Our Story
Our story begins when Bill was 8 years old and beekeeping with his grandfather and father. He was able to learn a lot of the old ways of beekeeping which in some circumstances still ring true today. He kept bees until he was 18 years old on a farm and then the military decided he was better off with them.
Fast forward until 4 years ago when we met through a volunteer fire dept where we both spent a lot of time serving our community. It was love at first sight. We then married and purchased a home in Fauquier County VA. Bill decided that 42 years of serving as a volunteer firefighter and EMT was enough and he suggested beekeeping as a new way to fill his time. We took a beekeeping class together, so that Bill could catch up on the new information and for Becky to learn as much as possible since she has never had any experience with bees. Our apiary was started when we purchased 2 packages of bees, which are still with us to this today.
We relocated to Becky’s family farm in Woodstock so that we could expand our apiary and open Shenandoah Bee Supply. It was kind of a blessing in disguise the way it happened.
So here we are at the present. If you are reading this the store is open and standing on its own two feet. Becky works in the store as much as she can since she has a full-time job and Bill is the keeper of the store. He manages the day-to-day operations and together we manage the business.
Beekeeping can be unpredictable, and emergencies can arise. Let us know how we can help you with your urgent needs. We look forward to serving the Shenandoah Valley for years to come.
Then COVID-19 happened. We were fortunate that we were able to work from home and see all that was going on with the bees daily. We stayed on top of the few swarms we had and caught them while they were in flight with the help of a swarm trap and swarm commander. Those hives are doing well and with healthy bees.
The keeping of bees has been an adventure as they are like watching teenagers come and go. Some of the bees will decide that the grass is greener somewhere else and leave. The bees can be moody and temperamental just like a teenager too.
These past 4 years have opened our eyes to the expansive world of beekeeping and pollinators. We realized there was a need to work with fellow beekeepers and to help new beekeepers get started with proper equipment and supplies. Therefore, we decided to finally open Shenandoah Bee Supply.
