TwoHoneys Bee Stewards represent the very heart of Cincinnati’s sustainable beekeeping movement.
These wonderful citizens agree to host four (or more) bee colonies on their properties; in exchange, we invite them to become as involved as they wish in their hives’ management. And, once their hives produce honey, our awesome Bee Stewards get the very first of the harvest.
Here’s how it works: TwoHoneys Bee Co. provides the bees and all the necessary equipment. We assume all cost and all responsibility for hive management. With the invaluable input from our Bee Stewards, we select a suitable site for the colonies, we erect the hive stands, and we install the bees. Then, as an expression of our gratitude, we gift the steward with a smoker, a hive tool, and a veil. That way, our Bee Stewards have the necessary tools to help inspect and participate in the management of the hives we place in their care.
We invite our Bee Stewards to become as involved as their interests lead them in learning how to manage their bees…we teach as we inspect. It’s fun. Most of our stewards wouldn’t dream of missing an inspection of their bees!
Over the course of a season or two, and before they realize it, our stewards learn to keep bees. They learn to smell the hive when it’s opened, to listen to various sounds of the bees, to spot the eggs, the larvae, the brood; they learn to identify the queen as she moves over the comb.
And, if our Bee Stewards decide they’re ready to keep bees on their own, TwoHoneys Bee Co. is delighted to help with that transition.
If you envision yourself as a Bee Steward, please contact us, and we’ll get you started. It’s a terrific way to test your interest in beekeeping without assuming all the responsibility.