Our Bees
We love our Carniolan Bees! Carniolan Bees are native to Eastern Europe. Beekeepers will debate the merits of different types of bees, but Carniolans have some distinct advantages over Italian and Russian bees. They tend to build up population quickly in the spring and early summer. They also can regulate their numbers based on the availability of nectar and pollen. Carniolans are relatively gentle in temperament, which makes the beekeeper’s job a little easier. The bees happily forage on 250 acres of pesticide free fields of wild flowers, various types of grasses, fruit trees and vegetables.
The Beekeepers
Bad Ass Honey is the vision of Helene van Beuren, the owner of Bad Ass Honey on Vaucluse Farm. Helene has been an advocate for animal welfare for many years. She was a board member of the Robert Potter League for Animals and served as Board Chair at the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. She believes bees are an integral part of a healthy community and the worlds most important pollinator for food and crops. Helene takes pride in her bees and is an avid beekeeper. To date, with Tony's help, she has personally extracted, hand bottled and labeled over 6,000 bottles.
Tony Cochran is the Farm Manager and Head Beekeeper. He provides much of the technical expertise for Bad Ass Honey. Whether he is building hive boxes, assembling frames, inspecting the hives, managing extractions or acting as chief salesman, Tony's main concern is keeping the bees happy and healthy.
Annika Virdone has been an integral part in developing concept and product details. We could not keep our focus on the bees if she were not taking care of everything else!
