Life & Work with Alison Maniaci

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alison Maniaci.

Hi Alison, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 
Natural healing remedies from the Earth that were here long before modern medicine have always intrigued me. As has my connection to Nature, People, and Animals. In the past few years, I have learned that I am Native American – Métis/Cree Indian. As well my Grandmother Mary was a Nurse. I cannot help but think these two factors, alone from my genetics, lead me to my current path. Along this path, I have always shared a special connection with bees. A fascination of their beauty, a deep respect for their many gifts to our world, and a strong desire to protect them. 

These deeply embedded traits formed me to be the person that I am today, as did my genetics. 

My connection to healing people lead me to my career as a Nurse. My respect for the Earth and natural healing remedies lead me to become a Certified Holistic Medicine/Herbalist, and my admiration for bees lead me to my first beekeeping class, apprenticeship, my very first hive, starting my own holistic honey business called Honey Help and in the last two years expanding from my Apiary in Richmond to starting additional urban hives in Ferndale, Northville and Birmingham, Michigan. 

Through my years of beekeeping, I have researched ways to tend to my bees to promote their health, rather than the sole focus on volume of honey production, as is the main concern of many beekeepers. 

I found through my own research that I can smoke the bees with organic lavender and sage rather than chemicals. I also learned that bees do not metabolize sugar well. Most bee farmers feed their bees sugar water, which is harmful to our bees, inexpensive, and contaminates the honey with sugar, as do the chemicals they use. 

I took a chance and started to feed my bees their own honey, and they thrived! So, I kept going! I tried essential oils to treat varroa mites and hive beetles, and it worked instead of chemicals, and before I knew it, my hives were healthier than ever and I was happy knowing that I was not only helping the bees and ecosystem but I was doing so naturally, and my bees were flourishing! 

I then learned that there is a name for what I had been doing- it’s called Biodynamic Beekeeping! I am currently a Certified Biodynamic Beekeeper! I am one of 2 Certified Biodynamic Beekeepers in the state. 

It is my hope that the world of beekeeping becomes solely Biodynamic and that all beekeepers find a natural sustainable way to keep our bees healthy and happy, and thriving, and that the people of our world learn to respect the earth and save our bees! 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Working as an Emergency Department Nurse through Covid left little time for my beekeeping and Honey Help business. I lost many hives during this time but was able to save these hives to use again. 

My back was fractured at work, and two discs extruded. This lead to two spinal surgeries in the past year and a half. 

Through it all, I remind myself that I am strong, and I thought about the peace I feel when I am working with my bees on a warm sunny day and the friendly tickle of their vibrations on my hands as if they are saying hello, and thank you💗 

Hurricane Ian last year wiped out many honeybees that are purchased in Florida and brought here to Michigan. We have had to find other sources to purchase our bees, which was difficult. 

The weather also caused quite a few problems this season for our honeybees, as it was too cold. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Nurse/Beekeeper/Business Owner. I am proud of everything I do, as I put my heart into everything I do. 

If I fail. I just keep going, and I am strong and preserve. 

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is sharing your gifts with others in this world. Whether that be a gift of love, the gift of time, the gift to heal a broken heart or relieve someone’s pain, the gift of a smile, and even the gift of a jar of my honey. To me, that is success 

Pricing:

• 20
• 25

Contact Info:

• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/honeyhelp