Resources

Health Benefits of Local Raw (Unpasteurized) Honey

  • Helps with Seasonal Allergies
  • Carries Antibacterial Properties
  • Anti microbial
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Anti-fungal
  • It Can Help Lower Blood Pressure
  • Helps Improve Cholesterol
  • Can Lower Triglycerides
  • Promotes Burn and Wound Healing
  • Can Help Suppress Coughs in Children
  • Immune Boosting
  • Rich in Antioxidants
  • Help digestive issues
  • Prebiotic
  • Soothe a sore throat

 

Fireweed Honey - what makes it so special?

Here’s an introduction to our favourite specialty honey, Raw Fireweed Honey! Lots of people don’t know about it and it deserves more attention for how remarkable it is.

The Champagne of Honey, Fireweed Honey, is renowned for its fine flavour and medicinal properties. We believe fireweed honey can provide our community an alternative premium honey to the costly manuka honey. Did you know the following about Fireweed Honey?

  • Raw Fireweed Honey is very smooth, it does not require excessive processing to be drizzled on fruits and pancakes, stirred into beverages, or spread on bread
  • light, approachable complexion, easy flavour and appealing aroma make it everyone’s favourite, especially for children who may be intimidated by new foods
  • crystallizes much slower than other honey varieties. The fructose/glucose ratio of fireweed honey resulted in its tendency to crystallize very slowly or stay in a liquid state. Even when crystallized, fireweed honey becomes an even lighter colour, displaying the natural beauty and purity of this raw mono-floral honey.
  • the fireweed is a wild plants that help regenerate an ecosystem. They revegetate depleted lands, providing a nursery for slower-growing plants until those plants outcompete them.
  • because these plants are wild, they are arguably better than organic crops!
  • Difficult to produce. Fireweed grows in very specific environments: cool climates (i.e. Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe) and only after the destruction of a forest (e.g. forest fires and clear cuttings). Beekeepers are forced to scout out many sites for the best location to plant their beehives for the season for a good harvest. Since fireweed is often found in remote forest regions, beekeepers may have to protect the hives from bears. The many complications in producing fireweed honey affects the price setting for this premium honey.
  • Very potent in its ability as health and beauty supplements. Fireweed honey is used in skincare products for its anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties. Antimicrobial activities of honey come from features such as its acidity (low pH), high sugar concentration, and presence of bacteriostatic and bactericidal compounds. Besides healing burns and wounds, raw honey may reduce the duration and severity various ailments, including pollen allergies and colds and cough symptoms (everyone’s tried-and-true method!)

Disclaimer: should be consumed in moderation to avoid high blood-level related health issues. Those who are allergic to bees/bee-products as well as infants should not consume honey.

 

Blueberry Honey

Taken from the tiny white flowers of the blueberry bush, the nectar makes a honey which is typically light amber in colour and with a full, well-rounded flavour. Blueberry Honey has one of the highest levels of Anti-oxidants.

Why does honey crystallize? 

You know when honey gets hard and granular tasting? It has not gone bad. It is actually the natural preservation process of honey. Honey will never expire. It was found in tombs in Egypt and was still edible. Crystallization happens over time or if honey is cooled (so don't store your honey in the fridge). Honey should be stored at room temperature. It is possible to get honey back to liquid form... no not the microwave, as this will pasteurize it (killing all of the good things). You can place it in a pot of hot water up to 100 degrees. I usually use a turkey thermometer to keep track. It is a slower process, but it ensures you maintain all of honey's health benefits.

Buyers Beware - common grocery store honey

When buying honey from the grocery store, most times it has been altered and only just resembles honey. It is usually pasteurized (good for some things, but definitely not honey) This means it has been heated past 120 degrees. This process kills everything including all of the health benefits listed above. Another thing that is very common, is it can also have rice or corn syrup added to 'water it down' and make it stretch further. I recommend watching a great series on Netflix called Rotten. Episode 1 is all about the honey industry.

We recommend knowing where your honey comes from. Your local beekeeper. Golden Meadows Honey Farm is our family apiary. All of our honey in our store comes from our bees. We harvest our Blueberry honey in June and in July we go out to get Fireweed Honey which we harvest August. 

Disclaimer: This information is not intended to replace medical advice, nor is it recommended for people to stop their prescribed medication(s). The information written on this page is intended for general purposes

 

Fun Facts About Honeybees:

  • One bee makes 1 tablespoon of honey in its lifetime
  • The reason bees are so noisy is because they beat their wings over 11,000 times in one minute
  • Bee produce 2-3 times more honey than they need - they are hoarders which means we are able to take some of their honey without hurting the colony
  • Bees know their own hive by the colour as well as the pheromone that their specific queen releases
  • Bees have a heightened sense of smell - because they don’t have a nose, they smell through their antennae, feet and tongue
  • Eating honey makes you smarter! It has an antioxidant that improves brain function
  • The Honey Bee is the only insect that makes food humans can eat
  • Bees can recognizes faces
  • Royal jelly is what is given to a fertilized egg to make it a queen

What You Can Do To Help:

  • Plant bee friendly/ pollinator flowers - check with your local garden centre - make seed bombs
  • Keep all the dandelions
  • Create a safe water source -  Bee Bath
  • Avoid using pesticides
  • Buy local honey - Support your local beekeeper!

Resources For Beekeepers

Everything you'll need!

Bee Clubs

 

North Fraser Bee Club

Date: 4th Monday of each Month

Time: 7:30-9pm

Location: Grow & Gather Garden Center

24565 Dewdney Trunk Road

Maple Ridge

Website: www.northfraserhoneybeeclub.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NorthFraserBeeClub/

 

Langley Bee Club

Date: 1st Tuesday of each month Sept - June

Time: 7:30pm

Location: OAP Hall

3015 273 St

Aldergrove BC

Website: www.langleybeeclub.org

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/langleybeeclub/

This club also has Beers & Bees Meetups

 

Burnaby Bee Club

Date: 2nd Monday of each month

Time: 7-9pm

Location: Burnaby Neighbourhood House

4460 Beresford St

Burnaby

Email: jbobic@telus.net

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BurnabyBeekeepersAssociation/

 

Surrey Beekeepers Association

Date: 3rd Wednesday of each Month Sept - July

Time: 7:00pm

Location: The Honeybee Centre

7480 176 St

Surrey

Email: bees@surreybeeclub.ca 

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SurreyBee/

 

Richmond Beekeepers Association

Date: 2nd Tuesday of each month Sept - June

Time: 7:30

Location: Kinsmen Nature Pavilion

11851 Westminster Hwy

Richmond

Website: www.richmondbeekeepers.ca

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/richmondbees/

This club also has Beers & Bees Meet-ups monthly

 

Chilliwack Bee Club

Date: 4th Wednesday of each Month

Time: 7-8:30pm

Meeting Location: The Chilliwack Library

45860 First Ave

Chilliwack

Email: chilliwackbeekeepers@gmail.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/117662245086717/

 

North Shore Bee Club

Website: http://northshorebeekeepingclub.weebly.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NorthShoreBeeClub/

 

Squamish Beekeepers

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/946974365362202/

 

Mason Bee Course

Here is the Free Mason Bee Course recording! It was our first zoom recording 😉 so it isn't flawless, but you can hear every word Dennis says!

Recorded Zoom Call - Mar 30 2022

 

How to Instal Bee Packages

To see videos, please click on the link below:

*Note: Leave the queen in the cage for 2-4 days

New Zealand-Arataki Packages - 2020

Australian-Tasmanian Packages - 2020

Australian-Tasmanian Packages - 2021

 

Winterizing your Bees

We carry everything you will need for helping your bees survive the winter months. Feel free to come on in and talk to us about what you can do to give your bees their best chance.

Here are some tips:

1. Your bees should be wrapped up by the end of October
They should be Disease Free, Warm, Dry and Fed


2. Ensure your bees are disease free
Making sure your bees are healthy before going into winter is crucial. Check for Varroa Mites as well as Nozema.
Here are some products that can help:

Apivar
Apivar
CA$48.95 - CA$194.95
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Oxalic Acid
Oxalic Acid
CA$6.25 - CA$23.50
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Oxalic Acid Heilyser Vaporizer
Oxalic Acid Heilyser Vaporizer
CA$129.95
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Nozevit +
Nozevit +
CA$28.95 - CA$294.95
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3. They should be Warm
Bees do a really good job at maintaining a warm 
temperature in their hive during the colder months. But if we can, let's give them a helping hand. Here are some suggestions: Make sure your entrance reducer is on the smallest opening. Insulation and/or wrapping your hives. Also, ensure that they are not in a windy area.
 
Wintering Hive Wraps (Bee Cozy)
Wintering Hive Wraps (Bee Cozy)
CA$21.95 - CA$26.95
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Wintering Inner Cover
Wintering Inner Cover
CA$27.95
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Insulation
Insulation
CA$2.00
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3. They should be Dry
It is one thing to keep them warm, but if they have excess humidity in their hive, it makes it very 
difficult to regulate the temperature in the hive. Tipping the hive forward slightly allows any of the built up moisture run out the entrance. We recommend adding a quilt box and adding an organic material like wood pellets to help to absorb the moisture.
Quilt Box
Quilt Box
CA$36.95
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4. They should be Fed
Ideally your hives should have enough honey stores to last them through the season. But more 
often then not, they run out of food or the cluster is to far from the food source. A great way to ensure they don't starve is to supplement feed. Here are some things we carry that can help with feeding:
Candy Board
Candy Board
CA$27.95
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Apipasta Fondant with Vitamins
Apipasta Fondant with Vitamins
CA$7.25 - CA$104.95
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Apipasta Plus
Apipasta Plus
CA$5.95 - CA$154.95
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Pollen Patties (Global Patties)
Pollen Patties (Global Patties)
CA$4.00 - CA$140.00
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Click Here For Full List of our Wintering Products