Sunset Apiaries

This grower has a photo album.

My Story

My start to beekeeping started back in my freshman year of high school. One class I was in was Introduction to Agriculture. In the second semester the class was giving a project called “Something Special in Wisconsin”, basically to research a product that Wisconsin produces. With so many different fruits, vegetables and livestock from Wisconsin I was having a hard time deciding what to pick. I was thirteen years old and working at the Waldo Café. Like any café it has it regulars that always come in two three times a day and most of the time just to get some coffee and talk. Dave Foster was a regular that had been beekeeping for many years and would talk about the bees that he would take care. Dave and I were good friends so I thought it would be an easy project because he could help me with the research. I would help him build beekeeping equipment, take care of the honey bees and other chores around the house and he would teach me about the three roles in the hive the queen, worker which are females and the drones which are males. Also the importance of bees for pollination and the whole process of getting a frame of honey from the bees to filling a jar of honey. My teacher was impressed with presentation and I’m sure he learned a lot from it as well. I would still help Dave with bees after the project and my interest kept growing. After a year he ask me if I want to get into beekeeping. Since then I have been keeping my own bees, worked with other beekeepers to learn more about the very important insect for pollinating flowers to grow our food. I like to help out new beekeepers with all their first question in beekeeping like I did. My goal in my business is to keep healthy bees and provide a natural honey from the hive for my customers. I currently have about 90 hives and pull my honey mid August.

Producing Standards

My colonies are kept in local pastures and woods in the county. In the fall the bees are wrapped with insulation and are kept in Wisconsin for the winter. Plants that grow around here are Black Locust, Sweet Clover and Basswood.

My bees are Carniolans which are better breed for overwintering in cold climate. A new queen is introduced each year to prevent the hive from swarming.

The bees are fed a sugar syrup in early spring and fall when no nectar flow is available for bees.

Our Products

Raw Unheated and Unfiltered Honey
Pure Liquid Honey (heated to 120 deg)
Comb Honey
Comb honey is the most natural and raw form of honey. You get the honey when it is still in the beeswax comb. The honey comb is pulled out the hive and cut into section for the proper weight which has little to no process with messing with honey. During the middle of summer I have limited amount of comb honey available.