Article: Why Do We Leave Honey in the Hives?
Why Do We Leave Honey in the Hives?
Honey is the reason many of us keep bees, but for the bees themselves, it's something else entirely: it's their winter food supply. That's why, when we harvest, we don't take everything from the hive. We leave some honey behind, and here's why.
Honey is the bees' pantry
Bees make honey by collecting nectar, carrying it back to the hive, and reducing its moisture until it's thick and shelf-stable. They do this all spring and summer, during the honey flow, when flowers are blooming and nectar is plentiful. Most of that honey isn't made for us. It's made to feed the colony when there's nothing blooming.
Honey bees don't hibernate and Vermont winters are LONG
Unlike some insects, honey bees stay active all winter. They form a tight cluster inside the hive and shiver their flight muscles to generate heat, keeping the center of the cluster warm even when it's freezing outside. That takes a lot of energy, and the energy comes from honey. The colder it gets, the more they eat.
Here in Vermont, there are months when it's too cold for the bees to leave the hive at all, and months when nothing is in bloom even if they could. The colony has to get through all of it on what they stored. A hive that goes into winter without enough honey can run out of food before spring arrives, even if everything else is going well.
How we decide what to take
Beekeeping is about balance. We harvest the "surplus", which is the honey beyond what the colony needs to get through the cold months. The bees come first. A strong, well-fed colony is healthier, more productive, and better prepared for the next season, which is good for the bees and good for us.
What about feeding the bees instead?
Some beekeepers feed their colonies sugar syrup in fall as a backup, especially if a hive is light going into winter. It can help in a pinch, but honey is the natural food bees make for themselves, and it contains more than sugar alone. Whenever possible, we'd rather leave the bees their own honey than replace it.
What this means for the honey you buy
When you open a jar of our honey, you're getting the extra, the part of the harvest that the bees didn't need. Raw honey comes straight from the hive with its natural enzymes and pollen intact, and liquid honey is the easy-pour choice for everyday cooking, tea, and drizzling.
We leave honey in the hives because the bees need it to survive. Taking only what's extra is how we keep our colonies strong, season after season, and keep making honey for your table.
Have a question about how we keep our bees? Send us a note, we love talking bees.
