ORCHARD BLOSSOM HONEY

As we all know, 2021 was a very hard year, including for our bees and, in general, for honey production. In the spring, we saw larger than normal damage to hives because of the excessive fluctuations in winter temperatures. Temperature change is the biggest threat to bees in winter, and last winter saw many of these extreme changes. The cold weather also lingered, meaning we were not able to get into the hives as early as we normally do. In the summer, drought conditions and extreme high temperatures meant there was no nectar for the bees to gather. All of the bees’ energy was spent trying to regulate hive temperature for the queens. As beekeepers, we could provide water, but many hives succumbed to the heat anyway. The fire season that followed, and the extreme rain and floods in the fall added even more challenges to already stressed hives. Many beekeepers lost hives to these weather elements. These conditions were consistent across western Canada, and as a result, honey production was very low, and bee populations were decimated.

Our business was not spared from the challenges of 2021. As a result, we will have to supplement our own honey with other locally produced honey. Please be assured that we will only do this when necessary. We will also only accept product from beekeepers we know, who follow the same procedures as we do when dealing with their bees. We will be working on strengthening our hives and bees throughout the year, as weather conditions permit, so that we can eventually be fully self-sufficient.

We understand that this is a difficult time for everyone, and we have explored all possible ways that would allow us to continue production without an increase in the cost of our products. Unfortunately, this situation, combined with the increased costs for jars, buckets, labels, and transportation of supplies, has left us with no other option but to increase pricing. We value all of our customers, and we will do our best to continue to provide you with a high-quality product.

Thank you for purchasing this product from Orchard Blossom Honey!

We have both Okanagan Wildflower (clear) honey and creamed honey available. We sell it in 500g and 1kg jars, as well as in 3kg, 5kg, and 15 kg buckets. We also have bear containers that hold 375g of Okanagan Wildflower honey.