For over 5 decades, the locally owned Oregon Bee Store has sold all sorts of bee products and fresh produce.
The co-owner, Michael Curtis, says around 10 to 50 people a day come into the store to shop when they open.
“A lot of people come from all over the valley, different parts of the area, people from different parts of the world, too, they come in and find us. It’s kind of neat to see all walks of life,” said Curtis.
The store is known for its honey – but it sells a lot of other sweet things, too, “The candles, my wife makes all the beeswax candles.”
Curtis says in the off-season, he spends time tending his bees. Something he says he’s done since he was a kid when his father taught him how to bee-keep.
“Right now, all my bees are in California, [in] the almonds. And actually, I have to head down Wednesday and the almonds are done blooming, so I’ll move them into the prunes,” he said.
Curtis says last year was one of the best for beekeeping and honey production in nearly 20 years, he says he collected around 150 pounds of honey from each hive.
To put that into perspective, he says one honeybee produces only one teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.
“Their wings start wearing out, the membranes, so they can’t keep air to stay afloat,” he said.
He says new this year, people will have the option of grabbing some U-Pick flowers from the bee garden.
The store is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 to 6, until the season ends in December.
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