Local Honey Bees in Glen Cove

Honey bee populations have been suffering across the nation. So, it is difficult to find fresh honey from bees that have been kept in healthy local hives.

Glen Cove Bee-keeper Domenico “Dom” Grella, brings his love for bees from the “old country” in Italy. Grella is a member of the Long Island Bee Club, and still has family in Italy, who care for bees as well. Mr. Grella has a collection of bee hives that he maintains in his backyard on the Locust Valley-Glen Cove border.

Bees require an assortment of flowers in order to thrive, including clover, lavender, passion flowers, mint based plants and more. The flowers feed not only the bees, but also butterflies and hummingbirds.

Grella uses organic treatments to help prevent illness and keep his bees buzzing and healthy. The bees hibernate in the winter, which makes them more susceptible to predators. The hives need to be winterized, and have small openings in order to keep predators - such as mice - out.

Bees can also infiltrate the hives of others, so a small opening helps avoid conflict between hives. You can find fresh honey from these bees in Glen Cove on Titus street and occasionally at the Sea Cliff Farmers Market. Dom’s Honey phone number is 516-314-7292.