Cover Photo by: Dodie Stillman
August 2020
Storing Supers
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Edition 2
Honey is the 3rd most commonly adulterated food product! #1 is olive oil #2 is fish Produce your own honey!
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Janet Rowe Blue Ridge, TX
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1st Thursday Night of each month Register FREE for our monthly webinar below! Our August webinar will cover: August Care Tips - Finding Queens Requeening Hives Q&A & More!
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James Elam Dayton, TX
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Chari Elam Dayton, TX
upcoming Education
1. As summer continues, keep a close eye on food stored in your hives to ensure your bees maintain at least a 30 lb surplus. I highly recommend trickle feeding over the summer as well! Check out a video on how to trickle feed here. 2. Test and treat for mites if you have not already. This is one of the most critical things to do this time of year! See our testing and treating videos or our articles about mites in the July edition. For summer treatments, we recommend Apivar or Hopguard. Test afterward to make sure they worked! 3. If you do not see at least half a frame of stored, multi-colored pollen in your hive, consider feeding pollen patties. I recommend 2, 1 lb patties per month for strong hives. Hot, dry summer conditions can kill the majority of blooming plants or at least cause them to stop producing large amounts of pollen. In these cases, giving your hive a few pounds of pollen patties each month can be an excellent way to keep the queen laying, and maintain your hive strength. Oftentimes a hive that dwindles over the summer can be the result of insufficient protein, or too many varroa mites. Check out our video on how and when to feed pollen patties during the summer, and how to tell if your hive really needs them.
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Meet Blake
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 summer. Anything you can give your bees over the next few months to help them thrive should be used. 5. It's HOT! Consider working bees in the early morning, or late in the evening. A beard of bees hanging outside the entrance, especially in the evening, is normal this time of year. If your hive is especially strong, giving them a total of 3 boxes rather than 2 is advised. All hives should have at least a total of 2 boxes. Giving your hive some temporary shade to help keep them cool is ideal! 6. Keep in mind that winter preparation begins as soon as you harvest honey, with treating for mites, and feeding properly. The health of your hive over the summer greatly impacts its ability to survive the winter! 7. Finally, consider putting your bees to work this summer, since working bees tend to be healthier. Practice trickle feeding, and learn how to get them to draw foundation for next year!
Winter preparation begins as soon as you harvest honey
Blake Shook
AUGUST tips
summer Splits
Summer splits in Texas can be daunting. It's hot, dry, and we are often in a major dearth. However, done correctly, summer splits can be a wonderful way to not only grow your hive count, but a way to keep your hives healthy and thriving during a period in which they typically decline in strength! Best of all, your bees are not doing anything else this time of year! In this in-the-bee-yard class, we will discuss preparing your hives to split, feeding, making a split, adding queens, and most importantly, post-split care during our hot Texas summers.
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BEE YARD CLASS
In the USA we consume over 600 million pounds of honey each year. We only produce 150 million pounds per year. Up to 450 million pounds is imported from overseas!
August 1st 9am-12pm Instructor- Janet Rowe Blue Ridge, TX
You did it! Your bees have fulfilled their end of the bargain – YOU HAVE HONEY! Now what? I’ll apologize in advance here…The first steps to mention on this topic are bottling requirements and regulations. But a good thing for you - I’m not going to talk about either one! BUT, I do encourage you to read and discern where you fall into the equation and meet those requirements. Here are some links that may be helpful: Selling Honey in Texas Cottage Food Law Beekeeper Honey Production FAQ’s Ok, now that’s out of the way. To me, one of the most enjoyable parts of beekeeping is the presentation of our honey! Over the years I’ve seen some very creative containers and labeling. How far you take it is truly only limited to your imagination and budget! One point often overlooked in the equation is “market identification.” Knowing “who” you are marketing to is the most important factor in making decisions on containers and labels– so keep that in mind.
Basic Labeling– Most honey producers (BIG or small) utilize “peel and stick” labels for their containers. Shopping for labels can be rather daunting. From our experience I can tell you “quantity” definitely saves you money. Having said that, I wouldn’t buy more than I could use in a year or so simply because your size containers or label design may change, leaving you with some left unused. Here’s a good place to start: ·Avery– Print your own sheet or design online and they will print them for you (including ink, $.55 cents each to print your own - $.50 each if they print them for you if you buy 250+). ·Vista Print– Roll ( approx. $.68 each for 250), sheet pricing ($.72 each for 200) or single sticker ($.76 each for 200). ·UPrinting– Cut-to-size, another term for “single sticker” ($.19 each for 250) or roll ($.77 each for 250). It’s important to restate: quantity really matters. We paid $.07 each for 2000 stickers from UPrinting. Yes, that’s a lot of stickers, but we sell a fair amount of honey. Attributes to consider when ordering: · Washable (Glossy doesn't always mean washable) · Sized to fit more than one size container · Removable (for those of us who need “do overs” in applying)
Containers/Bottles– For beekeepers selling in small volumes to friends and family, let cost and functionality be your guide. As I mentioned, knowing your market is key. Selling honey at a Farmers Market in a pretty Muth jar might not be money well spent. You would more likely hit your target buyer with a Mason jar or typical squeeze honey bottle. You see where I’m going with this? Like my husband, James, used to tell me about his “fly fishing days,” when choosing the proper bait you must “match the hatch!” In other words, put out the bait for what is swimming! Makes sense right? When purchasing your containers, take into consideration how many you can logically use. Quantity pricing is good for most products and bottles very much fall in line. But keep in mind, they never ship free. This is best as an “in store” purchase from just about any supplier. Helpful Tip: Only bottle what can be sold quickly. Honey crystallizes at different rates and it is much easier to liquefy it prior to it being bottled than after.
Bottling & Marketing Your Honey
Meet Chari Elam
Building a GREAT label – Attributes for a great label: · Unique to you and/or your farm · Promote unique forage flavors (e.g., clover, mesquite…) · Develop your own logo (Product branding) · Use a catch phrase (e.g., Best honey in town…) · Use terms that garner attention (e.g., Local, Raw…) · Phone Number (not required but very important so customers can call to reorder!) · Keep it simple! It will come as no surprise that there are requirements for labeling our products. CLICK HERE for more information.
Marketing your honey– When it comes to marketing your product, nothing matters more than focusing on your target buyer. Small Scale Producers – A lot of us fall into this category. Here are some tips that can help get your honey sold: · Always keep honey with you! · Use free social media to advertise (Facebook, Twitter). Set up a Facebook and/or Twitter page with your “honey name” (e.g., Chari’s Honey Company). Keep it current and post often! · Make it known to your friends and family you have honey for sale ; after all, they are your best customers and best advertisers! · Let family members sell it for you too! Let’s face it, we give a lot of honey away to our family; why not get them to sell some in return for the favor?
Medium to Large Scale Producers who hold a Food Manufacturers license - Local Feed Stores, Boutiques, as well as Mom and Pop stores typically love to promote home town businesses. Having your product on their store shelves can be a huge boost to your sales and open up doors for more opportunities for shelf space. The larger producers have a bit more work to do in order to sell larger quantities. - Consider approaching a distributor and/or retailer such as grocery store chains and large box stores. Shelf space isn’t easy to obtain so do your research. - Be market space competitive. Mastering retail markets is a skill obtained with time but well worth it if done well!
My Mom pushing sales!
· Sign up to be listed on the Texas Beekeepers Association’s Honey Locator as well as the Real Texas Honey program. Both of these programs are well respected and garner attention. The Real Texas Honey program also comes with a very nice silver medallion sticker to affix on your bottles + brochures. · Sell at Farmer's Markets and town festivals. Keep in mind most will only allow 1 honey producer per market. · Make your honey customers feel special. We order FREE (+shipping) brochures from Honey.com and give them to each new customer. They will love it and will tell a friend – The VERY best kind of FREE advertising is word of mouth!
Has this ever happened to you? You worked your bees extra hard on that really hot summer day. You made the dreaded summer splits, maybe re-queened several colonies, pulled some brood frames to manage and balance populations and maybe even had to stop a robbing frenzy. The friendly honeybees that readily welcomed you into the apiary yesterday now view you as really large and intrusive target to be dealt with, in a very defensive way. At this point, it seems as if a call for all-hands-on-deck has been issued in the form of an alarm pheromone bomb. And, to make matters even worse, they feel the need to guard the sky, your garage, your house and the chicken coop to ensure no further intrusions occur! As evening approaches and the sky darkens, you think out loud to yourself, "Surely Shirley, they are about to finally settle down." A cursory glance at the once offensive and defensive battlefield indicates it might be so and the world of the honeybees is back in order, or is it? You suddenly spot something out of order near the garage. You know - the garage with an outside light. The same garage that the aerial forces have been guarding, while you were hiding. Well, like moths to a flame, the ladies are swirling around the garage's mercury vapor light. A tornado-like approach it seems. Something like you might see from a storm in the panhandle. As they say, "What’s up with that?" It didn’t happen last night, or last week and for that matter ever…that you remember. You shake your head saying, "Dumb bees," while all the while knowing they’re smarter than you in the ways that matter to them. The next morning reveals another mystery. You see downed honeybees all around the garage light. Did they really circle around that light all night? Doing so up to the last second of fuel and never giving up, really? Why would they do that? Some might say they must have been hungry and were simply feasting on some kind of a fresh bug hatch. As a real beekeeper, you know that just isn’t so. You sometimes believe we could justifiably call our honeybees vegetarians. After all, they own the nectar, honey and pollen thing. Some might disagree, but it sounds good. So no to bugs! Then what? Wait a minute! What are the moths doing while circling the same garage light? Surely Shirley! They must be after the little bitty bugs, right? You could be right, but again, no, same story as your honeybees. You want to know why this is happening so you start your research at the website phrases.org. In looking up the phrase “like a moth to a flame” you find the terms “irresistibly and dangerously” attracted to something or someone. Honeybees and moths are both attracted to the light itself and not the ecosystem encircling the light. The term phototaxis generally describes the movement and stimulus towards light that an organism uncontrollably displays. You now know that the movement of your bees towards the light is as suspected, not just them being dumb. Their normal behavior pattern of returning to the colony before dark and being dormant within the colony during night was interrupted. By aggressively working your bees late in the afternoon you forced many of them to be flying later than normal and being subject to the “dangerous attraction”. So why do honeybees possess this trait? You know that heat from the sun warms your colonies in the mornings and stimulates their foraging activities. Could it be possible that your bees are also phototactically attracted to the sun and just can’t quite get there? After all, stimulus or no stimulus, your bees are not dumb!
Pricing your honey - There’s no real way to “honey coat” this… Price your honey to sell AND what your market will bear. Ask around, shop around…YOU have a special product so price it accordingly without pricing yourself out of a sale. If I leave you with anything from this article I hope it’s this - choose your “happy place” in this industry. Biting off more than you can chew (or sell) can be costly. Focus on your target buyer; cater to them and always produce a product you would buy! And most importantly – Have fun!
PIER/The Image Bank/Getty Images
For more information on labeling requirements CLICK HERE For more information on licensing requirements CLICK HERE
- Online Sales are thriving these days. But choosing which e-commerce platform on which to sell can be daunting.Most have fees associated with product sales that vary from cents to big dollars so you will be well served to do your research. Top 6 sites are: · Amazon · eBay · Etsy · Facebook Marketplace · Shopify - When thousands of gallons of honey become a reality, you may consider selling bulk to various food manufacturers for use in their products and maybe, just maybe, even opening your own store! - Remember, volume production needs to move – It’s not your goal to still have honey from this year come next honey harvest season! As you can see, the size of your honey production truly depicts the actions you’ll take - from container choice, label design and quantity, to where you will sell your product.
Like a Moth to a Flame By: James Elam
The Giant Chicken & Killing a Queen
Turkey Hunting & the Upside Down Hive
Story of the Year Wins a $100 TBS Gift Card!
CRAZY BEE STORIES
James & Chari
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
DO YOU HAVE A CRAZY BEE STORY?
Blake & The Cliff
We want to share it!
How Varroa Kill
Testing for mites is one of the most important actions in all of beekeeping!
Bald Brood
Rewind
Treating For Mites
Some things are just too important! We had these videos in the last edition, but if you haven't tested and treated for mites, please do so NOW! Varroa levels peak in July, and by August can be severely damaging!
How to Test for Mites
Deformed Wings
How long have you been working at TBS? Since Day 1! January 2017 Why TBS? As a new beekeeper as of 2016, I knew it would be a great opportunity to learn more about beekeeping plus it’s close to home and I love the world of bees! What have been one or two of your most satisfying projects or experiences at TBS? There are several! Our first bee festival was fun and well received by our customers! Currently helping with the Collin County Sheriff's Office beeyard has been fulfilling! The new beekeepers are amazed with the bees, having never been out of the city, much less into the working hive. I know that bees can be therapeutic as well. Very happy with the idea of introducing bees as a new way of life! What's 1-2 of the most common questions you get asked at the store? Are you a beekeeper? Yes, I think our customers definitely like that we are beekeepers too and we can share learned tips with them. Why do we have to feed the bees? They always say the bees are not fed in the wild and they ask if feeding the bees will make them lazy. How did you get into beekeeping? A swarm moved into our farmhouse! Instantly I wanted to keep them! I called CCHBA for help in removal. They referred Mike Pearson and he came out and removed them. Watching him remove them and then after taking a bite of the honey, I knew I wanted to become a beekeeper and add bees to our farm! What do you most enjoy about beekeeping? The bees themselves! Amazing creatures - the artistry of building honeycomb, the hierarchy of the hive, the healing powers of honey and of course, the yumminess of honey and comb honey! What was a success and a failure in your beekeeping journey? I love the honey harvest. Selling to a few local restaurants and local chefs was rewarding. Taking on a hive management role has pushed me to another level as well. I’m not sure there has been actual failure yet! Of course losing a hive is not fun, but it’s a learning process and it gets easier to accept! What do you most enjoy about your job at TBS? Talking with our customers about bees and beekeeping! It’s a constant learning process for them and me as well. What are some of your interests and hobbies outside of beekeeping? Glamping with our horses, trail riding and my farm. We have horses, cows, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, goldfish and bees! And a garden. I love growing some of our own food. Do you have a beekeeping related story you can tell us? The recent tornado in Ivanhoe, TX, was interesting. We went to help a fellow beekeeper pick up her hives that were in the direct path of the tornado. It was amazing to see the hives that were shattered and strewn into the trees. Also how some of the bees survived and were still in the hive even though it was knocked over. It was sad for the loss for the beekeeper as well as sad to think about the bees being blown out of their home!
Meet our tbs team!
Debi Zinser
Start Your Day with HONEY!
Texas Bee Supply - Dayton Opening Fall 2020! 2000 Sq. Ft. Showroom filled with Inventory providing beekeepers with the products needed for daily operations - from tools and protective gear to extraction and bottling! 1200 Sq. Ft. State of the Art Education Center providing Year-Round Classes for all levels of Beekeeping, ongoing community educational events for the public and school- aged children, 2 Indoor Living Observation Hives, Outdoor Bee Yard and Educational Observation area! 4000 Sq. Ft. Warehouse full of merchandise to ensure in-stock items stay in-stock! Grand Opening - Sneak Peak -Door Prizes & Giveaways! -Live Demonstrations -Lighting a Smoker -Queen Marking -Ask the Experts -And MUCH MORE!
Shhh!! Don't tell anyone, but check out what we are building for the new store!!
351 CR 6243 Dayton, TX 77535
Feeding Summer Syrup
Is it that important?
I'm sure you've wondered, is all this feeding really that necessary? The answer- it kinda is! Education and your success is a huge focus for us at TBS. When we talk bees, we try to keep it really practical, and try to teach methods that are most likely to help you succeed. The saying, "Ask 10 beekeepers a question and you will get 13 answers," is so very true. There are many ways and opinions on how to do everything in beekeeping! We try to focus on proven methods that work. Sometimes we err on the side of more bee care than some, but that's just because we want your bees to thrive! Feeding is one of the most critical elements to get right, along with controlling mite populations. Both are essential to understand during the summer. That's because mite levels peak in the summer and bees have to endure a major flower (food) dearth, while their population is at its max size. Our bees are also raising baby bees which will then need to go on to survive the winter. Just like we wouldn't leave our dogs or horses without adequate food, water, and shade during the summer, our bees need us too! Check out the videos on the facing page, join our monthly zoom calls, and reach out to help@texasbeesupply.com if you have questions!
Drawing Summer Comb
feed feed feed
Why we talk about feeding so much...
Can I Overfeed?
Feeding Summer Pollen
Ingredients: 5-6 oz (2 cups) old fashioned oats (or quick oats) 6 oz (1/2 cup) Honey 4.5 oz (1 ½ cups) pecan, almond, or walnut pieces 1.5 oz (1/4 cup) packed brown sugar 1.5 oz (1/2 cup) raw sunflower seeds 2 oz (1/2 stick) unsalted butter 1.5 oz (1/2 cup) raw pepita seeds 2 tsp vanilla extract 1.5 oz (1/2 cup) wheat germ 1/2 tsp kosher salt Optional: 4 oz dried fruit and/or ⅛ tsp cayenne
Preheat oven to 350* Mix oats, nuts, and seeds together and spread evenly on a sheet pan. Toast 15 minutes stirring halfway through. In a bowl, mix brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt together; heat in microwave to dissolve. Mix in honey once dissolved. When oat/nut mixture is toasted, place in a large bowl with honey mixture and wheat germ stirring until well coated. Ensure honey mixture is warm. Spread on 1/2 sheet pan lined with silicone pad or parchment, pressing down firmly. Lower oven temp to 300°. Bake about 25 minutes; turn pan 180 degrees in oven about halfway through. Let cool completely. Cut into desired size or crumble if desired.
Have a Recipe you'd like to share ? Email us at Editor@TexasBeeSupply.com
Frankfurter ground round
Magna quis t-bone
Honey Nut Granola
Recipe of the Month By Lynne Schmuck Liberty County Beekeepers Association Lynne and husband Joseph are beekeepers and own Old Schoolhouse Apiary outside of Hallettsville, TX
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Leberkas strip steak shankle
CONTENTS
Click to Print
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TABLE
Let's detail the difference. Hive Check: ·Observe bee traffic at the entrance of the hive. More traffic should be seen in warmer weather and less in cooler weather. This makes sense when you consider “population” size. As the seasons change, days are shorter; this directly impacts the amount of eggs a queen lays. Less daylight and less forage time = less food and fewer eggs. This applies in summer dearth as well! ·As you remove the lid – look quickly to see if any Small Hive Beetles scurry down to avoid the light you’ve let in. Are there any on the inside lid? Use the bent end of your hive tool as a weapon and smash them! Yes, this can be like the arcade game of “Whack-a-Mole” and very satisfying! ·Count the bees! Yes – count the bees! No, not one by one. :) Look down from the top and count the full frames of bees between the frames! This gives you a real indication, prior to smoking too much and moving frames, of just how large or small your population is. Ideally, in a double deep brood box you should see: January – 5 + frames of bees March – 8 + frames of bees May – 14 + frames of bees November – 12 + frames of bees
There are 2 different types of hive inspections: ·Hive Check: Bi-weekly (except for Winter months, then monthly) ·Hive Inspection: Seasonal (February: Spring Buildup, May: Prior to supering, August: Dearth, and November: before overwintering)
Probably one of the most intimidating aspects of beekeeping is a hive inspection! How often is it done? Do I really have to pull all of the frames? What am I looking at? We’ve ALL asked that last question at one time or another! Because I know all too well the struggle of mastering hive inspections, for the next few months, I’ll be taking you through an “in-depth” study of what we should be doing and looking for each time we go into our bees. Let’s focus on how EASY it is with just a little understanding, removing any doubt that may hold you back from taking the best possible care of your bees!
This is 6 frames of bees; Why? 5 full frames + 2 half frames = 6 Frames of Bees!
Mastering Hive Inspections First in a multi-series By: Chari Elam
·This next step is where the difference in a hive check and inspection really starts to show. Only pull up a frame or two! Your goal is to just peek inside and “check” on the bees to verify all’s well! Look for eggs/larvae and food stores. If those 2 components are visible – your bees are likely good! ·You’re done! Close it up and be confident your bees are well!
Full Hive Inspection Video by Blake Shook
·Propolis (Bee caulk) – only scrape off propolis if it’s excessive. Removing propolis late in the summer could cause the hive not to have the needed protection as cooler weather approaches. Fun Fact: Propolis is also used as our bees “medicine cabinet!” Its properties are very beneficial to their health and ours! Google it!
Hive Inspection: Start with steps 1 – 3 above, then proceeds to the following steps. ·One big difference between a hive check and inspection – You’re going to pull up most all of the frames! This time you are looking much closer. Dig in to look for any and all positive and negative aspects of your colony! Remember – A full hive inspection is done about 4 times a year so take advantage of this time and also test for Varroa mites. I know…It’s easier just to treat than to actually do a test. But, believe me, it’s only hard the first time and then you’ll never worry about it again.
3. Lastly, return the cover to the hive. Take notes to compare against for next time, unless your memory is a lot better than mine! Hint – Using a wax China pencil works great to write quick notes on the top cover of your boxes! You’re done! If you are a new beekeeper, it’s completely normal and necessary for you to check on your bees more often than bi-weekly – It’s how you learn! As you grow in your beekeeping journey through publications just like this, you’ll get a better understanding of what you’re looking for and be able to spot problems in time to make a difference! That’s when you can say with confidence “I am a Bee-keeper!” Next month we’ll look deeper into what we’re looking “at” when we pull those frames. Until then, Happy Beekeeping!
It bears repeating – A full hive inspection is done about 4 times a year so please take advantage of this time and also test for Varroa. I know…It’s easier just to treat them than to actually do a test. But, really, it’s only hard the first time and then you’ll never worry about it again. 3 very important aspects of hive checks and inspections: 1. Your bees build a “nest” and rarely vary from a basic nest configuration. It’s simple really – see below: If you don’t see the components of a nest, you likely have a problem! We’ll address that in more detail next month. 2. If you have 2 brood boxes, INSPECT BOTH BOXES! Bottom box neglect is real! Don’t let the weight or intimidation of taking the top box off to look inside prevent you from doing it. A bottom box neglected WILL eventually cause you big problems. You can do it and your bees will thank you!!
I had a blast interviewing Charlie Agar with Charlie Bee Company! We discussed his upcoming reality TV show, lots of practical tips on bee removals and Ag exemptions, and the most important things to know as a beekeeper! He's incredibly knowledgeable, fun, and enjoyable. Check out our interview above & watch his show here! -Blake Shook
"The best thing about beekeeping is it satisfies the middle aged man's desire to putter" -Charlie
Reality TV, Bee Removals & More!
The Interview Series
Support the Filming HERE!
By day, Charlie Agar runs FrontRow Multimedia, a small media and marketing company, but in his spare time he is the owner and operator of Charlie Bee Company, a bee removal and apiary service with bee hives all across Comal and Guadalupe Counties. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Charlie has trod an unusual path. He once worked the fisheries of Alaska, ski-bummed in Colorado, taught English in Japan, and crisscrossed South and Southeast Asia for years in adventures that morphed into a career as a guidebook writer and later a newspaper reporter before life brought him to sunny New Braunfels. Charlie got his first hive of honeybees in 2013, then started doing nuisance hive removals and his bee obsession has just snowballed. He is the subject of a PBS reality series now in production titled “Charlie Bee Company” to be released in the fall of 2020. Learn more about Charlie and the bees at CharlieBee.com.
Monthly Interviews with the best in the biz
I remember when I first got into beekeeping. I was overwhelmed with anticipation of getting to watch my bees grow and producing my own honey. In order to restrain myself from opening my hive every day, I decided to open my beekeeping books instead. I learned more about honey bee biology, all the factors that make up a colony, what were the nectar producing plants in my area, plus all the cool beekeeping gadgets you can buy. It didn't take long for me to come across the various pests and diseases that can affect honey bee health. Once I got past the big scary ones (you know, Varroa mites and American Foulbrood,) I came across perhaps the lesser-known diseases, one of which is Chalkbrood. Chalkbrood is often considered a "secondary" disease, meaning that it most likely won't be the reason a colony dies, but it has the potential to significantly weaken it. In Texas, we often see Chalkbrood in the spring when the weather is cool and damp, but it is possible for symptoms to appear in other times of the year. So, what exactly is this disease and what can we do about it? Chalkbrood is a fungal infection (causative agent is Ascosphaera apis) first reported in the United States in 1972. It is a brood disease that will affect larvae that are 3-4 days old. Fungal spores are ingested and germinate in the gut of a larva. Through germination, the fungus quickly starts producing mycelium, which is the vegetative state and often has a fuzzy, chalk-like appearance.
Photo by: Nadine Chapman
The mycelium will start to engulf the larva, transforming it into what is often referred to as a "mummy.” The fungus will out-compete the host for nutrients and will eventually kill the larva, typically when it is in the upright stage. Once the larva is completely mummified, the mycelium starts to harden and transitions in color from white to gray and then finally to black - the most infectious stage. When inspecting a honey bee colony, these Chalkbrood mummies can be found in both capped and uncapped cells. If the infection is widespread in a colony, a beekeeper can pick up a brood frame, shake it and the mummified larvae will move around in their cells making a rattling noise. Fortunately, infected larvae can easily be removed from a frame by tapping it on a hard surface.
Photo by: David William Univ. of Cambridge
Chalkbrood mummies can be found in both capped and uncapped cells
ROBBING
by: Mary Reed Texas Chief Apiary Inspector Entomologist - Secretary, Apiary Inspectors of America Texas Master Beekeeper Program Manager
Chalkbrood mummies (Photo credit: USDA-ARS)
Healthy Brood Chalkbrood Infected Brood
When I first started keeping bees, no one told me that I would have to become knowledgeable in biology, epidemiology, nutrition, genetics, botany and chemistry in order to maintain my hive. I just wanted to see my bees grow and make some honey! I learned very quickly that in order to see these results I had to have a good grasp on all of the factors that make a hive healthy and successful. Understanding the basics of the different honey bee pests and diseases and how they interact with a colony is one of those key factors. Now that you are an expert on Chalkbrood, you are one step closer to being the best caretaker of your bees!
Photo credit: Rob Snyder, Bee Informed Partnership
Based on the symptoms Chalkbrood exhibits, it is very easy to diagnose this disease through a visual inspection - therefore there's no need to collect a sample for lab analysis in order to make a positive identification. In addition to the mummification of larvae, the brood pattern will also look spotty. However, there are many causes for a spotty brood pattern, so never use that as the only evidence of this disease, or any other for that matter. Chalkbrood is typically spread between hives by drifting bees, but can also be transferred during mating, feeding and robbing. Once the fungal spores infect a nurse bee, they are quickly transmitted to the developing larvae. There are several preventative measures beekeepers can implement to ensure that Chalkbrood does not affect their hives. As with many other pest and disease issues, maintaining strong and healthy colonies is a key preventative technique. If there is a strong worker population in a hive, then they are able to remove the mummified larvae, thus preventing the disease from spreading further. As a result of this behavior, a beekeeper will typically find the Chalkbrood mummies on the bottom board or outside the entrance of the hive. Other methods of prevention include the sanitation practices of maintaining clean beekeeping equipment and removing any old comb from hives - especially if symptoms of Chalkbrood were present in the past. Protecting the hives from stressors, such as lack of forage or nutrition, exposure to agrochemicals, and presence of other pests and diseases, will also help the bees defend against a Chalkbrood infection. Finally, requeening colonies with hygienic stock is another tool a beekeeper can use to protect against this disease.
Providing upper ventilation in the hive also helps prevent Chalkbrood. Since the Chalkbrood fungus thrives in damp environments, cracking the lid of the hive will provide enough airflow to prevent moisture from accumulating. A small stick, a pencil, or a popsicle stick placed between the top box and the lid will provide just enough space for air to flow and wick moisture away. Also, requeening or providing some sort of brood break will help reduce the infection. *Currently, there are no chemical treatments approved for controlling Chalkbrood.
Photo Credit (USDA)
Mary Reed
Dodie Stillman and husband Kevin!
Williamson County Area Beekeepers Holding meetings "virtually" until Covid-19 subsides. Virtual meetings via Zoom will be the 4th Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm. Questions and information on how to join: CLICK HERE!
Photo courtesy : Nanette Davis
Ever been greeted by the tail end of a bee?
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My husband Kevin has been helping me in the bee field for a number of years now. I was getting sure that he knew what he was doing, and was becoming one with the bees. I was wrong. Kevin got stung real good on the lip, and I laughed. I laughed long and hard for a couple of days after his sting. I said I was sorry, but would laugh just about every time I looked at him. The first night after the sting, he even scared himself in the bathroom mirror with a reflection that wasn’t familiar, and I laughed again! I knew it would come back to haunt me, but I laughed anyway. Sure enough, not a week later, I got a good one on the lip too. I knew it was coming, so I took a quick before-swelling-set-in photo, and another photo after I finished working the bees. I knew It was Kevin’s turn to laugh. The moral: Don’t laugh when your beekeeping assistant gets stung on the lip and it really is funny, cuz it will happen to you soon enough!!
Mike Ruttle says Send in YOUR Photo!
Houston Beekeepers Association Presents Jamie Ellis "Online Resources for Beekeepers!" August 18th, 7:00 pm Registration Link: CLICK HERE!
Ouch!
Regardless of how you protect your bees' hard earned honeycomb from wax moths, it's critical! As soon as you've harvested, and let the bees clean your supers for 24 hours, it's time to store them until next year. 1. The easiest, and most guaranteed-to-work method, outlined in detail in the video above, is to use wax moth crystals. Be sure to air out your supers for 2-3 days before use next spring! 2. If you have the freezer space, freezing your supers works! Just be careful because frozen comb is extremely fragile! 3. If you only have 1 or 2 supers per hive, you may be able to leave them on your hive all summer. Each hive should have a minimum of 2 boxes (a brood box, plus a box above your brood box). If both of those boxes are full, adding a 3rd box is a great idea to help keep the hive cooler, and let them expand further if you are trickle feeding. You can remove it during the fall/winter if it becomes empty. 4. A more risky method is standing your supers vertically in the open air under a roof of some form. Wax moths don't like the light and moving air. However, a hungry wax moth can still cause damage, as can other pests and animals. This method does not work too well in the Southern US, where we have longer summers, and warmer winters.
Storing HONEY SUPERS
Minor Wax Moth Damage
4 Options
Storing Supers using Wax Moth Crystals
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HONEY Honey consist of 80% sugars and 20% water It takes 768 Honey Bees foraging on 2 million flowers to create 1 pound of honey! A Honey Bee will visit 50-100 flowers on each trip foraging! Honey Bees are the only insect that produce food for humans! Honey never spoils!
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Mite Resistance Q: How well do the Texas 5000 bees resist varroa mites? A: Texas 5000 bees are selected from the absolute best of over 5000 hives. One of the traits selected for is mite resistance. Mite resistance research continues to improve, but in general though, the vast majority of hives still need to be treated. However, all hives should always be tested, and treated if mites are over 2 per 100 bees. Don’t fully rely on mite resistant bees! You can click here to see our TX5000 bees. Apivar Q: How many Apivar strips should you use per hive? A: 2 strips per deep box - so if you have 2 deeps you’ll use 4 strips. Check out our video on how to use Apivar here! Entrance Reducers Q: Is it ok to remove the entrance reducer in these hot summer months to help keep the hive cooler? A: Yes absolutely! Remove the entrance reducer completely and consider adding a screened bottom board insert for additional ventilation. You can also crack the lid, and shade the hive to help keep them cooler. Feeding Syrup Q: How much syrup should I expect to feed double deep hives on a weekly basis during summer months? A: Your goal is to ensure that each colony maintains a minimum of 30-40 pounds of stored honey at all times in the box(es) above the bottom box. Individual colonies will consume at different rates so depending on specific colony needs, the quantity will vary. However, about ¼ a gallon per week will typically help them maintain and add to their reserves. A “trickle” of food like this will also encourage the queen to lay!
Monthly Q & A
Morning Inspection Q: Can I check my hives in the morning before the day is too hot? I've heard it's best to wait till mid-afternoon so most bees are out working? A: You bet you can! We suggest you work your bees before lunch on these hot days! It will be better for the bees, and you as the beekeeper. Summer Foundation Q: I purchased a single hive from TBS in April. They are doing great! After I harvest my honey, can I add a deep box of foundation, feed them, and get them to draw it and fill it over the summer? A: It sounds like your bees are doing great! You can certainly add a second deep, and with ¼ a gallon of feed each week or so, they should draw it out for you. Queen Excluders Q: Should I remove my queen excluder after I harvest honey? Or should I leave it on all summer to prevent the queen from moving up into the top boxes? A: Once you are done producing honey and have harvested or chosen not to harvest (watch how much honey to harvest here) it's best to ensure the queen has at least 2 boxes to lay in. That could be your deep brood box and an additional deep, or a medium. If you have a 3rd box of comb, you can leave the queen excluder between your second and 3rd box to prevent the queen from laying in the top box. Just remember to remove it before winter, and if your third box is foundation, then bees won't go through a queen excluder to get started drawing out foundation. If it is foundation, then leave the excluder off completely. It is of slight advantage to keep major brood rearing out of boxes you intend to use exclusively as honey supers.
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Pamela and husband Steve, own and operate Barton Creek Honey in Barton Creek & Bastrop, TX. Pamela is a Univ. of Georgia trained honey judge and has managed the Texas Beekeepers Assn. Honey Show. She is a Master Beekeeper as well as Cattle rancher - with honey bee yards located across Texas.
Honey Crystallization By: Pamela Yeamans
Dear Readers! Some of you may believe 3300-year-old honey discovered in Egyptian pyramids is "perfectly edible." Aside from taste, the texture of honey found in King Tut's tomb would be far from appetizing! Depending on the flower source, granulation can be smooth, grainy or crunchy. This granulation is crystallization and is natural and spontaneous. Most liquids crystallize when frozen. Like water, honey, a super-saturated solution of sugars, has a natural chemical action causing it to crystallize. Unaware honey buyers may assume that crystallized honey is bad, contaminated or an unnatural product. Instead, the opposite is true. Pure raw or unheated honey has a natural tendency to crystallize over time. This action indicates that the honey hasn't been diluted or adulterated and a sign of high-quality honey. What is crystallization? All honey begins with nectar, a thin solution of about 80% water that is colorless and not very sweet. Honey bees then add enzymes to the nectar converting the complex sugar into glucose and fructose sugars. Crystallization is based on the ratio of sugars glucose vs. fructose. Simpler for me is to think of a seesaw - that is the ratio of glucose to fructose. Crystallization will occur in honey with moderate to a high percentage of glucose. How and why does it happen? Considerations: Flower nectar type - the amount of glucose to fructose ratio Cooler temperature - above freezing increases the crystal formation Pollen - crystals will attach to pollen or wax bits and replicate
Honey Crystallizes from the bottom up
We freeze bottles of honey to preserve them and add buckets once we empty the honey supers and make space.
It is hard to locate a report or listing of local plants that measure the percentage of glucose. Instead, word of mouth between beekeepers on the local flora of what will crystallize rapidly or slowly can be reliable. In Texas, it comes to mind that huajilla, mesquite, clover, cotton, fruit trees, Gaillardia (Indian Blanket) and sunflowers have rapid crystallization. In Canada and the Dakota states, canola or rapeseed crystallizes rapidly,and are therefore used for industrial or baking uses. Yaupon, Chinese tallow, star thistle and horse-mint are known as "slow to crystallize." Cool temperature also cause crystals to form. If you want to make creamed honey, the target temperature is between 55 - 57 degrees Fahrenheit. Some industrial honey packers heat honey to high temperatures (pasteurizing) as well as utilizing high pressure heated filtration (eliminate pollen) to ensure honey remains liquefied for many years. Pollen, bits of wax, even a dust particle will cause honey to form crystals. The glucose molecules will then cling to the particles and sink to the bottom. Many of us strain our honey with metal strainers or with plastic strainers of 400/600 micron size, allowing pollen to pass through. Therefore, this honey crystallizes more rapidly! This is considered a "sure sign" of pure natural honey! What to do? If your honey crystallizes after you bottle it there are solutions - pun intended! Freezing Honey will not crystallize at or below 32 F. Freezing honey before it crystallizes is the best and most straightforward way to avoid crystallization without killing the natural enzymes.
There are heater jackets available that wrap around a bucket to warm honey.
Non working freezer warming cabinet
Dr. Dyce patented the creamed honey process many years ago while researching fermentation spoilage at Cornell University in the 1930's. A honey product made by heating honey to a temperature sufficient to destroy yeasts; quickly cooling it to a temperature below the melting point of honey crystals, preferably about 75 degrees F., adding about 5% of fine grained crystalline honey, agitating the honey to distribute said nuclei uniformly throughout the honey, and controlling the temperature within a few degrees of 57 degrees F., whereby a fine-grained, fondant-like product is formed
Creamed Honey
Creamed honey made four years ago and left in a warm honey house - separated
Hobart warming cabinet
-Pamela Yeamans - Baron Creek Honey
Warming Honey
Bee equipment suppliers offer bottling tanks (jacketed double boilers) that come with no-drip valves making filling bottles a cleaner task.
As a bucket of honey thickens in storage, we use warming cabinets. One is an old freezer with light bulbs inside and the other a used Hobart restaurant warming cabinet with temperature control. If you are using an old freezer, an InkBird Digital Temperature Controller works well to keep it at 90 - 110 F.
Heat dissolves crystals in fresh honey. Honey that has already crystallized will soften at 85 degrees F. and begin to liquefy between 100 and 104 degrees F. If honey crystallizes after bottling, place it in a pan of warm water or on your truck or car dashboard in our sunny Texas heat. Note: Microwaving can cause overheating, destroying the natural enzymes in honey.
Crystallized honey is not spoiled! My favorite is creamed honey - a recipe for the beekeeper to use to produce a delightful spreadable honey that is delicious to the palate. Creamed, spun or softest honey is more prevalent in Europe than in the United States although it is gaining popularity , particularly in Texas.
Honey higher in glucose will crystallize hard, and those lower in glucose crystallize much softer. This can cause issues when trying to produce creamed honey for sale. Age does affect the consistency of crystallized honey. Just like in King Tut's tomb, the amount of glucose decreases and it slowly coverts to other sugars. The appearance is of "separation" - liquid on top, solid on bottom...in time, becoming almost entirely liquid again.
Beeswax Rendering Video
Beeswax Skincare Products
By: Paige Nester Owner, Creek House Honey Farm
As fairly new beekeepers, my husband George and I knew that raw honey had amazing healing properties. Realizing the need for local honey, we started Creek House Honey Farm in 2011 with just 2 hives. George, a pharmacist by trade, and me an art teacher for almost 20 years, soon grew our business and added a beeswax skincare products line to compliment our honey. Beeswax is one of the world’s most fascinating natural products! When used in a skincare product, beeswax encourages the healing of wounds and can also be used to clean and purify the air when burned as a candle. Its vast variety of uses makes it super important to humans. Our beeswax research began in the summer of 2012. We learned about various skin care products that could be made using it. The next step was the hardest; how do we get that bright yellow block of hard wax added to the products? Unfortunately, the only beeswax we had accumulated up to that point looked more like Grandma’s oatmeal. George and I researched several online videos and through blood, sweat and a lot of “clean up on aisle 4,” we mastered the perfect wax rendering process. Now having beautiful wax, we were able to begin our new skincare line starting with a lip balm (now a chapstick). It felt so good on our lips compared to anything else that we had ever used! The hardest part of creating a skincare line of products was figuring out how much beeswax to add to each one. Almost every recipe that we found online did not have beeswax as an ingredient.
Beeswax Rendering Items Needed Wax Cappings Cheesecloth Old pot for wax (non-stick material work best) Old spatula or spoon for stirring Rubber ice cube tray Rubber band Sharp knife Candle wax pitcher Large Pot Glass measuring cup Filter bucket Filter Water Directions: 1.Scrape or use a hot knife to remove cappings from honeycomb. 2.Separate as much honey from the cappings as possible using the filtering bucket, or if you are using the cut comb and strain method, squeeze as much honey from the comb as possible. 3.Add about an inch of water to your pot and add cappings. 4.Heat the pot to about 180 degrees or until the cappings start melting (watch and stir the entire time! (The wax will bubble up and overflow if not watched carefully.) 5.Remove from heat and allow to cool. The wax will separate from the honey and water. 6.Scrape the debris off of the bottom of the wax. 7.Add water and wax to the pot again and heat. 8.Repeat this process at least 3-5 times until the wax looks filtered. 9.Melt wax in a candle wax pitcher (I use the double boiler method). 10.Pour wax through cheesecloth into the ice cube tray.
Beeswax Chapstick Recipe Yield: 20-25 .15 oz Chapstick tubes Ingredients needed: 1 oz. Beeswax 1.5 oz. Sweet Almond Oil 5 drops Vitamin E Oil 1.5 oz Cocoa Butter Items needed: Glass measuring cup Pot 8 oz or 16 oz canning jar with lid Water 25 Chapstick tubes or lip balm containers Instructions: Measure all ingredients and add to the canning jar. Place in a pot full of water at 180 degrees and melt down. While you are waiting for it to melt, prepare your tubes or lip balm containers. Once melted, pour into a glass measuring cup with spout. Pour immediately into tubes.
We refused to make anything that was not natural or a honeybee by-product. After-all, we are a honey farm, right? Beeswax is tricky – too much and your product is too hard, too little and the product doesn’t possess necessary healing properties. We finally found a balance with the chapstick and it was just right
Lotion was next and equally difficult. It requires emulsifying wax; a natural non-ionic wax, not beeswax in order to be shelf stable. A lot of trial and error but we did it! Our new skincare line began selling quickly. We then added healing products that contained not only beeswax, but propolis too! Testimonies came pouring in how people’s lives had changed through using our bee product skincare line. Wounds and burns were being healed, eczema was disappearing and rosacea was alleviated. A school teacher friend told us she put our beeswax lotion on her scar from a recent neck surgery and unlike the “over-the-counter” stuff, the results were AMAZING! It was an awesome feeling to know that we were helping so many people! Soon, we started selling our honey and beeswax skincare line at the local Farmer's Markets as well as from the shop behind our house. I quit my job in the spring of 2018 to devote all of my time to the business and in October of 2018 we opened our new retail farm store! George also opened Honey Buzz Winery where he sells honey wine (mead) and charcuterie boards. Creek House has quickly become a destination location for travelers from all over! We are currently expanding the building and now have twenty employees including our children Carley, Blake and Caiden. Our beeswax skincare line is sold in retail stores across Texas including Texas Bee Supply! We invite you to visit our farm store at 5005 4th Ave in Canyon, TX or shop online at www.creekhousehoneyfarm.com Presently, our beeswax skin care line outsells our honey. It has changed so many people’s lives and we thank God for that daily. It is a true blessing for us and them!
George & Paige Nester
Pro Tip: Our commercial beekeeping crew wears these suits! In the summer, wear shorts and a tank top shirt under the suit. It's still virtually sting proof, and keeps you even cooler! -Blake
Rain or shine, commercial beekeepers open each of their several thousand hives on average 40-50 times each year!
Want to learn more about commercial beekeeping? We've got a class for that! Click here for more info!
Beekeeper to Mead maker - Seven years ago a beekeeper friend got me interested in beekeeping. I bought some hives from Blake Shook at Texas Bee Supply and began to enjoy beekeeping! The next step was like connecting the dots. I enjoyed brewing beer and wine and I enjoyed beekeeping - so 5 years ago I started making Mead! Getting Started - The equipment I have listed below can be found online on Amazon, Northern Brew Supplies, Midwest Brew Supplies and Austin Home Brew Supply. If you have a brew supply store near you, this would be even better, since you can get some advice and pointers. Equipment Left to Right Hydrometer - Corker - Bottle Sanitizer - Bottling Bucket with Bottling wand attached - Secondary Fermenter (Carboy) - Primary Fermenter - Pump - Star San
Making mead
6
by terry wright President Caddo Trace Beekeepers Association Board of Directors - Texas Honey Bee Education Association
Mead is an alcoholic beverage that is made from fermenting honey with yeast. It is actually in a class of its own, but is commonly called honey wine. It is the oldest known fermentable beverage and can be traced back to 7000 BC. It is currently growing in popularity and along with cider, is one of the fastest growing niche alcohol beverages. I have had an interest in brewing for a long time. I tried brewing an apple beer when I was in college in the early 70’s with directions from a magazine article in Mother Earth News. It was a complete failure. Later in the early 90’s, my wife gave me a “Mr Beer” gadget as a gift after hearing me rattle on about brewing. This was a bit more successful but just wasn’t what I was looking for. Finally, 8 years ago, a brewing supply store opened in nearby Longview, Tx. I immediately went to check it out. The owner helped me get started making beer, plus I had a mentor! Like beekeeping, I found having someone to answer questions was invaluable. Shortly after starting to make beer, I decided to start making wine. Why not ? I found that homemade beer and wine is like homemade bread and ice cream. You can’t buy it any better. It's also a lot of fun!
The following instructions will help you get started making your own Mead. It's important to note, you do not have to be a chemist, master brewer or vintner. Mead Basic Instructions 1. Sanitize primary fermenter, air lock, stir tool, hydrometer 2. Add 12 lbs of honey to fermenter 3. Add 4 gals of spring water. Mix well. 4. Add 3/4 teaspoon Diammonium Phosphate – Mix 5. Take original gravity reading with hydrometer. This is your starting specific gravity, usually between (1.060 - 1.120) 6. Add 5 gram packet Lalvin 71 B yeast 7. Place in unlit area at 68 deg to 75 deg F 8. Leave for 3 weeks or until fermentation stops 9. Transfer into sanitized secondary fermenter (carboy) with sanitized pump. (Take specific gravity prior to transfer) 10. When fermentation is complete, bottle and age. When your Mead is ready to bottle, take a final specific gravity reading. This number will be much lower than your first reading. The lower the reading, the dryer the Mead. Dry Mead: 0.099 - 1.006 Medium Mead: 1.006 - 1.015 Sweet Mead: 1.012 - 1.020 Dessert Mead: 1.02 +
The second hardest part of Mead making is the sanitation. All of your equipment needs to be very clean to prevent contamination. I use a product called Star San and have found that it cleans honey very well. I keep a spray bottle of it near when I extract honey or bottle.
You will have to experiment some to find the taste you like. I always say that the hardest part of making Mead is producing the honey. If your hobby is playing with insects that sting, making Mead will be easier!
Click Image to Print Instructions
Definition of Specific Gravity: The ratio of the density of a liquid to the density of water.
Helpful Websites and Books: Web sites: How to Make Mead: 15 steps, wikihow.com How to Make Mead: 17 steps, instructable.com Just How Much Honey is in Mead, meadmakr.com
I have won some awards at the TBA convention with my Meads and beers made with honey. I've also made Honey Wheat beer and Belgian Honey Ale with my honey and both are great on a hot Texas day! Enjoy!
Books: The Complete Meadmaker, Ken Schramm The Complete Guide to Meadmaking, Steve Piatt
You will find that there are a lot of ways to make mead. You can add any fruit, herbs, spices or hops and you can even carbonate it if you like.
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