October 2020
Cover Photo Courtesy: Rebecca Hale
TEXAS BEE SUPPLY
Wax Moths
Hive Inspection Series
Oxalic Acid Detailed
Monthly
Winter Tips
www.TexasBeeSupply.com
Featuring
Edition 4
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6 October Tips 10 Why are My Bees So Mean 15 Open Feeding 20 The Great Wax Moth Invasion! 24 Buzz Talk 201 34 Property Tax Savings with Bees 38 Winter Tips 42 Recipe of the Month 44 Mastering Hive Inspections 48 Interview - Ashley Ralph & Justin Russell 50 Our First Year "So Far" 56 How Many Boxes Overwinter 64 Monthly Q & A 70 Oxalic Acid as a Treatment Option
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CONTENTS
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Table Of Contents
Did you miss last month's issue? Don't miss all the great information it had to offer! Click the cover above and step inside! New to Texas Bee Supply Monthly? We welcome your feedback and submissions! Beekeeping Questions: help@texasbeesupply.com Article suggestions, questions or content submissions? editor@texasbeesupply.com
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Background photo courtesy Nanette Davis
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CLEANING BETWEEN SESSIONS FULL HEALTH & SANITATION MEASURES WILL BE IN PLACE
SPEAKER PRESENTATIONS BY: Charlie Agar Blake Shook Chris Moore James & Chari Elam Lauren Ward Cameron Crane
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OCTOBER tips
6. Add entrance reducers, remove queen excluders & cover screened bottom boards in mid October. Check out our article later in this edition outlining the details on each of these items, or our video on entrance reducers. 7. Keep wax moth crystals on your stored comb. Check out our video on how to store comb! 8. Any hive that has less than 4 frames covered front and back with bees should be combined with another hive using the newspaper method. Eliminate the queen in the weak hive, and remove the lid of the hive you are going to join with. Place a sheet of newspaper over the hive, and place the box containing the bees from the weaker hive directly on top of the newspaper. Over a period of days, the bees will chew through the newspaper, and merge into one hive. This slow method of joining helps prevent fighting between the two hives. Here is a video showing this process! 9. If your hive has been properly cared for and everything has gone right, you should have 8-16 frames of bees going into winter. A well fed hive, with virtually no mites, should easily survive the winter! Check out this video of a hive ready for winter!
Meet Blake
Blake Shook
October is the final month for any major bee management!
1. October is bring cooler weather and some moisture, and thus a final burst of pollen and brood rearing! For most regions, brood rearing begins to decrease in mid to late October, as hives begin shutting down for the winter months. October is also the final month for any major bee management! Feed 2:1 syrup (2 parts sugar to 1 part water) to maintain 30-40 lbs of food in the second brood box. Here is a video that can show if your hive is over fed, and how to fix it. 2. Finish any final mite treatments. If you have less than 2 mites per 100 bees, treatment isn’t necessary. Check out our testing and treating videos. It is critical to have a low mite load going into winter! A high mite load going into winter will, in most cases, kill the hive later in the winter months. 3. It continues to be crucial that we provide the bees with all the food and nutrition needed for our bees to rear the healthiest possible winter bees. We recommend feeding at least 2-3 lbs of pollen substitute in October and November to achieve this. A full deep box of bees should be able to eat 1 lb every 10 days. A weaker hive may only need 1/2 lb every 10 days. 4 As you feed your hive syrup, adding probiotics and an essential oil mix like Pro Health can also help give your hive the extra nutrition they need to thrive during the last month of growth.
James Elam Dayton, TX
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Janet Rowe Blue Ridge, TX
WE ARE THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE IN-PERSON CLASSES COMING SOON! BEGINNER BEEKEEPING CLASSES Scheduled to be announced soon! All Day Classes! LIVE BEE YARD experience included FREE with each registration!
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REGISTER for OCTOBER 1st Thursday Night of each month Register FREE for our monthly webinar below! Our October webinar will feature Blake Shook, James & Chari Elam and covers: October Monthly Tips Winter Prep- Entrance Reducers, Screened Bottom Boards & Wind Blocks Honey Bound Hives & How to Fix Them! Winter Ready Checklist+ Q&A!
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Chari Elam Dayton, TX
Why are my Bees so Mean?
Why are my bees SO mean? Or maybe more accurately… Do my bees hate me? We can laugh at that statement, but how many of you have wondered that very thing? Do my bees just hate me, or is it something else? Honestly, if you’ve been keeping bees any amount of time in ANY location, you’ve experienced nasty bees. Could it be you? Well…maybe. I know, that’s hard to swallow, but it could be true! Our bees have pretty good memories when it gets down to it. They do remember the guy or gal in the big white suit! You’re the one that comes in and creates havoc every time you enter their home! I’d put money on the fact that if it happened to you, you’d remember that too! So, now we know, we could be one of the reasons our bees are mean. Let’s dissect that shall we? New beekeepers are almost “required” to go in and check out how things are going more often than normal. BUT, when we as instructors say it’s OK to go into your bees a bit more frequently in the beginning so you can learn, we mean within the bounds of reason. Once a week for a new beekeeper is fine for the first few weeks, but then I’d encourage you back off and go in half that much (every other week) as time progresses. Years ago, we had a mentee that was continuously going Queenless. We kept getting calls from this new beekeeper saying, “I need a queen; mine is gone or dead.” James and I couldn’t figure out why in the world that hive was losing 2 queens a month on a brand new colony! Well, come to find out, every other day this enthusiastic beekeeper was going in the hive and pulling frames looking around; just taking the time to enjoy watching the bees and trying to learn their ways. In doing this, what do you think happened? Yep, the queen was killed or injured to the point she would die. This was so unfortunate because no harm was meant at all. Note to self for new beekeepers – Beekeepers can be the #1 cause of queen demise. Lesson learned…only go in when you have a reason and limit it to the hive check schedule or inspection schedule to minimize your bees “hating you” because you are an “intruder!” Another reason your bees could be mean may be your bee suit! No, no…it’s not how dirty it is, but it could definitely be residual “alarm pheromone!” If you’ve done a major hive inspection or a split and you’ve had multiple stingers stuck in your suit (we all have), the alarm pheromone can very definitely stay with that suit for a while! I recommend washing your bee suit regularly. I typically don’t go to any great lengths with cleaning concoctions, but just a good quality clothes detergent and a hot dryer works fine. Yes, I dry our suits in the dryer. I’ve heard many that don’t, but I’ve not seen a real difference in the longevity of the suit over the years as opposed to line drying. Of course, I don’t dry the veil in the dryer because it will take the color out of the screen and possibly melt the mesh. By a show of hands, who’s done that? Go ahead, raise your hand…mine's up too! What about using smoke? Are you smoking properly when you enter a hive? I can tell you from experience, the lack of smoke can definitely make for an angry hive. Each time you begin your hive entry, smoke the entrance a couple of times, lift the lid, and add a couple more puffs of smoke. Then, if while you’re doing your inspection the bees begin to get agitated, give them a few more puffs. Staying on top of smoking will ALWAYS help keep their agitation level down. Have you ever heard a seasoned beekeeper use the term “fluid motion?” If we go into our hives banging around, bumping on the side, talking loudly and basically just “bull in a china cabinet” approach, your bees will NOT be nice to you for it! It's very important to use fluid motions while working our hives. We tell our mentees work quickly, smoothly and with purpose. Those are three very good descriptive words for how we are to work bees each and every time we go in. Get in and get out, but do it with grace, finesse and with “fluid motions!” OK, now that I’ve made YOU responsible for your mean bees, how bout’ we blame something else – Nature! There are several reasons beyond our control of why our bees could be mad. I think most of you could name at least 3… Summer Dearth = hot and hungry bees. Definitely a reason for agitation. We minimize our hive inspections during dearth for that very reason. Predators –Overnight a raccoon or opossum may keep milling around your bees night after night, bumping the box and sticking their nose where it doesn’t belong causing the bees to stay on edge. We are unaware of it because it’s happening during the night; but come daylight your bees are edgy, and you can’t imagine why! Look for tracks to determine if it is a predator, or if you’re like James, put up a game camera and catch them in the act! Sprinkling some cayenne pepper on the ground around the hives could be enough of a deterrent to keep them away, or, if worse comes to worst, use a small varmint trap to trap them and carry them off somewhere where “they” can live in peace. More like, your bees can live in peace! Next on the nature list – Robbing! Any of us that have experienced robbing can attest to the total chaos post-robbing frenzy. Our rule of thumb, stop the robbing as fast as you can and leave them bee! These girls have been through a very traumatic experience and are not happy about it! Season and weather changes – This can and WILL make bees a bit on the testy side. I’ve read many articles about how bees aren’t much different than other animals in responding to not only barometric pressure changes but also seasonal changes. Consider this, if you are experiencing sensitivity to these changes then more than likely so are your bees! A good example – the day before hurricane Laura hit, James went and strapped down some of our hives to prepare for possible high winds. When he came back in, he told me “they lit me up!” Ironically, our chickens were acting all nutty as well! See, it’s not just bees… Probably one of the most common reasons our bees will show signs of aggression is because of Queen issues. Whether it’s because they are queenless or bad genetics, the queen (or the lack thereof) can really make these girls mad. If you walk up to a colony and hear a low roar before you even crack the lid, you’ll want to be diligent with your smoker and dig around (well suited up) and find out why. Odds are, you’ve lost a queen. Bad genetics can also change the temperament of a hive within a short brood cycle. It is very common for a colony to re-queen and you not even know it happened until all of a sudden no matter the time of day or year, the bees are just mean. Come to find out, this “homegrown” queen mated with some “homegrown” boys and in most of Texas this can be a problem. Without the guarantee of a quality genetically stocked drone congregation area, your drones can carry Africanized tendencies. That doesn’t necessarily mean your bees are Africanized, it just means they may have some of the tendencies…aka: mean bees! The answer = Re – Queen! Once you’ve identified the reason your bees are mean or “just don’t like you,” take the appropriate actions to change it. Beekeeping is fun! We don’t have to put up with mean bees…at least we have options! By: Chari Elam
By: CHARI ELAM
Photo credit: Cyndi Bormann - talesfromthehive.com
Video clip by: Stan Gore
Blake Shook talking about "Mean Bees" in the September 3rd Beekeeping Zoom meeting
Interested in turning a profit in beekeeping and creating a business? Join Blake Shook virtually as we discuss the various ways & options for turning beekeeping into a profitable venture! Blake will cover: -Transitioning to a sideline & commercial operation -Diversifying with products other than honey -Selling products- websites, markets, grocery stores November 14th 9:00 am - 12:00 noon cost: $49 Pre-registration required Class and Live Q & A from the comforts of your own home!
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Video courtesy: Cindy Healy Italy, Texas creator of: Ash's Apiary To learn more Click Here
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CRAZY BEE STORIES
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Justin & Ashley's First Time Shipping Bees
Blake Shook -Stuck in Lubbock
Film with your smart phone or camera...it doesn't have to be professional! Keep it PG We won't ask if it's 100% true. :) Keep it at 10 minutes or less Feel free to send more than 1! Email to editor@texasbeesupply.com
Eric Jones "Bustin a Move" to get my honey!
Photograph - Ashley Mortensen, Univ. of Florida
Photo: NSW Dept. of Primary Ind. Schools
Photo: BeeInformed.org
Larvae photo from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences webpage
Background photo: Lance Wilson
The Great Wax Moth Invasion! By: Dodie Stillman, Master Beekeeper Austin Area Beekeepers Association, President Texas Beekeepers Association, Board of Directors
Wolf Moon, Snow Moon; did you know that the full moon in March is referred to as the Worm Moon? I love the full moon, but during my first year of beekeeping a love/hate relationship developed! In the August TBS Monthly issue, Mary Reed – Chief Apiary Inspector of Texas, shared information with us on Chalkbrood, a viral infection that is often considered a “secondary” disease. A secondary disease is one where it’s not likely the reason a colony dies, but it does have the potential to significantly weaken it. I’m going to cover one of the secondary pests beekeepers must face. This brings us back to the March Worm Moon, and the secondary pest Galleria mellonella, commonly called the Greater Wax Moth (GWM). They are also known as the web (or wax) worm, the bee moth, and the wax (or bee) miller. There are a few other species - the Indian Meal Moth, the Bumble Bee Wax Moth, and the Achroia grisella, or Lesser Wax Moth, that can also cause problems. This moth is found almost world-wide, and definitely in our honey bee colonies in Canada, the United States and Mexico. In the late evenings and on full moon nights, you can see the female moths flying near and trying to enter honey bee colonies. March is the perfect time to start thinking about this moth, as they are most active in the summer months, and like many pests maintaining a large healthy colony can effectively control wax moth infestations, so build your colonies up during the month of the worm moon! Life Cycle The GWM is only between ½” to ¾” long, with the female being slightly larger; they are gray in color and their folded wings are triangle shaped. Females enter the colonies at night (again the full moon!) and lay eggs in old comb and hive crevices. She can lay several hundred eggs, and prefers to lay them in dark brood comb or comb that has debris and honey bee casting due the additional nutrients found there, as opposed to lighter brood or honey comb. The larvae that hatch in between 3-30 days and are the real enemy. They feed on wax, cast skins, and pollen, and will continue to do this as they mature and grow. Greater Wax Moth larvae start out a pinkish-white color and become a darker gray as they age, they have a brown head and are about 3/4” long. As the GWM larvae tunnel through the comb, they leave a silken trail that is so dense the honey bee workers find it difficult to remove the larvae especially if the infestation is high. Larvae take between 28 days and 6 months before pupation. As the GWM reaches the end of its larval stage, it will spin a tough white silk cocoon. You can find these between frames, in the crevices of the frames and all over the inside of the woodenware. A sure sign of a previous infestation in your hive bodies are the oval pill-shaped gouges in the wood that were chewed away while in the pre-pupal stage. Because the Greater Wax Moth Larvae can overwinter in these cocoons, the duration taken by the moth to complete its life cycle varies from weeks to months. The length of time is affected by amount of food, diet composition, as well as temperature and humidity. The pupa can develop and hatch within 3-8 days in warm conditions. The female Wax Moth can live about 12 days, while the males can live up to 21 days. The GWM can undergo between 4–6 generations annually. It’s important to note that the Greater Wax Moth larvae have feet all along their bodies. This differs from the Small Hive Beetle that only has 3 sets of legs near its head.Both of these pests are common in honey bee colonies so being able to tell them apart is essential. Another difference is the Small Hive Beetle larvae feasts on honey, pollen, and brood, where the GWM larvae consumes and destroys our honey bees' other precious commodity, honeycomb.
Integrated Pest Management The potential of transmitting honeybee viruses has raised real concerns to find sustainable integrated pest management strategies. For example, fecal pellets of the larvae were found to contain spores of Paenibacillus larvae, the bacteria that causes American Foul Brood. Additionally, Israeli acute paralysis virus and black queen cell virus have been detected in larvae. Large scale infestation of colonies by larvae often lead to colony loss and absconding. The most effective management of the GWM is by keeping your colonies strong with adequate food stores, as well as sealing cracks and crevices. You should also adjust your hive size based on population and strength. Cultural practices include starting with resistant strains of honey bees, like bees selected for hygienic behaviors. In addition, beekeepers should replace frames/combs regularly, and destroy heavily infested frames. You can interrupt the development cycle of the GWM by either super heating or freezing your equipment. Because heating will sag and distort wax, it’s best to freeze frames and beekeeping equipment. There is also a need for beekeepers to provide proper storage for hive frames and equipment that could be susceptible to attack by the GWM. The first method of storage is to place frames in such a way that they receive plenty of sun and air flow. The second option is to store frames using paradichlorobenzene crystals, ParaMoth, or Moth Crystal (not mothballs!). It’s always a good idea to freeze any frames you suspect might have GWM eggs or larvae. Let them return to room temperature before you store them. As beekeepers, it is our responsibility to take care of our honey bees. Helping them stay strong and healthy will allow them to fight off the secondary diseases and pests. By - Dodie Stillman
Photos by: Dodie Stillman
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Resources: The Biology and Control of the Greater Wax Moth, Galleria mellonellahttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5492075/ Honey Bee Diseases & Pests 3rd Edition Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists Texas Apiary Inspection Service https://txbeeinspection.tamu.edu/wax-moths/ Bee Aware https://beeaware.org.au/archive-pest/wax-moth-18/
Come meet Charlie Agar! Star of the popular TV show "Charlie Bee Company" on PBS Join Charlie as he talks about the in's and out's of bee removals!
Video courtesy: NSW Tocal College Doug Somerville
Come meet Blake Shook! Nationally known in the industry and Hosts "Practical Beekeeping's" most watched Monthly Zoom Meetings! Owner of Desert Creek Honey Co-Owner Texas Bee Supply
Buzz Talk "201" by - James Elam
Buzz Talk Management Have you ever worked your bees while standing and blocking the entrance of a colony? As beekeepers, we should mostly avoid this; however, where we “stand” can and does impact our view towards most topics; bees and beekeeping included. Inspecting our bees while blocking the entrance can elicit a predictable response. Do you hear it? Remember the “Un-common Buzz” from Buzz Talk 101? This is the medium pitched buzz of excitement that is the bee’s way of reminding us who is really in charge here. Sort of as if to say, "Buzz off beekeeper!" This potentially one-sided conversation can either be allowed to escalate into the “Threatened Buzz” or managed in a way that deescalates the “Buzz” all together! Buzz Management? Who knew? As experienced beekeepers, we develop an enhanced ability to instinctively listen, read and to react to these sometimes-one-sided conversations by simply drawing on some basic management skills. Management skills - attributes or abilities that should be utilized to fulfill specific tasks. Examples of management skills include planning, decision making, problem-solving, motivating and you guessed it, communication. Those of you that read Buzz Talk “101” have now had a month to focus on talking the talk. I believe we agree that bees do write books. So where have you landed? Where do you stand on the question of do bees really talk to us? Do you look at your bees in a way that is open to receptive communication? Consider these buzz words: Un-healthy buzz, stressed buzz, hungry buzz, thirsty buzz, hot buzz, cold buzz, and tired buzz. Hmm, it seems as though the [Buzz] vocabulary might be larger than originally thought! Or how about, “Things seem a little tight around here” buzz words, such as, house hunting buzz, moving on buzz, we’re lost buzz, we made a mistake buzz, which circles right back to the “please help” buzz. These “buzz words” are much different than those previously discussed in Buzz Talk “101.” Our ability to read this communication now directly influences the health and well being our bees! Recognizing the “Helping Buzz Words” may be the MOST important of all! Skilled honey bee management appears to require a successful 2-way communication. We can probably agree that our bees are communicating with us to the best of their ability. Question is, do we as “skilled beekeepers” understand and react to the communications appropriately? Are we willing to consider that a "get in and get out" approach can truly read our bees communication? The bees are certainly communicating their needs to us, but are we responding with acknowledgment and respect for their needs or are we pushing back? Demands or communications? Previously Undiscovered or Newly Discovered languages? No, not really. Perhaps this buzz talk stuff is just the ramblings of a practical beekeeper. Or maybe just a beekeeper doing what a beekeeper does, listening, learning, and “practically” trying to help bees. After-all, bees don’t talk and bees don’t write books, or do they? By: James Elam
Bees don't talk and bees don't write books, OR DO THEY?
Photo courtesy Nanette Davis
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What is your role/position at TBS? CEO & CO-Owner with Tammy & Blake What was your former job? I worked as a senior analyst as a CPA for a tech company and then as a CFO for a construction company. I have also pastored churches. Tell us about your beekeeping experience. I kept bees for the first time in 1993. We started with package bees & made a great honey crop the first season. Back then there wasn't much help for new beekeepers; you had to know someone to get advice. Not having a mentor or access to practical info, the bees didn't do well & I lost the bees later that year. What do you most enjoy about your job? I enjoy working with friends and family and trying new things. It has been enjoyable to build a company culture of really trying to help others in their beekeeping hobby. Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know. My wife and I raised 5 boys; our oldest is 33 and our youngest is 21. They have given us 9 wonderful grandchildren so far. I grew up in Houston, but enjoy living in the country now. What did you think of bees when you first started working here? I was, and still am, fascinated by bees. I love the way they work together to sustain a hive and am amazed how God built them and programmed them to instinctively cooperate with each other to survive. Do you have a beekeeping related story you can tell us? I have tons of beekeeping stories; most of them taking place during Blake’s first few months of learning beekeeping at 12 years old. Blake wanted to try everything: cutouts, swarm gathering, getting bees out of dead trees, collecting old used equipment all over the state (and Oklahoma). It seemed Blake had a new adventure for us almost daily. I will record one of the stories for a future issue of TBS Monthly!
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During the 5-year history building time, your goal should be to create a record that will satisfy the appraisal district demonstrating you have taken beekeeping seriously. When it comes time to prove your ag use, record-keeping will be critical. You should have receipts from your first purchase of bees and most subsequent expenses. It’s a good idea to keep receipts of all beekeeping purchases and take plenty of photos of your hives and beekeeping work during the years. Show your hives to friends. Keep records of how much honey you extracted. If you made any hive splits, keep records of those, too. After you have built your 5-year history of primary ag use of your land, you can apply for ag valuation. It’s okay to apply as you begin building your history, but it is not required. The good thing about applying as you start building your history is that it puts you on the radar with the appraisal district. The bad thing about applying as you start building your history is that it puts you on the radar with the appraisal district. The application process is pretty simple. The form for 1-d-1 Open Space is available at your appraisal district office or online. You must apply before April 30th of the year you qualify. You can apply late but there is a stiff penalty. With 1-d-1, you do not have to sell anything. You only have to produce something of value. When you have completed the 5-year history and have been approved by your County Ag Appraiser, you will begin to save money on your property taxes. Counties differ in how they value beekeeping land, but in general, you will save between 85% and 95% of the taxes you pay on land value. On your county appraisal district website, you can search for your property by address or owner's name. In that property search, you will find your land market value and your building and Improvement market values. If you are paying $3000 in property taxes for your land at market value, your agricultural value will be around $300. The savings can be significant. You should be aware that if you convert a property that has qualified for ag valuation taxes to business use, there is a rollback of taxes for 3 years for the amount you would have paid in taxes at market value. If you intend to convert your property to business use in the near future, you may not want to apply for ag. Getting an ag valuation on your property is a great deal for most property owners. I suspect if you're reading this, you’re already a beekeeper or you’re interested in bees. I want to encourage you to play by the rules. The wind is at your back and the rules are in your favor. Those that fudge on their taxes eventually get caught and damage the reputation of legitimate beekeepers working toward ag value. Beekeeping is hard work and it's a relatively expensive avocation. Some bee colonies will die and that is painful and frustrating. As a beekeeper, there’s always more to learn and unfortunately more mistakes to make. But the great thing about the ag valuation opportunity is not just the tax savings and the associated increase in your property value. It is an opportunity to work with and learn from one of God’s most amazing creatures. We offer zoom meetings that go into more depth and allow us to answer your individual questions. Find out more at www.beepeaceful.com. Over the last several years, we’ve received hundreds of calls from people all over Texas who are looking into getting bees on their property so they can lower their property taxes with an ag valuation. Unfortunately, we can only help those who are in our area. If you are an experienced beekeeper who would like to become part of our team by leasing and managing your bees, email us a tx.bee.ag@gmail.com.
Property Tax Savings with Bees By: Joe Bader
In 2012, a law was passed in Texas which allows property owners with 5 to 20 acres devoted to beekeeping to get an "Agricultural Exemption" for their land. This law, found under the Texas Property Tax Code 23.52, has saved landowners thousands of dollars in property taxes and it often increases their property sales value. My wife and I are Advanced Master Beekeepers who have 350 plus colonies in the Texas Hill Country. We started our beekeeping adventure when we found out the agriculture valuation for beekeeping could be obtained on two of our properties. In the Spring of 2013, we bought twelve colonies: six for each property. We soon fell in love with our honeybees and have developed a deep passion for beekeeping. In order to qualify, the land must have at least a 5-year history of primary ag use. Primary use means you have no other business use for the property. So, if you buy property in a subdivided ranch that was qualified as ag exempt, your property has a 5-year history. If your property does not already have an ag use exemption, you will have to build that history. You must have bees or other ag on the property for 5 years before you can apply for your beekeeping ag valuation and get the benefit of reduced property taxes. Each county has autonomy over how many colonies they require for each property. The number of colonies you’ll need on your land is called the degree of intensity. Many, but not all, Texas counties require 6 colonies for 5 acres graduating up to 12 colonies for 20 acres. Importantly, both case law and the Texas Comptroller's Appraiser's manual say you do not need the full degree of intensity until the year you qualify. That means, during the building of your 5-year history, you don’t need all the required colonies on your land. You need some, but not all. In my opinion, start with a few and build up over the 5 years. It is in the 6th year when you will need all the required colonies.
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Chris Moore Moore Honey Farm Topic: Identifying & Solving Problems found in the Hive
Cameron Crane Crane Meadows Topic: Hive Inspections
James & Chari Elam Bluebonnet Beekeeping/Texas Bee Supply Topic: 10 Most Important Things you Need to Know in Beekeeping!
Joe and Lolita Bader - Bee Peaceful Beekeeping Sisterdale, Texas
Lauren Ward Entomologist Topic: Queens
...maybe. You never quite know in Texas! But, over the next month, we should begin to see some cooling across the state! Let's discuss a few common winter prep practices when it comes to the exteriors of our hives. 1. Screened Bottom Boards A common question is what to do with screened bottom boards during the winter? It doesn't seem smart to leave a gaping hole under our hive for cold (ok, cool) wind to blow into our hive, right? We recommend sliding the insert that came with the SBB to cover it in mid- October. Alternatively, you can leave the bottom board uncovered, and block up the sides to prevent wind from blowing under the SBB. This works great, and allows mites to continue falling through all winter long. Bees don't actually keep all the space inside the hive warm, only their cluster within the hive. 2. Entrance Reducers Bees do a decent job of keeping their hive warm. An entrance reducer can help, but a strong hive will propolize the entrance to the size they want. An entrance reducer can help keep mice out of the hive, and keep some of the cold air out. If you use an optional entrance reducer, use the largest opening and face the opening up. If dead bees accumulate on the bottom board, they won't block the entrance. Don't forget to pull it off in late February!
Winter is coming...
Winter Screened BBs
wINTER tIPS: sCREENED boTTOM boARDS eNTRANCE reDUCERS wINTER WRAPS Wind Blocks
Winter Entrance Reducers
3. Winter Wraps Wrapping hives in insulating material for the winter is not recommended or necessary in the south. We don't get that cold, and in reality, hive wraps don't actually help much. As mentioned before, the bees only keep their cluster warm. A few inches from their cluster inside the hive, it may be 30 degrees. Plus, wrapping the hive too tightly can prevent a hive from "breathing" and allowing moisture to escape. In the south, wrapping hives can overheat the hive on a sudden warm day. Even though it makes us as beekeeepers feel better, it doesn't help the bees, and can even harm them. 4. Wind Blocks Another common topic is providing a wind block for your hives. While not critical, it doesn't hurt! A hive fully exposed to a routine cold north wind will have to work a bit harder to keep their hive warm. While strong hives should have no problem with this, weaker hives can struggle. Square hay bales, privacy fences, or a tree line are all great wind blocks. Don't forget to secure your lids down with a rock or brick as well! Your bees can get chilled quickly if their lid blows off.
PREMIUM NEW ZEALAND CYPRESS Check out our premium cypress boxes! We offer assembled & unassembled! New Zealand cypress is naturally resistant to mildew, rot, and pests and has virtually no knots, unlike standard pine.
1. Wash lemons, cut ends off and cut into thick slices removing seeds 2. Cover with the water and soak overnight. 3. Boil for two hours covered then strain through jelly bag or double layer of cheese cloth. DO NOT SQUEEZE. **If you want to make jam… my preference – skip the straining and use an immersion blender. Results are more like a marmalade. 4. Measure juice and add 1 cup of sugar per cup of juice. 5. Stir to dissolve sugar over low heat. 6. Boil again until set, 15 - 30 minutes Use frozen plate method or sheeting off spoon to determine if ready to set. My experience is nearly thirty minutes to thicken it properly 7. Fill sterilized jars leaving about ¼ inch head space. 8. Store in a dark cool place.
Color and flavor may fade over time so use it up and give some away. It is a unique treat
Recipe of the Month By Bishop Decker Beekeeper for 7 years - I sell honey, creamed honey, cut honeycomb and many flavors of homemade jams and jellies. I use Langstroth and topbar hives. Find me on Facebook ‘Bishop’s Bees and Honey”.
Sweet & Spicy Honey Popcorn
INGREDIENTS 10 cups - popped popcorn (plain – no salt, no butter) (1/3 cup unpopped kernels) 2 T - butter 2 T - honey pinch - Cayenne pepper (or more to taste) 1/4 tsp. - cinnamon 1/4 tsp. - sea salt (or to taste) DIRECTIONS Pop popcorn according to instructions. Mix honey, butter, cayenne and cinnamon, heating in microwave in increments of 20 seconds until just combined. While popcorn is still hot, sprinkle with sea salt and drizzle honey mixture on top. Toss, making sure popcorn is coated. Serve immediately.
Meyer Lemon Honey Jam or Jelly
Click on image - Bishop's Backyard Blog
Have a Recipe you'd like to share ? Email us at Editor@TexasBeeSupply.com
3 lbs Meyer Lemons - best for great flavor and aroma 6 cups filtered Water 5 cups Cane Sugar 1/3 cup of light honey - light citrus honey works well 6 drops pure Lemon Essential Oil (1 drop for each cup of juice) **Note: No pectin needed for this recipe
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Photo: Chris Kulhanek 2015
Another indicator of bees preparing for a swarm is “backfilling the brood nest.” You have probably heard about this if you’ve been in beekeeping any length of time, but do you recognize it when you see it? This photo show us what “used to be” a brood nest is now getting nectar placed in the cells. How can you determine whether or not it’s brood comb? First, it will be one of the center frames in the box and second, it’ll be darker comb. A word of caution, once you see this happening, you’ll have to act fast! More often than not, once this indicator is noticed, it’s too late to just add space and making a split becomes your only option. Too Much Space! Having too little space makes so much sense…but what about TOO MUCH space? I will never forget our mentor saying, “Bees like to be crowed, but not too crowded!” What? Keeping that very same 75-80% rule in mind, the same applies with “reducing down” the box space as it does to increasing it! If your bee population has declined, for any reason, naturally or by disease or pest, the first thing you’ll want to do is decrease the amount of space they need to defend and maintain temperature. If you have a double deep brood box you may reduce it back to a single deep. To take it one step further…a single deep may need to go down to a Nuc sized box during this recovery period. Believe me, doing this will give them a fighting chance. Starvation – This is one of those “if I had only known” events in beekeeping that I can almost assure you will only happen once. If and when you open a hive and find your bees starved to death, you’ll NEVER let it happen again. This is one of the easiest problems to avoid in beekeeping. Spotting a hungry colony is easy. You’ll hear the buzzing pitch increase, see the resources in the hive dwindling and most importantly – recognize the time of year you’re supposed to be feeding! February thru April (spring buildup) and July thru August (dearth!) In spring, our population is growing faster than the available foragers can keep the groceries coming in, therefore you must feed! In dearth, there is nothing for our bees to forage on and if there are no honey reserves inside the hive, your bees run the risk of starvation!
Image is of bees "head down" dead in the cell
Photo: Meghan Milbrath - Michigan State Univ.
We made it! This is the last article in the series of Mastering Hive Inspections. In this final segment I’d like to focus on problem identification and subsequent solutions. Problem solving is probably one of the most difficult pieces to the hive inspection puzzle…at least it was for us! We read and read and the more we read the less we felt like we knew…ugh! It took seeing it first hand to put those pieces together. Can anyone relate? So, let’s drill down to the “most important” problems you’ll come across and hopefully help you along the way. Too Little Space! During spring buildup, space is the #1 reason bees swarm. They simply run out of room for the queen to lay and for all those bees to live! Keeping a very close eye on the number of frames of bees in proportion to your box space is your #1 focus. I call this your Bee to Box ratio. Refer to segment 1 in this series on how to count your bees. Once you see 75-80% of your frames full of bees, it’s time to extend their space and add a box! Waiting until you have a minute or have the woodenware on hand may be the difference in “home bees” and “gone bees!”
Mastering Hive Inspections Final segment in the multi-series
Queens – This problem can be easily “spotted” simply by using this checklist: * Spotty brood * Excessive drone brood As well as "mean bees" and "high mite loads!" Solution: Requeen! Or, if the bees are trying to requeen themselves, let them and then evaluate the results! You can always go back and replace the one they made with a mated queen with great genetics Nutrition – Any of you that have sat through one of our programs, have heard us say “good nutrition” is your main focus in maintaining healthy bees. So, it won’t come as any surprise that it would be included in this article! I wish there were a picture to show you what “poor nutrition” actually looks like. Unfortunately, it can best be described and not shown. I’m going to give you an assignment – Read “Fat Bees - Skinny Bees” This short read will open your eyes to our honey bees nutritional requirements. It’s truly the who, what, where, when and how on Honey Bee nutrition. Although published in 2005, so much of it still applies today. More up-to-date research is being done on an ongoing basis. A young man we met years ago at the beginning of his college study, Pierre Lau, AgriLife Research graduate assistant and a Texas A&M University doctoral candidate for Dr. Julian Rangel, is yet again involved in a research study that directly ties to this very topic. For more details CLICK HERE. I enjoy following these studies. The data that comes out of these research studies can and does affect the way we keep our bees in the future! Varroa Mites I know, I know…are you sick of hearing about Varroa mites? I’d be lying if I said I didn’t agree. BUT the fact is the #1 cause of colony death is directly and indirectly tied to Varroa Mite infestation. Get ready – I have more homework for you! Go to HoneyBeeHealthCoalition.org and spend an hour to read this incredibly GREAT Varroa Management guide. They also have a Decision Tool that will take the guess work out of management and treatment decisions. This picture is showing one of the most common indicators of a high Varroa mite infestation. Seeing 1 or 2 bees with DWV isn’t cause for alarm, but definitely warrants doing a mite check. Deformed wing virus is just one of up to 20 different viruses caused by Varroa Mites. Others include, Sacbrood, Black Queen Cell virus, Chronic Bee Paralysis… just to name a few. Here is a link to an article I have come across many times –CLICK HERE to learn more. One of the most important aspects of beekeeping is Varroa control. There are many opinions in how we treat them, but one thing is constant – WE MUST take them seriously and we MUST do something to control them! Overall failing colony signs This is a tough one. We’ve had 100’s if not 1000’s of colonies pass through our hands, and I can tell you what my definition of a failing colony is. It’s a colony that has very few bees, dry comb; the few bees that are there are milling around like they have nowhere to go and IF they still have a queen, she’s probably not laying or if she is it’s very sporadic. Requeening a true failing hive most often won’t resolve the overall problem. Intervention before the hive got this bad may or may not have changed the outcome. Sometimes colonies just fail…even when we do our best to manage them. Last month in the September Texas Bee Supply Monthly magazine, Blake Shook wrote a short article about “When to give up on a Hive” (Page 34) See video below. In closing ~ Beekeeping can be fun, or it can be stressful – it’s all what we make of it. I challenge you to make the effort to stay informed on management techniques, resources to aid in learning and to always do your best to keep healthy thriving colonies. After-all, we’re the Bee-Keepers!
By: Chari Elam
Photo credit: MAAREC
Video credit: NOD Apiary Products
Monthly Interviews with the best in the biz
Justin Russell
The Interview Series
Justin & Ashley are sideline/commercial beekeepers who have learned the tricks of the trade to diversify, pursue what they love, and make it in beekeeping. We discussed their unique model for success, the Texas Beekeepers Association & more! -Blake Shook
Hobby to Profit in 1.5 Years
Ashley Ralph
Miller Creek Apiary was born March 2019 on the edge of the Sam Houston National Forest near Coldspring, Texas. For years, beekeepers from northern states brought hives to our family’s property during the spring nectar flow and have given our family bottled honey in exchange for doing so. As we neared retirement, we began to be interested in having our own little “beehive” and producing our own honey! It seemed so easy, just stick a box of bees out there in the pasture, and “voila”, honey! Easy, and free honey! We began educating ourselves a whole year prior to getting bees and blindly attended the June 2018 Texas Beekeepers Association conference in Conroe, TX. “Blown away” is how we felt at the end of the day! We were amazed at how much we didn’t know about bees, and the potential expense of becoming beekeepers, but we were spurred on and energized to learn more! We then joined a local beekeepers club (Montgomery County Beekeepers Association) which sponsored a mentor/mentee program. The monthly mentor sessions teaching us everything from bee biology to treating Varroa mites and the resulting “Certificate of Completion” only made us stare at one another and ask ourselves, “Do we really know what we’re doing?” We forged on with our education, taking excellent hands-on classes provided by Bluebonnet Beekeeping, now a part of Texas Bee Supply. Reading books such as First Lessons in Beekeeping, by Keith S. Delaplane and Beekeeping for Dummies answered many of our questions and continued to bolster our confidence. Then, we got bees – three sweet little Nucs. They were so gentle when we picked them up and as we transported them 25 miles to our farm. We followed the instructions to the letter to settle the boxes “just so.” And, because they were so “gentle” we decided we didn’t need to wear our Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to let them go free; after-all, all we were going to do was rip off the netting from the front entrances and watch them fly into their new homeland. As soon as we tugged on the netting, making a hole about the diameter of my little finger, flying kamikazes chased us 50 yards back to our pickup, not appreciating anything we’d done for them! Wait, what about all that education we’d had? Sometimes experience is the best education. And a few stings to the head later reminded us to respect the bees. Now we wear PPE and pack along our smoker and hive tools AND Benadryl stick every time we visit them! Speaking of PPE, did you know a man’s lip can swell about 10 times its size when stung? So, make note to be sure your veil netting stays AWAY from your face when working your bees! We now have eight hives and have learned it’s important to visit them often to observe and document their comings and goings. Hive inspections can muddle your brain if you have more than ONE hive! It’s hard to remember what we see on which frame, so we invested in a handy little recorder made by Olympus (VN-541PC) Once we are home from the bee yard, it’s easy to transfer the recorded information into a journal or spreadsheet, AND you get to re-live your hive experience all over again! Another new big thing for us this year was performing a bee removal from a family member’s well house in May. We used a homemade vacuum system, cut out the old comb, and rubber-banded them on several frames before relocating them to our farm. Knowing we needed to replace the queen, we used Texas Bee Supply’s video blogs [Video Part 1] [Video Part 2] which showed us how to locate the queen when you can’t find her! The blogs were excellent, and the method worked! BUT!
Our First Year "so far!" By: Tom & Susan Caldwell Miller Creek Apiary - Coldspring, Texas
Ouch!
@millercreekapiary
Because beekeeping can be expensive, we have learned to defray some of the costs by making and selling small-batch, handcrafted soaps and body creams using beeswax and other all-natural products. Hopefully, we will have enough honey to sell next year!
Some basics that can make a difference in success and failure in the bee yard: 1. Be a learner! Identify and use reliable sources of information; anyone can make a YouTube video. Observe the bees; they will teach you and keep you humble. 2. Bee biology - Learn how long it takes an egg to grow from an open larvae into capped brood, and how long it takes a worker bee to hatch out; know the different roles of nurse bees and harvester bees; learn what roles protein and carbs play and what resources are available to your bees. Know the potential diseases that may threaten your bees and how to prevent them. 3. Know how to identify a pending swarm and what to do if it happens in your bee yard. 4. Always be prepared for the unexpected when you perform a hive inspection. Have more equipment and supplies on hand than you think you will need. 5. Learn from your bees and be flexible; the method you learned from another beekeeper or a YouTube video may not work in your bee yard. 6. Be decisive and don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Sometimes the difference between today and tomorrow is the difference between success and failure. 7. If (when) you get stung, don’t take it personally. 8. Don’t be the guy on YouTube doing a hive inspection with no shirt, gloves, or hood. 9. Safety is important! Here are some considerations: a. Stay hydrated in hot weather. b. Take care of your PPE and keep it in good shape. c. Take measures to prevent fires; we put our smoker in a metal bucket to carry between hives and to set on the ground in dry conditions. By: Tom & Susan Caldwell Follow us on Instagram
Click the video below showing us checking on the new queen we placed in the hive. Another lesson learned…
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Beetox therapy
Tom Caldwell - Coldspring, TX
One of the most common questions we get is: Are my bees swarming? Being robbed? Or is just an Orientation Flight? See the difference!
Lynne Schmuck - Dayton, TX
Orientation Video courtesy: Rusty Gomez
Micky Cross - Magnolia, TX Past 1st VP MCBA - US Airforce
Want to share your bee kiss? Email us: editor@texasbeesupply.com
Video courtesy Ellen Ausley -Tucker, Georgia - Sneaky Bee Backyard Honey
Robbing Video courtesy: Stan Gore
Richard Chapman - Rice, TX USMC
Background photo courtesy : Nanette Davis
Too Many Boxes
It's always confusing...how many boxes should I have on my hive going into winter? How many is too many? What do the bees actually need? These are common questions! The video above describes each configuration, along with the pros and cons of each. But, in a nutshell, here are a few key points to keep in mind in regards to the number of boxes on a hive during the late fall and winter months: 1. During the late fall & early winter, wax moth and SHB larva are largley dormant, posing no significant threat to comb or hives. So, some excess space isn't at risk from these pests. 2. If bees are filling at least 25% of a box with bees and is 25% or more full of honey, it's fine to leave on over the winter. 3. Bees don't keep the entire inside of their hive warm, only their cluster inside the hive. Having a bit of excess space won't significantly impact the temperature of the cluster. 4. All that being said, it is still a best management practice to have only the space on a hive it actually needs. In general, 1 deep and 1 medium, or 2 deeps is perfectly sufficient for a hive overwintering. If your hive has that and has a 3rd box at least 25% full of bees & honey, it's perfectly fine to leave it on over the winter. 5. Don't forget, remove queen excluders by October 1st!
How Many Boxes
HOW MANY BOXES SHOULD MY HIVE HAVE THIS WINTER?
Two things fascinated me growing up: the outdoors, and starting my own business. I experimented with every business I could dream up as a kid living in rural Texas. Lemonade stands (not much traffic on country roads), raising and selling vegetables and fresh eggs (hard to grow things in dust), painting the farmer’s fences next door (ran out of fence), but nothing was ever quite the perfect fit. My big break came in 2002 at 12 years old. I really had never been that interested in beekeeping before, because, bees just sting right? But, my parents convinced me to sign up for a scholarship that offered kids all they needed to get started in beekeeping. I had never won anything for free, so I was super excited when, to my surprise, I won a free beehive, and classes to help me get started in beekeeping. Two classes in, I fell in love with beekeeping. I’ll never forget the thrill of watching my own bees work to gather honey, or the amazement of tasting honey from my own beehive! Everything they did fascinated me! I built my first building by cutting down trees for lumber on my parent’s land, and using recycled sheet metal. It had no electricity, water, floor, or air conditioning, but it was perfect. I spent days and nights building new beehives and planning for the future. I decided in high school that I wanted to share my passion for bees with everyone else, and began growing my business and selling honey to a few friends and family. A local health food store called “Mike’s” was the first real customer I had. John Talbert (check out this interview with John!) was in his 70s, and was my hero & mentor who inspired me to become a commercial beekeeper and helped me grow in the early days. Back then, every label on every jar was hand applied and I delivered every case of honey in person from my grandfather’s 1988 Ford truck. All of the sudden, everyone wanted more and more honey! I added beehives to my operation, delivered honey every morning before sunup, rushed through school, and worked late into the night again with my bees. When I was 17, I became the president of the local beekeeping club that gave me my first beehive. I was honored by the opportunity to give back to the people that gave so much to me. By the time I graduated high school in 2008, I had several hundred beehives, and was selling honey all over my local area. I upgraded to a 1995 pickup, and worked bees all day, and bottled and delivered honey by night. But, I had a choice to make. Do I slow down the bee business, and go to college, or do I continue with my success, and put college plans on hold? As I was attempting to decide, I also become the president of the Texas Beekeepers Association, and a director for the American Beekeeping Federation. I didn’t know it yet, but I had also met my future wife two years before. By the time graduation rolled around, she didn’t know it, but I was convinced she was the girl I had to marry. So, I decided beekeeping was already my passion, and I knew I could make a living doing it, and chose to give it 110%. I never looked back. At 20 I married Kathleen. We spent 10 days on our honeymoon- the longest I had been away from bees since I was 12. Since then the company has grown to several thousand beehives, and I still care about each jar and beehive like they were my first. I don’t get to hand deliver every jar to each customer now, but I do get to work bees every week during the busy season. I’m still amazed by them every day. I get to serve on the National Honey Board to help promote honey in the USA, and the American Beekeeping Federation to help promote beekeeping. Bees & beekeeping have been a part of me almost as long as I can remember. That’s why, even as we grow, we are always beekeepers first. -Blake Shook – Owner/Beekeeper Find more info at www.desertcreekhoney.com. You can find Desert Creek Honey in Walmart, HEB, and most Texas retailers.
Watch the Story Here
Who is Desert Creek Honey? You've probably read the story of Texas Bee Supply, and how it was started & is co-owned by Lyndon & Tammy & their son, Blake. You may or may not have heard of Desert Creek Honey, the commercial beekeeping & honey packing company owned by Blake. Both companies work together closely, with Desert Creek raising bees for TBS, and TBS supplying much of the equipment needed for Desert Creek. Check out our back story!
Grand Opening Texas Bee Supply -Dayton October 24, 2020
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Learn About Bees
Montgomery County Beekeepers Association Invite you to join their monthly virtual meeting! Non members welcome! Click on the MoCo logo 3rd Monday of each Month for a link to join in!
Club news
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Photo courtesy: Judith Stevens
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October 20th 7 pm Prepare Now for Beekeeping in 2021 - Featuring speaker Kim Flottum
Beekeeping 101 Classes CLICK HERE
Houston Beekeepers Association
Due to Covid - Monthly meetings are being conducted via Zoom 2nd Monday each month. In person meetings are open to the public but due to security concerns, online meetings are restricted to members only but membership. We welcome new members so click the link above to receive monthly updates and links to Zoom meetings! Recordings of the General Meetings are posted on the club website and are accessible to the public CLICK HERE
November 17th 7 pm From Bugs to Books: How I went from backyard beekeeper to published author - Featuring speaker: Frank Mortimor
FUN FACTS
Collin County Beekeepers
Honey bees flap their wings 11,400 times per minute! Honey bees are responsible for pollinating approximately 80% of all fruit, vegetables and seed crops in the U.S. A Hive can contain 40,000 to 60,000 bees during late spring and early summer. Bees maintain a temperature of 92* - 93* in the brood nest regardless if the temperature is -20* or 110* outside! Honey Bees can't see Red! Honey has all elements to sustain life!
Drawing Comb in the Fall Q: I have 2 double deep hives each with 1 super on that was put on recently & the bees haven’t built comb in it.Should I leave the super on or pull them off for winter? A: If they are pretty full of bees the extra space won't hurt yet. Empty space should be pulled before the real cold sets in, however. I would continue feeding as well. If they haven’t drawn out the comb by Oct 1st, I would pull the super off. We’ve got a video that may help here! Sharing Resources Q: I have 3 hives and one of them is going like gangbusters.Should I pull some frames of brood and honey from them and share with the other weaker hives? A: If your other hives need it, then YES! Just don't pull more than a few frames from your strong hive. Check out our video on sharing brood here! New Frames Not Drawn Out Q: I added several waxed frames of plastic foundation to a hive about 2 months ago. I coated them with an additional coat of beeswax. The bees are absolutely ignoring them. Any tips? A: At this point in the year, it's going to be hard to get them to draw it out. Wait till spring, and try again! Can't Remove Frames Q: In my lower Texas 5000 brood box and the lower and upper Golden Cordovan brood boxes, the frames are so full of honey, comb, and other bee stuff, I cannot easily pull the frames out to do an inspection.Suggestions? A: I like running 9 frames in a 10-frame box. Just remember to always press them tightly together when you finish an inspection, or bees will forever continue widening the frames & comb to fill any space. Other than that, you can scrape off burr and cross comb until they are more moveable.
Monthly Q & A
Have a Question? Email us at help@TexasBeeSupply.com
During an inspection, I always pull a frame out and set it aside to create extra space to access the other frames until I put the hive back together - just choose the least "glued" and go from there. We've got an article in the September edition about hive inspections that talks about this as well! Melting Old Comb Q: I am trying to melt old dark comb, but cannot get it to liquefy. High heat, double boiler, but no pourable wax. A: Old comb can end up being very little wax and a whole lot of "slum". Residue from cocoons and other debris build up. In my experience those aren't worth rendering. Fall Honey Flow Q: What areas of Texas normally expects a fall honey flow? A: Most regions in Texas do, but unlike spring flows, the fall flow can be a bit localized. The best thing to do is just watch your hive and see if they are bringing in fresh nectar. Fall flows are not typically as extreme as the spring flows, but in the right conditions can add weight to your hive. Dead Bees in Feeder Q: I have an in-hive division board feeder, but I have found lots of dead bees in there a week later. What am I doing wrong? A: If it is an open-type feeder I add some "floats" (usually just sticks). Make sure your syrup isn't very thick and give them a smaller amount, then recheck after several days. Just dump out dead bees first.:( You can buy a cap & ladder for the feeder here that will help. Bees also tend to use the feeder as a trash can, so dead bees doesn’t necessarily mean they drowned.
Meet Jon Schulz He's more than a GREAT photographer (photos left & right), he's a Happy TBS customer! Click on the picture above to hear his story!
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TEXAS BEE SUPPLY - BLUE RIDGE 14665 County Road 633 Blue Ridge, TX 75424
Fructose/Glucose ratios in honey determine how quickly honey granulates! Thus, each nectar source granulates at different rates.
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Treating with Oxalic Acid In order to treat Varroa Mites with OA we must first know the life cycle of the Varroa mite. Without delving too deeply into bee biology, once a queen lays an egg, it’s an egg for 3 days, larvae for 6 days and capped 12 days as a developing pupa = emergence at day 21 (3 + 6 + 12 = 21) The reason this is important to know, is Varroa mite females lay their eggs in a cell just prior to capping. Once capped, the Varroa mite is protected from an OA treatment for another 12 days. What does the previous paragraph tell us? This tells us we need to treat more than once in most cases. Using the numbers above, we realize 12 days is our focus timeline. Therefore, we would divide the 12 days evenly in order to “in theory” treat all emerging mites in a “brood cycle.” It is suggested – 1st treatment (considered day 1), 5 days later treat again and 6 days later do your final treatment. In doing so you effectively treated 12 days. 1 + 5 + 6 = 12 Being that OA kills only phoretic mites, it stands to reason treatments are most commonly done in Fall and Winter while broodless. If you’re considering using OA during brood seasons, some suggest you can cage the queen for the treatment cycle, preventing her from laying and capping any more brood.
Female Varroa mite lays her eggs in the cell just prior to capping at day 9
By: James & Chari Elam
Chart credit: BeePods.com
The topic of “how to treat” for Varroa mites has been one that has dominated bee clubs, beekeeping seminars and online blogs for many years. With so many options and opinions, one would likely be more confused with the flood of information than convinced about one treatment application over another. Our focus today isn’t to cover all of the options, but to educate you on a method that’s very popular because it’s more temperature friendly than anything else on the market. That product is Oxalic Acid. So, what is Oxalic Acid? OA (as it’s termed) is a naturally occurring acid found in plants known as wood sorrels. You’ll be surprised to learn, this is what most of us think of as common clover or shamrock! As kids, you may remember chewing on them and experiencing a very bitter/sour taste. I guess you could say, it was our homegrown “sour candy!” More common “real foods” that contain OA are spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, grapefruit, chives, and rhubarb. Originally Oxalic Acid became popular for treating Varroa mites in Europe & Canada. It wasn’t until 2015 the EPA approved it for treating honeybee colonies in the U.S. However, it was up to each individual state as whether or not to approve it. Texas did. It’s not entirely clear why OA works so well in treating Varroa Mites, but it's commonly thought that it is absorbed through the mite’s feet and then moves into the mite’s bloodstream, ultimately killing it. Important to note: Oxalic acid only kills phoretic mites. In other words, a mite must come into contact with it for it to work. It cannot penetrate wax cappings and kill mites that are growing inside of a capped cell.
Photo Credit: Locolobo13 - Photo site Imgur
An Effective and Popular Treatment Option
Oxalic Acid
Honey Bee on Oxalis (wood sorrell)
Safety Measures a MUST! We can’t stress enough that even though OA is an organic treatment method for honey bees, it IS harmful to humans if we don’t take the proper precautions while using it. ALWAYS protect your skin, eyes, and lungs from Oxalic Acid. Wear rubber gloves, safety goggles, ventilator mask and a long sleeve shirt or bee suit while using it. It goes without saying…but we’re going to say it anyway - If you have a severe reaction such as breathing difficulty call 911 immediately! Another safety awareness point to be made, is don’t mix treatments! In other words, we wouldn’t use more than one treatment product at a time on our bees. Doing so could harm our bees and after all the reason we’re treating is to help them, right? The take away on this segment – OA is considered a safe and organic method of treating Varroa mites when following the directions and with safety in mind! How effective is Oxalic Acid? OA is very effective! For the Vaporizing method treatment, efficacy can exceed 95% and even higher in the dribble or spray methods. However, as with any Varroa treatment, the overuse of a product will eventually result in the Varroa mites building a resistance to it. This is one of the reasons why we always say, “We don’t take antibiotics unless we are sick, right?” Same goes with mite treatments. ONLY treat if you have tested and treatment is warranted. Storing Oxalic Acid Dried, unmixed OA should be kept in a cool dry place and will not expire. A mixed solution however can only last up to a week at room temperature and a few months refrigerated. If any discoloration or a funny smell start to appear, throw it away. This means an “alternate chemical” has formed (hydroxymethylfurfural) which is toxic to bees. It’s really important to point out that ALL Varroa treatments run some risk to our bees. BUT so do Varroa mites! Regardless of which method you use to treat, we can’t emphasize enough to educate yourself on how and when to use it. By following directions, you not only nsure you’ve given your bees the best possible chance for survival, but you’ve protected yourself and your bees from possible harm. For more information on Varroa Mites, treatment options, and videos on how to test and treat with all options go to: HoneyBeeHealthCoalition.org By: James and Chari Elam
Approved treatment methods Probably the most commonly used among beekeepers is the Vaporizing method. This method utilizes a heating tool attached to a power source. Once heated the OA reaches a temperature of around 157* causing the solid to become a vapor. This vapor then travels through the hive and effectively kills Varroa mites with little to no damage to the bees. One of the main advantages to this method is that you don’t have to open the hive making it a good alternative for treating in the fall and winter! In the video attached to this article, the Vaporizing method is 3rd in the series of demonstrations shown. Another method used is the Dribble method. This method is just as the name implies. The Oxalic Acid is mixed in a solution and then “dribbled” between the bars in a hive with a syringe, coating the bees and effectively killing the phoretic Varroa mites. Although contact with the solution doesn’t harm the bees, some will likely consume small amounts which can cause some mild harm. Because of this, the dribble method is used in a “single treatment” application only and like all methods, done during a brood break or broodless cycle. This method is shown as the 1st demonstration in the video. Last of the delivery methods is the Spraying method. This method is done for package bees only. Obviously, the bees are broodless in this form and easily treated in this manner. This is probably the simplest of the methods in that all that is required is a spray bottle, Oxalic Acid, and protective gear. Watch instruction for this method, 2nd demonstration in the video tutorial. Now you know the different methods to deliver Oxalic Acid – which is the most effective and showed the lowest bee mortality? A study done by Sussex University examined 110 hives using all three application methods and the results showed sublimation (Vaporizing) method was “far better at reducing mite population and showed no increase in bee mortality.”
Video demonstration of all 3 treatment methods - courtesy HoneyBeeHealthCoalition.org
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1-40 yrs
4%
41-60 yrs
55%
61+ yrs
41%
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