Bill's Bees & Honey

"When California was wild, it was one sweet bee-garden throughout its entire length, north and south, and all the way across from the snowy Sierra to the ocean." - by John Muir "The Mountains of California" Ch. 16 'The Bee-Pastures'"

The western honey bee aka European honey bee (Apis mellifera) were brought to the East Coast of North America in 1622. Just about 231 years later they reached California. In 1854 the first hive of honey bees were introduced to Los Angeles. 

In 1994 we began selling Bill's Bees 100% raw honey at Farmers Markets throughout Los Angeles County.

Bill's Bees Bee Farm is nestled in the foothills of the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles National Forest. Our gentle, European honey bees, live most of the year in the surrounding mountains, hills, and valleys going from flower to flower collecting sweet nectar and pollen from an abundance of native wildflowers. 

Almond Blossom Honey: In early February of each year we take our bees to the California almond orchards to participate in the grandest pollination event in the universe. For six weeks they are their happiest flying from blossom to blossom pollinating miles of almond trees. When there is not an abundance of Almond Blossom Honey, we leave it for our honey bees. In some years there is enough Almond Blossom Honey to harvest. This year we are pleased to present our Almond Blossom Honey which is now available online. Bill's Bees 100% Raw Almond Blossom Honey - unfiltered, unprocessed. Just the Way the Bees Made It!

After they've had the opportunity to fill their hives with honey and pollinate millions of almond blossoms, we head off with our honey bees to the California citrus belt for the sweetest tasting honey you can imagine. In April, we bring our bees home to Little Tujunga Canyon where they forage the rest of the year throughout the pristine mountains, canyons, and valleys of the Angeles National Forest.

Avocado Honey: From April to June we take some of our honey bees to help pollinate avocados in the avocado orchards of Ventura County, Ca. The nectar from avocado blossoms makes a dark, rich buttery honey with a subtle taste of avocado. Use Avocado Honey to create your own homemade facial masks, shampoos and conditioners. With its high levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, you can also use it on cuts and burns to help aid the healing process. Bill's Bees 100% Raw Avocado Honey - unfiltered, unprocessed. Just the Way the Bees Made It!
 

Buckwheat Honey:
In July our bees are at home in Little Tujunga Canyon where we get a strong bloom of California Buckwheat, a bushy plant covered with tiny white flowers showing a hint of red in their centers. The nectar from California Buckwheat produces honey with a flavor a bit stronger, more robust, and slightly darker than our Wildflower honey. Darker honey generally contains more minerals and antioxidants than lighter varieties. Bill's Bees 100% Raw Buckwheat Honey - unfiltered, unprocessed. Just the Way the Bees Made It!

Orange Blossom Honey:
Orange Blossom Honey is the honey we harvest in the late spring after we take our bees to pollinate orange trees in the middle of the California citrus belt. There are miles of orange orchards in all directions, so our bees harvest a very pure Orange Blossom Honey. We locate the beehives in the orange groves for about a month, during which time they pollinate the orange blossoms and collect orange blossom nectar. Our Orange Blossom Honey is very light in color and tastes just like you're in the middle of an orange orchard. Bill's Bees 100% Raw Orange Blossom Honey - unfiltered, unprocessed. Just the Way the Bees Made It!  
 

Sage Wildflower Honey:
The Black Sage Wildflowers bloom in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California usually during the months of April and May. Only once every 4-5 years do we get a good harvest of sage. Pure Black Sage honey is water white in color and has a very mild, almost buttery flavor. We designate honey as Sage Wildflower if it has the characteristic mild flavor, although it may vary in color from water white to light golden. This is our only honey that will not crystallize. Bill's Bees 100% Raw Sage Wildflower Honey - unfiltered, unprocessed. Just the Way the Bees Made It!  


Wildflower Honey:
Our Wildflower Honey is harvested from Little Tujunga Canyon located in the San Gabriel Mountains of the Angeles National Forest in late spring and early summer. When lots of flowers are blooming in the mountains; things like Sage, California Buckwheat, Toyon, Mustard, Laurel Sumac, Golden Current, Deerweed, we don't really know where the heck the bees are going throughout the forest, we just call it Wildflower. This honey varies in color throughout the year from light golden to darker amber, depending on which flowers the bees have visited. It has a traditional, more flowery flavor. It is a great all around, use it for everything, honey. Since it is RAW (unfiltered and unheated) local honey, it contains the widest variety of pollens that one is exposed to in Los Angeles County. Bill's Bees 100% Raw Wildflower Honey - unfiltered, unprocessed. Just the Way the Bees Made It!  

Bee Pollen
As our honey bees forage on wildflowers in the San Gabriel Mountains in Los Angeles County, they gather pollen in tiny sacks on their back legs. When the bees return to the hive, some of the pollen drops off and is trapped at the bottom of the hive. We collect the pollen and freeze it in sealed containers to retain its soft texture with a flavor that melts in your mouth. The bees collect the pollen from wildflowers so there is no threat of fertilizers or pesticides in the pollen. The colors of the granuels vary depending on the flowers in bloom at the time of harvest.