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Harvesting honey is both an art and a science. Smotherman begins in late spring when nectar flow peaks. He carefully monitors his hives, ensuring the bees have space in their supers \u2014 the frames where honey is stored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once the comb is full and capped with wax, he removes and uncaps the frames before spinning the honey in an extractor. The honey is then filtered, gently warmed for smooth bottling, and stored, ensuring each jar contains nothing but raw, golden goodness straight from the hive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have bees to thank for our thriving local farms and food businesses, but we can also admire their brilliance and methodical nature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s impossible to overstate the importance of insect pollinators,\u201d Smotherman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Different plants produce different pollen and nectars, and honeybees instinctively seek out what they need throughout the seasons. The result is a beautifully varied selection of honey, each batch revealing the flowers in bloom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Smotherman, beekeeping is a tradition. His second cousin, Dr. Ed Perryman of Bedford County, has been a successful beekeeper for decades. A conversation in 2015 piqued Smotherman\u2019s interest, and by the following spring, he and his brother started their own hives with Perryman\u2019s queen bees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLike most new beekeepers, we over- thought the process at first,\u201d Smotherman admitted. \u201cBut you soon learn to let the bees show you what they need.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Smotherman, the biggest threat to honeybee populations today is the varroa mite, a parasitic pest that weakens hives and spreads disease. Treatments exist, but they\u2019re expensive, and beekeepers must rotate methods to prevent mites from developing resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Habitat loss is another hurdle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCorn and soybeans do not provide nectar for honeybees, and red clover blossoms are often too deep for them to reach,\u201d Smotherman explained. \u201cBut planting bee-friendly cover crops \u2014 like white clover \u2014 can make a huge difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He believes that beekeeping can thrive with improved bee strains and greater public awareness. More people are opting for local honey over mass-produced alternatives, and if hive health improves, more aspiring beekeepers will stick with it rather than get discouraged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Supporting pollinators is easier than you might think. Smotherman encourages people to buy local honey, plant bee-friendly flowers, and avoid using pesticides that harm bees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, the next time you drizzle honey into your tea or onto a warm slice of toast, take a moment to appreciate the tiny creatures that made it possible. In their work, they create something sweet but, more importantly, sustain an entire ecosystem with every flower. GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THE GOLDEN, sticky sweetness drizzles onto warm toast, slightly pooling before you take a bite. The rich, floral taste lingers on your tongue. It\u2019s a gift from thousands of tiny workers buzzing industriously in fields of wildflowers. Bees pollinate nearly 85% of the world\u2019s flowering plants, ensuring the growth of fruits, vegetables, and nuts essential […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":23716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/manchester\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/05\/Story-1-photo1-4-1024x683.jpg\")