Producers of Virginia Honey & Local Queens

Oxalic Acid Dribble Using a Spray Bottle

A pollen-packed frame in early spring is a key sign of a healthy hive. Learn why pollen is critical for brood development and colony growth.

Preparing for Pollination Season at Gees Bees Spring is right around the corner, and that means one thing in the bee yard— it’s time to get ready for packages. Before the bees even arrive, the work starts by getting the hives set, leveled, and placed exactly where they’ll spend the season. Why Set Hives Before the Bees Arrive? One of the most overlooked parts of beekeeping is timing. When your packages show up, things move fast. The last thing you want to be doing is figuring

Joshua Falls to Yeat Project

One of the most exciting—and rewarding—moments in beekeeping is catching a swarm. It’s nature’s way of giving you a free colony, already equipped with a queen and a workforce ready to build. Using a swarm trap is one of the simplest and most effective ways to take advantage of this natural process, especially here in Virginia where swarm season typically kicks off in early spring. Why Bees Swarm Swarming is how a honey bee colony reproduces. When a hive becomes crowded—usuall

If you’re a beekeeper, you already know that losses happen. Whether it’s due to harsh winters, pesticide exposure, or unexpected colony collapse, losing bees isn’t just frustrating; it’s also expensive. That's where the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) comes in. What Is ELAP? The USDA Farm Service Agency Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) is designed to help producers recover

We’re excited to announce that Gees Bees will be setting up at the Deep Roots Home & Garden Center Spring Festival on March 28, 2026 in Locust Grove, Virginia! This is a great opportunity to come out, enjoy a day at the garden center, and support local vendors. We’ll be bringing our pure, local honey, harvested right here in the Locust Grove area. If you’ve been looking for real, raw honey straight from a local beekeeper, this is your chance to stock up. At our booth, you’ll

On March 14, 2026 , I stopped by the world headquarters of Gees Bees in Locust Grove, Virginia  to take a look at the hives and see how things are shaping up as we head toward spring. It wasn’t a full hive inspection. Instead, I was mostly standing back and watching the bees and seeing what they were doing . The temperature was only around 55–60 degrees , which means the bees weren’t very active yet. At those temperatures they tend to stay clustered in the hive and only a few

Welcome to the newly revamped Gees Bees website! The new design offers easier navigation, clearer product pages, and improved information on our raw local honey, queen sales, and swarm removal services. You’ll also find dedicated pages for our CBD-infused honey, along with new educational blog posts focused on hive life and beekeeping in Virginia. Explore our fresh look and see how Gees Bees continues to grow.

This week I completed my first winter hive check of 2026 using a FLIR One thermal imaging camera to inspect my honey bee colonies without opening the hive. During cold weather, opening a hive can disrupt the winter cluster and stress the bees. Thermal imaging allows beekeepers to confirm colony survival and locate the heat signature of the cluster without disturbing the hive. In fact, performing a thermal hive inspection in Virginia during winter provides a non-invasive way t

CBD honey combines two simple ingredients people already love—raw honey and hemp-derived CBD—into one easy, great-tasting wellness product. As interest in plant-based wellness continues to grow, CBD-infused honey has become a popular option for people looking to support everyday balance without complicated routines. In this guide, we’ll explain what CBD honey is, how it’s made, and why so many people are adding it to their daily lifestyle. What Is CBD Honey? CBD honey is natu

Planning to expand your hives this spring? We’re taking a trip to Georgia in mid-March 2026 to pick up high-quality bee packages directly from the source. By eliminating the middleman, we’re passing the savings on to you. Here’s the breakdown for 2026: 1–2 packages: $135 each 3–5 packages: $125 each 6+ packages: $120 each To secure your packages, prepayment is required. We prefer PayPal (Friends & Family) to avoid processing fees, and we also accept cash. Pickup in Spotsylvan

Unwind naturally with our CBD & CBN-infused honey—pure, delicious honey blended with hemp cannabinoids to support calm, relaxation, and a more peaceful routine.

Unwind naturally with our CBD & CBN-infused honey—pure, delicious honey blended with hemp cannabinoids to support calm, relaxation, and a more peaceful routine.

Package bees can thrive when installed correctly. Learn practical tips for feeding, pollen patties, weather risks, and getting package bees off to a strong start in Virginia.

Johno's Easy Vap is used to treat bees for mites

I discovered these queen catchers online. I had purchased several of their queen cages and gave them a shot, They worked really well and decided to get the queen catchers. I was very pleased with the fit and finish of the item. I know as I use them, it will get easier. I think next time I will load the nurse bees into the catcher first and then add the queen. It makes putting a queen in a cage....EZPZ... (see what I did there??) You can find all of their products at https:/

I collected a swarm in my yard. I knew that I had to be mine. How marking queens helps manage your colonies Marking queens allows beekeepers to quickly confirm that the same queen is still present in the hive during inspections. This reduces stress on the colony, shortens inspection time, and helps prevent accidentally injuring the queen while searching for her. It also helps identify when a hive has requeened itself naturally, which is especially important after a swarm or d

Replacing a queen is a normal part of beekeeping. Queens can fail, become poorly mated, stop laying consistently, or simply need to be upgraded for better genetics. The challenge is not placing a new queen into a hive — the real challenge is getting the colony to accept her . If a hive does not accept a new queen, the workers will kill her. Before releasing a queen, I always recommend doing a simple acceptance check. It only takes a few minutes and can save you from losing an

Guard bees protect the hive by recognizing intruders, sounding alarms, and defending against predators. Learn how bees become guards and why they are vital to the colony.

Planning to expand your hives this spring? We're taking a trip to Georgia in mid-March to pick up high-quality bee packages directly from the source! By eliminating the middleman, we're passing the savings on to you. 🐝 Here's the breakdown: 1-2 packages: $135 each 3-5 packages: $125 each 6+ packages: $120 each To secure your packages, prepayment is required. We prefer PayPal (Friends & Family) to avoid those pesky fees, but we also accept cash. Pickup in Spotsylvania near t

In my last post, we talked about getting our hives ready for the start of spring. Now, as we get closer to the real burst of activity,...

With Local Virginia Honey Hi friends, The response to Virginia Hemp Honey has been amazing! I’m so grateful for your support and...

Hello friends, It’s been a while since my last post, and I appreciate your patience. Life has been a whirlwind as I’ve poured my energy...