Product Related

 

Q: Do you sell larger containers than 1 pint canning jars?
A: I do sell by the quart and half-gallon!  I can also sell in larger quantities by the pound.  Contact me if you are interested.

 

Q: Do you sell beeswax?
A: I have small amounts of beeswax available for things like sewing, but I do not have the quantities needed for making candles and the like.  If you are interested in a small amount, contact me!

 

Q: Do you sell honey in comb?

A: I do not currently sell honey in the comb, but it is something I'm thinking about doing in the future.  If you'd be interested, let me know!

 

Q: Do you have hot honey for sale?
A: Sorry, I do not prepare hot honey for sale.

 

Q: Do you have whipped honey for sale?
A: Sorry, I do not prepare whipped honey for sale.

 

Q: What is the difference between the varieties of honey you have?
A: The variety of honey is determined by what is producing the nectar that be bees forage in order to make the honey.  Ultimately, nectar from different plants produces different colors and different tastes of honey.

 

Q: Why don't you have Manuka, Orange Blossom, etc. honey?
A: I sell only honey that I have personally gathered from my own bees, which means it is all local to Central Pennsylvania (unless otherwise specified).  If the plants don't grow here, I don't have honey made from them.

 

Q: Why glass jars instead of bears?
A: I use glass canning jars so that they can be returned to be reused (there is a discount for that!) or for you to keep to reuse.  This avoids adding more plastic to the environment!

 

Q: What is the 4-digit number stamped on your jars?
A: The 4-digit number stamped on my jars is a code that indicates from where and when it was collected.  Mostly, that's for me own use, but if there is a particular honey that you love, note the code and let me know!

 

Q: How do I know what variety of honey?
A: In my area, we have fairly distinct periods of "flow," which is when nectar is plentiful and the bees are bringing in plenty of it to make excess honey.  During those times, I track what is blooming and put "supers" on the colonies where the bees place that excess.  I can then take the supers off when the blooms stop, giving me a good idea of what nectars went into the honey.  In May the Black Locust tree (a species native to the Northeast) produces beautiful strings of white flowers from which the bees make light, sweet, and floral-tasting honey.  In June, there are a lot of flowers blooming everywhere, which becomes Wildflower honey.  In July, various clovers are the primary bloomers.  August and into September are slow, but late in September Goldenrod and Asters can have very strong blooms, producing darker and robust honey.

 

Q: Do you collect honey all year-round?
A: Humans collect honey from bees only when they are producing in excess of what they need to maintain their colony, and they can only do that when there are plenty of flowers blooming to provide nectar.  In my area, I collect roughly once in May, once in June, once in July, and once in October.  This corresponds to strong blooms of black locust and dandelion, wildflowers, clover, and glodenrod and aster.

 

Q: Do you put honey in your self-serve Honey Hutch in the winter?
A: Believe it or not, while honey gets quite hard at low temperatures, it doesn't actually freeze!  So yes, I keep honey in my Honey Hutch for sale year-round.

 

Q: Do you sell crystallized honey?
A: I do have crystallized honey that I sell, but I don't typically provide it for resellers or put it in my hutch for the simple reason that most people prefer to buy it when it is liquid.  If you'd like to grab it crystallized already, contact me and I'll make sure some is available!

 

Q: How long does honey keep?
A: As long as the honey has below about 18.5% water content, it will last indefinitely.  I ensure my honey is below 17%, which ensures that it does not ferment.  It is therefore typically more flavorful and thicker than most other producers.  All honey will eventually crystallize, and raw honey sooner than processed honey; but be assured that crystallized honey is not bad, it's just in another form!

 

Q: How do I de-crystallize honey?
A: All honey will crystallize, and raw honey will crystallize sooner than processed honey.  To de-crystallize and maintain the rawness of the honey, simply place the jar in a warm (not hot!) water bath not warmer than 110 degrees Farenheit.  It may take a couple of hours, but it will eventually liquify.  If you are not concerned about maintaining the rawness of the honey, you can microwave it, but be sure to watch for hot-spots where the honey will burn.

 

Bee/Honey Related

 

Q: Do you get stung tending bees?

A: Yes, regularly.  Mostly it is my own fault!  I've yet to meet a beekeeper that doesn't get stung, I think because there is no such thing.

 

Q: How many bees do you have?
A: I maintain approximately 20 colonies, though that number usually is a little lower in the late winter.  During winter, the population of each colony drops below 10,000 but it surges to about 50,000 mid-summer.  So at mid-summer, I may be resposible for about 1 million bees!

 

Q: Where are your bees located?
A: As of March 2026, I have 4 apiaries, or "yards" where I keep bees.  One is in Fairview (south of State College), one is near Shingletown Gap, one near Oak Hall, and one further north near Romola.  I also have a 5th apiary at the farm of a good friend of mine in Western New York state near Mayville.

 

Q: What does "raw, pure" honey mean?
A: Typical store-bought honey is pasteurized to remove the possibility of fermentation- that means it is heated up enough to kill any yeasts present in the honey.  At the same time, it is put through a filter press to remove any solids, such as pollen particles, to clarify the honey.  Any honey that isn't marked "pure" also likely has alternative sweeteners added to it, such as corn syrup.  "Raw" means that the honey hasn't been pasteurized and therefore not fully filtered, and "Pure" means that there are no additional ingredients in the honey.

 

Q: What does "local" mean?
A: "Local" in this case means LOCAL- as in my honey is produced and packaged right here in Central PA (maybe even in your neighborhood).  The only exception is honey from my apiary in Mayville, NY; but then you know where that comes from too!

 

Q: Will your honey help my allergies?
A: I am no doctor and cannot make medical claims or recommendations.  I have lots of people tell me that they feel better when using my honey.  Who am I to disagree?

 

Q: Why does your honey crystallize?
A: All honey crystallizes, eventually.  After all, it's a super-saturated sugar solution.  Raw honey tends to crystallize fairly soon (weeks to months after extraction) due to the fact that it still has pollen residue in it that provides plenty nucleation sites (places where the sugar compounds can collect to form the first nucleus of a crystal).  The various types are sugar in the raw honey are also not controlled by me, so some varieties crystallize faster than others.

 

Business Related

 

Q: Do you sell wholesale?
A: Yes!  Please contact me if you are interested in using my honey in retail products or in reselling.

 

Q: Where can I get your honey?
A: As of March 2026, you can buy my honey at my self-service Honey Hutch and at the following local retail shops: Cafe Lemont, Tait Farm Harvest Shop, The Cheese Shoppe, Belle Merchantile, and Maine Bay and Berry.

 

Q: Do you sell your honey online?
A: At this time, I only sell at my Honey Hutch and in several local retail shops.

 

Q: Do you participate in local markets?
A: I am not currently at any of the local farmer's markets, but I do participate in some pop-up markets.  In the past these have included Rooted Farmstead, Wreathfest at Axemann, the Central PA Festival of the Arts, and the University Wine Company.  I post on Instagram and here on the website when I will be at local events!