Bee Haven Apiary

Bee Haven Apiary We provide nature-based educational opportunities to individuals, groups and schools.

Today's unusual sighting. An Eastern Carpenter Bee that is missing pigment in the eyes.
09/25/2026

Today's unusual sighting. An Eastern Carpenter Bee that is missing pigment in the eyes.

Another interesting removal, this time from about 25' up in the air at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Judging from the age...
09/22/2026

Another interesting removal, this time from about 25' up in the air at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Judging from the age of the honeycomb, this colony had been in there for several (meaning 3+) years, but because their entrance to the colony was so high up, they were probably not noticed. It was a huge removal, and to make matters more difficult, the siding was a plaster/stucco, reinforced with metal mesh. The cavity had sheets of honeycomb that were greater than 5' long, and there were 5 layers. But we got them all, and they are now getting used to their new home.

09/08/2026

Very happy with my new and improved way to crush comb...

09/07/2026

We work hard to extract all of the honey from the honeycomb, but there is always residue left behind. The bees are more than happy to serve as our cleanup crew.

09/06/2026

Cotton honey is here! It takes a little bit, even after the bees have done their work, but we have it available in limited quantities.

There are still 2 active queens in the observation hive at the Virginia Living Museum !
09/03/2026

There are still 2 active queens in the observation hive at the Virginia Living Museum !

Tithonia is always a crowd pleaser with butterflies and bumble bees.
08/31/2026

Tithonia is always a crowd pleaser with butterflies and bumble bees.

How many queens are there in a hive?Simple question, right? We all know the answer - it's 1! Except, not always. Ther...
08/27/2026

How many queens are there in a hive?

Simple question, right? We all know the answer - it's 1! Except, not always. There are times that hives will have 2 queens. It's usually a mother-daughter pairing. And they can exist that way for quite some time. We don't fully understand why the bees do this, or how common it is, but some experts have speculated that it happens in about 10% of the hives. We just aren't in the hives that often to notice.

Right now at the Virginia Living Museum, the observation hive has 2 queens in it. One (the mother) is marked with a yellow dot. The other is unmarked. You can recognize the queens by their bald, black thorax, and their elongated abdomen. Go by and check them out!

08/20/2026

Checking out a colony of bees in a soffit that I was about to remove and give a new home.

This colony had been in place for several years, judging from the honeycomb. They started off in one cavity in the soff...
08/20/2026

This colony had been in place for several years, judging from the honeycomb. They started off in one cavity in the soffit, and then expanded into the cavities on the left and right. They primarily were using the middle cavity for their brood rearing (baby bees), and using the side cavities for their food storage (honey and pollen.) They were such gentle bees. And now they have a new home!

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Yorktown, VA

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