There are a lot of great websites about bees, beekeeping and honey. Here are a few you may find interesting.
Local and State Beekeeping Organizations
Mecklenburg County Beekeepers Association
If you are interested in beekeeping come to one of our monthly meetings. In January we hold a bee school for people new to beekeeping.
North Carolina State Beekeepers Association
Our statewide beekeepers association organizes two statewide meetings each year where you can learn more about beekeeping and meet fellow beekeepers from across the state. Almost every county in North Carolina has a bee association and you can find their contact information on the website.
NC State University Apiculture Program
The university conducts bee research so we can better support the wellbeing of our bees. They also offer a wide range of education programs for the public.
Honey
Bee Culture magazine has an impressive article on the process bees go through to collect nectar and convert it into honey. The article also describes what honey is made of and its unique properties.
Honey Plants
Honey bees are the most important insect pollinator for crops grown in North Carolina.
North Carolina State Beekeepers Association
Lists the most common wild plants in North Carolina bees collect pollen and nectar from. Since the climate within the state varies, the list is divided into the mountain, piedmont and coastal regions. For example, at the coast the Red Maple blooms around January 20 but it does not bloom until around March 5 in the mountains.
North Carolina fruits, vegetables and crops pollinated by honey bees
NC State University lists the plants by harvest value and the number of bee hives needed per acre to properly pollinate.
Planting Pollinator-Friendly Gardens
Penn State University publishes a good overview on how to create a pollinator garden.
Recipes using Honey
They have hundreds of recipes using honey.
I entered “honey” in their recipe search box and received over 2,000 hits.
How to substitute honey for sugar in recipes
It’s easy to figure out how to use honey instead of sugar in your recipes.
This online calculator can convert honey from pounds to fluid ounces and 11 other different ways.
Interesting Bee Stuff
North Carolina Zoo Honey Bee Garden
The zoo in Asheboro has an impressive bee exhibit. Be sure to check it out the next time you visit.
Ever wonder how a bee sees the world?
Andy Giger studied the visual pattern recognition of honey bees as part of his PhD research and developed this website showing how bees see the world.
A honey bee will tell other bees in the hive where pollen and nectar is located by doing a waggle dance. Scientists have learned how to interpret the various dances. The article also includes a video of a bee doing a waggle dance.
Bee Pictures
Yes, there are photographers who dedicate much of their careers to photographing bees. The pictures are very impressive.
Zachary Huang is a biologist who has been studying bees for over 20 years and also enjoys photography. His photographs have been the covers of several editions of American Bee Journal and Bee Culture magazine.
The Bee Photographer – Eric Tourneret
A French photographer who has traveled the world photographing bees and the craft of beekeeping.