In 2025 I finally received 2 packages of Buckfast Honeybees, thus beginning the Polar Petals & Pollen Apiary.  

My mission is to sustainably keep strong, well-bred bees that can overwinter in Alaska.

What is sustainable beekeeping? 

This means that I try not to purchase bees after my initial packages come in. My goal is to produce more bees by learning to split and breed bees, eliminating the need to bring in bees from outside the state. Even more importantly, I am learning to overwinter bees through the frigid Alaskan winters. Some beekeepers in Alaska let their bees die at the end of the season and replace them in the spring with new packages. Their sole purpose to keep bee is to get honey for resale. I am a no kill beekeeper. Honey is a perk, the bees are my priority. 

Why is sustainable beekeeping important?

Most people in America have seen the news stories that bee colonies are collapsing and that honeybees are under threat of extinction. While some of this is, in my opinion, fear mongering, there is a real risk to honeybees from viruses. These viruses are primarily spread to the bees through mites. The current mites that beekeepers are battling the most is the Varroa Mite. Many of the large apiaries that sell bee packages all around the country are treating their bees with harsh chemicals to fight the mites. And, not surprisingly, the mites are becoming immune to these chemicals. However, small, backyard beekeepers tend to treat their bees with more natural ways to combat the varroa. If you are a sustainable beekeeper treating your bees accordingly, you can help keep mite levels low and prevent them from spreading. Also, if we breed bees that are strong in our subarctic climate, we can develope a strain of bee that is easier to overwinter. Finally, if you have a hive that produces well and also has a good temperment (kind and gentle bees), you want those genetics to be passed on. For all these reason, and more, sustainable beekeeping is, in my opinion, the best way to help save the honeybee. 

This section of the website is dedicated to my edification of honeybees..