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TEXAS BEE SUPPLY
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Cover Photo: Nathalie Bellens - Fabiszewska Belgium
October 2022
Feature Topics Winterizing Your Bees Varmints and Other things that Bug Our Bees! Bee Yard Disaster
Edition 28
Table Of Contents
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Did you miss last month's issue? Click the cover below and step inside. We welcome your feedback and submissions! Beekeeping Questions: help@texasbeesupply.com
6 Monthly Tips 8 The Dynamics of a Hive Preparing for Winter 14 Winterizing Your Bees 18 When to Stop Feeding Syrup 19 Ask the Expert: How Much Honey Do You Leave for Overwintering? 20 Varmints and Other Things That Bug our Bees 24 Talk with the Expert: Lix Walsh 25 Quick Tip: What if My Hive Becomes Queenless in the Fall? 26 When Disaster Hits Your Bee Yard 30 Finish Final Mite Treatments This Month 32 Varroa Treatments Suitable for Fall 34 Topics Beekeepers Can't Agree On: What's the Best Smoker Fuel? 40 Economics in Leasing Bees 46 How Many Boxes Should You Overwinter? 50 The Great Drone Dump & Fun Facts 56 Webinar Q & A 58 Recipe: Apple Nachos with Honey 61 Drought Map 62 Club Announcements
Page Topic
MORE INFO
Kim Townsend & Shannon LaGrave
HOUSTON AREA
Learn what you need to know to keep bees and produce honey in this extensive 1-day, 6 hour beginning beekeeping class. Our experienced beekeepers lead you through topics such as the basic functions of the hive, types of bees present in your hive, necessary gear, identification and treatment of bee diseases and pests, managing a beehive, honey production, honey harvest, collection of nectar and pollen, how to get bees for your hive, a year in the life of a beekeeper, and much more. We will cover the necessary information you need to begin producing honey and raising healthy bees in this exciting 6 hour class. Plus - You'll get to work with live bees! Lunch included!!
ONLY 2 CLASSES LEFT THIS YEAR!
James & Chari Elam
DALLAS AREA
BEGINNING BEEKEEPING FALL CLASSES
October provides one of the final months for major bee management. Final feeding should take place, and syrup consumption should begin to decline as your queen begins shutting down for the season. Feed to maintain a 30 lb. surplus for hives which are 1 deep box full of bees or more through October. Continue feeding pollen substitute. 2 lbs. per hive should be sufficient. A strong hive should be able to eat about 1 lb. every 10 days. If a hive is weaker, give them a half pound per feeding. Any hive that has less than 5 frames, covered front and back with bees, should be combined with another hive using the newspaper method. Remove 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. Finish any final mite treatments, remove any queen excluders, and if you use them, place entrance reducers in hives at the very end of October. You can use a wider variety of mite treatments as the weather cools & there is less brood in your hive. 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.
By: Blake Shook
OCTOBER TIPS
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By: Chari Elam
Ready or not, winter is right around the corner! Just like we do a shift in our closets, exchanging our warm weather clothes for clothes that keep us warm – our bees are making preparations as well! There are multiple actions in motion as the season changes. The queen that had a burst of egg laying during the fall flow is slowing down to a halt or close to it. It is not at all uncommon for warmer climates (Hardiness zones 7,8, and 9) to see some brood well into December. Conversely, colder climates should expect a total brood shutdown. Prior food storage preparations also relate directly to geographic location. In the southern half of the nation, 30 – 40 lbs. of surplus (3-4 deep frames of capped honey) by November is sufficient, as is 40 – 60 lbs. (4-6 frames) in the northern states. That leads us to “Do I need to feed now?” Each colony will have its own need. If you have less honey stores than stated, feed! Otherwise, monitor bi-weekly by doing the tilt test, and feed when the colony starts to feel light. For most hives this shouldn’t happen until well into December or January. But don't assume - Monitor! What about pollen? The winter hive dynamics don’t require much stored pollen. As previously said, brood laying of winter bees is winding down if not already stopped in some areas. Does that mean don’t feed pollen? Opinion alert: I feed good quality pollen patties for “nutrition” until the end of this month. Not necessarily the 14% … but at least the 4% Global patty to ensure the health of our bees. Pollen patties aren’t just for brood rearing. Personally, I’m on the brink of pulling out my “Stan’s Soft Sugar Bricks” recipe to keep my hives healthy and not needy for the duration of winter. The argument of whether to supplement isn’t at stake here, we’re talking health sustainability not brood rearing. Hive strength will also determine your hive dynamics going into winter. I would like to see all my hives with at least 12+ frames of bees this time of year. If you are well less than that, consider combining with another hive that could use the help also. We talked about this last month if you need a refresher. Drone bees are about to “bee no more” as they have outlived their usefulness and have entered the “You’re just in the way and eat too much,” stage of their life. We jokingly call this time of year the “Great Drone Dump.” Really cheap entertainment if you want to set up a lawn chair and observe the tough girls pushing drone after drone out the front door kicking and screaming! This may indicate a need to “get a life” but, hey - it’s entertaining! As the days continue to get cooler, we eventually reach temperatures that consistently stay below 60 degrees – that’s the point at which our bees form a cluster. The spherical shape of a cluster is a well-designed formation to keep the majority of the colony (including the queen) warm enough to survive – and survive they do! Evidenced in “Snowmageddon 2021” when a large portion of south and mid-eastern U.S. went below freezing for days on end. To a lot of beekeepers' amazement, the majority of managed colonies survived even when not necessarily prepared to do so! Why? Basically, the core of the cluster isn’t so tightly packed – but the outside layer (mantle) is and can withstand temperatures well below that of the cluster. These mantle bees are vigorously “shivering” to generate heat for the core of the cluster as they rotate their positions – almost as if they have a pre-designation to show up and serve their “shift” for the good of the hive! The cluster itself has a dynamic all its own. On warmer days it loosens…on colder days it tightens, causing the mantle to shiver even more vigorously, generating the heat required. It will also "migrate" as a cohesive unit up and over to consume food stores. However, they will not "jump frames" to feed. The hives that made it through Snowmageddon had one thing in common – their honey stores were next to the cluster. Bees can actually starve with food just a frame over from their cluster. This points out the need to be prepared to shift honey frames towards the cluster if needed as stores are consumed. As you read our magazine articles from the July, August, and September issues, it may have been glaringly obvious we were preparing our bees for this very day. Population matters and this is why! We need a good population to keep the colony warm and alive throughout winter… not just alive – but come out on the other side (spring) robust and ready to tackle a population explosion! As we head into winter, think strategically. Keep the biology of the bee and the dynamics we just discovered foremost in your mind. They need warmth – a dry environment (because moisture translates cold), and food stores (honey) next to their cluster. Note: Honey frames are more than just food, they are also insulation! Honey frames help keep the hive temperature manageable while reducing the amount of work! Our bees are equipped to handle cold temperatures. Being proactive weeks ahead of the need can really influence our bees' ability to survive winter and thrive in order to capitalize on the resources available in early spring. Just watch and see!
The Dynamics of a Hive Preparing for Winter
Photo Credit: Randy Oliver - scientificbeekeeping.com
Video Credit: Clifton Kern - "This is a time-lapse from inside the feeding chamber of the beehive. It was started around 9 PM and stopped around 10 AM the next morning. The minimum temp was around 4* F that night."
1st Thursday of Each Month Next meeting October 6th 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
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Join Blake Shook as he walks you through what's going on in your hives and prepares you for the month to follow! James and Chari Elam answer your questions LIVE and present short practical timely topics.
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NEW Open Q & A Blake will take 15-20 minutes and open the Q/A to answer ANY BEEKEEPING QUESTIONS you have, LIVE!
Live Virtual BEE Meeting
Live in the Bee Yard Fixing Weak Hives Combining Hives Final Fall Feeding How Much Honey to Leave for Winter Screened Bottom Boards & Winter
Upcoming Agenda
...maybe. You never quite know until it hits! But, over the next month, we should begin to see some cooling just about everywhere! Here are a few common winter preparation practices when it comes to the exteriors of our hives.
Winterizing Your Bees
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 wind to blow into our hive, right? We recommend sliding the insert that came with the SBB to cover it in mid-October. If you no longer have it or never did – a piece of coroplast or thin plywood will work. Alternatively, you can leave the bottom board uncovered and block up the sides with cardboard, boards, hay… etc., to prevent wind from blowing under the hive. 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 anyway, only their cluster within the hive.
Screened Bottom Board The removable board makes it easy to open or close depending on the weather - but also doubles as a place to put a sticky board to test for Varroa any time of year.
Winter is coming!
Closing the Screen Bottom Board
Apimaye Hives Insulated to withstand extreme weather, and designed to prevent moisture buildup inside the beehive. Bees can survive colder winters consuming less honey, and spring build up is much faster.
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 do choose to use an 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!
Installing an Entrance Reducer
Winter Wraps Whether or not to wrap hives in insulating material for the winter depends a lot on your location. It is not recommended or necessary in the south. It doesn’t get that cold, and in reality, hive wraps can do more harm than good if not done properly. As mentioned before, the bees only keep their cluster warm. A few inches from their cluster inside the hive, it may be 30 degrees. Wrapping the hive too tightly can prevent a hive from "breathing" and allowing moisture to escape. If done improperly condensation can form on the inside and freeze and kill the colony as well as cause a mold problem in warmer climates. In the south, wrapping hives can also overheat the colony on a sudden warm day. Areas that do get and stay cold can and should consider some form of insulation. Instead of wrapping tightly against the hive, build an insulation box that can create a dead space between the box and the insulation. This will prevent condensation and still give the hive the protection needed for the cold. A solution for any area could be the Apimaye hives. This is an insulated box constructed to keep hives cooler in summer and warmer in winter – a good alternative to wrapping for winter and keeping hives cooler in the summer.
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, tarps held up with t-posts, or a tree line are all great wind blocks. Don't forget to secure your lids down. You can use a rock, brick, or drywall screws! Your bees can get chilled quickly if their lid blows off.
The objective of fall feeding should be to help the bees store enough syrup to survive the winter. Once daytime temperatures are in the 50's or below, bees greatly reduce the amount of syrup they drink. Due to this, fall feeding should take place weeks before temperatures historically drop to those lows in your area. The goal in the southern half of the US is to make sure each of your hives has at least 30 lbs of honey in their second brood box, and 3-4 frames of honey in their lower brood box by the time daytime temperatures are routinely in the 50's. In the northern US, the same rules apply, but you should be closer to 50-60 lbs of stores. Once you have achieved that, either by feeding, or the bees bringing in nectar themselves, you can stop feeding! Continue checking every few weeks to ensure the hive has sufficient food.
When to Stop Feeding Syrup
How Much Honey Do You Leave For Overwintering?
Preparing your hives for winter can be just as simple as timing your last harvest! Listen as Cameron Crane (Liberty County Beekeepers) shares his tip for insuring his bees have enough to overwinter.
Quick Tip
Varmints and Other Things that Bug our bees!
Sugar Ants Sugar ants love sugar syrup and honey! Like fire ants, they don’t typically cause an issue for the bees. They will often drink syrup out of an entrance feeder at night or eat honey out of a dying hives. Strong hives can easily keep them at bay. If they are causing issues, you can build a hive stand with 4 legs, and set each leg in a container of oil. This will prevent them from climbing into the hive. Make sure your syrup feeder isn’t cracked or leaking, or spill any syrup when filling, as that will attract them even further. Switching from an entrance feeder to an internal feeder allows the bees to more easily defend the syrup and can help as well.
Fire Ants Much like wax moths and small hive beetles, fire ants can, on occasion, move in and eat honey or dead bees when a hive has died from something else. A stressed or weak hive is also subject to being overrun if left unattended. Strong hives however don’t seem to have any issue keeping fire ants out of the hive, and it is pretty rare they cause an issue for bees. I’ve frequently seen fire ant mounds built directly up against hives while not causing any problems for the bees inside. They are, however, annoying to us as beekeepers! If you kill the ants with a poison, be sure to do it at night, and ensure none of it gets into the hive. Try to use natural methods when possible, and don’t apply poison to a mound if it is within a foot or less to the hive.
Unfortunately, our bees are somewhat of a target in that there are resources inside their home that other animals like to eat too! Because of this, we often are dealing with pests other than our known adversaries: Varroa mites, Small Hive Beetles, and Wax Moths.
Image Credit: Randy Oliver scientificbeekeeping.com
Photo credit: Cyndi Bormann - talesfromthehive.com
Roaches Roaches and other bugs love to live on bottom boards or under the lids of beehives – especially between inner and outer covers. They do not cause the hive any harm but using bait or treatment to kill the roaches will!
Mice Much like other varmints, mice won’t kill or greatly damage a hive. However, mice love to nest inside living or dead hives during winter months. Since the bees are typically clustered, mice enter the hive and chew holes in the frames and woodenware to create their nest. You will typically see them nesting on the bottom boards. Using a mouse guard in the winter helps, as does keeping all dead hives and equipment picked up and properly stored.
Raccoon While raccoon do not have an appetite for bees like skunks do, they do love honey and syrup! While the damage is minimal, I have seen a raccoon pull the syrup jar off an entrance feeder. I’ve also seen them take the lid off a hive during the winter months and pull a frame of honey out of the hive! The easiest way to prevent that, if you have raccoon in your area, is to put a heavy brick or cement block which they cannot lift off on the lid of the hive.
ADFG.ALASKA.GOV
Skunks Skunks scratch on the entrance of a hive at night, causing bees to run out of the entrance. They lay their tail near the entrance, allowing bees to crawl onto their tail, then run away and eat the bees off it. While it is annoying for a beekeeper, skunks don’t normally greatly weaken a hive. If you see scratch marks on your entrances, and smell skunks in your bee yard, that is a pretty good indicator skunks are eating some of your bees. Nailing a carpet tack strip to the entrance of your hive prevents the skunks from scratching at the entrance, thus eliminating the issue.
Bears If you keep bees in areas that have significant bear populations, protecting your hives will be important. Bears love honey and brood and can destroy several hives very quickly. Not only do they eat the honey and brood, but they typically break all the equipment in the process. The best way to keep bears out of your apiary is to surround it with an high voltage electric fence. In remote areas, solar or battery powered fences work well. It is also recommended to ratchet strap the hive to a secure foundation and avoid screened bottom boards.
It's not often I get the opportunity to "re-visit" with one of the many students that we met at the Texas A & M Honey Bee Lab years ago. Now, Elizabeth (Liz) Walsh, PhD holds the title: USDA-ARS Research Scientist, Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She's smart, fun, and gives us highly educated answers to some often-unanswered questions. Join me as we discuss feeding, Varroa testing (Are you making a "C"?), and her current involvement in studying different bee stock and their reaction to pesticides (fungicide in particular).
Quick Tip What if my hive becomes Queenless in late fall or winter?
with Chari Elam
Talk with the Expert Introducing Elizabeth (Liz) Walsh, PhD.
It goes without saying, there’s never a good time to be Queenless - and late fall or winter is the worst time! Suppliers are no longer offering queens and let’s face it – drones are all but gone and “queen season” is over! What do you do? If the hive has less than 4-5 deep frames covered with bees, join it with another hive. Even if you introduced a queen, there is a good chance they wouldn’t survive the winter anyway. If the hive is a double deep box, or 7-8 deep frames covered with bees or better, you can try to save it. That late in the year they can’t raise their own queen since there are virtually no drones left to mate with. So, you can do one of two things. A) Look for queen breeders in CA, FL, or HI who may still have queens for sale, even late in the fall. B) If that doesn’t work, just leave the hive alone. If you have other hives, once they have a few frames of brood in the early spring, give the Queenless hive a frame or two of brood and a new queen as soon as new queens are available. For southern states, you can often give them brood in late February or early March, giving them the ability to raise their own queen provided there are sufficient drones available.
Identifying the symptoms of poisoning A significant number of dead bees found on the ground outside the hive Wings spread and tongues (proboscis) fully extended All adult bees die within a few days of each other Dead adult bees inside the hive as well as brood going unfed and dying A lack of foragers and/or foragers flying out and dropping from the sky as they attempt return. Live adult bees look sick – move slowly, drop off the landing onto the ground and/or jerky motions More aggressive than normal Queen failure within 30 days Can be all, some or 1 of the hives in the same bee yard
It happened…right in my own backyard. Yep, we had thriving colonies one day and the next – bees dropping out of the sky. The – saddest – thing – ever! The worst of it – it took days for it to throw the final blow of death. Thousands of bees dying all over our back yard - so many the stench was almost unbearable. Ok – now that I’ve painted that very sad, gruesome picture, let’s talk about what happened. Pesticide poisoning. Does that mean we know what pesticide killed our bees…No. Actually, it could have been any number of things. Could have been an insecticide to kill unwanted bugs in a neighbor’s yard, a fungicide used to kill off a fungus growing among plants at a tree farm down the road, or even an herbicide used to kill out an overgrowth of aquatic moss in a neighborhood pond. The later is our personal suspicion for our situation, but any of the above could be the culprit at any given time. All of these products fall under the pesticide label…and all very harmful to bees! What we do know: a growing number of hives succumb to pesticide poisoning each year. The more managed colonies, the more honey bees to be exposed; not only in urban areas (like mine), but also agricultural areas for Side-liner and Commercial beekeepers. This is just a very unfortunate fact in our industry. Although this was NOT our first pesticide loss, we had the feeling of, “It wasn’t our fault, and whoever’s fault it was, should pay!” In reality, in most cases that’s just not how it works. In researching not only for this article but also for myself, I spoke with several agencies, i.e., Texas Dept. of Agriculture, EPA, and Texas Apiary Inspection Service. The results in a nut shell – There’s not much you can do other than report it. Here are some links if you have the tenacity to come to a different conclusion - I will gladly hand over the baton and eagerly wait for you to report back good news! TDA has a complaint system in place, but from my understanding is basically a code enforcement agency. (My words, not theirs) If you have knowledge of a pesticide being used improperly they will investigate it and prosecute if warranted. EPA brings it a little closer to home and has a “Report Bee Kills” portal and uses the information in future regulatory decisions. ELAP –Emergency Assistance for Livestock Program. The only “retribution” I could find for honey bees at all. Although not specifically for pesticide loss, I think with some pushing you might get coverage…but don’t hold me to that. It’s a lot to read and a lot of hoops to jump through. Here is a good place to start. And when you’ve exhausted all you have – here is an actual form to fill out. You will notice it is for Colony Collapse Disorder. I almost didn’t put this in here, but it took entirely too much work to find “any” claim form whatsoever, that I thought I’d better share it. Lastly - You can have your bees tested to “possibly” learn what pesticide killed them. I say possibly because there are over 1000 pesticides and this test covers 93 of the most common. But it could reveal a certain source for your colony's demise. For example: lawn fertilizers, mosquito spray, pond treatments, etc. Not all is lost – in some cases hives can be saved. In our case it wasn’t happening this time, but we have had hives we did save in the past. Here are some very valid nursing techniques you can try. Move the hive(s) to a “safe” area Remove any excess space such as supers, or if a double deep reduce to a single or even a Nuc (depending on the number of bees) Feed inside the hive – 1:1 syrup and pollen patty until the colony recovers Add capped/near emerging frames of brood from a healthy donor hive – they will need these bees to help restore the colony Monitor the queen – issues may arise weeks after the event, and she will likely either be superseded or need to be replaced.
When Disaster Hits Your Bee Yard
Honey Bees exposed to pesticides dying on emergence. Photo by: Dan Wyns
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP)
Bees killed by pesticides collected from in front of an exposed hive. Photo by: Dan Wyns
MITE TREATMENTS
Ideally October is when you are wrapping up your Varroa treatments. Regardless of your views of treating vs not, the following is a sobering reminder that “we” have a roll to play in controlling Varroa mites. Bee Informed Partnership (BIP) released their preliminary report July 27th, 2022, showing, “Over the entire year (1 April 2021 – 1 April 2022), beekeepers in the United States lost an estimated 39.0% of their managed honey bee colonies.” Granted, this report doesn’t define the reason the colony died, but to quote Dr. Samuel Ramsey - Entomologist, “… there's a triangle of factors called the three P's, and that stands for parasites, pesticides, and poor nutrition. These are the three main issues currently impacting honeybees.” Considering that the triangle he’s referring to are the causes of death for those colonies BIP has documented – the parasite he mentions is Varroa Destructor! Keep in mind that mite loads and nutrition are what determine their ability to survive until spring – It’s THAT important! Do a last-minute mite check and treat if over 2 mites per 100 bees. For more information on viable treatments for this time of year, visit this short article in this publication.
Photo Credit: Jennifer Scott
SHOP
Finish Final Mite Treatments This Month!
QUICK TIP
Product Temperature Apiguard 59⁰-105⁰ ApiLife Var 65⁰-95⁰ MAQS 50⁰-85⁰ Formic Pro 50⁰-85⁰ HopGuard >50⁰ Oxalic Acid No temperature restraints
Watch this video on "How To" use Oxalic Acid for package bees, Dribble, and Sublimation (Vapor) methods. HoneybeeHealthCoalition.org
Varroa Treatments Suitable for Fall
When doing your final Varroa mite treatments two factors need to be considered. Population – Are you in population decrease (some brood) or Dormant (broodless) Temperature – In fall our daily temperature can fluctuate dramatically. If temperatures were to reach outside your treatment parameter, then you could have an efficacy problem. Depending on your geographic area, you may have more options than other times of the year. The following is a list of products useful as temperatures begin to cool down. They are all for either population decrease or dormant (broodless) colonies. Very often Oxalic Acid is the late fall choice. When directions are followed the product gives very good results. 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. There are 2 ways to administer Oxalic Acid to hives – Dribble method and Sublimation (vapor) method. The later being the more popular for southern states as it doesn’t tend to harm brood like the dribble method can do. Dribble method is done with 1 single treatment and sublimation requires multiple treatments. (1 treatment every 5-7 days for 3 weeks – with some suggesting 4 weekly treatments)
By: Lynne Jones
Topics Beekeepers Can't Agree On!
Lighting a smoker with burlap
Poll Results
Fuel
Preferred by
Cedar (chips/bark/scraps/dust)
13
Hay/Dry Grass/Leaves
12
Pine (needles/shavings/twigs)
11
Burlap/Gunny Sack
9
Dried Manure (cow/horse/rabbit)
7
Why is such a simple device so hard to master? It’s just a stainless-steel cylinder with air forced into a hole at the bottom by pumping the bellow, which pushes smoke out the nozzle! And yet, for many new beekeepers, getting a smoker going, and keeping it going is a struggle. The ideal smoker fuel should make cool smoke, be easy to light, burn long, not gunk up the smoker, be easily obtained, and inexpensive or free. On August 29th, I asked members of two Beekeeping Facebook groups*, “What is the best smoker fuel?” Fifty-two beekeepers responded… with 90 answers! I guess some beekeepers can’t even agree with themselves!
The top five fuels were:
What's the Best Smoker Fuel?
What is Cool Smoke? Cool smoke can be classified as combustion temperature between 70 - 90 degrees. Any hotter and you risk damaging your bees. If you can put your hand in front of the smoke and it not burn you - it's probably good.
The top three: Cedar, Hay/Dry Grass/Leaves and Pine, were almost tied for first place. I don’t have Cedar trees in my area so I can’t comment on how well it performs as smoker fuel. I have access to Hay though and find it lights easily. If you then pack it down tightly, it will burn for a bit, but the smoker has to be refilled every 30 minutes or so. Unfortunately, I often forget to refill and then have to start the smoker-lighting process all over. I was quite surprised so many beekeepers consider Pine to be the best fuel. Though it rates high in all but one ideal characteristic, it gunks up the smoker so badly, that for me that one negative outweighs all the positives. Burlap/Gunny Sack was also a popular choice. Shawn Vendenberg’s process is to, “Cut a strip, roll it up, light it with a torch and it’s good for about 2-3 hours.” He says he finds burlap bags online at a pretty cheap price. Nicole Buergers also prefers burlap, but she must know nice coffee roasters, because they give the bags to her for free! Dried Manure was preferred by seven beekeepers, with dried cow patties being Robin Plumlee Sliva’s choice. She assured us that it does not stink at all, but to “… just be sure it’s dried out completely.” I don’t mind admitting that I didn’t master the smoker until my fourth year. But even now, if I’m in a hurry and try to cut corners, I end up spending more time re-lighting than if I’d just done it right to start with. My go-to products are hay to get the smoker started, and alfalfa pellets for long-burning fuel. A 40 lb. bag of alfalfa pellets from the feed store is about $15-$20 and it lasts me at least two years. If you are at your wit’s end with the smoker and don’t mind spending a little money, I recommend two products that worked for me when I was a beginner: KwikStart Smoker Pellets and Alfalfa Smoker Fuel. If you are struggling with the smoker, give some of the top five a try. Maybe one of them is the best fuel for you too!
Dodie Stillman Vice President - Texas Beekeepers Association President - Austin Area Beekeepers Association Master Beekeeper
*Facebook Links: Central Texas Beekeepers Texas Friendly Beekeepers Reference: Bee Smoker
Tara Chapman Featured on the Today Show, Vice Media and Eating Well Magazine Two Hives Honey - Austin, TX
Alfalfa Smoker Fuel
Ask the Experts What's the Best Smoker Fuel?
Lynne Jones is owner of Brazos River Honey Secretary-Treasurer of the Fort Bend Beekeepers Association and Advanced level in the Texas Master Beekeeper program
Harrison Rogers Vice President Harris County Beekeepers Association Treasurer- Real Texas Honey Program Certified Texas Master Beekeeper
KwikStart Smoker Pellets
You aren't alone - We're here to help!
Photo Credit: Jacob Osborne
Economics in Leasing Bees
By: Chris Barnes Cornerstone Honey Bees
History In 2012, a change to the laws affecting Agricultural Valuations for property taxes was enacted that has had a ripple effect on some beekeeping operations within the state of Texas. The change allowed beekeeping activities to qualify for 1-d-1 Agriculture Valuations on properties from 5 to 20 acres. According to Dennis Herbert, who helped author the language of the legislation, the major goals of the bill were to encourage more beekeepers as well as create a greater distribution of hives across the state. It has taken some time to gain traction, but it appears that the legislation appears to be working toward achieving those original goals. There are no known official statistics on new beekeepers who have come into the industry due to the law change, but non-empirical evidence seems to suggest that the ability to obtain an Ag Valuation on property taxes is a relatively significant motivation for entry into the activity. It is beyond the scope of this article to dive into the depths of Ag Valuation laws entirely, but for anyone wanting a better understanding of how these laws work, here is an excellent article. In fact, that article is actually just part 1 of a series of articles, all of which discuss how Ag Valuations are governed in Texas. Changes to beekeeping economics There have been some dramatic changes to the economics of beekeeping which can be directly tied to the 2012 law change; some of these changes were predictable while others were unexpected. One of the expected changes has been a dramatic increase in demand of beekeeping supplies and starter hives created by the influx of new beekeepers. We can look at the Law of Supply & Demand and see the increase in prices of new beekeeping equipment and starter hives. In 2012, a Nuc typically cost between $100 to $150 – today that same Nucleus colony cost from $250 - $300. Of course, part of that increase is due to inflation; but this increase is far greater than other price increases – drawing the conclusion that increased demand is the likely cause. Therefore, it’s safe to say, a big part of that increase in demand is due to an increase in the number of beekeepers drawn into beekeeping to take advantage of savings on Property Taxes. One other less known change has been the economics in the placement of hives on rural property. In the past, it was the custom for the beekeeper to pay a landowner for the right to place their hives on a property. This was usually done either for over wintering of migratory hives (hives that were moved to various locations, usually for pollination services), or by beekeepers “chasing the nectar flow” within the state. For large properties, especially those with flora that provide a good honey crop, this model is still fairly common. But for smaller properties – especially those in the 5-20 acre range specified by the new law – the economic model has taken a 180-degree reversal. Now, property owners who do not wish to become beekeepers themselves, but still desire an Ag Valuation on their property must now lease hives from another beekeeper. This has created a HUGE demand for the rental of a relatively small number of hives (usually 6 to 12 hives) which remain on the property for the majority of the year. As a result, an entire industry has been created for the rental of hives for 1-d-1 Agricultural Valuation purposes. State Law vs County variations Any person who is considering leasing bee hives for Ag Valuations should probably begin with an understanding that some of the regulations governing the practice are set forth by state law, while others are set by the individual county appraisal districts (often called a “CAD”). For example, the acreage limitation that states bee hives may be used on properties from 5 to 20 acres is set forth by state law. The number of hives required in order to utilize a 1-d-1 Ag Valuation is left up to each CAD. The Texas Beekeepers Association website has a list of each county’s “intensity level” requirement. Other attributes left to the individual CADs are: Productivity Value - The taxable value of the land for each Ag activity Duration – how long the hives have to be on the property in each calendar year Land Category – some counties have a map of defined land categories such as native pasture, timber, etc. that they assign a productivity value It is a very good idea for any beekeeper and property owner to meet in person with the County Ag Appraiser in order to develop a good, positive working relationship. Pricing for Leasing Hives The price a beekeeper may be able to charge for leasing hives is dependent on many factors, most of which vary greatly from one area of the state to the next (and sometimes even within a single county). For that reason, I am reluctant to list any sort of lease rates in this article. Generally speaking, the rate a beekeeper may be able to charge for leasing hives will need to be less than the property taxes the landowner would pay without having a 1-d-1 Ag Valuation. In other words, it must make financial sense for the property owner. This amount is dictated by the value the property has without an Ag Valuation as compared to the valuation of the property with an Ag Valuation for that county. Other factors that will also affect the rates a beekeeper may charge are Competition from other beekeepers who are also leasing hives The driving distance the beekeeper must travel Other lease properties in the same general area (again, driving distance) The amount of nectar flow in the area (more feeding necessary?) One of the interesting facts about the ways the practice of leasing hives is being done today is that it seems to be more of a venture by sideliners and “bigger hobbyists”; most of the larger commercial beekeepers find the practice of leasing hives to not be worthwhile for the number of hives they need to manage. Contract concerns While there are some beekeepers/landowners who have handshake agreements, most leasing of beehives these days do use a formal, written contract. This contract outlines the rights and responsibilities of each party. Typical items mentioned in a contract include: The Dates & Duration of the Agreement Payment amounts Responsibilities of both the Beekeeper and Landowner How and when the beekeeper may have access to the hive How a lease can be terminated How disputes can be handled What happens should either the hives or property be sold during the lease period. It is up to each person to decide whether a lawyer should create a contract or if a simple template is sufficient.But regardless of whether a formal contract is used, it is prudent that these issues be discussed and agreed upon by both the beekeeper and landowner.Both parties should be aware that a CAD may ask for these contracts as part of the “paper trail” to prove ag activity on the property. The Future of Leasing Hives As with any new industry or practice, changes are inevitable. The practice of leasing hives has been going on for a few years now so some of the initial growing pains have started to get worked out (such as using standardized contracts). But the process is still in a state of flux. One of the possible forces affecting the practice is that there are some CADs who view the use of beekeeping as a 1-d-1 Ag Valuation as an attempt to “cheat the county out of tax revenue”. At least one county has dictated that the property owner cannot lease hives; they must own them directly. One would think if challenged, the county might reverse this decision. Still, the push-back by some CADs is a real challenge to the ability of beekeepers to lease their hives, and it is possible that this could be a fight we must face in upcoming legislative sessions. This is where developing that personal relationship with your County Ag Appraiser can proactively prevent future problems.
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I am a 5th year beekeeper with a 10-hive apiary near Giddings, TX, using 8-frame Langstroth hives. After finding a lot of information from other areas of the US on overwintering with 1 box, I wondered if I should/could do that and how doable it was in my area. My biggest concerns were having enough stores to make it through the winter and how to go from several boxes to just one. I was also worried they’d easily starve with so little space for food. To answer my questions, I asked members of a popular local beekeeping Facebook group and did some internet “research.”
By Richard Beck
I had three questions: What part of Texas are you in? How many total boxes do you overwinter with on a typical hive? If you reduce your 8 or 10 frame Langstroth hives to overwinter in one box. When and how do you do it? The questions solicited some helpful responses! There weren’t enough to be statistically significant, but they did come from some very experienced beekeepers so that accounts for something to me! What part of Texas are you in? The responses were all from East and SE Texas. About 3/4 were from Harris County and counties northwest between Houston and Austin. The balance was from DFW metroplex and east. It’s a small part of Texas but a large area ranging across 180-280 miles in all directions. How many total boxes do you overwinter with on a typical hive? With this question the responses varied; some people taking the approach, “treat all hives equally,” and others having an “it depends” philosophy. There was no differentiation between 10 vs 8 frame hives, insulated/non-insulated hives, or ventilated/non ventilated. 27% overwintered in a single box. 68% overwintered with two boxes. Of those, 60% used two deeps, and 40% used a deep and a medium. 5% made their decisions based on population, and 0% did not reduce. This is a limited sample, but it does indicate that a meaningful number of beekeepers overwinter using a single box. This data did not account for how many hives or Nucs each person had.
How Many Boxes Should You Overwinter With?
Information Reference
Overwintering with One Deep Box This leads us to the final and most important question. Where did I land? I decided to go with overwintering a single deep. You may want to this as well - but like many things, including your first ever hive inspection, knowing how is key! How I came to my decision - It’s tough for a newbie like me to imagine a 2-3 box (or more) hive that is bursting at the seams during the Spring or Fall getting squeezed into a single deep and making it through the winter. Luckily that’s not what happens. The population of a healthy hive ebbs and flows over the seasons. It has two peaks, one in the Spring and one in the Fall and two valleys in the Winter and Summer. The timing of these peaks and valleys varies by region and is tied to temperature, light, and the availability of protein to the colony in the form of pollen. During the peaks, hives will have 50,000 bees or more; in the valleys they will have about 10,000. One of those valleys corresponds with Winter. “Winter Dearth” more accurately, as it reacts more to changes in temperature, light, and pollen availability. Winter and winter dearth in Brownsville, Dalhart, El Paso, Texarkana and Terlingua vary significantly in timing, duration, and conditions. Some places don’t have a winter dearth although they do get cooler and the days get shorter; both likely signal bees and impact their behavior. Conversely warmer temperatures and increased light signals bees to start brood rearing in late winter starting them on the population climb to spring. When and how to convert to a single brood box Bees will naturally reduce their population as winter approaches. You’ll have about 1/5th the number of bees from your peak summer volume. Location will vary, but all in all this should happen by late October or in November. While a healthy bee colony will ensure they have winter bees, the beekeeper needs to help manage space and stores by moving frames and removing boxes to get down to one box. As the colony shrinks, pull any empty/unused frames from both boxes, leaving 2 or 3 brood nest frames and the rest honey frames in the bottom box. Take any usable frames left over and share with other hives in the bee yard. Their (and your) goal is a full pantry for the winter for this hive and others. A single deep hive can overwinter with a medium honey super if you have it. If it had one and it’s empty, remove and store it. The biggest risk is running out of stores before spring comes. We know we should not open the hive on cold days, but an easy check is to lift the back of the hive from the bottom to assess the honey stores by weight. I suggest keeping notes for each hive so you can track if it is getting lighter. At some point you may need to do supplemental feeding but many report doing this with no feeding needed especially if a super is in place. Its best to do any late inspections on sunny days with temperatures that are 50⁰F or above. Do this throughout the fall as you don’t know if future weather won’t allow a last-minute check. My conclusion? Running single deeps overwinter is doable - the colony will handle the box reduction and overwinter well. I think I’ll give it a try!
Drone Bee Fast Facts
The Great Drone Dump
They may live for just a few weeks or up to 4 months. They mate with the honey bee queen in the air - but only 10 to 20 drones get the opportunity! They die immediately after mating They don't have stinger, therefore cannot sting. Adult drones depend on worker bees to feed them. As the colony enters the dormant stage, drones are kicked out due to the amount of food they consume (3 X that of a worker). Drones have no father, but they have a grandfather! Drones are “haploid,” having been reared from an unfertilized egg. As a result, a drone has only half the chromosomes of a worker or queen bee. The drone has 16 chromosomes, workers and queens have 32. Drones are essential to the health and survival of future honey bee colonies. Drones have massive flight muscles for chasing after the queens at speeds up to 22 miles per hour! Drone bees pass on important behavioral traits and hygienic behaviors to new generations of honey bees. A little-known fact - Drones do contribute to the thermoregulation of a hive during brood rearing AND if left to overwinter - Actually, they can generate one and a half times as much heat as a worker bee – even if not directly next to the brood nest!
Some might think that nature is cruel…the poor woeful drone – here one day, gone the next by the hands of the industrious worker bees. In all reality – nature is performing as a well-oiled machine – caring for those that need the care most! The colony as a whole! As we enter deep into fall, we’ll notice the offloading of the once revered Drone bee. Not so important now, are we? Eating 3 times that of its sisters with little to no use to the well-being of the group over winter – it’s out with the lazy bums!
Video credit: MichiganShooter
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KID FAVORITE
2 - Granny Smith apples 2 T - honey 3 T - peanut butter 2 T - chocolate chips 1 T - unsweetened coconut, shredded (optional) DIRECTIONS Remove core from apples, slice, and place on serving dish. Drizzle peanut butter and honey over apples. Sprinkle chocolate chips and coconut (optional) on top. Serve to your favorite picky eater and watch them enjoy! Recipe courtesy of Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD, made for the National Honey Board TIP This easy breakfast dish can also be made as a quick after-school snack. You can substitute a different type of apple or use almond butter instead of peanut butter. Try a honey varietal for extra flavor.
APPLE NACHOS WITH HONEY
We are so excited to update you on our Austin Area store progress! Although taking longer than we had hoped, groundwork is underway! Like most projects these days, aspects beyond our control have caused delays - but we are happy to say, we are UNDER CONSTRUCTION!
Texas Bee Supply - Austin Area Elgin, TX
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Walker County Beekeepers Association 1402 19th Street Huntsville, TX 77340 Last Thursday of each month Q & A on the front porch at 6:30, meeting at 7:00 PM
Denton County Beekeepers Association Meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month both in-person and on zoom! Details on www.dentonbees.com and on Facebook
Williamson Co Beekeepers Association 4th Tuesday of each month at the Georgetown library in Georgetown. Zoom attendance also available. Click Here for more info
SPEAKER REQUEST
Elm Fork Beekeepers 3rd Thursday each month in person or Zoom at the VFW Hall in Gainsville, TX. Go to: elmforkbeekeepers.org for Zoom link
Tri-County Beekeepers Association 4th Tuesday @ 5:30 pm of each month Sam's Restaurant - Fairfield, TX
Lamar County Beekeepers Association Meets 1st Thursday each month at 6:30 Red River Valley Fairground - Building B Paris, Texas
Montgomery County Beekeepers Association 3rd Monday of each month 9020 Airport Rd. Conroe, TX 77303 Non-members welcome! www.mocobees.com
Kaufman Area Beekeepers Association Second Tuesday each month at 6:30 pm United Methodist Church, 208 S. Houston St. Kaufman, TX New Beekeepers Q & A 5:45-6:15
Comal County BeeKeepers Association First Thursday each month at 6:30 - 7:00 dinner - 7:00 - 8:30 meeting Beefy's on the Green - Spring Branch, TX
Pineywoods Beekeepers Association 2nd Thursday each month Lufkin Angelina County Chamber of Commerce 1615 S. Chestnut Lufkin, TX
Hill County Beekeepers Association In - Person meetings every 3rd Tuesday of the month 6:30 at Hill County Annex Office, Hillsboro, TX
Wood County Beekeepers Association 1st Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm! The current meeting location is the Winnsboro Civic Center
Travis County Beekeepers Association 1st Monday 7-9 pm Zilker Botanical Garden ~ Gift Shop 2220 Barton Springs Rd. Autin, TX 78746 www.TravisCountyBeekeepers.org
Harris County Beekeepers 4th Tuesday each month - 6:30 Meet & Greet - 7:00 meetings start - 5001 W. Oak, Pasadena TX 77504 Harris County Beekeepers Association
Need a Guest Speaker for your Club? Contact us for details!
Austin Area Beekeepers Association Third Thursday each month at 7:00 pm Frickett Scout Center For meeting details CLICK HERE!
Fort Bend Beekeepers 2nd Tuesday of each month (except Dec) in person or online. Bud O'Shieles Community Center 1330 band Road, Rosenberg, TX
Hays County Beekeepers Association In - Person meetings every 3rd Wednesday of the month 6:30 -9pm at Suds Monkey Brewing Company - 12024 US-290, Austin, TX
Central Texas Beekeepers Association Washington County Fairgrounds VIP room 4th Thursday of each month, 7:00 pm CentralTexasBeekeepers.org
Club Announcements
Houston Beekeepers Association 3rd Tuesday each month in person at Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet St Houston, TX 77074 HoustonBeekeepers.org
Liberty County Beekeepers Association First Tuesday each month at 6:30 Texas Bee Supply in Dayton/Huffman For more information go to LibertyCountyBeekeepers.org
Photo Credit: Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen Honey Bee on Boneset flower - Bath, Michigan