Just to the left of the door that leads to The Snohomish Bee Company, a small hive is surrounded by its busy little tenants. A swarm of Italian and Carniolan bees flit in and out of the box, working their way between the intricate rows of combs that serve as their home and workspace. The process is endlessly fascinating, small in scale yet large in industry. And inside the shop, you can get an even better sense of what goes on in there, and just as importantly, what comes out.
Melissa Faries, the owner, is just as hard at work as her insect tenants, answering queries about animal behavior and ringing up equipment for customers. In a flash, she is outside, scooping up some of the active little creatures for a customer. Popping open the lid of the main hive out front, she carefully extracts a queen and some drones, already prepared to spread their empire to a new home.
The Buzzy Community of The Snohomish Bee Company
The Snohomish Bee Company is more than just a top-notch market for bees and their resources. It’s a social hub and educational space for a unique and growing subculture of apiarists, less formally known as beekeepers.
It is an active community that combines a love of nature with a healthy respect for it; in the back area of the store, someone is busily getting into an apparatus eerily like a hazmat suit, preparing to spend some quality time with the insects while avoiding stings.
Much like the uptick in urban farming that has brought boutique chicken coops and small herds of goats to backyards, beekeeping is becoming more popular among average citizens with a taste for the agricultural life. And getting started is the easy part, because like so many products in this day and age, you can get a colony shipped straight to your door. This is one of the biggest services offered by the company, which sources their queens and drones from farms in Northern California and facilitates deliveries all over the region.
Of course, bees are no good without their hives, and the shop also provides all of the structural components, allowing you to build your own structure or replace parts as necessary to customize the ideal insect palace.
The support continues even after installation, as the company helps to foster an active community of keepers, sharing tips and support to help people along every stage of their journey. On the company’s blog, you can find a whole range of articles delving into the culture of beekeeping, including the particular nuances of looking after the animals in the shifting weather of the Pacific Northwest.
If you want to get started with a built-in group of peers, there’s Beekeeping 101, which delves into the unique habits of pollinators and the best ways to keep them happy and healthy.
Faries brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. As listed on the website, she is a 5th-generation shop owner, carrying on a tradition rooted in the region. She is also an active keeper herself, entering her third year of apprenticeship. The community here is active, engaged, and encouraging, but it is also one that welcomes the casual shopper just as much as the hopeful beekeeper.
The Delicious Scents and Tastes of The Snohomish Bee Company
If you want the benefits of pollinators without investing in the gear and hassle, simply poke around the shop, either online or in person, and you’ll find everything from novelty gifts to sweet treats, all made from the fruits of the creatures’ endless labor.
Honey is, of course, a top-seller, from the tiny sticks costing a quarter apiece to luscious jars of brilliantly colored liquid. With flavors ranging from blackberry to orange blossom, one taste will remind you just why bees became so popular in the first place!
The Snohomish Bee Company is also a wonderful place to pick up some more aromatic souvenirs. You can find beeswax candles in every shape and size, including some charming little pieces carved like bears, mushrooms, owls, and, of course, beehives. They all serve as charming reminders of the unique gifts of our insect friends, not just adding flavor to our meals, but also a splash of art and joy to our homes.
Whether you want to fully dive into a new hobby or pick up some goodies and gifts, The Snohomish Bee Company has got you covered. As an added bonus, you can support a local business that’s deeply connected to the community, both human and pollinator!
Want To Join the Hive at The Snohomish Bee Company?
The Snohomish Bee Company is located at 403 Maple Avenue, Snohomish. It’s open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday. For updates on online orders (as well as great bee tips), take a look at their website.
