Mission Beekeeping

03/04/2026

🍯 Ever wondered how honey is transported?

After honey frames are harvested, the honey is stored in 55-gallon drums. To move these heavy drums, Steve uses his specialized beekeeping forklift to carry them from the truck to the pump.

From there, the honey is pumped through a filter and into jars.

And yes! We do all of this right here at our house. A little glimpse into how honey goes from our hive to your jar!

02/28/2026

Update from the field. It's that time of year again!

11/29/2025

🛍️ Small Business Saturday
This holiday season, we’d love your support for our local, family-owned business.

✨ We offer gift certificates for private beehive tours which are perfect for the bee-curious.

🍯 Our honey comes in three sizes and varieties, and the 8 oz jar makes a perfect gift to mail or stocking stuffer.

You can find our raw, local honey at all independent markets in the Ojai Valley, at the Thursday farmers market, or online at www.missionbeekeeping.com

For gift certificates or bulk orders, email us at [email protected].

Thank you for supporting the bees, the farmers and the people who care for them).

11/27/2025

🍂🐝 This Thanksgiving, we’re giving thanks for the bees, and for you!
For the wildflowers and crops they pollinate.
For the farmers they support.
For the honey they make.
And for every person who chooses to support local businesses.

We’re grateful to do this work, and even more grateful to share it with a community that cares about pollinators, farmers and whole foods!

11/05/2025

🐝Our Beehive Tours are now live on TripAdvisor and Airbnb Experiences! Help us spread the word. The more we understand bees, the more we can respect them. 🌼

👉 Trip Advisor: https://www.viator.com/tours/Santa-Barbara/Meet-the-Bees-Guided-Apiary-Tour-and-Honey-Tasting/d4372-5611731P1
👉 Airbnb: airbnb.com/x/missionbeekeeping

🌐It’s always more affordable to book directly with us: www.missionbeekeeping.com

📸 by

10/15/2025

🐝 Did you know that worker bees live 4–6 weeks in the summer, but 4–6 months in the winter?

This is due to the labor demands the all-female workforce faces in the summer, compared to the energy conservation and rest they practice in the winter.

These ladies take on all kinds of hive tasks—cleaning, nursing brood, guarding, foraging, building comb—and make up the vast majority of the colony.

As the seasons change, so do bees.

09/08/2025

This little one joined us on a recent beehive tour suited up and ready at just 14 months old (with mom by his side, of course).

Our tours are designed to be safe, hands-on, and accessible to all ages. We love sharing the magic of bees with families, schools, and curious minds of every size.

Want to come see the bees up close?
You can email us or fill out the interest form on our website to book a tour: missionbeekeeping.com

Thank you to his mom for sharing this sweet photo and to all the families who help raise the next generation of bee stewards.

09/06/2025

Remembering Brad's generosity the night of the Thomas Fire. He is responsible for saving half of our bee hives at the time.

“Somewhere in the weeks before, it’s going to hit me,” Brad said. “I’m performing where Miles Davis and Tchaikovsky played.”

07/19/2025

Happy 40th Birthday to Beekeeper Steve! Next to beekeeping, fishing is his favorite thing to do. 🎣