Honey Bee Zen Apiaries

Honey Bee Zen Apiaries Honey Bee Zen Apiaries, in Creston, B.C. is known for its sustainable beekeeping and a growing list o

Honey Bee Zen Apiaries Ltd, the owner of Swan Valley Honey Ltd.,is known for its sustainable beekeeping and a growing list of pure, raw and unpasteurized terroir-based honeys. We specialize in the careful production of wildflower honey, from the alfalfa, clover and mixed hay fields around us, and delcatable fruit honeys from fruit and berry orchards we pollinate in British Columbia. We treat the b

ees as our friends and co-workers, and protect them from chemicals, pesticides and other harmful agricultural practices. Our amber and dark honeys have won awards for years, and you can almost taste the sunshine that our bees have harnessed to produce such flavourful sweetness. We are committed to working with farmers who respect the land they use and the bees we provide, and we seek out strong and beneficial relationships. We are interested in the science and breeding of bees, the production of honey and hive products, and the challenges bees and their keepers around the world face.

🐝💛 BC’s DAY of the HONEY BEE: Bee Amazed! Jeff and I absolutely love honey bees and are proud to celebrate these tiny, t...
05/20/2026

🐝💛 BC’s DAY of the HONEY BEE: Bee Amazed!

Jeff and I absolutely love honey bees and are proud to celebrate these tiny, treasured creatures every day – and especially today on BC’s Day of the Honey Bee and World Bee Day. 🐝

We continue to bee amazed by the strength, productivity and resilience of the honey bee. And that’s why Jeff and I work hard to protect our bees, and respect the pure natural goodness of the raw local honey they produce. 🌿💛
💛 DID YOU KNOW?
• It takes the lifetime work of 12 honey bees to make one teaspoon (5mL) of honey.
• Bees fly more than once around the world to gather one pound (454g) of honey.
• 556 honey bees are needed to gather one pound (454g) of honey.
• Bees tap 2 million flowers to make one pound (454g) of honey.
• One colony of honey bees (around 30,000 bees) is needed to pollinate one acre of fruit trees.
Thank you for supporting local bees, honey, and beekeepers. 🐝💛🍯
Check out www.HoneyBeeZen.com for our collection of honey and hive products, list of retailers and online ordering details. 🌿
🐝Bee Amazed 🐝
Buy BC

05/19/2026

🐝✨ World Bee Day! Celebrating the Mini but Mighty Honey Bee

May 20th is World Bee Day! Jeff and I absolutely love honey bees and are proud to celebrate these tiny, treasured creatures every day – and especially this day.

We continue to bee amazed by the strength, productivity and contributions of the honey bee. And that’s why Jeff and I work hard to protect our bees, and respect the 100% pure natural goodness of the honey they produce.
💡 DID YOU KNOW?
• Bees pollinate nearly one-third of the food we eat.
• Honey bees and native pollinators contribute $250-$300 million per year to BC’s food production economy.
Check out www.HoneyBeeZen.com for our collection of honey and hive products, list of retailers and online ordering details.
🐝Bee Amazed 🐝

05/06/2026

🐝✨ Buzzing with Sweet Finds at Krause Berry Farms and Estate Winery 🍓🍯

We recently visited Kai, the Market Manager, and toured through this incredibly stunning setting in Langley filled with so many unique and super tasty shopping and dining experiences! 🌿

A large selection of our honey and hive products is available here — along with the sweetest accessories, too. 🐝💛

We asked Kai about their customer favourites, and here’s what tops the list: (Perfect gift ideas for Mother’s Day!)

🐻 Honey Bee Zen Kootenay Wildflower in the glass bear jar with honey dipper

🍯 Honey Flavour Samplers (Tea Lovers, Coffee Lovers, and Valley to Mountain)

We also took a peek at the strawberry plants and they’re looking amazing, with the first berries expected at the end of this month! 🍓

A visit to the farm is the perfect outing and shopping destination for all your honey, beeswax candles, lip balms, and hand salves. Be sure to check out their events calendar, too!

Thanks, friends! We’re so grateful. 💛
See link in bio / http://www.HoneyBeeZen.com for product information!


🐝Bee Amazed 🐝

🐝🌸April is an important month for beekeepers! April is when we take the warming covers – or “duvets” as I call them – of...
05/02/2026

🐝🌸April is an important month for beekeepers!

April is when we take the warming covers – or “duvets” as I call them – off the hives and get back to really connecting with our bees to ensure success for the upcoming season.

So far, our hives are looking great with healthy bees and a good survival rate over the winter. We are very happy! 😊🍯

Now we keep working with our bees towards the first honey harvest of the season in July. We can’t wait!

Keep following along as we regularly share what’s happening BeeHind the Hive! 🐝📸

We’ve been busy with other activities this month, too. Here’s a quick recap 👇
1. Taking the winter covers “duvets” off the hives 🐝

2. Awarded Silver in the Best Farmers’ Market Vendor category 🥈 at the Creston Valley Advance’s Readers Choice Awards, April 10th

3. My interview on Beats & Eats with Necole Hines on DCJSF 90.1FM, April 16th 🎙️📻 (see link in bio to listen!)

4. Market Season Kick-off at the Kootenay Meadows Spring Turnout, April 18th 🌼🛍️

5. Launching new recipe collection including creations by friends , April 18👨‍🍳

6. Moved first set of hives into cherry pollination, April 20th 🍒🐝

7. New Infused Honey products sampling at Creston Valley Farmers Market, April 25th 🍯✨

See 🔗 for list of retailers and online ordering details!

🐝Bee Amazed 🐝

04/29/2026

👑🐝 Treat Your Queen Bee This Mother’s Day

This Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating the heart of the hive — the Queen Bee. 💛

Did you know that the Queen Bee is the mother of all bees in her hive? That could be 20,000–60,000 bees!

She – like all the incredible moms in our lives – nurtures, leads, and truly keeps the whole world buzzing.

Celebrate your special mom with something just as sweet:

🍯 100% Pure Local Honey
🎁 Themed Honey Gift Packs: Tea Lovers, Coffee Lovers and more
🌿 Lip Balms and Hand Salves
🕯️Beeswax Candles

To all the Queen Bees out there — we hope this day is purely bee-autiful! 💛

See 🔗 link in bio and www.HoneyBeeZen.com for list of retailers and online ordering for your mom.
🐝Bee Amazed 🐝

🍷🍯 Like Wine, Just Sweeter: Discover Honey Terroir 🌿Did you know that the colour, flavour and aroma of honey changes acc...
04/18/2026

🍷🍯 Like Wine, Just Sweeter: Discover Honey Terroir 🌿

Did you know that the colour, flavour and aroma of honey changes according to the terroir – just as in wine?

We’re celebrating our wine producers during BC Wine Month and sharing just how similar honey and winemaking are.

The region, environment, soil, climate, and geography influence honey in every way. And so, like wine, different types of honey pair beautifully with different foods 🧀🍞.
✨ NEW!
We created this HONEY PAIRING GUIDE 👇
Here are some examples of how the terroir has influenced our honey:

🌸 FIREWEED honey…
is produced by our bees who collect nectar from just one flowering plant – fireweed - which grows high up in the Selkirk and Purcell Mountains in the Kootenays ⛰️. It is lighter in colour with a delicate flavour. Because it is a monofloral honey, the taste is more consistent from year to year.

🌼 KOOTENAY WILDFLOWER honey…
is produced by our bees collecting nectar from a variety of wildflowers growing throughout the Kootenay valley. It is darker in colour with a deeper, more complex flavour. The colour and taste will vary from season to season depending on the weather and what is in bloom.

🌙 HARVEST MOON honey…
is collected late in the summer from mature plants near the end of their bloom. It is darker golden or amber in colour with a richer and more complex flavour.
See www.HoneyBeeZen.com for more product information, list of retailers and online ordering. AND come see us at the markets throughout the Kootenays this season!
🐝 Bee Amazed 🐝
📸
Buy BC

04/15/2026

🌸🏡 Spring Home Makeover: Why Colourful Hives Are More Than Just Sweet

We’ve still busy preparing for this season. Jeff and Andrii have painted some new hives and they look amazzzzing – especially the pink 💗 – my favourite colour!

Other than creating very bright and happy homes for our bees, beehives are painted in different colours for important reasons:

• helps bees find their own homes
• prevents “drifting” - when bees enter the wrong hive – which reduces the spread of disease
• helps beekeepers differentiate between boxes
• protects the hive material from weather

We always want our bees to bee safe and bee happy. 💛
See www.HoneyBeeZen.com for honey and hive products produced by our happy bees, list of retailers and online ordering details.

🐝Bee Amazed 🐝

04/02/2026

🐣Build the Sweetest Easter Basket! 🐝

Looking to create a truly special Easter basket this year? Fill it with golden goodness that will BEE a hit with your loved ones of all ages!

Here are a few favourites that top the Easter Bunny's list of treats:

🌼 100% Pure Raw Honey
🍯 Infused Honeys
🕯️ Beeswax Candles
🌿 Lip Balms & Hand Salves
🧸 And our super popular Mini Bears are perfect for baskets and hiding.
Happy Easter weekend, everyone!
— Amanda and Jeff
See www.HoneyBeeZen.com for retailers and online ordering.
🐝 Bee Amazed 🐝

🐝🌸🍰Hop into Spring with this heavenly Honey Cake! Celebrate the season (and your Easter gatherings!) with this golden HO...
03/31/2026

🐝🌸🍰Hop into Spring with this heavenly Honey Cake!

Celebrate the season (and your Easter gatherings!) with this golden HONEY CAKE.

Loïc Fauteux-Goulet, our good friend from our Creston community and winner of The Great Canadian Baking Show, Season 7, shared this recipe with us. It is layers of pure, local goodness! 😇

Loïc is a regular visitor to our farm and very familiar with our varieties of pure, raw honey. His recommended honey for this recipe? Our Honey Bee Zen Harvest Moon and 1000 Blossoms which feature a deeper, richer flavour.

Whether you’re hosting brunch, serving dessert or gifting something homemade, we’re sure this cake will bee a favourite 💛✨.

See www.HoneyBeeZen.com for Loïc’s HONEY CAKE RECIPE, other recipes, list of retailers and online ordering details.

🐝 Bee Amazed 🐝

Address

220E Placsko Road
Creston, BC
V0B1G8

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+12508666861

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Honey Bee Zen Apiaries posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Honey Bee Zen Apiaries:

Shortcuts

Share

Category