How We Began

The Little BeeKeeper started in 2016 when a spunky curly haired girl became the youngest certified beekeeper in the state of North Carolina at the age of nine years old. To this day she still holds that title proudly and still loves bees. Our company is a family owned, local business. We are passionate about educating the public about functional natural wellness and the benefits of beekeeping.

We pride ourselves in quality products at competitive prices. We may not be the cheapest, but we also aren’t the most expensive brand in the business. Our standards are set high, so we can always achieve the best products for our customers. Quality is never sacrificed when producing The Little BeeKeeper items. This is our family’s promise to you.

We are a licensed and insured business. We are inspected and permitted by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. We are ServSafe Certified. We produce and bottle our Elderberry Syrup and Honey Products per North Carolina Regulations at a commercial kitchen that is also inspected and regulated by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Health Department. Our products are lab tested. We take every necessary step to ensure the quality and integrity of every item we make from start to finish.

Why Elderberry Syrup?

A great question we often get asked here at The Little BeeKeeper is – if elderberries are so great WHY do we need all these extra ingredients and a syrup? This is a very simple answer.Have you ever noticed while strolling the produce aisles at your favorite grocery store you’ve never seen elderberries beside the strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries? That’s right you
haven’t. In fact I am willing to bet you’ve never seen them on the dried/canned fruit aisle either, right? This is simply because elderberries on their own are not very tasty. They are quite bitter. Historically elderberries have been used in jams, jellies, wines, and immune supporting products. Also, historically, elderberries are sweetened since they have a bitter taste. Enter our delicious elderberry syrup! We have perfected our recipe from our first batch in 2014. Our elderberries are cooked down with our very own signature blend of complimentary spices, and fruits. We then sweeten it with our honey so that not only do customers enjoy the flavor, they keep coming back for more.

We Have Gone The Extra Mile For You

The Little BeeKeeper is a member of an elite group – The Elderberry Trade Association. This association was formed from the desire of many elderberry producers around the country to collaborate on a wide variety of elderberry related issues. These issues include – best production practices, quality control, best equipment, direct farm sourcing of the best quality of berries, research related to food safety, shelf stability, and much more. As an Elderberry Trade Association member, we here at The Little BeeKeeper are committed to creating high quality, safe products, while also educating people about the many benefits of elderberry. The specific purpose and mission of this association is to serve the commercial elderberry producers. To strive to promote, protect, and enhance the overall well-being of the industry by creating a relationship between producers and regulators while striving to advance our industry through advocacy, education, research, and legislation.

We Love Bees

Our love for pollinators goes back to 2015 when I became a certified beekeeper. In 2016 my husband became certified as well, and our daughter became The Little BeeKeeper. Our hives are the lifeline to our business – whether it’s the raw bottled honey or as a tasty additive to our elderberry syrup. Ethical beekeeping is a top priority for The Little BeeKeeper as a business. We use treatment free beekeeping practices. Meaning that we do not use chemicals to treat and maintain our hives. Essential oils are used frequently in our process for deterring wax moths. We also use essential oils for the treatment of varroa mites. Small hive beetles are also an issue for hives that has to be monitored. We use beetle traps with cooking oil and apple cider vinegar to lure the beetles into the traps. All these practices help us maintain the quality of our hives and the honey we collect from them. Beekeeping is not for the faint of heart but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

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