Our Resident Bees and their Keepers

By Morgan Jepson, Marketing + Communications Intern

G’s Bees story began with a simple “Yes.”

“We started beekeeping after friends of ours asked if they could place a couple of hives in our backyard,” Marty shares. “The more we watched, the more interested we became.” In 2011, Marty and Rachel took the Gaston County Beekeepers Association’s Beginning Beekeeping class (which they still highly recommend) and purchased their first bees. It wasn’t easy, but after a few seasons of learning, they finally had a colony survive the winter. With those lessons, they grew as hobbyist beekeepers, driven by fascination and a desire to care for these vital pollinators.

Beekeeping has been a lifelong journey for Rachel, who started working alongside her dad when she was just 13 years old. Her expertise is evident, answering any and every question thrown her way with clarity and passion.

Together, they’ve done their best to build every element of their operation with salvaged wood, prioritizing sustainability. “All wood is good wood,” Marty says. The bees agree, adapting seamlessly to the homes they’ve built. G’s Bees are mostly housed inside of Langstroth hives—vertically stacked, rectangular models—as well as a few Layens and Long hives.

As both their passion and their bees eventually outgrew their backyard, Marty and Rachel sought a new home for their buzzing friends. “We always thought that Daniel Stowe Conservancy would be a perfect area for bees,” Marty says. In 2014, they connected with then-Horticulture Director Peter Grimaldi, who walked the gardens with them to procure the perfect apiary. Together, they decided to place the colonies near the Williamson Conservatory before moving them to their current spots near the Loop Pond in The Village as well as the Pollinator Garden.

The presence of these bees isn’t just sweet; it is essential, as their industrious spirits help to ensure continuous blossoms for seasons to come. Their keepers model how a passion for bees can transform not only our natural surroundings, but also our understanding of the world as a whole. I had the pleasure of making their acquaintance at our most recent “Peek into Beekeeping” workshop during Pollinator Week this past June.

Today, Marty and Rachel, affectionately referred to as “The Bee Guy” and “The Bee Girl,” continue to care for the hives that tend to our gardens. They have quite literally watched the Conservancy grow— emphasizing as we spoke that the gardens currently look the best they ever have in their time here.

Present for the workshop, this was a well-deserved compliment happily received by Emma McGee, horticulturist over the Pollinator Garden and Sachaly Rivera, horticulturist over the neighboring Tunnel Garden. Their interest confirmed to me that they are champions for these bees and the habitats they need in order to flourish.

Together, we shared in palpable excitement, distantly huddled around the hives, eager to experience the intricate ecosystems tucked inside each box. Aside from a couple of stings here and there, it was just like Christmas morning!

Marty and Rachel taught us that learning to keep bees requires curiosity, patience and definitely a bit of wonder; it is so much more than putting a few bees in a box and waiting for honey. We also learned that finding the queen during inspections is quite rare. Overtime, beekeepers develop the skill to look for signs of her presence—eggs, larvae and a healthy, active colony. This kind of interpretation requires a lot of trial and error, but with dedication, Marty believes that anyone can learn.

Aside from a desire for honey, why learn beekeeping? “It helps pollinate your garden and supports the planet, but it also allows you witness the magic of nature up close,” Marty affirms. “Bees work together in ways that often put humans to shame.” Throughout the workshop, it was made clear that these keepers are truly enamored with their beloved bees.

Marty and Rachel shared countless fascinating facts about these small but mighty creatures. Did you know that 95% of the bees in a hive are workers? All female, worker bees each play a significant a role in collecting pollen, making honey and caring for their population.

Anywhere between the ages of three and 12 days old, some worker bees specialize into the role of nurse bees. Hens of the hive, they are tasked with nurturing the young: tending to the brood and ensuring that larvae are fed, warm and safe. It is the nurse bees who cast votes for a future queen, feeding ‘royal jelly’ to selected younglings as they grow—five to six are produced at a time to ensure the strongest ruler possible. After fighting to the death for her royal title, what is the queen’s true reward? To lay eggs!

We were all amazed to learn that a queen will never mate inside of the hive. Rather, she mates at one time only, literally on the wing, with various drones (male bees) from other colonies. She subsequently returns to her hive with a stash of sperm which she uses to fertilize her eggs throughout the duration of her lifecycle. Once she’s fully grown, the queen can lay over 2,000 eggs per day!

We also learned how crucial it is that the entrance to every hive faces the sun. This proximity plays a major role in warming the structure earlier in the day, which prompts bees to forage and helps them to maintain hive temperature during the cold months of winter.

A few audible gasps confirmed that my classmates were equally amazed by the intellect and intention of these little creatures: bees build their cells at a 15-degree angle, ensuring that nectar cannot drip out while it slowly dehydrates into honey. They fan their wings to evaporate excess water overtime, eventually capping the golden confection with wax to create a sealed vacuum! This is why honey never spoils; its water content is simply too low to support bacteria.

Honey season at Stowe lasts the majority of the summer, as something is always in bloom across the gardens. The bees collect nectar steadily, allowing for at least two harvests per year. Marty and Rachel carefully oversee the bees as they continue to adapt to their environment over time, checking in about once every two weeks in the warmer seasons and once a month in the cooler seasons.

As a general rule, they look for a nice, solid groove pattern of ‘cappings’ across the frames. When it comes to harvest, honey is ready when 80 to 90% of the cells are capped. A quick way to check is to gently invert the frame and give it a shake—if only a small amount of nectar drips out, it’s ready!

Another awe-striking fact is that honey can be produced across a wide gradient of colors, such as the famous purple honey available in the Sandhills region of North Carolina. This is due to the fact that different flowers and seasons produce different pollen, infusing each harvest with its own unique taste and color!

My favorite discovery from my time with Marty and Rachel? Bees perform a figure-eight “waggle dance” to communicate where these different-colored food sources are located, using the angle and length of the dance to share precise direction and distance! (Should we start a waggle dance challenge?)

As you are likely aware, the honey produced by G’s Bees is in a league of its own. But did you know that Marty and Rachel also offer infused honey flavors, such as ginger, cinnamon and jalapeño? They accomplish this by allowing infused ingredients to rest inside of their fresh honey for two months to develop rich flavors.

When you purchase a jar of honey from the Conservancy, you’re not just taking home a sweet treat; you are directly supporting the bees, the keepers who care for them and the foliage that fills the gardens you love. And if your honey ever reaches the point that it simply will not budge from the jar? We were advised that we should only employ a gentle heating method, such as a water bath. “Honey should only be warmed to a maximum of about 95 degrees to preserve its natural enzymes and taste”, Marty emphasized.

While honey for consumption is the best-known bee product, it’s just one of the gifts that bees offer. Honey can also be used to soothe burns and coughs! As well, propolis, the glue-like resin inside the hives, can help with sore throats and immune support. And last but not least, beeswax can be used for products such as candles, lip balm, wood finish and lotion. This product derived from nature is beautifully multi-faceted: the sky is the limit!

Beekeepers employ many thoughtful practices in preparation for opening up a hive: using pine needle smoke to calm the bees during inspections, donning proper attire, being equipped with proper tools and more.

Rachel shared, “My favorite part is opening the hive, seeing the bees and seeing the honey. To catch them busy at work is the greatest feeling.” Standing witness to the rhythm of bees offers a sense of discovery that is difficult to find elsewhere.

Our resident bees and their keepers are essential partners in Daniel Stowe Conservancy’s mission, supporting beautiful botanicals for visitors like you to enjoy while helping to sustain our regional ecosystem. With pollinator populations threatened by habitat loss and pesticides, cultivating and protecting safe spaces is more important than ever.

If you missed our “Peek Into Beekeeping” workshop, let us know if you’d like us to host another one. The tidbits I’ve shared with you here only scratch the surface! Marty and Rachel are already looking forward to sharing their knowledge again and would love to help you develop your own passion for supporting bee-life and processing honey. Once you step into their world, you may just find yourself becoming a keeper, too.

Until then, let’s keep the buzz going! You can start aiding pollinators today by reducing pesticide use, leaving wild spaces for bees to enjoy and planting native flowers at home. In fact, we’re hosting a native plant sale this weekend during our Red, White + Blooms celebration— stop by on Saturday and grab a leafy friend at Big Leaf Cafe!

As well, be sure to check out our Events page for upcoming bee-related programs and stop by one of our retail locations to secure a jar of G’s Bees honey (we can hardly keep it on the shelves!) Every purchase you make here at Stowe and every flower you plant helps protect the pollinators who keep our world growing and spinning.