Why Our Hives Are Vibrating: The Magic of Mountain Mint

If you walk past our hives on Temple Mountain right now, you’ll notice they are busier than ever. But if you look around at the landscape, the bright spring wildflowers are long gone, and the fields are mostly green.

In the beekeeping world, we call this time of year the "late summer dearth".

Beginning in mid-July and lasting through August, New England gets hot and dry. Most plants stop producing nectar, leaving honeybees with very little to eat exactly when they need to start storing food for the upcoming winter. It’s a tough stretch for a lot of hives.

But our girls have a secret weapon: Mountain Mint.

The Ultimate Pollinator Powerhouse

Mountain mint is hands down the best native plant for supporting our honeybees. It’s recognized by top conservation groups as an ultimate pollinator powerhouse because it does something incredible—it hits its peak bloom exactly during this late-summer shortage.

While other flowers dry up, mountain mint stays packed with generous, easy-to-reach nectar. It provides a massive, continuous food source from July all the way through September.

Listen to the Buzz

Because this plant produces an endless supply of nectar across dozens of tiny florets on a single head, our bees don't just visit it and leave. They pack onto it by the dozens and stay there all day long.

If you stand near a patch of wild mountain mint on a warm afternoon, you can literally hear it before you see it. The entire patch physically vibrates with thousands of happy, buzzing bees.

It’s nature’s way of taking care of the hive right when they need it most, and it’s exactly what keeps our Temple Mountain colonies strong, healthy, and ready for winter.

Want a taste of the mountain harvest? Our seasonal Wildflower Honey captures the pure essence of these native summer blooms. Text or call us directly to check our current inventory or to see which local farmers market we are hitting this weekend!