Garden Club member Ellis Robinson and I recently set out to see local honey production in action at King Blossom Farm on Dunbar Hill Road (https://www.kingblossomfarm.com). Our members will remember Jeff and Susan Figley’s engaging February presentation at the Town Hall. Jeff and Susan also have generously guided Grantham’s Conservation Commission with pruning suggestions for the future health of the apple trees in Brookside Park’s Orchard.
At King Blossom, Susan shared her knowledge of bee keeping with us. The farm has had apiaries for at least 15 years, but Susan also places hives at a site near Stocker Pond and at Greg Morneau’s Daisy Hill Farm on Dunbar Hill Road. Susan and Greg help each other in their respective honey enterprises.
Susan credits these three locations with keeping her bees healthy. While many of the nation’s bee keepers lost unusually high numbers of colonies in winter 2024-25, Susan lost none. Not only does she place her hives away from pesticides, but she also breeds her own queens with genetics that thrive in New Hampshire. When she does purchase queens to diversify her stock, she buys from a well-regarded bee keeper in Vermont.
Susan uses two types of hives — the conventional wooden Langstroth hive as well as Russian hives. These are twice the size, heavily insulated, and bear-proof without electric fencing. Greg Morneau’s help is invaluable when harvesting honey from these large Russian Hives.
Pick Your Apples Season is happening now at King Blossom Orchards. They also sell fresh vegetables, jars of jams, jellies, pickles, maple and simple syrups, and their own raw honey.
At King Blossom, Susan shared her knowledge of bee keeping with us. The farm has had apiaries for at least 15 years, but Susan also places hives at a site near Stocker Pond and at Greg Morneau’s Daisy Hill Farm on Dunbar Hill Road. Susan and Greg help each other in their respective honey enterprises.
Susan credits these three locations with keeping her bees healthy. While many of the nation’s bee keepers lost unusually high numbers of colonies in winter 2024-25, Susan lost none. Not only does she place her hives away from pesticides, but she also breeds her own queens with genetics that thrive in New Hampshire. When she does purchase queens to diversify her stock, she buys from a well-regarded bee keeper in Vermont.
Susan uses two types of hives — the conventional wooden Langstroth hive as well as Russian hives. These are twice the size, heavily insulated, and bear-proof without electric fencing. Greg Morneau’s help is invaluable when harvesting honey from these large Russian Hives.
Pick Your Apples Season is happening now at King Blossom Orchards. They also sell fresh vegetables, jars of jams, jellies, pickles, maple and simple syrups, and their own raw honey.
Susan Figley's conventional hives with electric fencing
One of the Russian hives
