There's a reason Paula is saved in my phone as the "Berkeley Bee Queen"... she's the best! She clearly loves the bees so much and she is so knowledgable. I'm a furst time beekeeper this year and Paula has helped me get everything I need from boxes to the bees themselves. I wouldn't have the happy hive I now have in my backyard if it weren't for Paula's generosity! read more

(Long, but detailed) One day a swarm arrived and by night fall they had settled into the shrubs along the walkway to my front door. It is also very near the sidewalk that gets a lot of foot traffic from people walking to the park across the street. I knew this was a dangerous situation and came to Yelp looking for a beekeeper to take the bees away, What I was shown, however, were more pest control types who, while not harming the bees, would charge an arm and a leg. The next morning I posted on NextDoor and within a minute Paula messaged me offering her hive relocation services. She and a friend were there within the hour, settling the queen and her minions in the bee box (I don't know the technical term, sorry). She left the box for the day, giving all of the bees and scouts a chance to be reunited with their queen. When the sun went down she came and collected the box. In the morning, there were no bees floating around! Paula is an excellent communicator, letting me know the status every step of the way. Her team graciously answered my questions and were very polite and took great care in respecting my property. When Paula returned for the box, she did not disturb me or my family. She sent a text when all was said and done. Very, very easy and I feel assured that the bees are getting the best treatment. I was very impressed by the team's passion for the bees and the great care with which they were handled. It made me wish my children were small again so they could enjoy the adventure! In addition, Paula brought me a jar of her honey. A very special treat that I had to try right away. The honey has a distinctive and unique flavor that I have never tasted before. I wish I could put into words the flavors that hit my tongue, but suffice it to say it is much bolder than a typical, even locally harvested, honey. Of course, I had to check out Paula's website where I found other bee related products on offer. I had just the day before been looking for my healing balm that I usually get from Burt's Bees (green label). I have no idea where it went, but I needed some and purchased the calendula/lavender balm from Paula. She set it near my door when she came to collect the bees and sent me a text that it was there, saving me from having to get up and answer the door. I used the balm a couple of hours later. It is not as thick as Burt's Bees, which works better than having that solid balm to warm up and spread. I didn't need as much of Paula's balm as I usually use of the other, more solid balm. My skin is very touchy and the calendula/lavender blend is one I know that works without issue, so I am thankful to have found Paula and her quality bee related products!! read more

Had a great visit to Paula's hive for my wife and two young kids. Paula was a very patient teacher and willing to answer any questions. My kids got to see a queen bee, hold some bee frames, and even try some fresh honey! We plan on contacting Paula for some bees once our home is set up for a new hive. read more

I could eat this alone it's the best honey that I've ever had! The quality is amazing. I really appreciated the best customer service. You can tell that the owner takes pride in their products. I keep going back for me and I highly recommend! read more

I am a confident and calm beekeeper because of Paula's mentorship. I knew I wanted to be a beekeeper but I wanted to do a good job, so I took all the classes I could, I read everything I could get my hands on, I joined the The Alameda County Beekeepers Association (https://www.alamedabees.org/) and went to meetings for a year and still felt unsure. Until Paula. I opted for the Full service package - to make sure I had the hands on experience along with expert guidance. There is no substitute for getting into a hive and actually lifting the boxes, talking about what you plan to do and then having to make on the fly decisions once you see what's really going on, and just interacting with the hive with a knowledgable and calm teacher like Paula. It was helpful to see different hives to see how different each one was... but then be able to see similarities and patterns. When I got my split (her name is Poppy) it was invaluable to have Paula there helping me with my hive. I was still nervous about opening the hive on my own and was scared I wouldn't make the right decision but Paula let me run the show, intervening only to ask the perfect question to lead me to deduce my own answer. I was instantly impressed with the respect she showed each of her hives, moving slowly and with confidence but also a humbleness that made me feel at ease right away. She is a giving teacher and an amazing mentor. I feel a part of a community I never knew existed. read more

Sweet Serendipity Honey - Poppy is having an orientation flight. - Honey Near Me

It's easy to get overwhelmed with all the conflicting information out there when you start looking into beekeeping, so finding the right guide, one with lots of local beekeeping experience along with a deep love and respect for the bees and an ability to break down all the "how's and why's" into easily understandable segments is a big deal and it can make the difference between success and costly failure when starting your own backyard beekeeping project. I feel very lucky to have found Paula. She's an incredibly mindful beekeeper, a bee whisperer really and watching her do a hive inspection for the first time was a revelation that changed forever how I approach being around bees. Whether you want to gift yourself with a single visit to her apiary to look inside and experience the amazing sights, sounds and smells of a hive or want to do a series of visits to learn how to become a mindful beekeeper yourself, there is no-one I would recommend more highly. Also, if you want to have bees in your yard to help with pollination and make you honey but don't want to tend to them yourself, she will set up and maintain your hive(s) for you. Paula's a wise and kind teacher and spending time with her in her beautiful bee yard was a life-changing gift I gave myself. read more

Sweet Serendipity Honey - a bee on a yellow flower - Honey Near Me

The local raw honey source for East Bay. The homie serving up the anti-allergenic goodness for her peoples. High quality and no BS. I eat a spoonful a day to keep the asthma away. Mad nice. read more

Honey is my favorite sweetener! I'm delighted that I've found a very local source of honey right in my neighborhood! Sweet Serenity honeys are delicious! The flavors are delicious and vary with the season. I've become a big fan of Sweet Serendipity Creamed Honey, a creamy smooth blend that I spread on toast. Try dipping walnuts into this honey for a real treat! Beekeepers Paula and Don provide great service and easy contactless pickup. Both regular and creamed honey are delicious and I often buy extra jars as sweet gifts for friends. Try and enjoy! read more

Sweet Serendipity Honey - a jar of honey - Honey Near Me

I had been thinking about having a hive in my backyard for years -- but none of my leads panned out until I connected with Paula. Within days of reaching out, she and and Don were over to identify the best location and the next night (under cloak of darkness) we had two colonies! We have two elementary kids stuck at home -- so visits with Paula have turned out to be amazing science lessons. She is eager to answer all of their questions and somehow manages to have extra protective gear so that they can be close by and lend a hand. We love seeing more bees in the yard and a tasty spoonful of natural honey is a great way to start the day. read more

I received a jar of their creamed honey as a gift and wow! It's fatantastic, better even than Tupelo.

I've gotten interested in bees during the pandemic and was looking for a local beekeeper who would give me an 'inside' look at a hive. Fortunately I found Paula! She is so knowledgeable and shared wonderful detailed information on bees in general. She had protective gear for me to wear and I got to hold a frame full of honey and bees! She was even able to find and show me the queen bee. And the jar of honey is the best I've ever tasted. Thank you, Paula, for a unique experience! read more

If you want to find the worlds best honey look no further then Sweet Serendipity Honey. My favorite kind is the creamed honey! It taste like it was made in heaven and Angel bees came flying down to bring it to you on a golden cloud! In others words it's AMAZING! read more

Paula is an amazing beekeeper. I bought 2 nucs from her in spring 2020 & they're still alive one year later, despite me not doing everything I should have. Being brand new to beekeeping was overwhelming & she went out of her way to offer guidance. I've contacted her several times over the year with questions & she's always responded with great advice. Watching her work with bees is inspiring - she moves through a hive with patience & respect. She's been a great mentor & the bees I bought from her have flourished. I highly recommend her for anyone looking for nucs! read more