Browning’s Honey is excited to announce that we have recently opened a new location in Idaho Falls, located at 1475 S. Holmes Ave (between 14th and 15th Street). This location is bigger and allows us to sell more products, as well as be more centrally located in town, as the original shop sits 3.5 miles out of town. 

In addition to new products, we will offer the same quality goods as our original gift shop, which include:

• Candles
• Honey and bee-inspired decor
• Chocolates and other candies 
• Pancake mix and syrup 
• Lotion, sugar scrubs, bath bombs, soap, and other natural skincare items
• Dish towels, tissue bags, and bowl cozies 
• Cold drinks
• Cutting boards and recipe books
• Beeswax and pollen 

And of course, we will have pure honey, creamed honey, and flavored honey for purchase. Flavors include blueberry, chokeberry, huckleberry, hazelnut, and more. 

We hope this new location will be more accessible to Ammon and Idaho Falls residents and help more people be able to purchase raw, pure honey. 

About Browning’s Honey

Browning’s Honey is a five-generation, family-owned and operated honey production and pollination business that was established in 1921. It operates in Idaho and North Dakota and has grown into one of the largest beekeeping and honey production companies in the United States. 

We consistently produce over a million pounds of superior quality clover honey per year in Idaho, North and South Dakota, and Nebraska, as well as varied quantities of Orange Blossom and other specialty honeys. 

Our bees pollinate a wide variety of crops, including almonds, apples, pears, plums, cherries, nectarines, and canola in several states, including California, Texas, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. 

We are proud to be members of several different industry associations, including The Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund, Idaho Honey Association, and North Dakota Beekeepers Association. We are passionate about supporting the well-being of honeybees, encouraging research, and being actively involved in the beekeeping community. 

Come Visit Us!

We are excited to see you at our new location, as well as our original gift shop located at 9019 N. 5th E. in Idaho Falls.

Weather plays an important role in honey production, influencing everything from nectar availability to bee behavior. Each season brings its own opportunities and challenges for beekeepers, and understanding these patterns is key to maintaining healthy hives and productive harvests. Here’s a closer look at how weather affects honey production throughout the year. 

Spring: The Season of Renewal

Spring typically marks the start of peak honey production time, but success often depends on how the season begins. 

How Spring Weather Helps or Hurts

Warm, Mild Temperatures — Bees become more active as temperatures rise above 50°F. A warm spring allows bees to start foraging earlier and encourages rapid colony buildup.

Consistent Rainfall — Moderate rain supports flowering plants, increasing nectar flows. However, too much rain keeps bees in the hive, limiting foraging time. 

Late Frosts — Sudden cold snaps can damage early blooms like fruit trees and dandelions, reducing the nectar available at a crucial time. 

Impact on Honey Production

A stable, warm spring with balanced rainfall usually leads to strong colonies and excellent early honey flows. Conversely, cold or wet springs often result in lower first-harvest yields. 

Summer: Peak Honey Flow

Summer is typically the most productive season for honey harvesting. 

How Summer Weather Affects Bees

Warm but Not Scorching Heat — Ideal conditions allow bees to fly frequently and access abundant blooming plants. 

Hot, Dry Weather — An extended drought can cause plants to produce less nectar or even stop blooming altogether, reducing honey flow. It can also force bees to expend extra energy to cool their hive. 

Storms and High Winds — Severe weather can limit foraging days or damage flowering plants, lowering nectar supply. Persistent wind can dry out flowers, reducing available nectar.

Impact on Honey Production

With steady rain, warm temperatures, and plenty of blooms, summer provides the highest honey yields. But droughts or extreme heat waves can significantly reduce production and stress bee colonies. 

Fall: Preparing for the Cold

By fall, bees shift their focus from honey production to winter preparation. 

Weather Factors That Matter in Fall

Cool, Dry Conditions — Bees slow down when temperatures drop, reducing foraging activity. 

Late-Season Rain — Timely rainfall can boost blooms, like goldenrod and asters, giving bees a final nectar flow. 

Early Freezes — Freezing temperatures end the nectar season abruptly. 

Impact on Honey Production

Fall honey yields vary significantly by region, but favorable weather with late blooms helps bee colonies build up winter stores and gives beekeepers a smaller, but valuable, late harvest. 

Winter: Survival Mode

Winter weather doesn’t directly affect honey production, but it has a major impact on the following season’s success. 

How Winter Conditions Affect Honey Bees

Cold but Stable Temperatures — Bees cluster tightly and consume stored honey at a steady rate. 

Harsh, Unpredictable Winters — Sudden warm spells can trigger unnecessary foraging attempts, wasting energy and honey stores. Severe cold snaps can also stress weakened colonies. 

Moisture and Condensation — Cold, damp conditions inside the hive are more dangerous than cold alone. Moisture can chill bees and increase mortality. 

Impact on Future Honey Production

Strong overwintered colonies often lead to excellent spring production. Weak or stressed colonies take longer to rebuild, reducing early-season yields. 

How Humidity Impacts Nectar Production

In addition to weather conditions, humidity levels can influence how much nectar plants produce:

High Humidity — This can cause nectar to stay diluted, meaning bees must work harder to evaporate excess moisture when making honey. 

Low Humidity — This can cause nectar to thicken or plants to stop producing nectar altogether during drought conditions. 

How Beekeepers Adapt to Weather Challenges

Beekeepers use several strategies to support their colonies through varying weather patterns:

• Providing supplemental feeding during droughts or cold spells, which could include sugar syrup or pollen substitutes  
• Ensuring proper hive ventilation to prevent moisture buildup or relieve heat stress
• Planting or supporting diverse forage sources
• Offering shade or water sources during extreme heat
• Strategically place windbreaks around the apiary to protect hives from cold or strong winds
• Monitoring colony strength before winter and making necessary adjustments 
• Placing apiaries in locations that offer protection from the elements 

Weather: An Important Part of Honey Production 

Weather shapes every part of the beekeeping cycle, influencing colony health, nectar availability, and overall honey yields. While each season brings its own set of challenges, understanding how temperature, rainfall, and season shifts affect bee behavior allows beekeepers to better prepare and adapt. With the right management and keeping a close eye on changing conditions, beekeepers can help their colonies thrive and enjoy more consistent, high-quality honey production year after year. 

Bees are some of the most misunderstood creatures on the planet. While they’re vital for pollination and maintaining ecosystems, countless myths have painted these insects as nothing more than nuisances that like to sting humans. Today, we will set the record straight and uncover what most people get wrong about bees. 

Myth #1: All Bees Sting

One of the most common misconceptions is that every bee can sting. In reality, only female bees have stingers, and many species are completely harmless to humans. Male bees, called drones, don’t sting at all. Additionally, some bees are naturally non-aggressive and will only sting if threatened or provoked.

Another misconception is that bees die after they sting. This is only true of honeybee workers, whose barbed stingers get lodged in the skin and cause fatal injuries when they try to fly away. Many other bees, such as bumblebees, have smooth stingers and can sting multiple times.

Myth #2: Bees Are Aggressive

Bees get a bad reputation for being aggressive, but the truth is quite the opposite. Most bees are focused on gathering nectar and pollen and don’t care to bother humans. A bee’s stinger is actually a last-resort mechanism; they are more likely to fly away than attack. Approaching the hive calmly and avoiding sudden movements significantly reduces the risk of stings.

Myth #3: All Bees Live in Hives

While honeybees are well-known for their hives, not all bees live in large colonies. Many species are solitary, nesting in the ground, hollow stems, or wood. These solitary bees are just as crucial for pollination as hive-dwelling honeybees. 

Fun Fact: While bee colonies consist of 20,000 to 60,000 bees, only 10% of bees worldwide are actually social and live in hives.

Myth #4: Bees Only Make Honey

Honey is just one of the amazing products bees produce, and only a few species, like the honeybee, actually make it. Bees are essential pollinators, contributing to the growth of fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Without them, our food supply and ecosystems would suffer. 

Myth #5: Bees Are Just Pests

While some people view bees as nuisances, they are indispensable to the environment. Bees pollinate approximately one-third of the food we eat, supporting biodiversity and helping plants reproduce. Without bees, many crops would fail. 

Myth #6: Bee Populations Are Stable

A dangerous misconception is thinking bees are continuing to thrive everywhere. The truth is, many bee populations are declining due to habitat loss, pesticide use, disease, and climate change. Protecting bees is crucial not just for their survival but for the well-being of the planet. 

To help protect bees, you should:

Plant Bee-Friendly Flowers — When landscaping or growing a garden, choose a variety of native plants that bloom through the season to provide a consistent food source 

Avoid Pesticides and Herbicides — Many chemicals pose a risk to bees. If you must use them, apply them at night when bees are not active and never spray flowers or anything about to bloom. 

Provide Nesting Sites — Install bee hotels, or create your own by drilling holes in wood or bunching hollow plant stems together. Also, leave patches of bare soil and standing plant stems for ground-nesting bees. 

Buy Local and Organic — Purchase honey from local beekeepers who use humane practices. Choose organic produce to support farming methods that use fewer pesticides. 

Bee Myth #7: Bees Live a Long Time

Most worker bees have a very short life span, often only a few weeks during the summer, just long enough for them to mate, build nests, and produce offspring. Only the queens live long lives: Honey bee queens can live for several years, while bumblebee queens can live up to one year. 

Bee Myth #8: Wasps are Bees 

Even though wasps belong to the same order of insects as bees, they are actually not bees. Wasps are carnivores and can be very aggressive (espeically if you disturb their homes), in contrast to bees, which are vegetarians and most often docile.

Bees: More Gentle and Fascinating than People Believe 

Bees are much more than the occasional nuisance or stinger people often imagine. They are essential pollinators, environmental heroes, and fascinating creatures with complex behaviors. By debunking these common myths, you can better appreciate their critical role in our ecosystem and take steps to protect them. The next time you see a bee buzzing around, remember that it won’t hurt you; it’s too busy helping sustain life on earth.