Robin Miller’s Honey on Route 10 in Honey Brook has been a popular stop for both locals and tourists for the past 25 years, according to the Millers.
“Stocked with over a dozen varieties, including local honey, it’s been a tradition for people who want a simple, uncomplicated and healthy sweetener,” said Robin Miller. “After a hiatus of several years, the bees are coming back and the stand will be reopening.”
Varieties include clover, wildflower, organic, orange blossom, buckwheat, alfalfa, blueberry and more.
On April 27, the Millers installed the bees into their new homes.
Robin and her husband Joe invited this Tri County Record editor to assist with the bee installation.
The bees were shipped via the U.S. Postal Service from Walter Kelly Bee Supply in Kentucky. The Millers received an early morning call from the Post Office on April 27 requesting the Millers come pick up their bees. There were about 30,000 bees.
When I arrived that morning at their home in Honey Brook, Joe asked, “Are you ready for an adventure?”
They provided protective clothing but the bees seemed more curious than angry by my presence. I observed the installation of bees into two bee hives and assisted with the third.
As Joe opened the boxes, the bees hummed.
“You begin to learn the sound of the bees, what it means when they make a certain sound. During the summer when all the bees are going out here, there’s a low buzz that’s really cool sounding,” said Joe, the bee keeper of the operation. “I think it’s your temperament that is the key (to working with bees). People who are high strung like I am have a different ability to deal with bees than people who are even keeled.”
Bee keeping is something they have done for so many years that it has become a part of their lives. “It’s a calming thing. It’s really fascinating to watch. You can see the queen laying eggs in the hive. You can see the bees doing the dance when they find the nectar.”
Robin enjoys watching the bees flying and she enjoys meeting the customers. Remembering 25 years ago when Joe said to her he wanted to take up bee keeping, she said, “What? It was really out of my experience at that time but it’s become such a part of our life. I really like the honey. I like the whole nature at work in the backyard.”
“You’re doing something good, too. This is something that pollinates crops. It’s a nice contribution,” said Joe, explaining that bees travel about five miles to harvest nectar. Their property has clover, wildflowers and flowering trees.
“When I was a kid, there would be bees on every clover. Now, you can go an entire season and not see a single honey bee. It’s been that way for years,” he said, feeling like he is contributing to the bee population by having backyard hives.
“Bees are a really important part of the whole ecology. As pollinators they produce food and they integrate with us real nice as long as you don’t bother them,” he said.
Joe said their home is an agricultural property keeping bees and raising flowers. They also have Miller’s Route 10 Greenhouse. But other jobs off the farm meant less time for bee keeping.
“We decided we either had to get bigger and better at it or we would have to stop. So we stopped but then we realized, no, let’s go the other direction,” said Joe.
They missed the bees.”An absolute miracle, how can something that small cooperate in a colony this big. There are worker bees that go out and get nectar. There are security guard bees that sit at the entrance to the hive to keep other inappropriate bees from going in… The queen bee directs the goings on in the hive. That’s amazing stuff. You can actually see the bees dance and tell all the other bees where the nectar is. That’s amazing. Something that small is going to be able to fly miles and miles.”
With a smile on his face, Joe said, “This is the kind of way to go to work. This is a nice, quiet way to earn a living. It’s great.”
And for this editor, yes, assisting to install bees into a hive was an adventure. As I opened the bee box, put the queen inside the hive and poured the bees inside, there was a sense of excitement and accomplishment.
For more information about Robin Miller’s Honey Stand, 3125 Compass Road (Route 10), Honey Brook, visit https://www.facebook.com/RobinMillersHoney.
