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Little Bee of Connecticut's blog is a hive of knowledge, buzzing with insights on beekeeping, pollinator-friendly gardening tips, and a myriad of fascinating topics. Dive into our world of sustainable living, where we share our passion for bees, gardening, and all things nature-inspired, fostering a community of eco-conscious enthusiasts.

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Regenerative Farming – What is it and why is it important?
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Regenerative Farming – What is it and why is it important?
Regenerative Farming from ‘Organic’ to ‘Regenerative Organic’ – It Starts in the Soil What does ‘regenerative farming’ really mean? Well, It’s the process of replenishing nutrients in plots of land that have been exploited for decades and then ultimately repairing the damage. It can completely transform a landscape and return biodiversity to an otherwise starved landscape. It’s a new higher level of standard that must be met by farmers, and affects animal health, soil health and the wellbeing of humans. You can’t talk about regenerative organic agriculture without first giving a nod back to the organic foods boom in the late 1990’s. The Rodale Institute in Pennsylvania helped define the organic standards to which farms are held by the USDA. Rodale has also taken to rebranding the former organic philosophy as regenerative agriculture. The new certification is called “Regenerative Organic Certification”, which can only be given after a brand receives organic certification (under a USDA certifier). The term “regenerative organic” was coined by Robert Rodale, son of J. I. Rodale, former head of the Rodale Institute. “Rodale Institute maintains that regenerative farming holds the potential to heal nearly every dimension of our society. And it starts in the soil.”  — foodtank.com “Our Healing Begins in the Soil” Now, this particular topic is not specifically focused on pollinators and our ever-favorite topic of saving the bees, but when you get down to the root of it (pun intended), everything begins in our soil. The very things we need to survive come from the stuff. And, if our soil is suffering, so will the pollinators, our food sources and ultimately…us! This new agricultural standard is beginning to infiltrate all markets (even fashion and skincare) and is becoming more mainstream. It is not seen as a trend, but something that is here to stay. Thank goodness for that.   Regenerative Practices Will Heal and Repair the Land Large companies, such as PepsiCo, General Mills and Nestlé all have plans to put regenerative practices in place in the foreseeable future. These plans will affect millions of acres of land, and the farmers that work the land will receive the support they need to help them transition as well. The same article goes on to explain, “Regenerative practices biologically create more surface cover for plants, end erosion, and increase beneficial microbial populations near the soil’s surface, where plants grow. When the soil microbiome is healthy, it protects plants from droughts or pests and can even stave off pathogens by producing toxins that trigger the plants to defend themselves.” When the soil is healthy, the plants are healthy. And, when the plants we eat are healthy, they produce antioxidants which are the chemicals that have been shown to slow the growth of cancer cells and boost our immune systems. Regenerative Organic Certification is designed to hold brands accountable to this higher standard which will help the farmed soil yield healthier plants and allow the plots of land to regenerate faster and better than those treated chemically. Read about the 7 Principles of Regenerative Agriculture here. We can also call them the 7 P’s! Pluralism, Protection, Purity, Permanence, Peace, Potential, and Progress. Full details in the article above, and each one makes us smile. We find all of this very promising and exciting for the future of Planet Earth! We have to live in harmony with nature, not destroy it.   Other Surprising News Surrounding Regenerative Organic Agriculture There is so much to learn on this topic, and we are only scratching the very surface. This quote was also one that gives such promise for the future. The data is surfacing that shows such other benefits of regenerative agriculture practices. “Perhaps most significantly, the protection offered from healthy soils applies to the vitality of our economic systems too. The Organic Trade Association released a study identifying “organic hotspots” in the United States…counties that have high levels of organic agricultural activity… According to the study, the poverty rate for an organic hotspot drops significantly… median income increases by US $2,000…”. —foodtank.com “Our Healing Begins in the Soil”   We will end on this note…where it all began. The practices that now define regenerative agriculture began with indigenous people and their deep connections to the land they farm. This connection allows them to work with nature rather than against it. Their way of farming has always been an active learning process, without one set solution, which allowed practices and traditions to change and grow as the land around them changed. We see such similarity in regenerative farming processes building on this respect for the land and the sustenance it provides for us all. We are hopeful for the future it will provide for all living creatures.   Please visit us on Instagram or Facebook for daily posts and updates. Honeybees are the livelihood of Little Bee of CT and so many other loyal beekeepers around the world. Without these busy, magnificent creatures, approximately one-third of our food supply would be jeopardized due to lack of cross-pollination. Thank you again for supporting the bees and for supporting Little Bee of CT. Visit our site to learn more about our company and our products!
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Nourish Your Skin with Little Bee Body Scrubs and Skin Salves
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Nourish Your Skin with Little Bee Body Scrubs and Skin Salves
Your skin is a pretty big deal. And we mean that literally because your skin is the biggest organ you have! It’s a watertight, airtight packaging that carries you from infancy to adulthood, (hopefully in a pretty-enough package to turn some heads), while simultaneously regulating your temperature and providing immune defenses. Woah, right? You owe it to your skin to give it the best care possible, and even to treat it to something special from time to time. Our skin really takes a beating during the summer months when so much time is spent outdoors. The heat, sun, salty beach air and other irritants like bug spray, sunblock, and even smoke from the nightly fire pit can leave your skin with a little more dryness and damage than it had the day before. Your skin is tough but sensitive and needs to be cared for consistently to keep it youthful and nourished. Little Bee Body Scrubs and Body Salves to the Rescue! We’ve developed a delectable line of Body Scrubs and Body Salves that nourish and moisturize your skin, and will give it back the youthful glow you deserve. Your skin will thank you! First, let’s talk about our all-natural Sea Salt Body Scrubs, which are sweet and salty, and give your skin a delicious blend of exfoliation and moisture. Almost yummy enough to eat. Almost. (But please don’t.) They were created with a blend of natural ingredients that will gently smooth away dryness and leave your skin with a beautiful healthy glow. In your shower or bath, simply moisten your skin with warm water. Apply liberal amounts of Body Scrub to your driest skin areas and gently massage in a circular motion. (Better yet, recruit someone to do that for you?). Rinse completely and immediately discover how soft and silky smooth your skin has become! Choose from Eucalyptus, Honey & Lemon, or our favorite…Lavender Honey. The gentle fragrances will melt your stresses away. And next, we’ll tell you all about our natural beeswax Body Salves, which are a no-brainer for anyone with dry, chafed or otherwise damaged skin. Our Little Bee Body Salve was developed to provide natural moisture to any and all of your dry skin areas including hands, elbows, knees, and feet. (Reminds us of the cute little song “head, shoulders, knees and toes…) And hey, our body salve is perfectly good for those areas too! Our formula contains a blend of natural oils and pure beeswax that will completely soothe and condition your skin. No need to add water. We’ve created three blends to please all senses: Chill Body Salve.  Our “coolest” blend has subtle notes of peppermint, orange, lavender, and patchouli. Just breathe it in and chill out as you moisturize. Soothe Body Salve. A local favorite, this blend contains Atlas Cedar, Juniper, Ylang Ylang, and Vanilla. Not too masculine and not too feminine. It’s just right. Naked Body Salve. The name says it all. There is no added fragrance in this blend, and it will nourish your skin without leaving a lingering scent, so your own natural scent will come through. (If you haven’t read our last blog on Scent and Perfumes, you need to go check it out!)   The quality of your skin greatly contributes to how healthy, young and attractive you will be perceived by others. If you want to be perceived as youthful, and have amazing, supple, dewey skin, you just have to take a few steps in the right direction. You’ve heard the saying, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”, right? Well, there’s no time like today to begin a skin care regimen that will keep your largest and most-visible organ (your skin) glowing, halt some of the damage that may be occurring and possibly reverse some of it! These two products, Little Bee Body Scrub and Little Bee Skin Salve, which we bring to you directly from the hive, are a good first step. Combine the sweet, goodness of honey and the natural benefits of beeswax into your skin care routine today. And of course, don’t skimp on the sunblock! If you have any questions regarding our Sea Salt Body Scrubs, Body Salves, or any of our all-natural products, please email us at info@littlebeeofct.com, Don’t forget to follow @littlebeeofct on Instagram and Facebook where we post daily updates on our products and our favorite creature…the little bee! Thank you for supporting Little Bee of CT and the busy beekeepers around the world!
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10 Fascinating Facts About Our Little Honey Bees
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  • Article author: Web Dev
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10 Fascinating Facts About Our Little Honey Bees
If you follow us on Facebook and Instagram, you’ll see many posts highlighting the fascinating aspects of our favorite pollinator, the honey bee. We want to take a closer look at this amazing little creature and provide some perhaps not-so-common facts that we hope will interest and astound you. After all, without the honey bee, our food sources would suffer tremendously, and some would disappear completely. Now, in no particular order, let’s get buzzing about these bees! 10. Beeswax Is Created from a Special Gland on the Honey Bee. There are eight glands on the abdomen of the youngest worker bees which produce tiny wax droplets. As soon as the wax is exposed to oxygen, the droplets harden. The worker bees use their mouths to soften the wax and make it pliable. Then the older workers construct the honeycomb. Want to learn a bit more about how honey bees make beeswax? Click here and read this detailed article! (https://www.thoughtco.com/how-honey-bees-make-beeswax-1968102) 9. The Hive is Kept at a Constant Temperature of 93° Fahrenheit. During the hot summer months, bees will fan their wings to keep the air circulating. The hum from all these beating wings can be heard from many feet away. In the colder months, the bees will gather closely together and circle the queen to keep her warm. The bees can maintain this temperature even during drastic weather changes. 8. Honey Bees Top Speed Can Reach 15 to 20 MPH! Honey bees are not built for long distance travel, but more for short bursts of speed as they travel flower to flower. Once they are loaded up with pollen, they travel closer to 12 MPH. And, to get home with the extra weight, they flap their wings 12-15,000 times per minute! This photo shows the baggage a little bee must carry on the flight back from the flower garden. 7. One Queen Bee Can Lay up to 2,000 Eggs in One Day. Queens have one job and that job is reproduction. A mere 48 hours after mating, she will begin to produce eggs, and won’t stop until she has produced her own body weight in eggs each day. The average is about 1,500 eggs per day, This leaves little time for eating or grooming, so she has her attendant worker bees take care of the household chores for her. Watch this closeup and personal video of a Queen mating in air! (https://youtu.be/i7hGIP-RE8k) 6. If the Queen Dies, a Replacement Queen is Created. It is rare, but sometimes the queen bee dies. If she has laid eggs within 5 days of dying, there is a good chance that the hive can create a replacement queen, by swapping her diet of honey and bee bread for royal jelly. This “emergency” queen won’t be as successful as one fed royal jelly from birth, but she will ensure the longevity of the hive, and can pick up where the previous queen left off. (Like bossing around the workers, and then mating and killing off drones.) 5. Honey Bees are Amazing Mathematicians. Why are honey bees a fan of the hexagon? It’s one of the most efficient design shapes for economizing labor and beeswax. Bees can actually calculate angles and understand the curve of the earth. Woah, right? To learn more about the honey bee and the hexagon, watch this Ted Talk Video. (https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-honeybees-love-hexagons-zack-patterson-and-andy-peterson) 4. No Couch Potatoes Allowed. Bees are Hard Workers. Each bee has its own specific job. Whether it’s attending to the nursery, gathering pollen and nectar, removing waste from the hive, or the deadly task of mating with the queen, these bees get the job done in a precise and orderly fashion. A single colony of bees can pollinate over 300 million flowers … a day! (No Netflix and Chill for these little bees.) 3. What a Honey Bee Gathers Determines What it Will Become in the Hive. Bees will forage for a few things: Nectar, pollen, water and propolis (a resin-like substance collected from tree buds.). The nectar and pollen become honey and bee bread, to feed the hive (and if we’re lucky…us!). Water is used to cool the hive, The propolis is mainly structural and used to fill in crevices in the hive structure. 2. Honey Bees Have an Amazing Sense of Smell. They can smell the difference between Lilac and Lavender. (Well, so can we.) Bees have over 170 “odorant receptors”, which also help them to communicate with the hive. 1. Honey Bees Do Sleep. They are one of the hardest working species, and therefore deserve to catch some ZZZZ’s. But, honey bees don’t sleep the way that humans and animals sleep. They do remain very still and may even “power nap” to refresh, or conserve energy. Bees also use this down time to rehash the days memories, stabilizing them so they can be accessed the next day and even in the future.   For more information on any of the all-natural products we create at Little Bee of CT, email us at info@littlebeeofct.com, Don’t forget to follow @littlebeeofct on Instagram and Facebook where we post daily updates on our products and our favorite creature…the little bee! Thank you for supporting Little Bee of CT and the busy beekeepers around the world!
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Chronicles from the Hive:  Da Bears!
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  • Article tag: beehive repair
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Chronicles from the Hive: Da Bears!
The world is full of famous proverbs. Like “No use crying over spilt milk” or “Laughter is the best medicine”. Beekeeping is no different. Two of the most common I’ve heard over the years are “Ask 10 beekeepers and you’ll get 11 answers” or “It’s not a matter of if but when bears find your hives”. Well, unfortunately one found our hives in Newtown, CT this past month. We hoped that, due to their location, this would never happen. However, when it did, it set off a series of events and decisions to be carefully executed if we wanted to save them. In this months’ “Chronicles from the Hive” come along and see what it’s like when Winnie the Pooh sets foot in your bee yard…. Receiving the news The family in Newtown that allowed me to place hives on their property have been great partners. It is such an incredible spot on over 20 acres of grasses and wildflowers. They love seeing the honeybees buzzing around and I even had an opportunity to teach their kids a couple things about bees. One morning they were out and noticed that something didn’t look quite right. Where there were previously three hives now only stood two. Approaching, from the safety of their car, to get a better view they saw a hive on the ground and broken apart. A few pictures were snapped and sent to me. As soon as I saw them, I was fairly certain it was a bear…   Assessing the situation As soon as I could I packed up my gear and headed over to check things out. On the 20 minute drive over, I kept thinking I should’ve installed an electric fence, I should’ve installed an electric fence on repeat. I have a fence in Southbury and no bears have broken through (fingers crossed I didn’t just jinx myself).  As the proverb says, “There’s no use crying over spilt milk”. Can’t change what happened, can only rescue the hives that are there and do my best to make sure they survive. Arrived to a scene straight out of the three little pigs. One hive knocked over (Straw), one with the top off (Sticks), and one still intact (Bricks). Bees from the other hives trying to find new shelter where they could. Unfortunately, honeybees don’t play nice like that. The guard bees from that hive will do what it takes to defend the hive from what it sees as invaders and this looked like a war zone. Staying a few feet further back than usual, I suited up and went in. Smoker in hand, I approached the hive on the ground. The bottom box was still whole with all 10 frames in place. A couple quick puffs of smoke to refocus their attention and I picked it up and placed in back on the stand. The second box was not so lucky. Six of the frames were laying on the ground with the honeycomb broken out or scraped off. The tall grass behind the hives where they were found was trampled from what I can only imagine is a black bear rolling with a face full of bees. Further, I could see a gap in grass where it no doubt ran away as fast as it could. What are our options? Once a bear finds a hive, they are likely to return, even though it means another face full of bees. When a bear got one of our hives in Southbury a few years ago, it took two days to get the parts and build it. During those two days the bear came back. Thankfully, we had put ratchet straps on the hives to keep the boxes together as a temporary measure, so it was able to knock it over but not get inside  We were lucky.  Not so sure we would be as lucky this time around. Ratchet straps would hold the hives together, but not necessarily hold from a determined bear.  If it came back that would likely be the end of them. Decision Time The bear situation, the health and safety of the hives, and the fact that we are getting closer to the end of the season for honeybees, really meant only one logical plan. Move the hives from Newtown over to Southbury. How difficult could it possibly be to move 50,000 angry bees?! During the day a good percentage of the bees are out foraging for nectar and pollen. Some travel as far away as three miles from the hive. If I picked it up at noon and moved it, by the end of the day, tens of thousands of bees would come back to no home. Plus, given that there were thousands of bees all over the front of the hives, they needed some time to calm down. So, I packed up and planned to come back during the night. This would help ensure that all of the bees were in their respective hives and not foraging or trying to get into another hive.   Relocation I returned at about 8:30 that night with my daughter, THE Little Bee of Little Bee of Connecticut, to pick them up. When we arrived, we were both happy to see that there was no longer any activity outside of the hives. Now we still can’t just pick them up and leave. The entire colony is inside. Over 50,000 bees in one hive ready to defend their home if necessary. One slip and they’ll start pouring out. Stinging the closest thing they can, which would be us. That would be bad and then we’d have to wait for them to get back in the hive again. The hives need to be sealed up before moving them. An entrance reducer with duct tape over the holes was put over the front of the hive and tacked in place. Short of dropping the hive, this would ensure that everyone stays inside for the next hour. The two of us got in position on either side of the first hive. Placing one hand each under the front and back of the hive we grabbed hold of the bottom board. Slowly lifting it off the cinder block base and into the air. You could hear the sound of the bees change as soon as the hive started moving. The low buzzing got much louder as the collective just inside sensed a disturbance. Carefully walking towards the truck being sure not to trip or move faster than the other, we gently placed the hive on the tailgate and slid it into place. The concerned buzzing quickly died down. We then repeated the same process for the other two hives. No hives dropped and no bees escaped.  WHEW! Picking up the cinder block hive stands was the last step and honestly harder than moving the hives themselves. Now it was time to drive them back to Southbury. Release and reorientation. Got back home about 9:30pm and set out to put the hives in the bee yard inside the electric fence. Plugged in some additional work lights to help illuminate the area. Since “Laughter is the best medicine”, my daughter and I commenced with shadow puppets on the trees. After placing the blocks in position, it was now time to move the hives to their new home. You could hear their agitation inside the hive after the drive which included winding roads and highways as well. Just as carefully as we loaded them we removed them from the truck. Gently setting them down on the hive stand. Once all three were unloaded and in position for a couple minutes, it was time to open the entrances. Standing to the side and slightly behind, I removed the reducer. Only a few bees darted out, but none of them were trying to sting us. A larger group slowly emerged and stood on the front entrance. Curious about their new environment. Since it was dark out exploring and orientation would need to wait until the morning. And that they did. Lots of activity in the morning outside each hive as they soaked in and adapted to their new surroundings   The Little Bee and I hope you enjoyed reading about our adventure and a side of beekeeping that most outsiders don’t really know about. Thank you for supporting Little Bee of CT and the passionate beekeepers around the world!
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Local Honey Love
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  • Article author: Web Dev
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Local Honey Love
Do you love local honey? Are you SURE you’re purchasing local honey? More and more people are understanding the health benefits of local honey – from ingesting the natural pollen for allergy control, to antibacterial properties for wounds, to a soothing cup of hot honey and lemon for a sore throat. They are also understanding the plight of the honey bee through national coverage by CNN, Time, National Geographic, to name a few and are buying to help support local beekeeping. My favorite local honey is of course… Little Bee of Connecticut, mainly, because I am the beekeeper. I’m proud to say that Little Bee of Connecticut honey is truly, pure local honey. I know what went into harvesting it and that it hasn’t been processed or otherwise adulterated in any way. I can’t stress enough, when buying your local honey, know your honey source, and if at all possible, know your beekeeper. Just because it’s honey being sold locally doesn’t necessarily mean it is local honey, or raw honey, or even pure honey. Truly local honey means that the bees should be collecting the nectar and pollen in the local area not just harvesting the honey locally. The label might say the town of the beekeeper and it might be local to you. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the honey is local. Some beekeepers rent out their hives for pollination of crops. The hives will be transported, possibly to other regions of the country for several weeks/months and placed in a field. In this situation the pollen and nectar sources may not be local to the hives original home. When the hives do return home and the honey harvested, it should not be considered local honey. Be sure to ask the seller/beekeeper where the hives are located and are they rented out for pollination. If they are, be sure that the hives stayed local. If not, it’s not local honey. Pure honey is produced entirely from pollen and nectar collected by bees. However, by feeding the bees sugar syrup during the honey producing/harvesting season, beekeepers can increase the the amount of “honey” produced. The bees are not able to tell the difference between the sugar syrup and real nectar, so they will collect it and convert it into “honey”. “Honey” produced by this method is not considered real honey by most beekeepers. It may look like honey and have a taste of honey, but I feel it is deceptive to sell this as honey, as you are selling honey flavored sugar syrup. Always ask if the beekeeper feeds their bees sugar during the honey producing season (May to September). If they do, then you may not be buying real local honey. The process used by the beekeeper to harvest the honey can have an impact to the look, flavor, and most importantly the benefits of local honey. Most honey found in the supermarket is commercial honey and comes from multiple sources. The honey has likely been pasteurized by heating to almost 160F. This allows the honey to be easily filtered, bottled, and gives it a uniform look. Fine filtering can remove the beneficial pollen from the honey. Heat treating can impact the color, flavor, all the natural vitamins, living enzymes, and other nutritional elements. Be sure to ask how your local honey was harvested to ensure that it has not been filtered or heated so that it retains all the benefits you are buying it for. Little Bee of Connecticut’s hives are all located in Southbury and Newtown, CT, and are not rented for pollination. We do not feed our bees sugar during the honey producing/harvesting season. At harvest time, the honey goes direct from the honey comb, through a mesh strainer to remove wax pieces, and directly into our jars without any other processing. The way honey should be. Pick up a jar of Little Bee Honey,  compare it to your grocery store bottle, and taste the difference. Little Bee of Connecticut is a small family owned apiary located in Southbury, CT. The premise behind Little Bee of CT is a simple one: provide locally produced, unique products from the hive, while educating their customers on what we can all do to help support honey bee survival. Founded by Scott Priore, it quickly became apparent that beekeeping would be a passion versus just a “hobby”. All their products are handmade in small batches and only include simple, minimal ingredients. They offer a variety of honey and beeswax-based products including Hand Rolled Beeswax Candles, Hand/Body Salve, Lip Balms, Solid Perfumes, Sea Salt Body Scrubs, as well as Locally Produced Honey.  
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The Season of Giving, the Season of Gifts and all Things Merry and Bright!
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  • Article tag: all natural beeswax
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The Season of Giving, the Season of Gifts and all Things Merry and Bright!
We’ve taken a feather from the cap of our favorite blogging chicks “Unlocking Connecticut” and put together our own pretty little list of holiday gifts ideas. From us to you! Our products range from the practical Wood Conditioner, to the yummy Lip Balm, and then swing right over to the luxurious Body Salve and Solid Perfume… and end up in the cozy heart of your home with All-Natural Honey and Hand-rolled Beeswax Candles meant to light and delight! And why not wrap up a few goodies in one package and opt for one of our Gift Towers! You select the fragrances that will be sure to please those on your holiday gift list this year. With items to suit all holiday gift giving budgets, you’re sure to find something you’ll… um, we mean THEY’LL… love!   Satiny Smooth – Wood Conditioner Preserving beauty is the name of this game. Our Little Bee Wood Conditioner is great for all your kitchen wooden ware. It helps seal and protect your wood utensils and boards to keep them looking like new. Whether you have a beautiful walnut serving board, or an everyday wooden cutting board, they both need moisture and protection. To keep them from drying out, rub periodically with our Wood Conditioner to seal and protect them. The amazing glow of the natural wood will be enhanced by the beeswax in the conditioner. What an inexpensive and natural way to keep your wooden utensils and boards looking their best! To use… simply rub a small amount of Little Bee Wood Conditioner onto your clean, dry wooden boards/utensils with your fingers or a clean rag and let soak in for a few minutes. Buff off any remaining conditioner with a clean cloth until the board has a smooth sheen. Reapply after every few washings or signs of dryness. Made with only food grade mineral oil and 100% pure beeswax. Net Weight: 2oz. Luscious Hand-poured – Lip Balm Perfect size, perfect price. Little Bee Lip Balm is 100% natural, as well as paraben and petrolatum free. Made from only natural oils and pure beeswax. The beeswax base provides an effective barrier to the elements while retaining moisture. Available Flavors: Lemon, Orange Vanilla, Peppermint Rosemary and “Pure” – which has no added flavor or fragrance! Net Weight: 0.25 oz.   Supple as Silk – Sea Salt Body Scrubs and Body Salve We’ve developed a delectable line of Body Scrubs and Body Salves that nourish and moisturize your skin, and will give it back the youthful glow you deserve. Your skin will thank you! First, let’s talk about our all-natural Sea Salt Body Scrubs, which are sweet and salty, and give your skin a delicious blend of exfoliation and moisture. Almost yummy enough to eat. Almost. (But please don’t.) They were created with a blend of natural ingredients that will gently smooth away dryness and leave your skin with a beautiful healthy glow. In your shower or bath, simply moisten your skin with warm water. Apply liberal amounts of Body Scrub to your driest skin areas and gently massage in a circular motion. (Better yet, recruit someone to do that for you?). Rinse completely and immediately discover how soft and silky smooth your skin has become! Choose from Eucalyptus, Honey & Lemon, or our favorite…Lavender Honey. The gentle fragrances will melt your stresses away. And next, we’ll tell you all about our natural beeswax Body Salves, which are a no-brainer for anyone with dry, chafed or otherwise damaged skin. Our Little Bee Body Salve was developed to provide natural moisture to any and all of your dry skin areas including hands, elbows, knees, and feet. (Reminds us of the cute little song “head, shoulders, knees and toes…) And hey, our body salve is perfectly good for those areas too! Our formula contains a blend of natural oils and pure beeswax that will completely soothe and condition your skin. No need to add water. We’ve created three blends to please all senses: Chill Body Salve.  Our “coolest” blend has subtle notes of peppermint, orange, lavender, and patchouli. Just breathe it in and chill out as you moisturize. Soothe Body Salve. A local favorite, this blend contains Atlas Cedar, Juniper, Ylang Ylang, and Vanilla. Not too masculine and not too feminine. It’s just right. Naked Body Salve. The name says it all. There is no added fragrance in this blend, and it will nourish your skin without leaving a lingering scent, so your own natural scent will come through.   Delightful and Subtle Solid Perfumes We at Little Bee are in love with light, natural fragrances, so we knew that we wanted to develop our solid perfume scents to be subtle, not overpowering, memorable yet not commonplace and overdone. Our solid perfumes are handmade, by us, and each jar is carefully attended to from start to finish. What you receive is a hand-crafted, all-natural product containing high quality ingredients. We’ve crafted 4 subtle and unique solid perfume scents that have major appeal and will get heads turning in your direction. Our scents contain a diverse blend of floral, citrus, and earthy notes. A scent for everyone! Sweet Summer Rain – Our sweetest scent. Like walking through a field of dewey mountain clover. Dandelion Sun – Crisp floral scent reminiscent of an early spring day with notes of Lilac and Fresh Cut Grass. Bella Vista – A blend of Wildflowers with hints of Ylang-Ylang and Cedarwood Devil’s Side – Feminine yet edgy. Bergamot and Vanilla balanced with Patchouli and Sandalwood Our solid perfumes are built on a moisturizing base of jojoba oil, pure beeswax, and our proprietary blend of essential fragrance oils. Nothing synthetic about these little half-ounce beauties. You will feel confident that only the cleanest natural ingredients are coming in contact with your skin. For best results, simply apply to your pulse points as often as you wish! We recommend reapplying a few times throughout the day, especially in warmer temperatures.   Heavenly, Local & All-Natural Honey Little Bee Honey comes to you straight from the comb to the jar. Our honey is extracted by hand, never heated, and only gently strained to remove any beeswax from the uncapping process. It retains all the bee pollen normally lost during commercial scale extraction. We have two sizes to choose from and all come in our wide-mouth glass jars for easy spooning and spreading. 12-oz jar – If you’re sweet enough, this might be the size you’re looking for. 24-oz jar – perfect for those who need mega all-natural sweetness! Bonus Size: Read below to learn about our mini honey jars nestled in our newest honey gift tower! 3 amazing products in one sweet little package. Caution: Do not feed honey to infants under one year of age. Note: All pure honey may crystallize or granulate. It has not gone bad. To liquefy, loosen the cap and place jar in hand-hot water up to the level of the honey. Let stand until liquefied, replacing hot water as needed. Elegant Ambiance – Hand-Rolled Beeswax Candles So many choices, we had to create our Specialty Candle Shop! (Once we started rolling, it was hard to stop at just one size!) No other material burns like 100% pure beeswax – it’s clean, it’s luxurious, and the light is soft and romantic. Our Hand Rolled Beeswax Candles feature a distinctive honeycomb embossed texture. As they burn, the layers of beeswax become translucent creating a soft, romantic glow and give off a light, sweet honey scent without the addition of any artificial fragrance. Approximate burn times vary by candle Wick Material: 100% Cotton Fiber (No Lead, Zinc, or Additives) Because beeswax is an all natural material, slight color variations are possible and the candle color could range from cream to golden yellow. We have sizes ranging from our tiny 2” votive, which does not need a holder, all the way to our “Big Boy” triple wick 6” x 5” pillar candle with an approximate burn time of over 45 hours! That’s a lot of ambiance. Can’t Decide? Give A Gift Tower Sooooo many choices. How does one decide? Our Little Bee Gift Towers mean you don’t have to!!! They combine some of our most popular items in one beautifully crafted package – at the right price, customized with seasonal accents to create a special gift for any occasion. Makes a great gift for friends, teachers, coworkers, or indulge for yourself. Each tower includes: Hand/Body Salve – Your choice of Chill (Scented), Soothe (Scented), or Naked (Unscented) Hand Rolled Beeswax Votive Candle or 2.5oz Jar of Little Bee Honey Lip Balm – Your choice of Peppermint Rosemary, Lemon, Orange Vanilla, or “Pure” (Unscented) Whatever your holiday season looks like this year, we hope that Little Bee of Connecticut will become a part of your special traditions. If you have any questions regarding any of the all-natural products, please email us at info@littlebeeofct.com, Don’t forget to follow @littlebeeofct on Instagram and Facebook where we post daily on our favorite subject… bees, oh and candles and decorating and entertaining…you get the idea. Thank you for supporting Little Bee of CT and the busy beekeepers around the world!
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How Do Honey Bees Survive Cold Temperatures?
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How Do Honey Bees Survive Cold Temperatures?
We had our first substantial snowfall of the 20/21 winter season here in Southbury, CT this week. Over a foot of snow fell and gave us the chance for a white Christmas! With the snow comes cold temperatures and biting winds. Are you wondering how honey bees survive the cold weather we have here in the Northeast, USA?   Honeybees are Survivors! Many types of bees and wasps do hibernate during the winter, however, honeybees are especially adept at surviving very cold temperatures. They stay very active throughout our long Connecticut winters and by working to create their own heat source! Honey bees spend their time during the warmer months gathering nectar and pollen to create stores of honey. This is the same honey they will use as a food source during winter, along with bee bread and royal jelly. Therefore, when we harvest honey during our fall season, we only take the excess which the bees will not need for food. We leave them with enough sustenance to get them through the winter until the spring weather warms up their hives and they can begin visiting pollen sources again.   How Do Bees Stay Warm? When the seasons finally change from fall to winter, and the cold weather creeps in, the bees start to cluster inside the hive surrounding their queen. This generally happens when outside temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The body heat generated by the bees can keep the queen, and the entire hive warm. If the temperatures rise a bit outside, the bees loosen their cluster and this will allow air to flow between their little bodies and regulate the temperature inside the hive. Their goal is to maintain a constant 93 degrees F at all times within the hive. And, conversely, when the temperatures drop, the bees pull in tightly together to begin actively creating the heat they, and their queen, need. There are flight muscles in each bee’s thorax which can be tightened at will to create a vibration which then raises the bee’s body temperature. They don’t need to beat their wings to create heat, because their little bodies do all the work.   What if it Gets Really Cold? During sub-zero temperatures, the outer layer of bees in the cluster will actually start to rotate in shifts towards the center of the cluster where there is more heat. The outer layer of bees will cool off while continuing to vibrate, and eventually they will push into the center so the warmer bees can take their turn cooling off. The queen stays toasty and protected during this massive group effort. Bees can die of hypothermia if their body temperature reaches 45 degrees Fahrenheit! The adaptability and resourcefulness of the little honey bee will always fascinate and intrigue us. They are forever working for the good of their colony, and we will always be counted among their biggest fans.   Thank you for supporting Little Bee of CT and the busy beekeepers around the world!  Don’t forget to follow @littlebeeofct on Instagram and Facebook where we post daily on the products we create with the help of our Little Bees.
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10 Tips on How to Help Pollinators in Your Yard
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10 Tips on How to Help Pollinators in Your Yard
For us in CT, it’s the middle of winter. There isn’t a heck of a lot of snow on the ground, but it is cold… most days anyway. The pollinators we see in droves during warmer weather are out of sight and out of mind. But, they shouldn’t be! This is the time to start planning your spring garden to entice and feed pollinators from the first early-Spring bloom, right up to the first snowfall at the end of 2021. Seems like a long way off, but it will be here before you know it. Preparing a pollinator garden is one way to help compensate for habitat loss by providing pollinators with chemical-free gardens and native plants on which they thrive.   Here are 10 tips to get you started, along with a list of resources for further learning. Avoid chemicals. Let your yard grow naturally without the use of pesticides and herbicides. Look into solutions that will deter pests, but will not harm the plants and food you choose to grow. HOW TO GET RID OF PESTS NATURALLY   Choose native plants. These are plants that grow naturally in your area. Avoid invasive species and exotic species, which can sometimes wipe out an entire pollinator garden or manicured yard in one season! Research the plants that attract each type of pollinator, such as planting milkweed to attract butterflies. Plant flowers and shrubs that bloom in each season. This will ensure that there is something colorful to attract the pollinators to your garden each month. Choose plants with bright colorful blooms.   Let things go wild! Allow an area of your yard to go completely wild with wildflowers. You’ll be surprised what will pop up each season. (We know we were surprised with many new wildflowers this past year! We can’t wait to see what we get this year!) Encourage insects to join in the fun. Bees are the #1 pollinator species. Any guesses as to what holds the #2 spot? Butterflies maybe? Nope. Flies are the 2nd largest group of pollinators. And, along with honeybees there are many many other species of native bees that help pollinate our food sources, such as bumble bees, sweat bees, leaf cutter bees, and carpenter bees to name just a few. Try not to shoo the flies and other insects out of your garden. Birds are pollinators too! Set up a bird bath oasis to encourage birds to hang out in your garden. Leave the stalks of dying flowers later in the year, because they provide food sources for birds (coneflowers, sunflowers, etc.)   Consider your water source. In more urban areas, rain gardens can do the trick. These are carefully placed gardens next to driveways or parking lots which will funnel the rain water right into the garden. Rain barrels are also a great way to collect rainwater and keep your garden healthy, naturally!   Composting is easy and practical. Create a spot in a corner of your yard, and begin your compost pile with leftover fruit and vegetable scraps (no meat or bones), and even egg shells and coffee grounds. What you are left with is a nutrient-rich soil perfect for fertilizing your flower or vegetable garden. You can even compost directly into the area you will be planting. IN-GARDEN PLANTING VIDEO HERE   Leave areas for pollinators to nest. If you’ve been following us on Facebook or Instagram you may have seen our #leavetheleaves hashtag. Leaving the fall leaf piles creates a wonderful protective home for wintering pollinators. The same goes for the other 3 seasons. Leaving an area of your yard wild, with twigs, grass clippings and leaves, will give the pollinators you’ve attracted some space to call home. There is even an interesting way to create a “Bee Hotel” by drilling holes into a dead tree. Do your homework. Research native plants and wildflowers for your specific area. See if there is a Pollinator Pathway network near you that you could partner with. View our list of resource links below. POLLINATOR PATHWAY WEBSITE Don’t forget to have fun and share your successes with us at info@littlebeeofct.com. We’d love to share your photos and stories with our audience! SOME HELPFUL RESOURCES: EcoRegional Planting Guide (link to https://www.pollinator.org/guides) Native Plant Search Wizard (Find the plants you desire by characteristics of your choosing!). (Link to http://www.earthtonesnatives.com/search.php) Find Native Plants in your Zip Code (Link to https://www.audubon.org/native-plants) Pollinator Partnership Webinars (Link to https://www.pollinator.org/webinars)   Thank you for supporting Little Bee of CT and the busy beekeepers around the world!  And, don’t forget to follow @littlebeeofct on Instagram and Facebook where we post daily on the products we create with the help of our Little Bees.
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The Beauty and Individuality Behind Fragrance and Little Bee of CT Solid Perfumes
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The Beauty and Individuality Behind Fragrance and Little Bee of CT Solid Perfumes
Odds are, at some point in your life, you’ve asked a perfect stranger which perfume they were wearing because it caught your attention as they passed by. More likely than not, when you got home you purchased the same perfume for yourself and couldn’t wait for it to arrive so you could dab it on (it has happened to the best of us!) There is something very beguiling and personal about a scent that wafts your way and catches your attention, isn’t there? It emboldens us to the wearer and gives us the nerve to strike up a conversation about what they currently smell like! We are also flattering them by asking, because they then know that we like how they smell, which makes the whole encounter a very pleasant one, and we both leave a little bit happier. The reason we are so affected by fragrance is that our sense of smell is closely linked to the parts of our brain that process emotions and memory. A beautiful scent can evoke romance or a field of flowers; a favorite holiday or in our case, a beloved grandmother. And, as easy as it may be for you to pick out a fragrance you love as it passes you by on the street, it can be difficult to tell what that same fragrance will smell like once it’s on your body. There are many factors that will affect the final aroma you produce: humidity, body temperature, pheromones and sweat, and even your laundry detergent.   Fragrances are not meant to overpower us! We at Little Bee are in love with light, natural fragrances, so we knew that we wanted to develop our solid perfume scents to be subtle, not overpowering, memorable yet not commonplace and overdone. Perfumes are meant to enhance your natural body chemistry not mask it. However, as we recently learned, this wasn’t always the case! “…in the Dark Age, people believed that a sweet fragrance could ward off the miasma that were frequently plunging Europe into a cloud of illness and of death. So much so in fact that the rich and poor alike, from Venice to London, used perfume not as a way to hide their own stench but rather…to simply say alive.” — ThePerfumeChronicles.com   Interesting, though just a wee bit … creepy? We’ve thankfully come a long way from those dark times and perfumes have gone through many changes throughout history. The Hungarians are credited with creating the first modern perfume in 1370, on the orders of Queen Elizabeth of Hungary. It was aptly called “Hungary Water”. Now, that doesn’t roll off the tongue as nicely as, say, “Chanel N°5” does, (created centuries later, in 1921), but we’re all for giving credit where credit is due! Nathalie Grainger in Quintessentially Perfume reminds us, “Go back 100 years, when the perfumer was making for a few select clients, and the cost of raw materials did not matter as the clients were rich and demanded the finest, most costly ingredients.” She then compares this to modern perfumers “Today, marketing teams tend to work on research briefs, market analysis and minimizing risk factors, resulting in fragrances that tend to be safe, similar and somewhat uniform.” Where did the romance go? These original perfumers paved the way for the many different styles of perfume that have emerged since, crafted from both natural and synthetic blends. And, as will happen in any industry, the purists evolved! “In the past 10 years or so, a small group of passionate artisans have begun making perfumes without synthetic materials, and they call what they do Natural Perfumery.” – Alyssa Harad in Coming to My Senses: A Story of Perfume, Pleasure and an Unlikely Bride.  (Which, by the way, is a simply delicious book!) Yay, we found our people! The ‘natural perfumers!’ Enter Little Bee of CT Solid Perfumes. Circa 2016. We understand the need for a fragrance that is light and appealing, and easily layered with other naturally occurring scents on your body and have crafted 4 subtle and unique solid perfume scents that contain a diverse blend of floral, citrus, and earthy notes all which have broad appeal and will get heads turning in your direction. A scent for person and every season! For best results, simply apply to your pulse points as often as you wish. Hint: As the perfumes are jojoba oil & beeswax based, Krista also uses it as a pomade on the tips of her hair!!! With so many options out there to choose from it can be difficult to select a perfume that’s right for you. We hope we made your choice a little easier. We stand by our products and won’t be happy until you’re happy.  Oh, and by “happy” we mean that you might possibly get stopped on the street and asked to share your perfume secret. Please send them our way. 😉 Don’t forget to follow @littlebeeofct on Instagram and Facebook where we post daily on our favorite subject. bees, oh and candles and decorating and entertaining…you get the idea. Thank you for supporting Little Bee of CT and the busy beekeepers around the world!
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