Spears Bee Farm

07/24/2024

Bee food

03/09/2024

The girls really like the kettle. It holds water and they crawl down the spout. Don't seem to lose them this way.
And, dandelions are blooming.

03/09/2024

Working with gentle bees is lots of fun.

03/09/2024

Our most recent hive inspection on a day that hit 70 degrees.

10/19/2023

Did you know?🧐 A honey bee’s body is specially designed to make honey!

Honey bees ingest nectar from flowers and store it in their “honey crop,” or “honey stomach,” an organ containing enzymes that change the pH balance and chemical makeup of the nectar.

When the foraging bees return to the hive, they pass the nectar to younger house bees, who keep passing the nectar from bee to bee. This process continues to break down the nectar into more simple sugars and reduces the water content.

After the nectar is placed in the comb, the bees dehydrate it further by fanning their wings.

Once the water content reaches 20% or less, it’s ready to be sealed with wax caps!

This is a basic overview of the process, not an extensive dive. The fact that honey bees just inherently know all the ins and outs is one of the coolest things about them!

04/02/2023

Here's what we found when we arrived home from HOI Expo. We didn't get hit by the tornado, bit caught some of its surrounding winds.

Damage from high winds of a tornado near miss

03/06/2023

Spears Bee Farm is a proud sponsor of Homesteaders of Iowa Expo 2023! Join us there on March 31st and April 1st!

We are having a SALE to promote HOI Expo 2023. You save and we help the HOI Expo. Our SALE will run from now through April 1st, as long as current inventory lasts.

Click on the link to learn more about the Expo and about our sale.

Get in early because the earlier you purchase, the more you save.

Spears Bee Farm presents Homesteaders of Iowa Expo 2023. March 31st-April 1st. Nestled in a lovely, wooded area close to the Des Moines River 5 miles south of Ottumwa, Iowa. Learn homesteading skills from local experts. Enjoy Iowa food. Peruse through the wares of homesteading vendors. Have fun! HOI...

03/05/2023

Randy made some new mating nucs for our queen bees. They will each have their own apartments.

02/25/2023

The end of the sale is coming up in just a few days. Take advantage of the 8% discount on the already low prices and save shipping by picking up at HOI Expo 2023.

02/13/2023

This Sale is Over. See you at HOI Expo 2023

Spears Bee Farm is happy to partner with Homesteaders of Iowa at HOI Expo 2023! We are offering a discount on Bee Supplies for pre-purchase and pick-up at the Expo. Save shipping charges by using the pick-up option. Save 8% on our already low prices. This great deal will be available through the end of February. Visit our website for more information. https://www.spearsbeefarm.com/pages/homesteaders-of-iowa

12/17/2022

We're at Quincy Place Mall until 5pm today. Stop by and say hello.