Northumberland Bees

Home
Canada
Toronto, ON
Northumberland Bees

Small Organic Bee Farm. We are using organic techniques to manage our bees. We are members of the ORHBS (Ontario Resistant Honey Bee Selection) Program.

We produce honey, queens, nucs and other hive products.

08/06/2026

This compartment was supposed to be totally empty!

Our team was out in the yard doing routine checks on our triple mating nucs when they stumbled upon a massive surprise.

A swarm (defintely from one of our mating nucs) decided this empty compartment looked like the perfect new home, moved themselves right in, and immediately started building their own wild comb! 🐝✨

We love free bees, but having a swarm build foundationless comb inside a mating nuc requires a bit of an intervention to get them properly situated.

Drop a 🐝 in the comments if you want to see Part 2 of how we dealt with our new uninvited guests! 👇

Thanks Tee’s Bees Alchemy- educator & beekeeper for the voiceover and recording.

08/05/2026

I just stopped a royal blood bath in the apiary! 🛑👑

If you didn't know, when multiple virgin queens hatch at the same time, their first instinct is to fight to the death until only one survives.

I opened up this mating nuc just in time to break up the ultimate royal rumble.
I managed to catch 3 extra virgin queens that were already running loose on the frames, and then pulled this queen cell just as she was chewing her way out!

Four saved queens, zero casualties, and one incredibly dramatic day in the bee yard.
Welcome to the world, Your Majesty! ✨

The other 3 queens were safely placed in other mating nucs.

08/04/2026

The scary truth about peak bee season... 📉🐝

We haven’t seen Varroa mites on our bees all season... until recently. 🦠🐝

Here is the reality of managing hives: We treat our colonies in the spring with Formic acid, which usually keeps them healthy and mite-free, or low varroa population for the season. However, when the bee population reaches its absolute peak right around late July and early August, the mite populations can suddenly explode right alongside them.

The golden rule of Varroa mites? If you can actually see a mite on a bee with your naked eye—without even doing a proper mite wash test—it means the infestation level is already dangerously high. 📉

When we spot this, that yard gets an intervention immediately. We pride ourselves on using only organic treatments in our apiaries to protect our girls and keep our honey pure. Depending on the conditions, we rotate between Formic Pro, Oxalic Acid (v***r or dribble), and ApiLifeVar to knock the mites down quickly and safely.

Beekeeping isn't just about harvesting honey; it is about constant monitoring and keeping these incredible insects healthy through the toughest parts of the year! 💛

First picture: 2026, August 4th
Second picture: 2025, October - hive was overwhelmed with varroa

07/29/2026

POV: You just pulled the perfect frame of honey. ✨🐝

Look at that beautiful white wax! 🍯 When the bees cap the cells like this, it means the honey is perfectly cured, ripe, and ready for extraction.

07/18/2026

Get your spoons ready... the 2026 harvest is here. 🥄🍯

Nothing beats that very first taste of fresh summer honey straight from the extractor.

The flavor profile on this year's batch is incredible—light, sweet, and perfectly raw. 🌼

We are working behind the scenes to get everything jarred and labeled.

Our 2026 honey will be available on our website soon, and trust us, you won't want to miss the first batch!

Keep an eye out for the official launch announcement. 👀🐝

07/17/2026

Ontario bred and raised queens!

She just got her mark and as soon as she got on the frame bees started cleaning her!

07/07/2026

Volume UP! 🎧

Those bees lining up at the entrance aren't just making a racket—they are the hive’s built-in air conditioning system.

When the summer heat hits, a honey bee colony works together as one giant, living machine. The bees facing the entrance are aggressively fanning their wings to create intense airflow. They are actively pulling hot, stale air and moisture out of the hive, while drawing cool, fresh air in.

Why is this exhausting job so important?

1️⃣ Protecting the Babies: The brood nest inside must be kept at a strict 95°F (35°C) for baby bees to develop perfectly. If it gets too hot, the colony won't survive.

2️⃣ Making Honey: All that continuous airflow ev***rates the moisture from the fresh nectar they just collected, curing it into the thick, golden honey we love! 🍯

Every single bee has a specific job, and they will beat their wings for hours to protect their home.

If you love learning about the secret lives of bees, hit that follow button for more daily apiary footage! 💛🐝

Address

Toronto, ON

Website

https://northumberlandbees.com/

Alerts

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

Want your business to be the top-listed Food & Beverage Service in Toronto?