t add fragrance to them. The subtle, sweet aroma comes entirely from the wax itself, which carries the natural scent of the hive and the honey that was once stored in it. If you’ve ever wondered why a room feels different when a beeswax candle is burning, now you know. It’s not just ambiance. It’s chemistry working in your favor.

Thank You, Duluth

Every week we get to share what we love about bees, honey, and the products we make by hand, and every week your curiosity and support remind us why we do it. Thank you for reading, for stopping by the booth, and for choosing to support a local family of beekeepers. We’ll see you at the market!

Stay sweet,
Miel Duluth