Sweet Harvest
The hard, rewarding work of harvesting Charlotte Local Honey
On the hottest day of the year, Libby Mack covers her face with netting, puts on long pants, and heads outside to navigate her way around hungry bees. She and her husband, Gerry, co-own Charlotte Local Honey, with about 25 hives around Myers Park, Elizabeth, and Dilworth.
During July and August, when the rain stops and the nectar dries up, flowers are plentiful, but local bees can’t find food. This puts them in a less-than-charitable mood. Harvesting their honey is “hot, sticky, dirty, heavy work,” Mack says, but she enjoys it, because “it’s gonna be a day to spend with the bees.” To sample the fruits of her labor, go to charlottelocalhoney.com.
