Welcome To Brittany Beehives Apiary!
Wisconsin, USA
A Non-Commercial Hobby Apiary
See 2002 honey production from start to finish
with our Year In The Life Of A Hive!
Products
of over 125 12-oz. bottles... all from just a single hive!
In 2002, we expanded to two hives.
Scroll down to read fun bee facts and find a recipe!
Named for our two Brittany dogs, Victoria and Winchester, Brittany Beehives Apiary was established in 1999.
Our happy honeybees harvest pollen and nectar from local wildflower sources in beautiful Southeastern Wisconsin.
Our bees are gentle and sweet, and they make sweet wildflower honey to prove it! The bees live in a small orchard with apple, pear, and cherry trees, surrounded by raspberries and grapes. They drink the fresh water we provide each day from a poultry waterer, and in the afternoons the shade from a giant tree helps cool the hive.
It's fun to sit near the hive and watch the lady workers take off and come in for landings - it's busier than O'Hare Airport! Sometimes they'll even take a break and land on us for a short visit - you can see the pollen baskets on their hind legs filled with yellow, red, or orange pollen, fresh from local wildflowers.
Our yard is certified by the National Wildlife Federation as a backyard wildlife habitat.
We are reintroducing native Wisconsin prairie plants, and try to use no chemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides. We have allowed more than half of our property to "grow wild," while culling invasive, non-native species such as honeysuckle. Our property is home to bluebirds, tree swallows, a marmot, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, a northern harrier (hawk), bluejays, cardinals, finches, woodpeckers (downy and red-headed), orioles, hummingbirds, and beautiful insects and plants.
Fun Bee Facts!
Did you know...
- Male bees have no stingers? They also don't do any work (well, except for helping the queen to make eggs... but that's not really work... though, they do DIE in the process!)
- Worker (female) bees live only about 6 weeks, and can travel up to 6 miles.
- Worker bees can sting only once, and so are reluctant to do so. We handle our bees without gloves, and they just go about their business.
- Queen bees live up to 4 years and can sting more than once. A queen lays 1,500 to 2,000 eggs a day.
- A bee can carry its own weight in nectar and pollen and still fly.
- Bees tell each other how to get to nectar sources by doing a little dance. Researchers have created a robot bee that can communicate with real bees.
- Bees air-condition the hive in summer by bringing in water and then fanning their wings.
- Bees are really cute and fun to watch!
Honey Cookie Recipe
Here is a honey recipe from Jody, the Wisconsin Honey Queen.2 C. Honey
2 C. White Sugar
1 C. Shortening
1 C. Hot Water
3 tsp. Soda (I assume this is baking soda...)
1 tsp. Ginger
1 tsp. Salt
Flour (until pliable - 8-9 cups)Mix all ingredients together. Take a heaping teaspoon of dough at a time and roll into a ball. Roll ball in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Makes a soft cookie.
Jody warned me that this recipe makes quite a big batch!
Want to learn more about beekeeping?
Visit Bee-commerce.com.
You can order an entire setup over
the Internet, with expert, online assistance and advice!
BEES
A swarm of bees in May
Is worth a load of hay;
A swarm of bees in June
Is worth a silver spoon;
A swarm of bees in July
Is not worth a fly.
This is an exceptional, incredible film about honeybees
You get right inside the hive, and you literally fly on the back of a bee!
Entertaining and educational for kids and adults alike!
We cannot help with bee removal issues, but for questions regarding this site, you may e-mail us at jeffnstasia[AT]charter[dot]net.
Visit our home page.
Thanks for visiting our web site! Have a great day!
