The Story of Violet Clara McNaughton
Mid-October, 2021. A Facebook message caught my attention. “Free queen.” This isn’t something you see in mid-October. Most queen-rearing beekeepers have queens available during and shortly after mating season in Spring when there’s a strong likelihood the queen will successfully mate with 12-15 drones (on the wing, no less!).
So who would take this lone queen so late in the Fall? A beekeeper who REALLY needs one - me! After the loss of queen Celestial Bronze, I was in touch with the frailty of life in a bee colony. I wanted this queen and no one appeared to need her. She was meant for me!
I learned that she was a Saskatraz bee - a hybrid created in the Saskatchewan province of Canada.
Apis mellifera (Apis is Latin for “bee” and Mellifera is Latin for “honey-bearing” or “honey-carrying”) is the Latin name for the Western honey bee. There are 31 recognized subspecies known for various and specific traits within A. mellifera. Saskatraz bees are not on that list. They are relatively new to the world of beekeeping but are known for over-wintering well (they have to in Canada!) and high honey yields.
I named this queen Violet Clara McNaughton, inspired by the women’s rights leader who greatly improved the roles and rights available to women in Saskatchewan during the 1910’s and 1920’s. Clearly, a leader.
As is common in the beekeeping community, a fellow keeper helped me out by gifting me a couple frames of brood (babies). This was all Violet needed to kick it into egg-laying mode and start her new colony.
Fast forward to April, May, June 2023, Violet’s colony had grown from two frames to two supers, each with ten frames (20 total). Her daughters filled several frames with nectar and dehydrated it over time, finally capping each cell with wax.
It is the policy of Noble Path Apiary, as it is with most keepers, to only harvest honey from hives that have created more than they will use that year.
This year’s spring wildflower honey was carefully harvested, extracted from the frames through spinning, lightly filtered (600 microns, which allows pollen through), and lovingly bottled. It is from this hive that YOUR jar of honey has come to be in your possession.
In this batch, you will notice a strong floral taste. You may pick up notes of orange and lemon blossoms.
On average, approximately two million flowers are visited by about 1,00 bees to make 12 ounces of honey. As you enjoy your special jar of liquid gold, please make it a ritual to pause and reflect on the lives and labor that went into every drop you savor. Let your heart be filled with gratitude for the common honeybee and her dedication to her queen and her hive.
