S&S Apiaries

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S&S Apiaries

Today, 3rd generation Beekeepers work to preserve a healthy and thriving Bee population.

Services:
Pollination, Bee Removal, Swarms, Honey, Beekeeping Supplies, Beeswax, Beeswax Candles, Local Queens, Local Nucs & Bees for BVT.

08/12/2026

Hi, my name is HoneybeeHeather.

It’s been 0 days since I bought hive equipment.

Just a few more supers, a swarm trap or two, 1,000 deep frames, and 12 flats of bee balm. Nothing crazy.

That’s what addicts say.

I told myself, "I'm just a casual backyard hobbyist." That was many apiary expansions ago.

Now, my brain has been entirely hijacked by Apis mellifera. I am constantly thinking bee. Preparing for bees. Working for the bees. 🐝

No conversation is normal anymore. It starts innocently: "How’s the weather?" And within 45 seconds, I'm passionately explaining queen cells, royal jelly, and the geometry of honeycomb cells to an innocent stranger at the grocery store who just asked me where the sugar might be. I will talk bees with ANYONE. The mail carrier, the person standing behind me in line at the DMV—no one is safe.

I am also physically incapable of leaving the house without an emotional support tool. I have a mini hive tool in my purse and a flat stainless steel tool in my pocket. I have a hive tool on my kitchen counter, two on top of the dryer, a spare under my truck seat, and I'm pretty sure there's one under my couch cushion.

When I’m driving down the highway, I'm constantly scanning the tree canopy for swarms. That's not driving—that's "swarm hunting at 65 MPH." 🐝

I have an elbow-long list of people who don't think I'm crazy. Granted, 98% of them are fellow beekeepers whose perception of reality is warped, and the other 2% are neighbors I pay off with 8-ounce jars of raw spring honey.

My neighbor is currently staring over my fence wondering why my lawn has been replaced by a dense jungle of mint and milkweed. Meanwhile, my family is in the driveway holding an intervention because it looks like a garden overflow lot and they have nowhere to park their cars.

The first step is admitting you have a problem. The second step is putting up more Hexagon Suncatchers anyway because they’re amazing sun indicators for good bee weather, and let's be honest, the rainbows are pure joy! 🌈✨🐝

Please come buy some honey. 🍯

I need to prove to my accountant that this is technically a business. 😂

08/11/2026

Mother Nature always puts on the best sky show! 🌈✨
Cosmic Alignment & Hive Energy: August 12th 🌌🐝✨

Today marks a rare celestial lineup: a New Moon Total Solar Eclipse, a 6-planet alignment, and the peak of the Perseid Meteor Shower!

While humans are grabbing eclipse glasses and looking at the sky, what are the bees doing? 🐝❓

Here’s the wild truth about how these events affect our favorite pollinators:

🌑 The Solar Eclipse Effect: Bees rely on sunlight to navigate. When an eclipse creates sudden midday darkness, bees think night has fallen in seconds! Foragers will pause mid-flight, scramble back to the hive, and huddle inside until the sun "comes back." 🏃💨🏠

🌌 New Moon Rest: A New Moon brings total darkness (great for spotting meteor showers!), which signals to the bees that it's time for complete rest, grooming, and hive maintenance.

💫 The "Bee Wisdom" Takeaway: Just like the hive retreats during darkness to rest, protect the queen, and rebuild, today is a great reminder for us to pause, reset, and recharge.

🌾🌈 Nature's light show never fails to amaze us—whether it's a sunset rainbow over our apiary or meteors streaking across the sky!

🔭 Want to catch the meteors & sunrise eclipse on the Eastern Shore tonight and tomorrow morning? Check the pinned comment below for exact times & best viewing spots! 👇

08/09/2026

Confession: Addicted to Rainbows. 🌈✨🐝

Hi, I'm HoneybeeHeather, and it’s been 0 days since I became completely obsessed with the magic show from my Hexagon Suncatcher.

Yes, they are EVERYWHERE. In the sink, on the cabinets, under the dining table... literally everywhere. In my defense, I was left unsupervised and who doesn't love rainbows?! RAINBOWS ARE PURE MAGIC. 🪄

The first step is admitting you have a Hexagon Suncatcher problem.
The second step is putting up another one anyway.

Share the Magic.
👉 Grab yours—link in the comments!

08/06/2026

The August Illusion: Why the Winter Countdown Has Already Begun in the Hive ☀️➡️❄️🐝

To us, August feels like the peak of summer. The days are long and hot, gardens are lush, and the hum of insects fills the afternoon air. But if you open a beehive this week, you’ll realize something remarkable: while we are enjoying summer, the bees are already preparing for winter.

Honeybees don't judge the seasons by the temperature on a thermometer; they read the clock of the sun. And for the colony, the calendar flipped weeks ago.

☀️ The Summer Solstice: The Pivot Point
Back in late June, on the longest day of the year, humans celebrated the height of summer. But for the honeybee, the Summer Solstice is a subtle, internal alarm bell.

As soon as the days begin shortening—even by just a minute or two a day—the colony senses the turn. Up until late June, the goal was explosive growth and honey accumulation. After the solstice, the colony quietly shifts its strategy from expansion to preservation:

🐝 The queen naturally slows down her egg-laying rate.
🐝 The workers begin tightening up the hive, sealing cracks with sticky propolis to block drafty winter winds.
🐝 Drones (the male bees) are gradually phased out to conserve precious winter stores.

The colony begins shifting its focus toward raising "fat bees"—the special, long-lived winter vitellogenin-rich workers who will survive 6 months instead of 6 weeks to carry the hive through until spring.

By August, this shift is in full motion. The bees are no longer building for today; they are calculating what it will take to survive January.

❄️ Winter Solstice: The Secret Awakening-The counterpart to this solar rhythm happens in late December. The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and the coldest stretch of the year. To the outside world, the hive looks completely dead and dormant. Yet, the moment the light begins to inch back forward—long before the first spring flower blooms or the snow melts—the bees register the extra seconds of daylight. Guided by light rather than warmth, the queen begins laying her very first tiny patches of spring brood, and the cluster flexes to generate the 95 F warmth needed to raise them.

💛 Takeaway
The solstices reveal one of the most profound truths about the superorganism: bees live ahead of their time. They do not wait for the cold to prepare for winter, nor do they wait for spring warmth to begin rebuilding.

August is our reminder to match their foresight. What we do for our hives now—managing mites, ensuring adequate late-season forage, and protecting their strength—determines whether they see the light of next spring.

08/04/2026

Navigating the August Nectar Dearth: What Bees Are Foraging Right Now 🌾🐝

As the intense heat of late summer sets in, many early blooms fade, bringing on what beekeepers call the late-summer nectar dearth—a mid-to-late August gap where nectar becomes scarce before the fall bloom kicks off.

During this transition, honeybees shift their focus to tough, drought-resilient native plants that provide critical late-season nectar and protein-rich pollen to build up colony reserves.
🌼 Top Late-Summer Powerhouse Forage

🌾 Goldenrod: Often falsely blamed for fall allergies (ragweed is the real culprit!), goldenrod is one of our most vital late-summer resources. Its pollen helps colonies raise the strong, healthy bees needed to survive winter.

🌼 Wild Asters: Starting in late August, white and purple asters kick into high gear, offering a crucial secondary nectar flow alongside goldenrod.

🌸 Late-Season Herbs: Mints, mountain mint and oregano in home gardens are swarming with eager foragers right now.

🐝 How You Can Help Support the Hive This Month

🚜 Leave the Field Edges: Hold off on heavy late-summer mowing along fence lines and meadows where wild goldenrod and asters are starting to bud.

💧 Provide Fresh Water: Bees use water to drink and to cool down their hives on 90°F+ days. Set out a shallow water dish or birdbath filled with pebbles or corks so they can land safely without drowning.

🌱 Plant for the Future: August and early September are ideal for planting late-blooming native perennials that will support pollinators for seasons to come.

What late-summer flowers are pulling the most bees in your yard or apiary right now? Let us know in the comments below! 👇

07/29/2026

The Sacred Tradition of "Telling the Bees"

Have you ever heard someone say, "Tell the bees"? 🐝🖤

In European, Celtic, and early American folklore, there exists a deeply touching custom known as "Telling the Bees." It stems from an ancient belief that honeybees share a sacred connection to the human household that tends them—and that major life events, especially the passing of their keeper, must be shared with the hive.

Traditionally, a family member or fellow keeper would visit each hive, gently tap three times, and whisper the news so the colony wasn't left in the dark. Hives were draped with black crepe ribbons, and small offerings of food were left at the entrance. Folklore warned that if the bees were forgotten, they might grieve, stop producing honey, or leave the hive behind.

While time has passed, the heart of this tradition remains strong. Today, "Telling the Bees" stands as a powerful symbol of:

🖤 Stewardship & Respect: Honoring the unspoken bond between a keeper and their colonies.

🍯 Continuity: Reassuring the hive—and the community—that care, devotion, and love for the craft will carry on.

🐝 Community: Gathering together to ensure a legacy is never forgotten.

To all who have spent a lifetime tending the hive—your work lives on.

07/29/2026

Standing Together for One of Our Own

When a police officer passes, officers from across the state show up in uniform—whether they worked the same beat or never met face-to-face—because they lost a brother in service.

As beekeepers, we belong to that same kind of family.
Paul spent a lifetime devoted to the bees, to the craft, and to helping every fellow keeper who needed a hand. In our community, showing up isn't about how well you knew someone—it’s about respecting a life dedicated to stewardship, mentorship, and service to others.

Let’s stand together as a community to honor Paul's legacy and show his family the true strength of the hive.

🗓 Graveside Services: Thursday, July 30th at 2:00 PM

📍 Location: Mt. Olive Cemetery | Route 10 (Willow Grove Rd), Sandtown, DE

Whether you knew Paul for thirty years or only by reputation, all fellow beekeepers across MD & DE are encouraged to attend.

Bob Nelson

07/25/2026

Whoever traded the usual Delaware State Fair heatwave for 80s and low humidity—thank you! 🙌🎡 https://www.facebook.com/DelStateFair 🎫🎠🚜🌱🐝

07/23/2026

To Our S&S Apiaries Family,
We wanted to reach out and share an update with you all regarding the passing of Paul Dill, as well as the details for his upcoming services.
Below is the link to his obituary and full service information: 🐝 🕊️
📍 https://www.torbertfuneral.com/obituaries/Albert-Paul-Dill?obId=49072127

07/20/2026

Happy National Urban Beekeeping day!

Urban beekeeping offers several distinct environmental, economic, and community advantages.

Key Benefits of Urban Beekeeping:

Enhancing Local Biodiversity: Rooftop hives expand the urban ecosystem by supporting diverse green spaces.

Boosting Plant Reproduction: Foraging bees pollinate backyard gardens, neighborhood parks, and community farms.Utilizing Wasted

Real Estate: Setting up hives transforms underutilized rooftop areas into productive habitats.

Producing Hyper-Local Honey: Cities generate unique artisanal honey flavors based on varied urban flora.

Mitigating Heat Islands: Encouraging bee habitats drives the creation of green roofs, cooling urban concrete.

Fostering Community Education: Active apiaries serve as hubs for teaching city residents about essential wildlife.

Address

Dover, DE

Website

http://www.ssapiaries.com/

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