The Beauty of the Bee Swarm
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A few years ago there was a bee swarm in my neighborhood. For a few days it was the talk of the town. Did you see that bee swarm? Are they angry? Are they looking for a person or animal to attack? Are they lost? Looking for their hive? It was both beautiful and frightening [...]
Ways to Use Our Honey
Our Rare Hawaiian Organic White Honey is so delicious that I often eat it by just sticking my finger right in the honey jar! I also put indecent amounts of organic white honey into my tea every day. But beyond the obvious ways of consuming this delectable honey there are a few ways to use [...]
Honey Got a Sweet Start in Hawaii’s Resort Restaurants with Peter Merriman
Twenty years ago when Peter Merriman was the Executive Chef at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel he and a group of local chefs started the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement. Shortly thereafter, Chef Merriman opened Merriman’s in Waimea. From the Merriman’s website: “The Waimea restaurant is now widely recognized as the flagship home of Hawaii Regional [...]
British Scientist, An Expert in Bee Viruses Visits Volcano Island Honey
On November 17, 2009, Dr. Stephen J. Martin of University of Sheffield in Western Bank, Sheffield, UK visited Volcano Island Honey Company. Dr. Martin is internationally recognized for his research on the biology and population dynamics of social insects (hornets and honeybees) and their pests, parasites and pathogens. The Varroa Mite is spreading rapidly on [...]
Film Crew from Japan at Volcano Island Honey
Yesterday a film crew from Japan interviewed Richard Spiegel at the Volcano Island Honey Company apiary in Ahualoa on the Hamakua Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii. They were filming for a show called the Voyage of Kona Coffee and were also featuring other Hawaii Island artisan products. Richard opened up a beehive and [...]
Beginning Organic Beekeeping with Richard
This fall Richard launched a four week class called Beginning Organic Beekeeping. With thirty years experience in organic beekeeping and producing artisan honey- the demand to learn from Richard is high! Twelve lucky people are in the class now and there is already a list for the next class. With bees under attack by the [...]
The Last Beekeeper… in Hawaii
Richard Spiegel & Candice Choy from Volcano Island Honey went to Oahu this week to see the Hawaii premiere of The Last Beekeeper as a part of the Hawaii International Film Festival. Beekeepers from Maui, Oahu and the Big Island all gathered to watch the film and share their honey at a tasting afterward. Whole [...]
Organic Honey Starts with Organic Foundation
Unless you are a beekeeper you are probably asking yourself right now, “What is Wax Foundation?” and “Why Do I Care?” Wax foundation is a thin sheet of beeswax that is embossed with the hexagonal shape that the bees naturally form for their honeycomb. The wax foundation is placed in a rectangular wooden frame with [...]
The Bees and the Trees (and the tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, mac nuts…)
The Aptly Named Varroa Destructor Do you know that 1/3 of all the food you eat is pollinated by bees? The decimation of bee colonies is a threat to food production in Hawaii. In Hawaii we do not have the disappearance of bees (Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD), but we now have the devastating and [...]
