SWEET BUZZINGS OF THE FINGERLAKES BLOG

In the quiet village of Dresden, NY—where bees buzzed, honey flowed, and everyone knew everyone—something strange was brewing in February of when William Keefer awoke to find eight of his honeybee colonies missing. Stolen. Vanished into the cold, still air.

In celebration of National Chemistry Week, we’re thrilled to feature a special post from our very own Dr. Felix Janeway- scientist, teacher, and proud member of our family (aka Bailey’s husband!).

So, what does space have to do with honey? As it turns out… quite a lot! Because floating in the night sky is a glittering reminder that the universe has its own kind of hive. In honor of World Space Week, we’re thrilled to feature a special post by our daughter, Bailey Filer, a second-year Ph.D. candidate in Astrophysical Sciences and Technology at the Rochester Institute of Technology. She is advised by Dr. Jason Nordhaus, who guides her research in the dynamics of common

Every once in a while, you come across someone in history who didn’t just leave behind a legacy—they left behind a way of life. Gilbert M. Doolittle, the father of commercial queen-rearing, was one of those extraordinary souls. His methods shaped modern beekeeping. His words sparked thought, laughter, and plenty of lively debate. And his deep devotion to bees and truth—not theory—cemented his place in apicultural history.

Peter Sieling’s journey through time, tracing the lives and legacy of the Cogshall brothers and G.M. Doolittle, is more than just a scenic trip across New York’s backroads. It’s a love letter to the beekeepers who built the foundations we now stand on. These pioneers lived, worked, innovated, and quite literally changed the way honey was harvested, and they did it right here in our neck of the woods.

A student at SUNY Geneseo contacted us back in February 2025 about a geography research study she was doing on apiaries and regional tastes of honey from the Finger Lakes region. We happily participated as one, we love to talk and learn about bees, and two, our co-owner and her daughter are both proud alums of Geneseo.