Nature’s Candy Honey Farm

05/15/2026

Homemade observation hive.

04/27/2026

First round of queens for 2026’. They will replace all the old queens from 2024’ plus start some new 6 frame nucs.

02/25/2026

Here is an old school toolbox that I made earlier this winter. It’s not perfect but I had fun making it. I needed something handy for oxalic acid v***rizers and batteries when treating for mites on bee colonies. Let me know what you think.

02/19/2026

The majority of the colonies are looking good with only a few losses due to starvation. The warm weather is causing them to brood up and use more stored food. We are taking advantage of the warm weather to put on some winter patties and liquid feed for the ones who need it. It is not recommended to put liquid feed on this time of year but the hives are insulated and non ventilated (condensing). They are finding some nectar and pollen which will stop with the cold weather coming this weekend. Hopefully this extra food will hold them over.

02/06/2026

Every day I try my best to be creative, grounded, direct, caring and honest in everything that I do.

12/12/2025

OAV, or Oxalic Acid Vaporization, is a treatment I like to use. It is a very effective method for controlling Varroa mites, especially in fall/winter when brood is minimal by heating oxalic acid crystals to create a v***r that kills mites on bees. I will give multiple treatments this winter and it is most effective in low 40’s degree temperatures. It is not harmful for bees but requires strict safety gear (PPE). It only takes a couple minutes per hive and cost pennies per treatment.

How OAV Works

Method: Oxalic acid crystals are heated in a v***rizer, turning into a v***r that fills the hive.

Target: Kills mites clinging to adult bees (phoretic mites) and those in open brood.

Limitation: Ineffective against mites inside capped brood cells, so treatments must be repeated (e.g., every 4 days for 3-6 rounds) when there's little or no brood.

Best Time: Late fall/winter when brood is minimal.

08/19/2025

05/06/2025

Just like in any livestock operation, you have to be able to keep records. Here are some tools that I use. We always mark our queens with a specific color if we see them. Blue for 2025, Green for 2024, and Red for 2023. I use Blank ID cards with a holder on the lids to keep records on. I indicate the date that the new queen was put in. I put a mark next to the date if the queen is marked with the color of the year. As I go through the colonies, If needed I will leave cards of different colors indicating if it’s small, large or queenless. Red for small, blue for large and black for a queen problem. This way when I am done, if I want to equalize the colony, I could use sources from large colonies to strengthen the weak ones or know when I come back the next time that the colonies with a blue card may need an extra box. There’s no reason to go through every colony every time I come back to the yard. This system allows me to just check the ones of concern from last time and quickly go through the yard and move on.

05/06/2025

Marking new Queens for 2025.

04/17/2025

NEW IN STORE...stop in and get your honey!