Thunder Ridge Ranch

05/31/2026

Hive inspection report! The hives weren't looking good; but they weren't looking bad either. They could use a little boost. We'll see if I have some spare brood and maybe queen cells in A1 and A2 to help boost them when I get into them in a couple of days!

05/31/2026

Hey y'all! Getting into the long hives and A5 today! Check on the "nuc" and hopefully grab a frame or so of honey so the in-laws can experience firsthand the extraction/filtering process of raw, local honey. 😊🛐🐝🍯
Hope y'all have had a blessed and productive day, and continue to! Lets get into it!

Y'all stay blessed now!

05/31/2026

Releasing the bees!

05/31/2026

Opening up the brood box for A1b

05/29/2026

Hey y'all! Just a reminder we are closed for Sabbath! We'll see y'all Sunday. Things will be slower for a few days while we focus on family from out of state but we're still around if you need anything. Let's unwind together and fellowship in the Shabbat Keeping Businesses group!

05/29/2026

Hey y'all! It's a gorgeous day to get out and go for a stroll, or even hit the farmer's market! We're set up witu the other vendors at the Menifee County Farmers Market ready to sell sourdough breads, sourdough cinnamon rolls, baked goods, and woodwork! Plenty of produce, candles, seasoning and more!

05/28/2026

Hey y'all! We're excited to return for another market season! Looking forward to seeing familiar faces (vendors and patrons alike)! We'll be present every other week hereon out! Hope y'all have had a blessed and productive day!

Y'all stay blessed now!

05/27/2026

Hey y'all! How old is too old for a honeybee queen? A healthy queen can live up to 5 years! Most small-scale and hobby beekeepers will replace their queen every 2-3 years. Commercial beekeepers will replace queens several times a year; no less than twice, but as frequently as every other month!

I'm trying to keep better tabs on my queens. A1a faced a swarm two years ago 2024, so I'm assuming a virgin queen took over the hive at that point (without combing through my notes that year). A4 is simply A3 from that same year, A3 would have to be the original queen from the split in 2024. A3 is a split off of A4 so would be a queen born 2025. A1b, A2 and A5 are all splits from this year - 2026.

I will let the bees decide what is best, while also working to prevent the swarm. That could mean adding a brood box to A1a; ending my single brood box experiment. I'm also considering an additional brood box for A1b to prevent swarm (see our latest full length feature on YouTube (as of 27 MAY 2026) as they are basically running at max population. The downside being I've already used up all of my drawn frames. A4 and A3 I'm wondering if they plan to return; my eye closest to A3. There are many reasons a hive may want you requeen, but we'll get into that in another post. Wishing each and every one of y'all a blessed and productive day!

Y'all stay blessed now!

05/27/2026

Prayers needed for Chimney Rock/Henderson County, NC. More devastation from flooding as if they weren't still trying to recover from Helene.
SE KY is still recovering from our flooding in 2022; Hurricane Katrina (2005) survivors are still recovering.
Please pray especially for Chimney Rock as they are facing further devastation.

Please pray for Chimney Rock, Bat Cave and Henderson County in North Carolina. They were still trying to get back on their feet after Hurricane Helene and they were hit hard with flooding last night.

What you see there is the first crop of raspberries since Helene and that crop is now flooded. They will need our support and prayers. 💔🙏🏻

05/27/2026

Hey y'all! Despite a few technical difficulties we have the video uploaded and ready for viewing! What is the state of A1 (a and b) and A2? Follow the link in the comments to find out!

Y'all stay blessed now!