Lee Knight's hobby of beekeeping has his family a-buzzin' in honey.

"We had a little garage door business and we decided to focus everything on the honey bees," Knight said. He still contracts out as an auctioneer because its fun.

Five years ago, his family moved to Lehi and he didn't have anything to do, he said, so he began looking for a hobby.

Looking on his family tree, he found his "Great Grandma Terrell" used to be a beekeeper. Interested, Knight picked up a book "Beekeeping for Dummies" by Howland Blackiston, purchased some bees, and set up a few hives.

He also joined the Utah County Beekeepers Association and goes to their meetings. More on the UCBA can be found at www.utahcountybeekeepers.org.

So began Knight's business which would soon sell Alfalfa Pumpkin Blossom Honey, Russian Olive Blossom Honey and Black Locust Honey.

"We're a small company so we can specialize in varieties of honey," Knight said. "In spring we have Black Locust Honey, Russian Olive Blossom Honey; then we take our bees to almond fields in California. We load them up at night and there are thousands of acres for them. We wouldn't have the almonds without the bees to pollinate them."

He and his wife, April Knight, bottle the honey and make their secret family recipe-made honey butter together.

"Our people flock, literally flock, to get their fix of our honey butter," Knight said. "It is awesome."

He additionally sells his bees.

"Now hobbyists buy packets of bees from me," he said. "It just kind of built from a back yard hobby to a thriving business."

Knight says it is a great family business and with four kids, 7 years old to 18 months, he should know.

Two miles south of Lehi's Main Street and the Maverik, his home is a honey bastion with customers often making the trip there to buy the amber-colored liquid.

Customers can order online at www.KnightFamilyHoney.com.

"We even have people from Wisconsin ordering online," Knight said.

They can also purchase the family honey at Honey and Grains Bakery in Springville, or at three farmers markets in Park City on Wednesdays, Thanksgiving Point's in Lehi on Fridays, and Downtown Salt Lake City's on Saturdays.

"A lot of people you know visit at a Farmer's Market," he said. "They fall in love with it. They see the quality and they want it."

His Alfalfa Pumpkin Blossom Honey is a favorite for customers.

"A lot of people like it. It's a darker, sweeter honey," Knight said. Flavor and color of the honey vary depending on the fields he takes his bees to for pollinating. They do a lot of pumpkin fields and alfalfa.

Knight is very careful with his bees but minimizes the chemicals and treatments many beekeepers use today.

"The way I take care of my bees, I try to get away with as little I can," he said. "I'm an all natural beekeeper, I'm not organic, but I treat the hive like it's an organic plant."