Meet Our Resident Beekeeper: CEO & Founder Jon

One day, while at the MeUndies offices (remember that time when we worked in offices?), we learned an amazing fact: Jon, our Founder & CEO, is a bonafide beekeeper. You know when you find out something totally unexpected and delightfully surprising about someone? Well, that was that moment. And it was quite the coincidence, since we were launching our brand new print Buzzed to honor all of those important people keeping our super important bees buzzin’—then we discovered we had one of those exact humans right in our midst. Sometimes, guys, the universe delivers.

So, clearly, we had to get the full download from Jon about this supercool hobby. We know you’re as curious as we were, so here’s the scoop on Jon and his 20,000 pets. 

How did you get inspired to start beekeeping?

I started reading about how bees were declining in record numbers and how important they are to our ecosystem. I wanted to find a hobby that added to my life and community at my home in Joshua Tree, so I built my first beehive with the help of FloHive.

How long have you had your bee farm?

Since last April. At first I thought the bees would just show up and populate the hive, but then I realized how much work goes into setting up a hive. During the winter months, you have to feed your bees and care for them as nectar and pollen are not as abundant. 

What has beekeeping taught you?

How fragile these little pollinators are and how much our environment affects them. It’s also fascinating how bees are used for farming. I met a beekeeper who takes his bees to farms because they lack enough bees locally to pollinate their crop. 

What is the time commitment to tend to a bee farm?

Given the current state of things, I’m able to spend more time with the bees. Generally, it’s checking in a couple times a week. More to make sure they’re healthy and the queen bee is doing well. 

How many bees do you have total?

A typical hive can have up to 60,000 bees. My hive is just starting to populate, so maybe around 20,000 bees.

Any advice to people who might be interested in pursuing a similar hobby?

There is a huge bee community out there. Check out Instagram, blogs, and your local farmer’s markets—farmers have great advice. As for your hive, I’m a big fan of FloHive; they’re fun to build and easy to use. And, funny enough, you can buy bees online during certain times of the year. The post office won’t be your biggest fans but they will eventually arrive.  

Pretty sweet, right? While you ponder whether a future in beekeeping is right for you, gear up in our new Buzzed print—it’s a good sting-free test.