Article: National Honey Bee Day at Champlain Valley Apiaries
National Honey Bee Day at Champlain Valley Apiaries
National Honey Bee Day falls on the third Saturday of August, and this year that's August 15th. It's a day set aside to recognize honeybees and the beekeepers who care for them.
Honeybees do a lot of quiet work most people never see. They're responsible for pollinating a huge share of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts we eat, and without them, our grocery stores and farmers markets would look very different. National Honey Bee Day was created to bring attention to that work, along with the challenges bees face and the beekeepers who help them thrive.
For us, it's also a chance to celebrate something closer to home. Since 1931, our family has been keeping bees in the Champlain Valley, and four generations later, we're still learning from them every season.
A Day in the Life of Our Bees in August
By mid-August, our hives are deep into the honey flow. Foragers are out from early morning until dusk, working goldenrod, clover, and whatever else is blooming around Vermont. Inside the hive, workers are capping honey, tending to brood, and keeping the colony running.
Our beekeepers are just as busy this time of year, checking hive health, watching for signs of stress, and starting to think ahead toward fall preparation. August is a turning point in the beekeeping calendar, and it's one of the reasons this holiday lands at such a fitting moment.
How You Can Celebrate
You don't need a hive of your own to mark National Honey Bee Day. A few simple things go a long way for local pollinators:
- Plant native, pollinator-friendly flowers in your yard or garden
- Skip pesticides when you can, especially during peak bloom
- Support local beekeepers and honey producers
- Take a few minutes to learn about the bees in your area
And of course, enjoying a spoonful of real Vermont honey is never a bad way to celebrate.
A Day We Take Personally
For a lot of businesses, National Honey Bee Day is a nice hashtag. For us, it's a reminder of why we do this work in the first place. Every jar of honey we produce starts with a colony of bees doing what they do best, and every season we get to keep learning alongside them.
However you spend August 15th this year, we hope you'll take a moment to appreciate the bees buzzing around your own backyard. They're doing more for you than you might realize.
