FAQs
Below is a list of FAQs that we often receive here at Thurston Honey Bee Co. (THBC). Please note this list is of course ever growing and changing!
Shopping
Q: Where can I buy your honey offline in my area? I don't have a credit card to shop online
A: We have numerous retail spots in the Guelph area as well as The Kawarthas. Please visit our Store Locations tab to find our retail partners. If you can't find anything in your vicinity, you are able to shop via the website without a credit card. Choose your items (view all products here) and at checkout select "E-Transfer" in the payment section, if you are in our local delivery radius you can also select "Cash on Delivery". Alternatively, if websites aren't your thing just shoot us an email at thurstonhoneybeeco@gmail.com, we're happy to chat directly about your order. You can also use our Contact page.
Q: Can I place a custom gift basket order on the website?
A: Given the variability in basket pricing, it is best to work out the details of your custom order directly. Please reach out on the Contact page and we can get your order on our books. Feel free to navigate through our products listed on the website to get a sense of the items that you'd like to feature in the basket. If you are fine with a basket with assorted items selected by us at the sample basket budget, then you can place your order on the website here, and we will get it made up for you!
Q: I'd like to purchase your honey to use in my restaurant / re-sell in my own store, how can I do this?
A: We'd love to help you out! We supply many restaurants, bakeries, cafes, butchers and assorted other shops with honey for both resale and for kitchen use. Please reach out on the Contact page and we can share our wholesale information with you.
Q: I'd like to get my own bees, do you sell Nucs (nucleus colonies)?
A: Yes we do! Please reach out to place an order and depending on the size of your order we can do our best to accommodate your needs.
Honey
Q: Why does my Honey look cloudy/grainy?
A: This is honey crystallization, a naturally occurring process for unpasteurized honey in a liquid state - especially in a cooler setting. Honey crystallization is the formation of crystals between the two sugars that make up honey. This is a perfectly natural occurrence and not a sign of spoilage. Many people actually prefer their honey in a crystallized state.
Q: How can I get my crystallized honey back to liquid? Do I have to replace the whole jar?
A: No replacement necessary! Crystallization can be reversed by gently heating the jar of honey. This can be achieved by pouring hot water into a pot or bowl and placing the jar of honey into the water. We like to cover ours up with a tea towel to trap in the warmth and keep the honey cozy. Monitor the consistency of the honey and repeat until desired liquidity has been reached. Note: Do not place jar on the stovetop.
Q: Is it pure honey? No added sugar?
A: Yes, all our honey is pure 100% Ontario honey from our own hives. Our hive management and honey production practices are regimented to ensure that the honey in our jars consists purely of the honey the bees created from foraging for nectar and dehydrating it to make honey!
Q: I just found a jar at the back of my pantry...has my honey gone bad?
A: Probably not! Honey has an incredible shelf life and typically only shows signs of crystallization with time. If your jar smells fermented then it may have been contaminated by moisture. When handling honey, try to avoid introducing moisture or debris into the jar and use a clean utensil.
Q: Why do I see white streaks in my raw honey?
A: Sometimes referred to as "frosting", this is typically associated with contraction during the setting and cooling transition of honey from liquid to solid - the honey pulls away from the glass and air bubbles form. Normal and safe!
Q: My creamed honey has separated, what should I do?
A: Sometimes creamed honey separates over time, especially if stored in a warm environment. Not to worry, a simple stir will bring the consistency back!
General Bee Questions
Although we love 'talking bees' there are so many fantastic local Ontario & national online resources to learn about honey bees that we'll let them do the talking:
Ontario Beekeepers Association
University of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre
About Us and Our Bees
Q: Do you get stung a lot?
A: Yes. Everywhere...plenty of days we work through hives without any stings, other days it's another story..
Q: How long have you had your own hives?
A: After getting to hang out with other people's bees for a couple years, we bought our very first hive in 2013 from a retiring beekeeper.
Q: I have acreage and an interest in helping the bees! Would you want to put some hives on my property?
A: Yay! We are in an expansion stage of our business, so this is very much a possibility. We'd love to chat and come have a look at your space! Please visit the Contact Us page.
Q: How many hives do you have?
A: Around 400, this number fluctuates year to year and we are constantly growing!
Q: Where are your bees located?
A: We manage bee hives in two geographic locations, we mainly operate in The Kawarthas - primarily in the Dunsford area surrounding the Thurston family farm where Dan grew up. We also have hives in Wellington County surrounding Guelph where Thurston Honey Bee Co. began alongside our school studies. We select bee yard locations or apiaries where our bees can thrive and forage on all the wildflowers they wish.
Q: Why are you split between two locations?
A: This is a bit of a complicated question, as we don't have a necessarily straight-forward answer! We (Dan and Steph) grew up and met in The Kawarthas, and we both moved away for school in Guelph in 2010. We had always planned to move home after school, but due to job opportunities and medical circumstances, that move kept getting pushed back over and over again. As time moved on, the THBC beeyards and customer base grew in both locations. As of right now we are just working on consolidating our life and focussing on operating THBC full time in both areas - no more part time jobs. You can read more about us here
Hopefully this can be a more concrete answer soon. Stay tuned! :)
Q: How many employees make up the THBC team?
A: Just Dan and Steph - no official employees (yet).
Q: So what's the deal with Steph's bee allergy?
A: In the early days of THBC, Steph's sting reactions seemed to be getting worse over time, and she experienced a prolonged duration of hives all over her body. After seeing an allergist in Toronto, our suspicions were confirmed, and she was warned that her regular exposure to bees made it more likely that her worsening reactions could be dangerous. Was this the end of Steph's involvement in Thurston Honey Bee Co.? Was it the end of Thurston Honey Bee Co. altogether? It was pretty upsetting and heavy news for us. Over time, we had heard numerous success stories (particularly from other beekeepers and their spouses) of using regular sting/venom therapy, and we felt hopeful. Getting back out into the hives was quite nerve-wracking, but today she barely reacts to a sting! Disclaimer - we are not doctors and of course do not recommend a "go out to a hive for a sting and see what happens" approach to combatting a honeybee allergy. This should be performed by an allergist or Doctor in a controlled setting. We are grateful this worked for Steph - she's very happy to be back out in the hives with a lot less worry.
Q: Do you work alongside your farm business?
A: We have for a long time.. Dan has worked in the beekeeping industry since 2011. His first beekeeping job was with his aunt & uncle on a commercial operation. Since then, he has had a variety of jobs in the industry surrounding research and education. He worked for 7 years at the Ontario Beekeepers Association's Technology Transfer Program; you might know Dan from a workshop or two! Following that he had a job teaching for the Niagara College Commercial Beekeeping program. In 2021, Dan transitioned out of the office/lab/classroom completely and focussed 100% on beekeeping field work. Working and managing for two commercial beekeeping operations alongside THBC, Dan has been kept very busy over the years! As of 2022, Dan decided that it was time to make THBC the only focus. Exciting and Scary!
As for Steph, full-time beekeeping wasn't initially in the cards. She was actually a software developer, but after a car accident and subsequent health issues life plans shifted quite a bit. Pre-accident she was very much involved with the farm business and loved working in the bees. Although this has been a set back, she still helps out wherever and whenever she is able. She is and always has been a core component of THBC.
Q: Do you offer tours of your beehives?
A: We love this question and how keen/curious everyone is to experience getting their hands sticky in the hive! As of right now we do not offer official tours, but this is absolutely something you will see from us in the future when we are a bit more situated. Shoot us a message on the Contact Us page and maybe we can work something out!