Owen's Honey Hive

05/21/2026

We picked up our bee tag today, and I must admit, I love it!

05/21/2026

We picked up our bee tag today, and I must admit, I love it!

05/02/2026

If you look closely you can see somme of the bees bringing in pollen.

05/02/2026

If you look closely, yoy can see the bees bringing in pollen.

04/19/2026

Wondering what's going on with Owen's Honey Hive? Check out our latest blog post to hear our latest news -- some of it not so good, but when life gives you lemons, you add it to your tea with a bit of honey and keep on buzzing forward. https://www.owenshoneyhive.com/post/a-new-season-at-owen-s-honey-hive-loss-renewal-and-what-s-coming-next

04/18/2026

The Ladies getting used to the area. The scout bees will be flying around over the next days locating resources for the hive.

04/18/2026

Wondering what's going on with Owen's Honey Hive? Check out our latest blog post to hear our latest news -- some of it not so good, but when life gives you lemons, you add it to your tea with a bit of honey and keep on buzzing forward.

Every season in beekeeping teaches you something new—sometimes gently, sometimes all at once. This winter was one of those harder lessons for us at Owen’s Honey Hive. Despite our best efforts, we lost several of our colonies to wax moths, and our last remaining hive ultimately decided to abscond...

11/19/2025

The best way to guarantee you're buying 100% pure honey is to buy straight from an apiary like Owen's Honey Hive.

The honey trap: why honey fraud is a health hazard

Almost half of honey imports to Europe have been flagged as suspicious. From sugar syrups to fake origins, honey fraud is big business.

07/10/2025

Some food (specifically honey) for thought. I have a few jars left that you can order through www.OwensHoneyHive.com

Did you know the USDA has no official standards to certify honey as organic?

That’s right—there are no USDA guidelines for organic honey production. Because of this, no U.S. beekeeper can legally label their honey as “USDA Organic.”

Now you might be thinking, “But I see organic honey at the grocery store all the time!”
You’re not wrong. That USDA Organic seal is real—but it’s a certification for imported honey. Since there are no U.S. standards, the USDA defers to organic certifications from other countries like Brazil, Mexico, or India. So, if you see a USDA Organic label on honey, chances are it came from overseas.

Here’s another label that can be misleading:
“U.S. Grade A Honey”
Sounds like it’s American, right? Not necessarily. This grade just refers to characteristics like clarity, color, aroma, and absence of defects. It has nothing to do with where the honey is from. If you look closely at the label—usually in tiny print—you’ll likely see it was sourced from Brazil, Argentina, or another distant country.

So how do you shop smart when it comes to honey?
Look for these three things:
• Raw
• Unfiltered
• Local (ideally from within a 50-mile radius)

Most big-brand grocery store honey won’t advertise if it’s been filtered—but if it’s unfiltered and raw, you’ll usually see that proudly on the label.

What’s the difference between filtered and unfiltered honey?
Filtered honey is heated and strained to remove pollen, wax, and other particles. This gives it a smooth, clear look, but the downside is that it often destroys the natural enzymes and nutrients. Filtered honey rarely crystallizes and may even be “ultra-filtered,” which removes all pollen—raising the question: is it even honey at that point?

Of course, not all grocery store honey is bad. But when possible:
• Know your beekeeper
• Buy in small batches
• Support local producers
• Choose American honey

Do good. Eat better. Support your local bees. 🐝

06/28/2025

Recently, the Clarion-Ledger Newspaper published an article about Africanized Honey Bees (AHB), erroneously stating that they can be found im Mississippi. This is false. While there have been isolated incidents in the past, we have not had AHB in Mississippi in many years. I've shared a reel from the the Mississippi State University Extension expert who explains further the AHB situation in our state. Our honey bees are a huge asset to our agriculture and should not be feared.