LIVING HISTORY
HUTCHINSON ISLAND FORT PIERCE VERO BEACH PORT ST. LUCIE
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tering. “We do not alter our honey product in any way,”
Melissa says. “If one of our hives needs to be fed ... we
pull real honey from another hive .... This process keeps
our bees strong and void of any outside contaminants.”
Larry says that while this labor-intensive business was physically
more difficult 50 years ago, the problems for beekeepers
these days are mostly man-made. Bufo toads and skunks eat
bees and, in the past, bears sometimes raided the hives for
honey, but it’s
humans who do
the most damage.
“Herbicide
does away with
forage space,
nectar and pollen,
and mosquito
control mist
gets in hives and
kills the bees. It
also settles on
plants the bees
forage on and
kills bees at the
plant.” Melissa
adds: “There are
many obstacles to
overcome when
you are a small family business. Mother Nature and politics
both play a part in our survival.” The State of Florida is added
to the mix with its Bureau of Plant and Apiary Inspection
keeping a careful eye on the wellbeing of the bees whose pollinating
activity keeps the agriculture industry alive.
Gruwell honey, along with Brenda’s beeswax items — lip
balm, lotion, candles — are sold at the weekly farmers’ market
in Fort Pierce and at the Buzzz On In stand at 5698 South
Sales Rentals
Residential Commercial Land
OUR OFFICE IS LOCATED AT Federal Highway, Fort Pierce.
171 MELODY LANE, FORT PIERCE
Joanne McCurdy, Broker, Owner
772.242.8436
www.mccurdyrealty.com
PHOTO PROVIDED
Second-generation Carroll Gruwell and his son
Larry carried on the tradition of the family patriarch,
Orville Gruwell.
/www.mccurdyrealty.com
/www.mccurdyrealty.com
