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Bees / Honey / Pollination / Retail

Honeybees for sale

See this page for honeybees information.

NUC (5-frame): $235ea (cash price)

Texas Ag Valuation with Honeybees

See this page for ag valuation info.

 

Honey

Harmony Hollow has several products available for sale from our 2022 harvest.  The Summer 2022 nectar flow is done, and the honey has been harvested and bottled.  2023 Nectar flow will start in late-ish March.

Our honey is “Recycled Sunshine” – The sun makes the plants grow and flower, the flowers produce sugary nectar to attract pollinators, and and the honeybees bring in nectar to their hives.  So honey – is indeed recycled sunshine.

Our mid summer and late summer/fall honeys are just as tasty – and will have different characteristics depending on the plant source at different times of the year – as there are different flowers blooming throughout the year.  Because we have a focus on sustainability, at this time, we package our honey in re-usable mason jars, as well as 8oz, 1lb, and 2lb squeeze bottles.    Our honey is raw, unpasteurized and unfiltered.  While we do strain out the wax cappings, the great stuff (pollen) is left in our honey for your benefit.  Whether you prefer dark, flavorful fall honey or lighter spring honey – we have the honey for your needs.

Call us at 469-251-2BEE (2233) to arrange delivery of our products in the North Dallas Metroplex general area, or to see HHA_Labelwhere we may have our products for sale at a local market or store shelves.  As of May 2015 Harmony Hollow bottles in a commercial kitchen, maintains a Texas Food Manufacturer’s Permit, and is registered with the FDA.

Products:

As of January 2023 – Harmony Hollow Honey can be purchased at:

  • Direct from Harmony Hollow (Richardson, Tx – call 469-251-2BEE(2233) to check schedule)
  • Market Provisions  – Owenwood Farm Stand & Neighbor Space 1451 John West Rd. Dallas, TX 75228
  • Seeking North Texas Retailers! If you or a friend owns a retail store that would like to carry Harmony Hollow Honey – please contact Rex Smith for wholesaling information.  469-251-2BEE (2233)

Crystallized Honey (or granulated honey )

It is a normal process for pure, raw honey to eventually crystallize or granulate.  Honey itself is a super-saturated sugar solution, that has had the moisture evaporated out of it by the honeybees while in the hive.  When pollen granules are still in the honey, they provide a place for sugar crystals to form and grow.  Honey in a crystallized state IS still honey, and is just as good to eat.  It will just have a different texture.  Some marketers of honey may warm the honey to a temperature that re-liquefies it – and that is normal also – as long as it is not “cooked” beyond a temperature that kills the beneficial enzymes and pollen in the honey.  Normal summertime temperatures in Texas can reach well over 110 degrees – so that’s near the ambient temperature that you will need to get your honey to if you wish to re-liquify it.  See the FAQ section for more information on re-liquefying crystallized honey if you are not keen on the texture of the granular honey.

Pollination Services

Are you involved with a farming operation that depends upon pollinators for production?

If so, you should know that pollinators – like honeybees – can greatly increase viable yield for both gardens and large agriculture.

Recycled Sunshine Honey

One study – performed by Rachid Sabbah, and published in the Journal of Economic Entomology in April of 2005, indicates that: ” a study on the effects of honeybee pollination increased production of canola seed by 46%. As an example of what this could mean for you… Suppose that you have 2 gardens. In each garden you have the same number of cucumber plants. But in one garden, you have added a honeybee hive for pollination. If the garden without honeybees produces 100 pounds of cucumbers… the garden WITH honeybees might produce almost 150 pounds of cucumbers from the same number of plants.”

Texas has a variety of crops that benefit from additional pollinators:  Organic Cotton, Blackberry, Silver River Sweet Clover, Citrus, Sesame, Blueberry, Melon, Squash, Black Oil Sunflower, Soybean, rapeseed (canola), Gourds, etc.

Here’s a partial list of plants that benefit from honeybees’ efforts for pollination:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_plants_pollinated_by_bees

If you are interested in having hives of honeybees placed on your farm for pollination, please contact me via email or my voicemail number ( 469-251-2BEE (2233)) – and we can discuss your needs and the cost for the pollinator services.

Available for sale in 2020 will be a select amount of woodenware, as well as honeybees with queens of known genetics.

Woodenware

  • 5-frame nuc box kit (bottom board, 5-frame deep body, frames with foundation, and telescoping lid)  $call
  • 10-frame Hive kit (bottom board, 10-frame hive body, frames with foundation, and migratory lid) $call
  • 10-Frame Hive kit (previously loved) – Last year’s bottom board, box, lid and fresh frames $call

Bees

  • Nucleus colony (NUC) in cardboard hive body $235ea (Spring 2023)
  • NUC Colony in wooden 5-frame box above:
A nuc contains a laying, queen on 2-3 frames of brood, at least one frame of resources (pollen, and honey) in a cardboard transport box. Queens are bred for behavior and brood quality. All nucs and frames are from our apiary.  Queens may be sourced from queen breeders.

Nucs are pick up (or delivery) only and can not be shipped.   Nucs are typically available from April to June, though orders begin the previous Fall. For large orders, call for availability.  Upon purchasing, you will receive an email to confirm availability and coordinate pickup (weather dependent). You may also receive periodic email updates as to the status of your order and nuc health.

Description: This 4 or 5 frame nucleus (nuc) includes a 2018 laying Italian/Carniolan queen, with 2-3 frames covered in brood and the rest of the frames covered in bees, all of which have already had their spring mite treatment. Each nuc may have either 4 frames of bees plus a feeder, or simply 5 frames of bees.

Marking the Queen: Queens can be marked for $20ea

Shipping: We do not ship these nucs. All orders for nucs must be picked-up at Harmony Hollow Apiary’s bee yard at Wolfsong Farm in Forney or Prosper by appointment.  Delivery and installation is available for a fee.

Care of the Hive: Once you take your bees home, please be prepared to feed them constantly for a minimum of two weeks. They will need this syrup to eat while they are locating nectar in their new home. Once you have moved them into a hive body and put a feeder in place, please allow the bees to rest for a few days before examining the hive. They have had a traumatic move, twice, and they need some adjustment time before you open up the top and go through the frames. The queen may stop laying for a while as she adjusts to the new location so don’t panic if you think she isn’t laying immediately. Give her a week or so and then recheck the hive for eggs. Also consider that it is possible for the queen to be injured or killed or even lost when the frames of the nuc are moved into a permanent box.

The nucs come in either a waxed cardboard or corrugates plastic JEster EZ Nuc box – or in a ProNuc rigid plastic box.