Crystallization:
While the winter rains are upon us you might see your honey becoming more cloudy or even setting up. This is a natural process called crystallization and does NOT mean the honey is going bad. In fact, this process seems to concentrate the flavor and many people prefer it this way because it does not run down your hand as you eat it on a cracker or in your sandwich! If you like a runny honey to drizzle over your yogurt, you can put it in a warm sunny window and let Mother Nature bring it back to liquid. If it is very crystallized, it will take a long time to liquify. Alternatively, place the jar in a warm water bath until it liquifies again. This also takes a lot of time and, in addition, you need to carefully watch the temperature. Over 120 degrees and it will break down the enzymes in the honey and affect the color and flavor. See http://honeypedia.info/why-does-honey-crystallize for more information.
Swarming:
One thing a beekeeper needs to look out for when visiting their hives is to check for crowding in the hive. Bees who get crowded can “swarm” which is the natural way bees start a new colony and leave room in the old colony for raising up new bees. If you see a swarm in progress it will look like a cloud of bees buzzing very loud! Don’t be alarmed, they are very docile at this stage and are just looking for a new home. They will land in a bush or tree to rest. If you happen to live in the East Bay, send me an email and I can come and remove it. This is a really great thing to experience and I am happy to have people watch…especially kids!
Cleaning: Ever wonder why bees clean themselves- click here for an article with the full explanation.