From Blossom to Bottle – Our Honey Spirits

Part 1: Blueberry Fields Forever.

May to Early June – Fraser Valley, B.C

Our journey begins in B.C.’s beautiful Fraser Valley. Our bees go to work as soon as the blueberry blossoms begin to appear on the bushes. Pollination is key for the blueberry plants to fertilize and produce fruits later in the season. By pollinating the blueberries, our bees play a key part in an industry worth $125 million.

Part 2: Alberta Canola

June to July – Across Alberta

Our bees take part in pollinating Canola across Alberta. Many modern varieties of canola need to be pollinated by bees to produce crops. Experts estimate that 9 of every 10 insects that visits canola to harvest nectar and pollinate the canola flower is a honeybee! The total value of Alberta’s canola crops can exceed $3.5 billion in a good year.

Part 3: The Honey Harvest

Sept. to Oct. – Manitoba

September is honey harvesting time! Our honey is separated from the hive frames with a huge centrifuge that spins the honey right out of the frame. The honey is then filtered to remove debris and put in barrels to be sent to the distillery. The raw, flavourful honey retains the complex aromas and flavours from the variety of flowers that we pollinate.

Part 4: Winter Sleep

Oct. to Jan. – Fraser Valley, B.C

Over the winter, our bees will go into a low-energy state to conserve resources and energy. To stay warm, the bees will form a ‘cluster’, moving close together and yibrating their flying muscles. This vibration produces heat and can raise the temperature inside the cluster to 25°C!

The cluster is meant to protect the hive’s queen for the next year.

Part 5: The Cycle Repeats

Feb. to April – Fraser Valley, B.C

In the early spring, the hive re-awakens for the next year ahead. The queen will resume laying eggs, and the hive will go to work raise the new year’s brood. The hive must provide for the larval bees, but once they are ready, they will contribute to the nectar harvest to come!