Sweet Comb Chicago
About Sweet Comb Chicago
You may be wondering the reason for the name of this company.
Well, As I began reading about the plight of honey bees and Colony Collapse Disorder, I wondered what I could do.
Beekeeping is something I always wanted to do but, like many, I felt keeping bees in the city just didn’t make sense.
There are many things in the world I cannot change but this is a problem I could actually do something about.
We Care About The Bees
These days, I’m a bit over-protective of my bees and on the verge of breaking out cigars every time I see the familiar small swarms outside the hive that suggest orientation flights of new bees.
It’s been said that 1 out of every 3 mouthfuls of food we consume is made possible by pollinators like bees and it is certain that some crops are pollinated exclusively by bees.
Sweet Comb Chicago was established in a North side backyard in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago.
Our Mission
The idea behind our apiary is simply to help the bees by providing them with a diverse range of nectar away from the mono cultures created by big industry.
We have been continuously amazed and have grown smitten with the bees as we watch them go about their daily business right in our own backyard.
Chicago is one of the few places where the number of honey bees seems to be increasing slightly – thanks to backyard and roof top beekeepers. With your support, we’d like to do our part to ensure this trend continues, so please do your best to support local beekeepers.
About The Bees
Is it surprising to learn that the majority of a colony comprises of female bees? In fact all of the workers are female.
Worker bees live 6 weeks in the summer months, and 4-9 months during winter months while the queen bee can live for 5 years. During the busy summer months the queen will lay 2500 eggs per day.
She can control weather she lays female or male eggs. Eggs she fertilizes become female. In other words male bees inherit genes only from their mothers, while female worker bees inherit genes from mother and father.
Drones or male bees are larger and have no stinger. They do no work and are cared for by the females at least until fall.
There are many things in the world we cannot change, but this is a problem I can actually do something about.
We Do It For The Bees
It’s difficult to know where to begin when considering the importance of bees, and the challenges these beautiful little creatures are faced with.
Unfortunately, even trace amounts of the chemicals contained in pesticides, over time, can be detrimental to a colony and may be a significant contributor to Colony Collapse Disorder.
Harmful parasites, such as mites, combined with chemical exposure, are greatly reducing the number of bees available to carry out their important function.
In addition to producing honey and beeswax, bees pollinate the plants that produce fruits, vegetables, and nuts worldwide.
While the population has been dwindling for years, the bee shortage is reaching alarming proportions. In fact, some experts predict a global food production crisis.
The situation has worsened and farmers have started “renting” bees to pollinate crops, paying beekeepers to put hives on their farms.
Join us and help us save the bees!
