08/11/2026
🐝 Monday in the Apiary
Field Notes from Iron Mountain Apiary
Some weekends in the apiary are filled with major milestones.
Others are spent quietly preparing for seasons we haven't reached yet.
This weekend was one of those quieter weekends.
Over the course of a few hours, I planted more than two dozen varieties of flowers and climbing vines around the property—small investments that I hope will become future forage for our bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Every seed planted today is a promise to the seasons still ahead.
I also checked on the little nuc created from Hive C1. The ladies made it very clear they weren't interested in a lengthy inspection, so after a quick look I closed everything back up. Before I did, though, I watched workers returning with bright pollen baskets packed full. I'm hopeful they're hard at work raising a new queen. Sometimes the best thing a beekeeper can do is simply step back and let the colony write its own story.
The rest of the apiary was busy. Bees were flying from every hive, and one of our newer Southern Italian colonies seemed especially active. Every super had bees moving through it, a reassuring sight during the heat of August.
The biggest reminder of the changing season came when I refilled all of the feeders. Within minutes, the ladies were lined up at both the syrup and pollen feeders. Around Iron Mountain Apiary, the summer nectar flow has begun to fade, and the dearth has arrived. Stewardship often means recognizing those seasonal changes and giving the colonies a helping hand until the landscape begins producing again.
One discovery made me smile.
Honeyvine is flourishing along our front fence and winding through the trees near the entrance to the property. And while I was walking the land, I gathered nearly three pounds of ripe Texas persimmons for the deer—all within a few minutes and without venturing very far from the trees.
The bees continue to remind me that if we slow down enough to pay attention, the land is always telling us what season we're in.
🌿 This Week's Field Notes
Weather: Hot, dry, and firmly in our summer dearth.
Stewardship: Planted more than two dozen varieties of pollinator-friendly flowers and vines for future forage.
Apiary: Hive C1's nuc appears active, pollen is coming in, and I'm hopeful a new queen is on the way.
The Land: Honeyvine is thriving, and the Texas persimmons are finally ripe.
Every weekend adds another page to the story.
I'm grateful to be able to share it with you.
