Honey Information
Discover the unique qualities of HoneyBee Lane Bees honey, crafted with care on our organic farm in Duncan, British Columbia. Our commitment to excellence ensures a taste and quality unlike any other. Our hives remain on our property, ensuring consistent quality and flavour. Our honey is available at our Farm Stand at 6235 Lakes Road, Duncan, BC. or can be purchased at the Cowichan Visitor's Center on Hwy 1 north of Duncan.
Our Unique Honey
What makes HoneyBee Lane Bees honey special? Our hives never leave our property, so our bees are not subjected to a mono-diet or exposed to migratory bees that may carry illness or disease. Instead, they benefit from foraging in an oasis of naturally grown trees, shrubs, herbs, and wildflowers. It is from this vast array of vegetation that the bees gather all their essential food sources, nutrients and vitamins. The honey they produce is complex and provides significant health benefits to humans.
Flavours of the Forest
HoneyBee Lane Bees is home to more than 120 magnificent Garry oak trees, one of the defining features of our farm. During summer, many of the leaves develop small round growths called oak galls. These are created by tiny native gall wasps that lay their eggs in the leaves. The tree responds by forming a protective gall around the developing larva, creating a remarkable miniature nursery.
Some galls produce sweet droplets that attract ants and other insects, including honey bees, which in turn help protect the developing gall from predators. This tiny community is just one example of the intricate relationships found in a healthy Garry oak ecosystem.
Our bees forage among these ancient trees in late summer and the diverse woodland habitat contributes to the unique character of the honey produced here.
The Bees' Daily Routine
Our bees sleep in! They gather most of their food, being pollen and nectar, after 10 am. This is because many flowers close their petals at night and generally don't open them until the day warms up. This helps the flowers protect their fundamental reproductive parts, those being pollen and nectar, from being stolen at night or washed away by rain or dew. So the bees (being smarter than the average bear) sleep in! And "Yes" bees do sleep and mainly at night.
Sustainable Harvesting
We ensure sustainability by only housing 25 colonies that the property and surrounding area can readily support. We also only take a small fraction of the honey our bees produce, guaranteeing that our harvesting practices are sustainable and environmentally responsible.