Store owner Joy Bochler, who has almost 50 years of experience as a beekeeper, said Joyful Honey and Beekeeping Supplies, with the help from OnPoint Community Credit Union, educates the public about the importance of nurturing pollinators

Paul Valencia
Clark County Today

Her store has a philosophy to bee-lieve in, a philosophy that should be respected by all.

“Everything is about pollinators in some way, shape, or form,” Joy Bochsler said of her Battle Ground store Joyful Honey and Beekeeping Supplies. 

“Everything is bee related.”

Honey. Beeswax. Art. Books. Stuffed toys. And everything a beekeeper could need. All available in her shop. 

That philosophy has more meaning than just selling bee-related products, though. Everything really is about pollinators.

“If we don’t have bees, if we don’t have any pollinators, we won’t have any food,” Bochsler said.

Her respect for bees started when she was growing up in Florida, learning from her grandfather. Bochsler started beekeeping when she was 7 years old, nearly 50 years ago. 

When she moved to Clark County in 2016, she immediately became part of the local bee community. Five years ago, she opened her shop on Main Street in Battle Ground.

“It was just something that I knew was needed,” Bochsler said, adding that she has the only beekeeping store within 80 miles. 

The amateur who is interested in getting started in beekeeping? This is the place. 

The experienced beekeeper who needs new equipment, including suits? This is the place.

Bochsler shares her wealth of knowledge through classes. She also goes out to conduct hive inspections, and she gives advice to beekeepers. 

Joyful Honey and Beekeeping Supplies also works with OnPoint Community Credit Union. Bochsler buys a year’s supply of equipment to sell in her store, and it was a line of credit from OnPoint that she said was the perfect deal for her.

OnPoint Community Credit Union supports local businesses. It also appreciates that this business is not just about making money, but serves an educational purpose, as well. Together, OnPoint and Joyful Honey and Beekeeping Supplies are supporting a movement to nurture threatened pollinators. 

With the shop standing on its own, Bochsler gets to focus on her passion for bees.

Today, she and her husband Mark have some 500 colonies. A strong colony can have as many as 500,000 bees. They keep their bees on a property in Amboy and hire them out to different farms throughout Washington. Then the bees do their job, making it possible for the farmers to grow their crops.

(There are no bees at the shop in Battle Ground, by the way.)

Joyful Honey and Beekeeping Supplies also helps other beekeepers who do not have a storefront, selling their honey and other products on consignment. There is also a tasting station at the store, so customers can sample before they purchase.

Bochsler loves to offer classes, especially to those new to beekeeping.

“I always tell people: Take a class, get educated, order your bees, get your hive equipment, and off you go,” she said.

She also reminds people that bees have a job to do, and beekeepers have a responsibility to do everything they can to allow bees to flourish. Even the most knowledgeable beekeepers can experience heartache. Bochsler said her first year in the Northwest was a learning experience, and she lost a colony.

“We’re putting them in a box and then we have to care for them. We have to keep them dry. We have to keep them warm,” Bochsler said. “We have to keep them fed at certain times of the year when there is nothing for them to forage on. It can be a lot of work.”

Every climate has its challenges, as well. So watching a beekeeper on YouTube from Minnesota, she said, will not necessarily help a beekeeper in Washington. 

Bochsler also added that one does not need to be a beekeeper to respect bees or help them. She is always asking people not to use pesticides for weed control or any other reason. When bees are at risk, the ecosystem is at risk.

Joy Bochsler knows a thing or two about the subject. She has an entire store full of resources, food, and equipment dedicated to bees.

Joyful Honey and Beekeeping Supplies is located at 713 W. Main Street, St. 102, in Battle Ground.