Bees are a big deal to us and should be for you too. Because a world without bees is a bleak one. And a famished one.

Set aside for a moment about how tasty and good for you honey is, and take a moment to think about this. Seventy out of the top 100 human food crops, which supply about 90 percent of the world’s nutrition, are pollinated by bees.

That’s a lot of critical sustenance. It’s a scary amount of our food supply to jeopardize. What’s more, they’re also responsible for pollinating some of the healthiest foods for us like nuts, fruits, and vegetables.

what they do for us is simply incredible. their positive impact is undeniable and you’d think we’d treat them with more reverence than we do today.

Fortunately, in recent years, there has been both a growing awareness of the severe harm being done to our worldwide honey bee population and what to do to support them.

This page will serve as a hub of information for bee facts, what we do to support our bees, and what you can do too. Don’t worry, it’s not hard.

marketplace honey

We need more bees in our world so we installed several hives on our buidling’s rooftops. We also sponsor several throughout the areas we serve – over a dozen in all.

Our hives are tended to by Mike Vigo of The Bee Ranchers. We make hyper-local honey for you to enjoy too. There’s a lot to discover.

We have four hives on the rooftop of the Alameda Marketplace, and a few others in the area.

That’s tens of thousands of friendly bees cruising around Alameda.

Bee Seasons

Winter

During the cool and wet Winter months, the bees essentially hibernate and go quiet. The hives are closed and they huddle together to keep warm. We leave them with enough honey to sustain themselves.

Spring

Like much of the natural world, bees awaken in the Spring. We usually lose a few colonies every year, so this is when we repopulate with new queens. They will start going into colony production and gear up for foraging.

Summer

With blooms abound, the bees go about their work collecting pollen and nectar, bringing it back to the hive, and producing honey. All while helping plants and crops that rely on pollination to grow.

Fall

Harvest Time

Our annual Honey Harvests generally take place in Autumn. This is honey from all the hives we sponsor, including the roof top ones. This makes it a truly hyper-local product.

Each harvest produces several hundred pounds of honey, usually in the 300-500 pound ranges at each location!

The whole harvest is done on site and takes 1-2 days to extract. We then filter and bottle and it’s on the shelves ready to enjoy.

bee the change

bee facts

• Honey bees – wild and domestic – perform about 80 percent of all pollination worldwide.
• When foraging, they will visit 50 – 100 flowers each pollination trip. To produce a pound of honey, bees will visit 2 million flowers and fly 55,000 miles.
• A single beehive can produce more than 100 pounds of honey.
• Honey contains all of the substances needed to sustain life including enzymes, water, minerals and vitamins.
• Honey bees can fly 10 – 15 mph, and will beat their wings 200 times per second. That’s 12,000 beats per minute and what gives them their buzz.
• There is only one queen in a colony, which can be as large as 80,000 bees in the summer. She produces all the worker bees and drones, laying up to 2,000 eggs a day.

what you can do

We promised it’s not hard to support the bees, and it’s not. Really, it’s about choosing to eliminate pesticides from our environment and choosing to support those who do. Below is an easy list of things you can do today. Bee the change.

1. Stop Using Insecticides

2. Avoid Seeds Coated with Insecticides

3. Read Labels on Garden Compost – watch out for inidacloprid

4. Plant bee-friendly plants – get organic wildflower seeds.

5. Create Habitat Gardens – let part of your land go wild. There is only one queen in a colony, which can be as large as 80,000 bees in the summer. She produces all the worker bees and drones, laying up to 2,000 eggs a day.

6. Become a Beekeeper – Or, Get a Hive

7. Buy Local Honey – Support your beekeepers.

8. Buy Organic Food.

9. Spread the Word.

Bee in on the buzz

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