The art of beekeeping

Posted Wednesday, August 12, 2026 7:00 pm

by Anthony Palmer
Chief Editor

What if the key to better local honey isn’t just in the hive, but in the community surrounding it? On the latest episode of Good Day Clermont!, Liz and Kevin Jones, owners of HappBee Acres Bee Supply, take listeners through the fascinating world of honey bees and the movement to support local honey producers.

Cave art depicting beekeeping in Valencia, Spain (c. 6,000 BCE).

The art of beekeeping has been around for at least 10,000 years. Archaeologists have discovered painted depictions on ancient caves near Valencia, Spain, of humans attempting to harvest honey from tree hives. Cultures of antiquity, such as Egypt and China, began recording the domestication of bees as early as 7,500 BCE, using artificial hives such as hollowed-out logs and pottery.

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In 1852, Lorenzo Langstroth, an apiarist who briefly lived in Oxford, Ohio, invented a modular beehive which many modern beekeepers use today. These boxes allow farmers to separate hives into frames, which they can remove for inspection and sale. The Joneses prefer this method for their honeybees.

“With beekeeping, there’s so much information, and it's the second most written-about topic in the world,” Kevin stated.

The Joneses have managed the HappBee Acres Supply store and apiary in Stonelick Township for several years. They own an inventory of around 1,500 beekeeping supplies and honey products for both local consumers and out-of-state visitors.

Kevin & Liz Jones standing with their Langstroth box.

“Our average customer drives 2 hours to come in and get supplies,” Kevin said. Many buyers come from West Virginia, Illinois, and even from across the country.

The couple discovered early on that the demand for honey far outpaced their small-town operations. “We can't produce enough honey for all of the people around us,” Liz said. “So, supporting our local beekeepers, supporting the people around us, teaching people how to make their own honey, is one of the better things that we can do for our community.”

Natural honey offers many applications and health benefits. It contains natural sweeteners, which are ideal for those living with diabetes and unable to consume most processed sugars. The pollen content in natural honey can also alleviate seasonal pollen-related allergies.

Honey can also crystallize shortly after storage. However, this natural process is not harmful and can prevent honey from dripping off the edges of food. Store-bought, synthetic honey yields higher sugar and syrup content, which can reduce the protective enzymes made by bees.

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Liz described honey production as both an art and science. In the United States, honey suppliers must ensure that their product contains no more than 18% moisture. This regulation prevents yeast from fermenting the honey into an alcoholic mead.

Indoor bee hive display at HappBee.

Still, customers can explore a wide variety of honey products at HappBee. Spring and Summer honeys are particularly popular, differing in taste and texture.

“It's essentially like doing a wine tasting,” Liz joked. “There's a honey out there for everyone.”

The Joneses also sell queen bees. These insects can lay over 2,000 eggs each day after a mating flight, keeping the hive growing and alive. HappBee sells over 600 queens to aspiring beekeepers across the country during an average year.

The couple sells the queens in sugar cages, which the workers can bite through to free the queen once she is in the hive.

The HappBee warehouse.

Fortunately, these insects are very resilient and travel well. “Bees are universal; you can take them from one continent to another,” Kevin said.

Replacing a queen bee can change the behavior of the hive. Liz mentioned that bee aggression is related to their genetics. A queen can replace an entire hive within 60-70 days, which can produce calmer bees.

The Joneses warned about how much information there is about bees and beekeeping.

“We are all taught from an early age that bees are scary,” Liz said. She reassured people that this misconception is not often reflective of their actual behavior: “Honey bees know that if they sting you, they will die.”

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Honey bees tend to be protective around the colony, but not when they are in flight gathering resources. Unlike wasps and yellowjackets that are much more aggressive towards humans and other animals, honey bees usually only defend themselves when swatted.

The couple also cautioned against feeding sugarwater to domesticated bees, as many urban myths suggest. Bees can take that sugar water back to the hive and contaminate the natural contents of the honey, making it harder to control the harvest's outcome.

It is more important than ever for new and aspiring beekeepers to learn the skills needed to protect their hives from harsh winters and ecological disasters.

Bee hive at HappBee.

According to the Honey Bee Health Coalition, bee colonies face severe, record-high annual losses, despite a shift toward intense commercial breeding. U.S. beekeepers lose 30% to over 60% of their hives yearly, driven heavily by parasites and viruses. At the same time, wild native bee species face unmitigated declines due to ecological destruction caused by deforestation and water waste.

HappBee is doing its part to protect this endangered species by educating and supplying local apiaries with the resources they need.

The organization hosts free field days between April and October. Attendees need to bring protective equipment to avoid injuries while interacting with the hives. HappBee will also be part of a farm tour on September 26, which includes a honey tasting, hive observation, games for kids, food, and more.

Interested residents can visit their official website for more information about their upcoming events and merchandise.

Learn more about how to protect Clermont County’s natural habitats by following Connect Clermont.