Bees, Business, and Building Queen’s Orders Honey

How one backyard hive became a full-time business built around honey, education, and keeping bees for other people.

In this episode of The Long Game, Mitch Long talks with Justin Orders, founder of Queen’s Orders Honey in Huntersville, North Carolina. Justin shares how a lifelong interest in insects, a volunteer role at Discovery Place Nature, and one hive purchased in 2018 led him into beekeeping full time.

They get into swarms, hive splitting, honey production, drought, invasive pests, and the work required to keep colonies healthy. Justin also explains how his Hive Host program, training, removals, tours, and school presentations turned a niche interest into a business with several sources of income.

WHAT WE TALK ABOUT

How Justin’s interest in insects led him to beekeeping Starting with one hive and learning through trial and error How queens, swarms, and hive splitting work Protecting colonies from Varroa mites and other threats How weather and drought affect honey production Building the Hive Host program around customer demand Creating multiple revenue streams from beekeeping Harvesting raw local honey and planning for future growth

CHAPTERS

00:21 – Mitch introduces Justin and Queen’s Orders Honey 00:39 – College, biology, and an early interest in entomology 01:32 – Why working with insects felt like a calling 01:44 – Volunteering at Discovery Place Nature and discovering beekeeping 02:05 – Buying the first hive in 2018 02:34 – How a hive works as a superorganism 03:25 – Splitting one hive into two 04:52 – Catching a swarm and locating the queen 05:37 – How aggressive honeybees really are 06:32 – Protective equipment and where bees tend to sting 07:53 – Early mistakes and learning through experience 08:49 – Varroa mites and the biggest threat to a hive 10:04 – Nectar, pollen, and where bees find food 10:35 – Why honey changes color and flavor through the season 11:22 – Finding a market for the Hive Host program 12:14 – Producing more than 1,000 pounds of honey 12:42 – How drought and rainfall affect nectar flow 13:35 – North Carolina’s beekeeping community 14:10 – The homemade honey sign that started attracting customers 14:57 – Hive hosting, training, removals, honey, and school programs 15:36 – Managing hives for roughly 50 clients 16:30 – What makes a good location for a hive 18:00 – Seasonality and the challenges of running the business 19:00 – Moving hives for sourwood honey and learning from losses 19:46 – How bees survive the winter 20:24 – Harvesting and lightly filtering raw honey 22:16 – Predators, pests, and the yellow-legged hornet 23:30 – Ordering honey and connecting with Queen’s Orders Honey 24:29 – Justin’s plans for a more focused business 25:31 – How long a new hive takes to produce honey 26:29 – Teaching children about bees and pollination 27:19 – Simple ways people can support native bees