Roca Ridge Farm

08/09/2026

🐝 Even bees get old.

This close-up from Roca Ridge shows an older worker bee with noticeably tattered wings. After spending her life cleaning, feeding brood, building comb, guarding the hive, and flying countless miles collecting pollen and nectar, the wear and tear eventually catches up with her.

Worker bees have remarkably short lives, but their work is essential. As one generation ages, the next takes its place — keeping the colony strong and moving forward. ❤️🐝

Every bee has a job. Every bee has a story.

08/09/2026

Our happy place!!!

08/09/2026

08/07/2026

🐝 Treatment Day at Roca Ridge! 🌡️

After our mite wash earlier this week, it was time to begin treating our colonies for varroa mites.

With temperatures pushing 100°F, many of the most effective treatments aren’t safe to use, so our options are limited. Today we used oxalic acid v***r, one of the more natural treatment methods available that can safely be used during these extreme temperatures.

We’ll continue treatments over the next two weeks before performing another mite wash to see how the colonies are responding. If mite levels are still high and the weather cools down, we’ll switch to a different treatment.

One of the most important lessons in modern beekeeping is to rotate mite treatments. Over the past three years, the United States has experienced record honey bee colony losses, and one of the major concerns is that varroa mites have developed resistance to some of the most commonly used treatments. Just like bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics, mites can become less susceptible when the same treatment is used repeatedly.

🐝 That’s why we don’t just treat because the calendar says it’s time—we test, treat, and test again. Our goal is always to use the right treatment at the right time to keep our colonies as healthy and productive as possible.

Every healthy hive starts with healthy bees.

08/04/2026

🐝 Hive Inspection Update from Roca Ridge Farm 🐝

After weeks of heat, wind, and challenging conditions, it was a welcome change to suit up and work the bees in temperatures in the 70s with almost no wind. Days like today remind us why we love spending time in the apiary.

Today’s inspection brought plenty of good news. All four colonies are looking healthy, the queens were located, and the bees are once again bringing in fresh pollen. Based on what’s beginning to bloom around us, our best guess is they’re working the goldenrod. The hives continue to pack away honey as they prepare for the seasons ahead.

We also completed mite checks today. Unfortunately, Varroa mite numbers are starting to climb again, so we’ll be beginning another round of treatments. Keeping mite populations under control before winter is one of the most important things a beekeeper can do. Without proper management, the chances of a colony surviving the winter drop dramatically.

Every hive inspection is a reminder that successful beekeeping isn’t just about harvesting honey—it’s about staying ahead of challenges and giving the bees the best opportunity to thrive.

On a lighter note, we had an unexpected visitor stop by the apiary. Something decided our bee watering buckets looked like a great prize and attempted to make off with a couple of them! Thankfully, the barbed wire had other plans, and aside from a little curiosity, no real damage was done. Around Roca Ridge, the wildlife always seems to keep life interesting.

As always, thank you for following along on our beekeeping journey and for supporting Roca Ridge Farm. We appreciate every like, comment, and share. It means more than you know. 🍯🐝

07/27/2026

🔥 A Special Day at Roca Ridge Farm 🐝

Some days in the apiary are about the bees... and some days are about the people.

Today was one of those special days.

Despite the triple-digit temperatures, we welcomed Tate to Roca Ridge Farm and helped him check off a bucket list item by spending the day learning about beekeeping. Tate traveled from Arizona, where he serves as a firefighter/paramedic, and he’s also a proud United States Air Force veteran. With hopes of starting a few colonies of his own someday, we were honored to share our knowledge and passion with him.

Many of you may not know this, but one of our core missions at Roca Ridge Farm is to give back to our veterans and first responders through beekeeping.

For us, beekeeping is about much more than producing honey. It teaches patience, focus, attention to detail, and problem-solving. It encourages you to slow down, be present, and work with nature instead of against it. For many veterans and first responders—including ourselves—it can also provide a healthy and therapeutic outlet. Organizations like the VA have recognized beekeeping as a beneficial activity for helping manage conditions such as PTSD, giving many a renewed sense of purpose and connection.

We were proud to have Tate as our very first veteran/first responder guest, but we can promise he won’t be the last.

🐝 Quick Apiary Update: Our colonies continue to thrive! The bees are healthy, bringing in nectar, and we’re getting very close to having enough honey stored to carry every hive through the winter. Watching these colonies grow stronger each week has been incredibly rewarding.

To everyone who has followed our journey, liked our posts, shared our story, and supported our mission—thank you. Your encouragement means more than you know, and it allows us to continue growing both our apiary and our commitment to serving those who have served others.

🐝❤️ Every expert beekeeper was once a beginner.

07/27/2026

Thank you Tate for being a part of our journey!!!

07/27/2026

New Beekeeper came to the Apiary today.

07/17/2026

🥵💧 Pool party update!

No hive inspections were needed today, but with this heat wave sticking around, we wanted to make sure our bees had plenty of fresh supplemental water available.

Earlier this week we added water stations next to the hives, and it’s safe to say they’re a hit! Since then, our bees have gone through 4 gallons of water, proving they’re taking full advantage of their new pool.

Bees rely on water for much more than just drinking. They use it to help cool the hive, regulate the brood nest temperature, and even thin stored honey when needed.

During extreme heat, having a nearby water source means they can spend less time searching for water and more time caring for the colony.

Sometimes the smallest things we can do as beekeepers make the biggest difference for our girls. 🐝💙

07/16/2026

🚨 Bee Jail? Not quite. 🚨

No, this isn’t a jail for bees—it’s called a queen excluder.

One thing beekeepers definitely don’t want in their honey supers is brood (developing baby bees). To help prevent that, we place a queen excluder between the brood boxes and the honey supers.

A queen excluder is exactly what it sounds like. The openings are sized so that worker bees can pass through freely, but the larger queen usually cannot. This allows workers to continue building comb, storing nectar, and producing honey in the upper boxes while helping keep the queen in the brood area where she belongs.

By keeping the queen out of the honey supers, there’s less chance she’ll lay eggs in frames intended for honey production. If brood ends up in a honey super, it can make harvesting much more difficult and, in some cases, render an entire super unsuitable for extraction.

Are queen excluders required? Not at all. Many successful beekeepers don’t use them. They’re also not 100% foolproof—occasionally a queen has a skinny day and finds her way through or is already above the excluder when it’s installed. However, they can be a valuable management tool that helps keep honey supers dedicated to what they’re meant for: honey.

🐝 Every piece of equipment in a hive serves a purpose, and today the queen excluder gets its moment in the spotlight.