The Annual Cycle of a Honey Bee Colony
The colony's needs change with the seasons. Strong colonies, good food, and careful stewardship keep the cycle moving.
The Apiary · Crownsville, Maryland
A hive you can watch,
up
close.
A live observation hive inside the market offers an up-close look at the movement and rhythm of a working colony. Watch the bees move across the comb, spot the queen if you can, and experience a side of beekeeping most people never see.
From our apiary to yours
Start a hive. Requeen a colony. Grow your apiary.
Beekeeping remains at the heart of Honeysmith — from locally raised queens to seasonal nucs and packages each spring. Some offerings are available for shipping, while others are reserved for local pickup when in season.
SOLD OUT
2026 Italian Queen
Mated queen · spring pickup or ship
$40 SHOP →
SOLD OUT
2026 5 Frame Deep Nuc w/ VSH Italian Queen
5-frame starter · pickup · sold out
$225 SHOP →
SOLD OUT
2026 3lb Package
3 lb + queen · spring pickup · sold out
$150 SHOP →
PICKUP ONLY
10 frame Basic hive kit - fully ASSEMBLED
Fully assembled · pickup only
$320–$350 SHOP →
Inside the hive
What's actually happening in there.
Each season brings a different rhythm to the apiary. Spring builds momentum with new bees and fresh nectar flows. Summer is peak honey season. Fall shifts toward preparing the colonies for winter, while the colder months are spent letting the bees rest and do what they naturally do best.
The Life Cycle of a Honey Bee
From egg to adult in about 21 days.
- Egg
- Queen lays one egg in each cell.
- Larva
- The larva is fed royal jelly at first, then a mix of brood food and honey.
- Pupa
- The cell is capped and the larva transforms inside.
- Developing bee
- The bee continues to develop.
- Adult bee
- The bee emerges, cleans the cell, and begins its work.
1
2
3
4
5
A Colony Is a Living Superorganism
- Queen
- One queen lays every egg and keeps the colony strong.
- Workers
- Thousands of female workers do all the jobs in the hive.
- Drones
- Drones’ role is to mate with the queen.
"When we work with the bees and not against them, everything thrives."
Rooted in the Bees
From our bees to your home.
Honey, beeswax candles, and the Body Velvet collection all trace back to the same thing — the bees. The result is a growing collection of products that feel connected to the seasons, the apiaries, and the slower pace that defines Honeysmith.
1lb Classic Honey
Wildflower · 1 lb · ships nationwide
$24 SHOP →
12oz Hexagon Jar Honey
Wildflower · 12 oz · back soon
$18 SHOP →
From the wax
Handmade with natural beeswax.
Natural beeswax goes into two things: Body Velvets — quality butters and nourishing oils whipped together with beeswax into a rich moisturizer — and pure beeswax candles, hand-poured at the market.
