History/Philosophy
The Snyders family philosophy is to produce high quality local honey without altering its natural state. All of our products are minimally processed. This philosophy has led to the development of their specialty product, "Cappings Honey," for which the family is renowned in San Francisco and the Peninsula. " Cappings" is a local wildflower honey that is unheated, unfiltered, and in its raw form. The Snyders believe that this process retains the vital enzymes and nutritional qualities from the bees and pollen.
Pest Management
Bill and Ann do not chemically treat their beehives for the varroa mite, perhaps the most significant apiary pest. Instead, they have employed various methods to prevent the mite from harming their bees, including Integrated Pest Management (I.P.M.) techniques such as screened hive bottoms, natural essential oils and, most importantly, breeding their bees to be mite-tolerant. Essential oil treatment is applied once a year after all honey has been extracted; this generally takes place in the autumn before the bees 'retire' for the winter.
