Uncle Harvey’s Information
Uncle Harvey’s Honey is named after my great uncle who introduced me to beekeeping when I was a child. This is pure, raw honey that is of the highest quality and care you can buy.
Some of my fondest memories with Uncle Harvey are learning to care for the bees using old world techniques, meaning, without the use of harmful pesticide chemicals or organic acids to control pests. Still today, the beehives are maintained using techniques from the early 1900’s that I learned from my uncle and reading historical books from that same time period. I have two apiaries (bee yards) located in Sinking Valley and Port Royal, Pennsylvania. The bees in each location have access to different types of food sources, which influences how the honey tastes each year. In Sinking Valley, the honey usually has more clover notes whereas the Port Royal hives typically have a more floral taste.
Registered with the “Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Safety”
Meet your Beekeeper
Hello, my name is Brian and I have been beekeeping since 2013 with my own honeybee colonies here in Pennsylvania. I was introduced to beekeeping by my Great Uncle Harvey when I was a child in the 80’s. I build my own bee hives that consist of wooden hive bodies, bottom boards, and telescoping covers. All wooden components are not painted to ensure the bees are not exposed to potential toxins. I soak the wood in a non-toxic, volatile organic compound (VOC)-free wood protectant to protect it from the elements and keep it a natural color. The hive bodies are all eight-frame-deep boxes, which I decided to build to standardize the equipment throughout the operation. Currently I have two apiaries but plan on expanding.
In 2019, I received an Apprentice Level Certificate in beekeeping from University of Montana. Learning about the behavior of bees and bee biology throughout the different stages of their lives helped me understand even more about beekeeping.
Philosophy and Approach
During the late 1980s, a mite was introduced into the United States. This caused stress on the existing bee colonies, killing many honeybees. Most beekeepers try to kill the mites by applying organic acids or pesticides inside the hive. These methods can be effective for removing mites but have a negative effect on the bees’ health.
My honeybees have never been treated using pesticide or organic acid methods of mite control and I will always maintain my treatment-free beekeeping operation. No miticides have ever been introduced into the hives by the beekeeper. I rely on the genetics of the honeybees and their natural instincts to overcome this pest on their own.
During production, the honey is unheated and strained to remove any large pieces of wax. I’ve chosen not to filter the honey since the straining process has proven to be adequate for wax removal while retaining some of the pollen. I also don’t heat the honey to retain natural enzymes in the raw honey. Special care has been taken in every step of the process to deliver the highest quality raw honey.