Sugarberry Slope

Sugarberry Slope Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Sugarberry Slope, Home & Garden Website, 5725 S Hiwassee Road, Choctaw, OK.
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With honey and other bee products gathered from our own apiaries, and jams and jellies, pickles and relishes, made from produce grown free of chemicals, we are committed to a natural lifestyle that helps support Mother Earth.

06/23/2026

Another call regarding a colony in a water meter. Home owner stated they moved in Saturday. Unfortunately the heavy rains last night seeped into the hole and many bees appeared to have drowned.

We immediately suspected this colony was queenless as the bees started gathering on all our equipment as soon as we pulled up and made a beeline into our nuc box with drawn comb.

We pulled out all the comb from and hands full of wet lifeless bees from the bottom of the hole. The comb we put in the nuc box and spread the bees on the grass in the sunshine where they could dry out; about half of them revived.

But still no queen. Fortunately we know a guy and Bee Ok was nearby with a lovely new queen which we put in the box and the remaining bees eagerly walked in. Back to Sugarberry they go.

We are mourning the loss of a dear dear friend today. Our beloved Wizard Tree (the tree for which Sugarberry Slope got i...
06/22/2026

We are mourning the loss of a dear dear friend today. Our beloved Wizard Tree (the tree for which Sugarberry Slope got its name) succumbed to the 80 mph wind gusts that blew through here around 3:00 a.m. Monday.

We had been noticing that he was leaning more, and I was trying to prepare myself for his loss while, at the same time, hoping he would outlive us.

The front porch no longer feels the same. It is brighter yes, but the shade the Wizard offered was a welcome reprieve while sitting there watching the wildlife.

Everything is different now. The sun loving plants nearby are going to thrive, while the shade loving plants will need to be relocated. The Wizard was home to both downy and red bellied woodpeckers, squirrels, and cardinals galore. I will miss the soothing white noise of the wind through his leaves.

There are a few saplings (his children and legacy) growing from his roots, but I will be long gone before they are tall enough to provide shade.

You might say this is just a tree. I’ve had people ask why I didn’t cut it down. The contractor who built our house went close to calling me stupid when I refused to let them bulldoze the tree to make things easier for his crew. A guest in my home laughed and said the tree was already dead, and accused me of being in denial. But he was not just a tree, he was a presence; and yet what could be grander than a tree, anyway?

We noticed the tree in late 2020 and wondered how he remained standing on his two legs. I immediately dubbed him the Wizard and promised to protect him. I did to the best of my ability. But not even I can calm the winds.

Rest in peace, my beloved Wizard of Sugarberry Slope.

During beehive inspections we came upon other critters using the hives as well. Two green tree frogs were holed up in th...
06/21/2026

During beehive inspections we came upon other critters using the hives as well. Two green tree frogs were holed up in the handles of two separate hives. A Phidippus audax aka daring jumping spider tried to build her nest in the handle of a third. I told her that would not work. In a fourth hive, just as I lifted the cover another jumping spider leapt out and caught a bee. I assumed the bee would sting her and win. That’s not what happened. 😳

Happy Fathers Day Everyone. This photograph depicts a male bee, also known as a drone. The drones' sole purpose is to c...
06/21/2026

Happy Fathers Day Everyone.

This photograph depicts a male bee, also known as a drone. The drones' sole purpose is to consume food and propagate their DNA to queens in other hives.

While this may seem advantageous, it is essential to note that a queen's capture is a critical aspect of their role.

During their search, they congregate above the tree line in drone concentrations areas awaiting the passage of an unsuspecting queen.

The drones are often perceived as indolent, as they never offer to care for the female bees while their mother is away or forage for the family.

The ones that survive until fall are eventually expelled as the female bees are unwilling to provide for or clean up after them.

What is wrong with my catalpa tree????!!!!Actually nothing. The southern catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) shares a symbiot...
06/21/2026

What is wrong with my catalpa tree????!!!!

Actually nothing. The southern catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) shares a symbiotic relationship with the catalpa worm, which develops into the catalpa sphinx moth. Catalpa worms are prized by fishermen as “catfish candy.”

Like the monarch and milkweed and the gulf fritillary as passion vine, these worms only eat the leaves of a catalpa tree. Because this happens by design by Mother Nature herself, the tree will survive this process with ease.

The catalpa worm has three main predators, fishermen (see above), homeowners with insecticides who think they are saving the tree, and parasitic wasps. In fact, one such wasp flew in and right back out as I was taking these. The wasp lays its eggs on the worm and, what follows next, like many things in nature, is ghastly.

Catalpa trees are an important element of Oklahoma’s ecosystem, with lovely white flowers providing nectar for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. Birds and lizards also feed on the worms and moths.

Selling at the The 405 Sunset Market in Seminole last night had us in bed after 11:00, then back up before the chickens ...
06/20/2026

Selling at the The 405 Sunset Market in Seminole last night had us in bed after 11:00, then back up before the chickens for Farmers Market at OneSixty in Shawnee this morning, followed by a class at The Apothecary.

We sat down on the couch to plan our next task, and woke up two hours later.

Time to inspect more hives.

This is retirement?

06/20/2026

Smoker lit and hive inspection are in process.

Setup and selling at Farmers Market at OneSixty until 1:00 today. Come see us
06/20/2026

Setup and selling at Farmers Market at OneSixty until 1:00 today.

Come see us

06/20/2026

Lawns are America's #1 irrigated "crop."

40 million acres. More than corn. More than wheat. More than soybeans.

And it produces: nothing.

The American lawn consumes:
9 billion gallons of water per day. In a country with historic droughts.
80 million pounds of pesticides per year. Running off into streams, rivers, and drinking water.
$100+ billion per year in lawn care industry spending.
200 million gallons of gasoline per year for mowing.

What it provides:
A green rectangle that requires constant inputs to stay alive. Zero food. Zero habitat. Zero pollination. Zero water filtration.

Your lawn costs you $1,000-$2,000 per year in maintenance, chemicals, water, and fuel.

What if you converted just 25%?

25% wildflower meadow: butterflies, bees, birds return.
25% vegetable garden: $600 of food per season.
25% native plants: zero irrigation, zero chemicals.
Keep 25% as lawn for the kids.

The No Mow May movement, pollinator lawns, clover lawns, and native plant gardens are exploding across America.

Your HOA might object. But laws are changing — over 30 states now have "right to garden" or "pollinator-friendly landscaping" legislation in progress.

Your lawn is a choice. Not a requirement.

Choose differently.


Come see us and many other vendors at the The 405 Sunset Market tonight from 6:00 to 9:00We have honey, jams and jalapeñ...
06/19/2026

Come see us and many other vendors at the The 405 Sunset Market tonight from 6:00 to 9:00

We have honey, jams and jalapeño products.

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5725 S Hiwassee Road
Choctaw, OK

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