Turtle Beach

Turtle Beach Hive is a legacy hive created in honor of my beloved cousin. She faced severe, ongoing health challenges, so as a tribute, I dedicated a hive to her and named the queen after her.

Queen Nicole, along with her colony, was purchased from a supplier in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. In their first year, Turtle Beach produced nearly 20 pounds of excess honey, a remarkable achievement given that first-year colonies must build up their population, create all the wax comb for their hive, and gather enough nectar and pollen for the winter. In our short season, producing extra honey is no small feat.

Although the original Queen Nicole has since been replaced by the colony, Turtle Beach is now on Queen Nicole III. This year, I even split a daughter hive from Turtle Beach, which now also thrives in the bee yard. The circle of life continues, and my cousin's legacy lives on through these bees.