A Stinging Reality

A Stinging Reality

An insider to a Florida Beekeeper’s apiary

Vasquez extracts honeycombs from the hive to check the health and harvest the honey. When ready to harvest, hives are taken out of the apiary, and their wax capping is either scraped off manually or put through a machine. Then, a centrifuge extracts the honey from the comb. (Jack Vincent/Atrium Magazine)
September 19, 2025 | story by Jack Vincent
photos by Jack Vincent
illustrations by Jack Vincent

This story is from Atrium’s Spring 2025 magazine, which released April 2025.

“Ready to see some bees?” Chris Vasquez, the owner of Heritage Bee Farm, said.
In the heart of Myakka City, surrounded by rolling hay bales and green pastures, sits Heritage Bee Farm. What began as a simple hobby for Vasquez erupted into a blooming business.

Vasquez observes the state of the honeycomb and ensures that everything is in good health. “If there's a problem with the queen, it's really not very long until that colony is really taking a downward turn,” Vasquez said. “If they don't have a queen, the colony is just not going to make it. So, it's important that she stays very productive.” (Jack Vincent/Atrium Magazine)
Facing challenges is part of the job. When met with the destruction of one-third of his colonies after Hurricane Ian, Vasquez did not flee. “One day you have it, the next day you don’t,” he said. “It’s those kinds of things that make you think, ‘Are we in the right business?’” He faces the challenges with an iron fist, allowing him to taste the benefits of his reward. Taste is one of the beauties of the job. (Jack Vincent/Atrium Magazine)

Heritage directly manages colonies spread out over three different counties: Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto.

Vasquez not only has 2,500 colonies of bees but also a colony of his own. With nine children and three grandchildren, the farm has a well-managed team.

“We’re a family business,” Vasquez said.

Everyone has a little hand in the honey pot. His sons manage the farm, located about 30 miles from the hot summer beaches of Sarasota, and one of his daughters manages the farm’s sales.

Vasquez extracts honeycombs from the hive to check the health and harvest the honey. When ready to harvest, hives are taken out of the apiary, and their wax capping is either scraped off manually or put through a machine. Then, a centrifuge extracts the honey from the comb. (Jack Vincent/Atrium Magazine)

Rows of hives, with living and thriving colonies, are stacked at the farm where the matriarchal society forages on all the wildflowers that nature has provided. It’s a harmonious site with black and orange stripes across the landscape. The subtle hum and sweet lullaby of a songbird choir are all composed by the sweet nectar of the wild.

“We like to think that bees make honey for us, but they make it and store it for themselves,” Vasquez said.

Vasquez observes the state of the honeycomb and ensures that everything is in good health. “If there’s a problem with the queen, it’s really not very long until that colony is really taking a downward turn,” Vasquez said. “If they don’t have a queen, the colony is just not going to make it. So, it’s important that she stays very productive.” (Jack Vincent/Atrium Magazine)
Bees strike when threatened, stinging a target in sight. To combat their attacks, beekeepers at Heritage will use smokers to calm the bees’ nerves. The smoke does not harm the striking soldiers and is a natural way to ensure keepers’ safety. There are both chemical and organic methods to manage bees’ health, Vasquez said — but Heritage prefers the natural methods.  “You’ll find that every beekeeper’s way is the right way.” (Jack Vincent/Atrium Magazine)

Heritage Farm sells a range of different honey-based products. It has 20 different varieties of handmade soaps, different types of raw and flavored honey, beeswax candles and infused honey.

Heritage also focuses on queen bee production. Beekeepers will artificially inseminate the queen to produce female worker bees. After feasting on the royal jelly, they will grow into reigning monarchs and eventually rule through a long-lasting lineage.

“You have to have, I think, some pretty thick skin to be a beekeeper,” Vasquez said.

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