Inspiring Conversations with Sarah Myers and Al Pleasants of The Pleasant Bee

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Myers and Al Pleasants. Them and their team share their story with us below:

The Pleasant Bee is a father and daughter venture that began in 2008 and now has become a family adventure! Al and Sarah first took a beginning beekeeping class at North Carolina State University because they had a general interest in beekeeping. After winning a beehive as a door prize through the Wake County Beekeepers Association, their interest in beekeeping became a reality.

Al and Sarah are members of both the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association and the Wake County Beekeepers Association. The Pleasant Bee is also a certified honey producer under the North Carolina Honey Board and they are actively involved in the local beekeeping community. Sarah has served as Secretary and former President for the association while Al is an active member on the swarm team.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Beekeeping today is challenging. Raising bees means you have to understand their biology and the factors that impact their health. The number one problem affecting bees globally are the Varroa mites (Varroa destructor). These invasive pests use honey bees as their host and vector diseases to the bees. Lack of floral sources for a diverse diet can also be a challenge to find a good location to keep bees. These daily challenges coupled by extreme temperatures can make beekeeping challenges year round.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We started out as hobby apiarists many years ago, and now we are one of the top resources for local honey, beeswax, and body care products straight from the hive.

At The Pleasant Bee, we wish to keep our honey pure and natural by gently straining our honey in order to only remove the impurities out such as dirt and other bee debris while still leaving in the natural goodness. This process produces what is known as raw honey, which allows the natural pollens and nutrients to remain in the honey.

The Pleasant Bee hives are located across Wake County, NC. Their primary nectar and pollen sources are tulip poplar trees and seasonal wildflowers. They maintain healthy colonies with the goal of making the world a little sweeter with their handcrafted honey products. What began as a father and daughter hobby has now turned into a family adventure!

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The Pleasant Bee encourages all new or future beekeepers to visit their local county and state beekeeping association’s websites for beekeeping classes and other resources such as mentoring and advice. Planning a year in advance is key to learning the biology of bees and best practices to keep your bees healthy and productive.

Beekeeping is a fun hobby that you can start at any age or stage of your life. Working with the bees is hard work but the end reward is always sweet!

Pricing:

• Local Honey $3-$30
• Body Care $3.50-$8
• Honey Gifts $4-$40

Contact Info:

• Email: info@thepleasantbee.com
• Website: https://thepleasantbee.com/home
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePleasantBee

Image Credits
El Pictures (ElpicturesNC@yahoo.com)