What Was The Buzz Today?

Today we visited Big Island Bees.

The queen bee was inside the box and worker bees were trying to get to her. Worker bees are all female. This is the box that is used to ship the queen out to buyers.

We started our tour with some passion fruit and peach tea and a macadamia tart. Both the tea and pastry were flavored by macadamia nut honey. Tasty!

We had a screen between us and the bees.

The bees on the outside were waiting to get into the hive and deposit their nectar.

Baby bees don't go to the bathroom for days after they are born.

He was able to scoop up the bees with is hands.

If the queen bee dies, you have 45 days to get a new queen before the hive starts to collapse.

So many geckos climbing up and down the screens. They were waiting for honey.

The gold dust day gecko is a diurnal species of gecko. It lives in northern Madagascar, the Comoro Islands, and the Mascarene Islands; it has also been introduced to Hawaii and other Pacific islands. It is primarily an arboreal species which can be found in tropical forests and may also associate with human dwellings.

Rather than arriving as a stowaway as other geckos and skinks have, the gold dust day gecko was illegally smuggled in and released. The entire Hawaiian population stems from only eight lizards a University of Hawaiʻi student released near the Mānoa campus in 1974.

Gold dust day geckos are small, vibrant green lizards native to Madagascar, known for their distinctive red markings and social behaviors. They lack eyelids and instead have a clear, fixed plate over their eyes, which they clean with their tongues. These geckos are excellent climbers, using specialized toe pads to grip surfaces

 Here are some more fun facts about gold dust day geckos:   

• Appearance: Gold dust day geckos have a sharply tapered snout, round lidless eyes, sticky toe pads, a slightly flattened tail, and delicate, velvety skin.  

• Diet: In the wild, they primarily eat insects, flower nectar, and fruit juice.  

• Social Behavior: Males perform specific bodyglide and head bob behaviors, while females display tailwag and more movement.  

• Lack of Eyelids: They rely on a clear, fixed plate covering their eyes to protect them, which they clean with their tongues. 

• Climbing Abilities: They have specialized toe pads with microscopic structures called lamellae that allow them to grip almost any surface, including glass.  

• Calcium Storage: Female geckos have well-developed calcium sacs on their necks for egg production. 

• Diurnal: Unlike most geckos, gold dust day geckos are active during the day. 

The gold dust day gecko was waiting patiently for our guide to put some honey on top of the box. Our guide told us the geckos even eat the bees sometimes.

The bees at Big Island Bees need to fly 48,000 miles to produce one pound of raw organic Hawaiian honey.

This is their story of the Big Island Bees....

"Like many beekeepers, ours is a multi-generational family business. The apiaries have grown from just a few hives in the early ‘70s, to 2,500 hives and 125,000,000 bees today."

"AND THIS IS HOW IT STARTED...

It was a long way from Hahira, Georgia, and his bees wouldn't be able to go with him. But Jim believed it was a tremendous opportunity, and he was intent on making the trip. It was 1972.

Jim Powers, my father-in-law, stubborn, proud, cantankerous, and one of the largest producers of honey in the United States, decided the Island of Hawaii was perfect for making honey and starting his eighth and last honey operation.

Of course, on this and on all matters concerning honey and bees, he was right. The island was immense—almost 4,000 square miles in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, larger than Connecticut. With only 65,000 inhabitants, it was pristine. And flowers everywhere, blooming year-round.

Jim's step-son and my husband, Garnett Puett, took over the Hawaiian operation in 1987 and became the fourth generation of his family to make beekeeping his livelihood. The experience gleaned from prior generations emphasized the important relationship between the environment and the bees’ well being. While maintaining our artisanal standards, the business and hives continued to flourish and grow, resulting in hundreds-of-thousands of pounds of uniquely Hawaiian honey—all of which was exported container after container to mainland honey packers.

Unfortunately, living in paradise did not protect us from global developments that were transforming the honey industry for the worse: cheap adulterated Chinese honey; global warming; and the spread of parasitic mites, all of which combined to crush honey prices and threaten our bees. We had to rethink the business model. Beginning in 2004, I started selling our honey at local farmers markets under our own label: Big Island Bees.

Because we didn't have the sophisticated packing equipment of mainland packers, I simply hand poured honey from the hives into glass jars. I didn't heat it. I didn't filter it. And it tasted wonderful!

The locals loved having locally sourced honey but it was the flavor that really made them swoon—rich, velvety, dark-as-chocolate Macadamia; light, floral, delicate Lehua; and spicy, amber Christmas Berry (Wilelaiki)—each honey variety so different from one another, attributable to the type of flower from which each honey is made. This intense flavor profile is what makes our honey so unique.

We also think we are unique among beekeeping families for our appreciation and display of the bees’ artistic majesty. This artistry is most pronounced in Garnett’s apisculptures, a close collaboration between Garnett and the bees in creating beeswax sculptures which have been exhibited around the world, including New York’s Guggenheim Museum.

Our packaging is reflective of the beauty of the bees’ hives and the local environment in which they thrive."

"Three times a year, our bees are moved to indulge in the nectar of a single type of flower blooming in a unique ecosystem on the remote Island of Hawaii. The pristine and rare geography of the island provide a favorable environment for floral fidelity, which results in remarkably pure and intense flavors unique to Hawaii."

"Not all honey is created equal. Even the terminology used to label honey is unreliable because there are few standards set by the USDA. We care where our own food comes from and how it was produced, therefore we want to help our customers know exactly what is in the jar.

We Pack Only the Honey From Our Own Hives

"We are a family operation selling only the honey our bees produce. We do not sell honey from third party producers under our label and are therefore responsible both for the care of our bees and the methods by which we produce our honey."

"Every jar is filled with pure, raw, unfiltered Hawaiian honey that comes straight from our hives on the Big Island of Hawaii."

Organically Produced, Slow Packed

"We adhere to the principles of the slow food movement and believe that foods should be produced carefully and savored. But above all, we believe that nature’s purest foods are also the healthiest and most flavorful. Pesticide and herbicide residues in non-organic honey can taint the flavor and commercially processed methods of packing honey remove and destroy the pollen, enzymes and other compounds that give raw honey its taste and beneficial properties."

"We produce all our honey artisanally and organically without the use of artificial feeds, chemical miticides, heat, or filtration and only use organic compounds to care for our bees."

"Our ‘Ohi’a Lehua and Wilelaiki honey varietals are certified organic by Where Food Comes From Organic."

Eco-Friendly

"We pack our honey in glass jars to preserve the flavor and integrity of the raw honey and then ship them to you with environmentally sensitive packaging, specifically engineered to fit snugly around each jar. Our customers are universally delighted that we put the same care and effort into packaging the honey as we do to produce it."

The Varietals

"We produce three unique, single-floral honey varietals. Each variety comes from a single source of nectar visited by the bees at various locations on the island at different times of year. The distinct properties of each flower are what gives each honey variety a unique flavor."

Lehua Honey

"One of the world's rarest honeys, organic Ohi'a Lehua honey (also known as Lehua honey) is found only in Hawaii, and is produced in late spring and early summer from Lehua blossoms in the Ohi'a forests of Mauna Loa. It is a white, crystallized honey, with a naturally thick, spreadable texture, and a delicate, understated floral flavor. Ideal for tea drinkers, since it doesn't mask the taste of the tea, it is also excellent for spreading on toast, mixing with nut butters, and scooping directly from the jar!

Our Lehua honey is certified organic and bears the USDA organic logo on the label."

Macadamia Nut Blossom Honey

"Macadamia Nut honey is a premium, dark honey produced in the winter and early spring from the MacNut orchards on the Southeast part of the island. With hints of chocolate, a deep complex aroma, and a soft, velvety texture, it is the one to reach for when you want something sweet on fruit or fruit salad, or on pancakes and waffles."

Wilelaiki Honey

"Our most versatile honey, organic Wilelaiki Blossom, is collected in the late summer and autumn from Christmasberry trees on the lower elevations of the leeward side of the island. The tree, originally introduced to Hawaii from Brazil, produces honey with a brilliant amber sparkle and a peppery finish. Wilelaiki combines wonderfully with cheeses, vegetables, and meats. This is a gift for a gourmet.

Our Wilelaiki honey is certified organic and bears the USDA organic logo on the label."

Lehua and Cinnamom Honey

"Our Lehua and Cinnamon honey is unique and delicious combination of our rare, organic Lehua honey and the intense, spicy fragrance of organic cinnamon grown on the Big Island. If you are a cinnamon lover you don't want to miss trying this honey. It is a terrific way to start the morning with oatmeal or toast."

Our Lehua & Cinnamon honey is certified organic and bears the USDA organic logo on the label.

Did you know?

"Raw honey is a gift from nature that has been revered for millennia.

Hippocrates favored honey as a medicine. The Mayans had a special god for beekeeping. The ancient Egyptians reserved honey for the wealthy. The Norse god Odin attributed his strength and wisdom to the mystical powers of honey. Early Christians saw the honeybee as a symbol of purity. And many cultures, including Celts, Slavs and Jews thought of honey as a food for the gods, while mead (honey wine) was a favored drink of mortals."

Our guide took off the lid of the hive. He was trying to locate the queen.

Just a sampling of what we learned today.

He finally found the queen in this hive.

Our guide spoke for an hour and then we had a short 10 minute film and a sampling of different honeys.

This is how they eliminate mites.

We had a tasting of seven honeys they sell.

It wasn't that easy to spot the queen so he pointed to her in one of the exhibition hives.

Michael and I like to cook and bake with honey. I also use it in my tea. Yes, we did buy a large jar each of the Macadamia Nut Blossom Honey, the Hawaiian Ohia Lehua Honey, and the Organic Wilelaiki Blossom Honey. If you want a taste of any of the three, you will either come to the Big Island of Hawaii or visit us for a tasting.

Bees, bees, bees........ There are even two hives at the resort.

This morning, we again had breakfast with the birds. Love watching the red crested cardinal.

The red-crested cardinal is a medium-sized species showing a red head, with a red bib and a short red crest that the bird raises when excited. Belly, breast, and undertail are white, with a gray back, wings, and tail.

Cattle Egret

They were amusing to watch!

The yellow bird was building a nest in the tree. The bird could be in the finch family. I just don't know.

The "nene" is the Hawaiian name for the Hawaiian goose, the state bird of Hawaii. It's a medium-sized goose with distinctive furrows on its neck, a black head, and a gray/brown body. Nenes are native to Hawaii and are considered an endangered species, although populations have been increasing due to conservation efforts.

"It is thought that the nene evolved from the Canadian goose, which most likely arrived on the Hawaiian islands about 500,000 years ago, shortly after the Island of Hawaii was formed. The Canada goose is also the ancestor of the prehistoric giant Hawaii goose and the nēnē-nui. The nēnē-nui was larger than the nene, varied from flightless to flighted depending on the individual, and inhabited the island of Maui. Similar fossil geese found on O'ahu and Kaua'i may be of the same species. The giant Hawaiʻi goose was restricted to the island of Hawaiʻi and measured 1.2 m (3.9 ft) in length with a mass of 8.6 kg (19 lb), making it more than four times larger than the nene. It is believed that the herbivorous giant Hawaiʻi goose occupied the same ecological niche as the goose- like ducks known as moa-nalo, which were not present on the Big Island."

On the road to Big Island Bees, we spotted a mongoose.

"Mongoose in Hawaii are not a cute and cuddly animal. If you see them they will most likely run and hide in the bushes. However, they can be very vicious if cornered so it is best to give them plenty of space.

In Hawaii, mongoose are opportunistic feeders and eat a variety of foods, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, insects, crustaceans, fruits, and plants. They are known to prey on the eggs and hatchlings of ground nesting birds and sea turtles."

"The mongoose in Hawaii, specifically the small Indian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus), was introduced to the islands in the late 1800s to control a rat problem in sugar cane fields. However, the plan backfired because rats are nocturnal, while mongooses are diurnal, leading to minimal contact between the two species. While they initially seemed effective at controlling rats, mongooses also preyed on native birds, ground-nesting animals, and even green sea turtle eggs and hatchlings, leading to a decline in many native species. 

Mongooses are now well-established on Oahu, Maui, Molokai, and the Big Island of Hawaii. 

The mongoose poses a threat to native bird species, including the nene (Hawaiian goose), and other ground-nesting animals. 

Efforts to control the mongoose population are ongoing, including trapping and removal, and the development of mongoose-proof fencing and bait stations." 

Michael and I again went down to the beach to watch the sunset.

We also did some cloud watching.

What do you see? I see the profile of a man with a huge hat that is slightly tipped forward, a nose, and pointed chin. Michael sees a robot with a club.

Another enjoyable day comes to a close.