CALDERA HONEY

Caldera Bees has 15 colonies and never uses feral bees, instead purchasing Italian bees with a Kona queen for the best results.

COUPLE MOVES FROM RETIREMENT TO FULL-TIME BEEKEEPERS

BY CHRISTOPHER NYERGES

Manuel and Cynthia Caldera were talking about a post-retirement occupation that would be interesting and provide income.

The Calderas thought beekeeping just might be the occupation they were seeking so, in 2011, Manuel purchased “Beekeeping for Dummies.”

In their research, they discovered local beekeeping groups, and joined the L.A. Honey Company beekeepers, which meets monthly.

“We took their basic classes,” Cynthia says. “They actually have a whole year of ongoing classes.”

Within a year, they took the plunge and purchased their first hive.

“It was a lot of work at first, because the only place we could keep that hive was about 30 miles from our home,” she says.

Still, she explains it was exciting to be responsible for their colony and to learn, first hand, how bees do what they do.

“It’s one thing to read about bee activity, and quite another to stand next to the hive and watch them as they come and go,” Cynthia says with a smile.

By 2014, the Calderas expanded to four hives and different locations, and began selling their honey at a farmers market. Today, they sell at four farmers markets, including East LA, El Monte, Highland Park on Tuesdays, and Lincoln Heights on Wednesdays.

“We had a mentor from the L.A. Honey Company, and he told us that we were ready,” she says about the farmers market endeavor.

“We just had to get our certification from the Department of Agricul-

Find Caldera Bees’ honey at various farmers markets: East LA, El Monte, Highland Park on Tuesdays, and Lincoln Heights on Wednesdays.

ture and insurance, and we started selling at a farmers market in East LA.”

The endeavor has been successful.

In 2014, the Los Angeles County Beekeepers Association dubbed Cynthia Caldera the Beekeeper of the Year. Two years later, the Orange County Fair awarded her the best of show for the white honey entry, and first place for taste, also for white honey.

With their 15 bee colonies, they never use feral bees, those who swarm from an existing colony and then settle in a tree. Rather, they purchase Italian bees with a Kona queen for the best results.

“Yes,” Cynthia says, “there are actually companies that produce and sell queen bees.”

Manuel and Cynthia inspect their hives about once every three weeks for the standard 30 minutes. They look for the development of unwanted queens, wasp infestation, ant problems and anything else that may plague a bee population.

If they find ants, they typically sprinkle a little food-grade diatomaceous earth around the ants, and it usually takes care of the problem in a way that’s nontoxic to the bees.

Bees can create new queens by feeding a larvae exclusively royal jelly. Because the Calderas want only Kona queens to maintain the health and quality of their hives, they remove the larger queen cells when they see one on their frames. With practice, they learned how to recognize these cells because they are elongated and usually form on the bottom of the frames.

Bees only live a few years, and when the Calderas purchase their queens, the grower color-codes them so the beekeeper knows the year they were developed.

Each queen is marked with a color corresponding to the year, and they cycle through five colors because bees are never going to live longer than five years.

“I can look into the hive and find the queen, and know by the color the age of the queen in each particular hive,” Cynthia says.

Though they extract honey year-round, most of it is done in the fall. They take three frames at a time out of the hive, and carefully remove the bees. They then take these honey-filled frames to a separate location, de-cap the wax, which covers each cell, and then they spin it in an electric extractor.

The honey is then strained to remove stray particles, like bits of wood or parts of bee bodies, and is then bottled for sale. The honey is pure and raw. The frames with wax but no honey are then placed back into the hives from which they came, and the bees begin the process all over again.

“It’s really amazing to raise these little insects, and it’s amazing how they affect our health,” Cynthia says.

“Everything that comes out of the hive is good for our health. Remember, it’s not just honey that comes from the hive, but also pollen, and propolis, both of which are used medicinally.”

The hives are inspected about once every three weeks for 30 minutes to ensure everything is running smoothly.

Caldera Bees 323-243-0756 calderabees@yahoo.com calderabees.com

Submitted photos Cynthia Caldera was named Beekeeper of the Year in 2014 and won first place for taste of her white honey in 2016.

PREPARING FOR HEAT WAVES

It is going to be Hot! Real Hot.

Our plants and trees (much like you and me) may not be acclimated or prepared for the coming heat wave. Heat damage can cause unsightly plants, slow growth, reduce flower and fruit production or even kill the plant. Some plants are more susceptible to heat damage than others. Newly planted or transplanted shrubs and trees will be more susceptible to damage as will plants that have not developed deeper root systems. Your vegetable garden may need some added shade, your Eugenia hedge will survive well with a little preparation.

1. WATER DEEPLY THE NIGHT BEFORE

THE HEAT WAVE. Watering during or after the heat wave is better than not watering at all but it takes time for the plant to absorb the water in its roots and translocate it to the leaves. A plant under stress will translocate the water much more slowly. The key is to have the plant well hydrated before the plant goes into stress.

compost, gorilla hair, or wood chips.

2. Water when needed to maintain plant vigor, but not daily: Overwatering can lead to root rot or fungal diseases. when a plant is continuously overwatered, it can deprive the roots of oxygen and promote the growth of fungi in the soil. This is most important if you have slow draining soil. Plants deprived of oxygen over extended periods of time send their roots to the surface looking for oxygen. The smaller roots have less room to hold moisture in their reservoirs and also have less area thus less mini fibrous root hairs to use to tap life sustaining water with.

3. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch! Prevent moisture evaporation in the soil and disperses water intake slowly over time. This also helps keep the roots cool and breaks down into healthy natural organic nutrients. We recommend putting down a 2” thick (at minimum) layer of

4. Remove ripe fruit. So that the plant can redirect its life saving energy to other vital parts of the plant. The ripe fruit is more susceptible to heat damage than the emerging fruit. Pick it now so you can enjoy the “fruits of your labor”

5. Protect newly planted plants (or high heat sensitive plants): Use temporary screens/shade cloth and protect young bark (especially on fruiting trees like avocado or citrus) by either providing temporary shade or whitewashing trunk.