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TEXAS BEE SUPPLY
Monthly
Cover Photo: Nanette Davis
August 2022
Featured Topics Dearth Drone Layers Mean Bees Maintaining Colony Strength The Perfect Summer Hive
Edition 26
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6 Monthly Tips 10 Dearth Vader - Dearth and Drought 16 Drone Layer 20 Quick Tip - Spotting a Pollen Deficient Hive 22 Mean Bees 26 Did You Know? Orientation Flight 28 Maintaining Colony Strength Through the Summer 30 What Type of Feeder Should I Use? 32 Wax Moths 38 When Do You Give Up on a Hive? 40 Talk With The Expert - John (Skip) Talbert 41 The Perfect Summer Hive 42 Quick Tip - Using a Smoker 44 Topics Beekeepers Can't Agree On: Favorite "Non-Beekeeping Tool!" 50 Quick Tip - Snow on the Prairie 52 Recipe - Bees in the Herb Garden Dip 54 Webinar Q & A 56 Club Announcements 60 Jerry Hayes - Biography 61 Drought Chart
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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!!
James & Chari Elam
DALLAS AREA
BEGINNING BEEKEEPING SUMMER CLASSES
How is Super DFM important?
1. As summer continues, keep a close eye on food stores to ensure your hive maintains at least 30 lbs of surplus honey in their second brood box on hives 1 or more deep box full of bees. If your bees are only filling half of 1 deep box with bees, they only need 15 lbs of stored honey. Maintain a water source and remove mite treatment as directed. 2. Typically, pollen patties/substitute are not needed during the summer, as there are some flowers blooming. However, during unusually hot dry summers, these conditions can kill the majority of blooming plants, or at least cause them to stop producing large amounts of pollen. In this case 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. A dwindling hive over the summer can be the result of insufficient protein. 3. As you feed your hive syrup, adding Super DFM or an essential oil mix like Pro Health can 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. 4. Bee flight will be minimal during the heat of the day. Most activity will occur early in the morning and late in the day. 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.
- Beneficial microbes support gut health in honey bees - All-natural probiotic supplement for honey bees - Supports strong immunity - Excellent digestive aid - Supports gut health - Wide array of lactic acid bacteria - Beneficial Bacillus - Live yeast culture - Enzymes – prebiotics
Photo Credit: Lyra Livingston
By: Blake Shook
AUGUST TIPS
You may not have known it - but you've been waiting for these gloves your entire beekeeping journey! This premium cowhide glove has a reinforced thumb and palm on a 4" gauntlet and 4.5" sleeve with Velcro closure - making this glove easy to put on with no more stretched-out elastic wrists!
New Gloves
NEW PRODUCT ALERT
This year in particular has been a rough year as far as drought conditions go nationwide. As evidenced by the drought chart, it’s not likely to improve any time soon. Note to self: Keep a water source available for your bees until this improves.
By: Chari Elam
August – For some beekeepers dearth can be as intimidating as Darth Vader from Star Wars! Dearth Definition: A scarcity or lack of something – In a honey bee’s life, it means the lack of nectar and/or pollen available for foraging. Depending on your area, you may or may not be feeling the effect of true dearth yet. Although most of us have seen the majority of nectar and pollen producing forage disappear, I am seeing some hives in certain locations continue to find some nectar sources as well as pollen as we go into August. We can’t talk about dearth without including water in the conversation. “Dearth” and “Drought” can be synonymous. WATER IS ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR BEES! To feed or not to feed – That is the question? It really boils down to one thing… Resources for the workers to feed larvae and themselves. Our focus right now is to ensure brood production continues. Keeping in mind we are embarking on raising “winter bees”! I know…it’s hard to believe, but the minute honey production has ended, our mindset needs to focus on preparing for winter. As dearth increases it causes a spiraling effect. The lack of resources in nature, the fewer resources are coming into the hive. This in turn forces the colony to cut back on feeding both larvae and the queen. When they pull back on her feeding, she slows laying. Less food available, they logically stop adding babies to feed! This is a natural progression of course, but we have adopted the role as beekeepers, therefore we’ve accepted the responsibility to keep a healthy, robust colony going into fall and winter. Quick Worker Bee-ology refresher: From egg to emergence – 21 days Emergence to Forager – 22 days 21 + 22 = 43 days to develop a foraging workforce. That’s basically 6 weeks! If I need these girls to be ready for fall nectar flow to ensure winter stores, I don’t need to have a lull in the production line. Remember, this nectar flow is for them to keep – it’s important! The healthiest thriving colonies come from those that haven’t fallen behind in brood production. You’re probably saying to yourself – "She didn’t answer the question, 'Do I feed or not?'" You're right! I didn’t! The bottom line is this - You must do regular hive checks and inspections to know what YOUR bees need. The rule of thumb is to feed until your stored honey is at least 30-40 lbs. Pollen supplements can be used if you see virtually no pollen coming in, or they have less than 1 frame of pollen stored. This will ensure brood production continues and the hive's population to be strong as dearth pounds at the door. The difference between Hive Check & Inspection: Hive Check: Bi-weekly entrance inspection which includes taking the lid off and pulling 1 or 2 frames verifying the condition of the colony and resources being brought in. This includes checking your brood condition, wet or dry brood. It it's dry this could indicate a need for pollen supplements. Hive Inspection: 4 times a year (February, May, August, November) – This entails a full on Hive Dive. Remove and inspect every frame in each box to log its components and condition and make any adjustments or corrections as necessary. Note: We often do more than this depending on the colony and what’s going on. In other words, there are many exceptions to this rule. Inspect according to need. Speaking of Hive Inspections… It has become glaringly obvious to James and me, that beekeepers with double deep boxes AREN’T INSPECTING THE BOTTOM BOX! It’s like once the second deep is installed, the bottom box becomes “never-never land”! A neglected bottom brood box will certainly cause problems. And to point out the obvious, not working it will allow the bees to propolize it so much so you’ll never get the frames apart without the use of heavy machinery! A bottom box left un-inspected can be a breeding ground for disease, pests and most obviously…the unknown! Have you ever had the unknown when you go to the doctor? It’s so hard to fix the unknown! The number 1 rule (in my opinion) in beekeeping is being proactive. If you don’t know something needs to be addressed, how can you address it? I’m quite certain the condition of Bottom Box Neglect stems from the fear of removing the top box and setting it to the side. Here’s a tip that may help: after you pop the propolis between the boxes, lift the top box off and sit it on its end beside the hive. Viola! No bees are squished by setting the box down on its bottom and the bees stay on the frames, patiently waiting for you to put it back after you’ve inspected the bottom box! Bottom line - monitor food stores, provide your bees with water if needed and keep a good hive check schedule. Your bees will thank you!
Dearth VadEr
“Dearth” and “Drought” can be synonymous...
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1st Thursday of Each Month Next meeting August 4th, 6:30 pm
Live in the Bee Yard Keeping Hives Cool Varroa Control Summer Feeding Fixing Weak Hives Drone Layers Summer Re-queening
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Featured Guest Speaker Jerry Hayes Editor Bee Culture magazine Among many other accolades, Jerry Hayes authored or co-authored 23 research papers and a variety of honey bee related articles. For Jerry's full bio - CLICK HERE
Photo Credit: Beesource
Photo Credit: Curbstone Valley Farm
Drone Layer NOW WHAT?
Photo Credit: Poindexter Family Apairies
Drone layers are extremely annoying. Not only are they a waste of a good hive, but they are very difficult to fix. Right off the bat, I want to communicate that even with hard work, and trying multiple methods, I’ve only ever been able to save drone laying hives about 50% of the time at best. I typically recommend not even attempting to save drone laying hives due to this. At the very least, don’t try to save a drone layer unless it’s at least 5 frames of bees and you are a few months away from winter. Identifying a Drone Laying Hive First, you need to be able to identify the cause of a drone laying hive. One of two things could be happening. Your hive could have lost its queen, and the bees failed to raise a new queen. Eventually, without a queen, multiple worker bees (who are undeveloped females) will begin to lay unfertilized eggs which will develop into a “haploid drone." Basically, that's a drone that can’t even mate properly with a future queen. The drone brood tends to be scattered throughout the hive, and the big giveaway is there will be multiple (4-12+) eggs per cell, often stuck to the sides and floor of the cell. Alternatively, you could have a queen that has completely failed and run out of sperm, or more likely, a virgin queen that never mated at all, and is now laying unfertilized eggs. When this happens, there is often only 1 egg per cell, and the pattern is much more compact in the hive, as would be the case with normal brood. But the brood is oversized and bumpy as the bees widen worker bee cells to fit drones. In both cases, as noted above, the brood will be raised and bumpy as the bees work to enlarge worker sized cells to accommodate the larger developing drone brood. Saving a Drone Laying Hive If you do want to save a drone laying hive, especially if you catch it early and it’s a hive with a lot of bees, then here is the best way I’ve found to do so: Identify if it is workers laying, or a virgin/failed queen. If it’s the latter, attempt to find and kill the queen. If you do find and kill her, skip to step 4. Assuming no queen is found, shake all the bees out of the hive about 20 feet away. Return the hive and frames back to their original location. Remove the frames which are completely covered with drone brood. See below for what to do with them. Replace the removed drone brood frames with new or used frames. Place them on the outside edges rather than in the middle of the hive. Take 1 frame of brood from a stronger hive and put it in the center of the hive. Put a caged queen in the hive (See “Installing a Queen”). Check back about 7 days later to see if the new queen is out and laying. If so, success! If not, and the bees are actively raising queen cells on the brood you placed in the hive you can let them attempt to raise their own queen. If that fails, then it is time to shake out the bees and save the comb for next year. Eliminating a Drone Laying Hive & Saving the Comb Ok, you’ve identified a drone laying hive, and decided not to bother trying to save it, either because it’s less than 4-5 frames of bees, getting close to winter, thus lowering their odds of rebounding in time, or you just don’t like the odds, and don’t want to potentially waste the money on a new queen. What next? You’ve got a hive full of bees, honey, and distorted comb. I don’t want to join that mess with another hive, yet I do want to try to save the comb for use next year. Here is what I recommend: Smoke the hive well and shake all the bees out at least 20 feet from any other hive. Some of the bees will eventually drift to other hives, but theoretically, they won’t let the drone laying virgin or bees in if they make it to the other hives at all. The frames of honey, pollen and comb you can give to other hives, or store in your freezer or with wax moth crystals for use next year. The frames of drone brood present a bit more of an issue. If they are more than half full of drone brood, I usually just throw them away. However, if the drone brood is sparse and not compact, you can freeze the frames to kill the drone brood, then put them on a hive next spring and they typically clean them up.
Blake Shook
Lauren Ward Entomologist A Bar Beekeeping
Are Drone Layers worth saving?
Often hives that appear to be doing very well have some hidden needs not obvious until a thorough hive inspection reveals them. No matter the hive configuration or strength, some colonies are in need of pollen. Take a look at this short video showing us how to spot that very need.
Quick Tip
Spotting a Pollen Deficient Hive
Mean Bees
Photo credit: Cyndi Bormann - talesfromthehive.com
Is it just me?? I bet at some point you’ve asked yourself that question. Join the club! Honestly, if you’ve been keeping bees for any amount of time in ANY location, you’ve experience nasty bees. Could it be you? Well…maybe. I know, that’s hard to swallow, but it could be true! Our bees have pretty good memories when it gets down to it. They do remember the guy or gal in the big white suit! You’re the one that comes in and creates havoc every time you enter their home! I’d put money on the fact you’d remember that too! There can be several reasons why bees have attitude and knowing why ahead of time can help manage it before it even starts. Beekeeper Going in too often – Once a week for a new beekeeper is fine for the first few weeks, but then I’d encourage you to back off and go in half that much as time progresses. Your bees will thank you for it. How about that bee suit! No, not how dirty it is, but it could definitely be harboring residual “alarm pheromone!" Washing your bee suit regularly will eliminate not only the embedded stingers but the pheromone as well. What about using smoke? Each time you begin your hive entry, puff several times at the entrance, lift the lid, and add a couple more puffs under the lid. Then, if while you’re doing your inspection, the bees begin to get agitated, give them a few more puffs. Staying on top of smoking will ALWAYS help keep their agitation level down. Technique, Finesse, and speed are developed skills. Focus on proper use of your hive tool, pulling frames and the actual handling of the frames. Be gentle but confident in your inspections. Avoid banging around, bumping on the side, talking loudly and basically just being a “bull in a china cabinet.” It’s very important to use fluid motions while working your hives, but at the same time, work with purpose and speed. Go in, verify you are queen-right by checking for eggs and larva, check resources are in place, pests are under control and then close it up and go to the next hive! Nature Summer Dearth – Hot and hungry bees are definitely a reason for agitation. We need to minimize our hive inspections during dearth for that very reason. Feed your bees during dearth. Unless they are trying to backfill the brood nest, feeding can work wonders for giving them busy work and prevent them from going into their stores – give them a food source ready to eat and use for continuing egg production. Predators – Consider installing a game camera if you find tracks or consistent agitation on what should be perfectly sweet bees. Sprinkling some cayenne pepper on the ground around the hives could be enough of a deterrent to keep them away, or, if worst comes to worst, use a small varmint trap to trap them and carry them off somewhere where they can live in peace. More like, your bees can live in peace! Robbing – Stop robbing as fast as you can! Suit up, reduce the entrance or install a robbing screen, and if that isn’t enough, throw a wet sheet over the hive until morning. And if that still isn’t enough, turn on a water sprinkler at the hive creating a rain storm. One of these will work – then leave them bee! These girls have been through a very traumatic experience and will take several days to recover. Season and weather changes – This can and WILL make bees a bit on the testy side. Bees aren’t much different than other animals in responding to not only barometric pressure changes but also seasonal changes. You know that achy knee or elbow when a front comes through? Same principle. Queen Probably one of the most common reasons our bees will show signs of aggression is because of queen issues. Whether it’s due to being queenless or bad genetics, the queen, or the lack thereof, can be the cause of mean bees. A noticeable low roar before even cracking the lid? Odds are, you’ve lost a queen! Bad genetics can also change the temperament of a hive within one brood cycle (21 days). It is very common for a colony to re-queen, and you not even know it. A locally mated queen has no guarantees. To ensure this never happens, always keep young, quality VSH queens. Requeening yearly can and will prevent this and a multitude of other issues. Environmental Too many hives in one location – This can and will cause agitation. Too many bees + not enough forage = mean bees. As your bee yard grows, consider placing them in various locations to prevent an overpopulation of forage areas. Lack of shade or sun – Your bees need a balance between both. In the summer, afternoon shade is great, and in the fall and winter, more sun will help. Scope out your bee yard and consider placing hives where these criteria are met year-round. Living with Mean Bees You may choose to live with your mean bees! Join the club! We’ve had many hives that have attitudes, but are so very good at producing honey and bees, that we’ve accepted the meanness. Proper handling of these bees is essential, however. Wearing full protective gear is also essential. Inspect them last so you don’t have them causing havoc in the yard before you even get a good start on inspections. With all that said, very rarely do we put up with mean bees for very long. In all reality, you can have sweet bees and good production with a well managed bee yard. Just don’t settle for less!
My bees hate me!
Lauren Ward
James and Chari Elam
What Causes Mean Bees and How to Fix it! Ask the Experts
Video courtesy: Rusty Gomez
DID YOU KNOW?
Photo Credit: Wildflowermeadows.com
A common question asked over and over again: Are my bees... swarming? ...being robbed? What's going on?
As you become familiar with bee biology, you quickly learn duties performed by worker bees are done at particular ages. When a honey bee emerges, she stays inside the colony performing house duties such as cleaning cells, feeding larvae, building comb, and caring for the queen. At the age of 15-18 days old she conducts an orientation flight to learn the location of home. She does this by doing a series of figure 8’s in front of her hive so that at day 21 she can start the process of gathering food for the colony! The obvious difference between an orientation flight and robbing is the number of bees and the behavior at the entrance. Robbing is a fighting event when the orientation flight is more like a dance. Swarming, on the other hand, is a congregation of bees – locked arm in arm, poised ready to take flight. This beautiful event of aging into a role is common to see but when not understood can be alarming. It only lasts for a short period of time – 30 minutes in most cases; so, when you see it – enjoy the beauty of nature at it’s best!
Maintaining Colony Strength Through Summer
This topic will be part of our August Monthly Webinar ~ Don't miss it!
With the majority of the nation in drought and extreme heat, maintaining a colony's strength can be a challenge. It’s not uncommon for bees to starve due to the lack of nature-provided resources during these extended summer months. Listen as Dr. Jamie Ellis tells us two main factors that we, as beekeepers, can implement to ensure our bees not only make it through summer, but go into fall robust and ready for winter.
Watch as Blake shows us each feeder and how to use them!
Shop Feeders
What Type of Feeder Should I Use?
There are so many options in beekeeping, right?! What type of feeder to use is one of the most commonly asked questions out there. Every feeder has its pros and cons, however, at the end of the day, the important factor is that you are feeding your bees when they should be fed. The bees don’t care much what kind of feeder you use, they just want the food! Top Feeders Always install above the top box of the hive Holds several gallons so ideal for hives not visited frequently Minimal drowning Boardman/Entrance Feeder Ideal for new beekeeper to watch the rate of syrup consumption from a distance Must wear protective gear when swapping out feeder jars Holes are subject to stopping up if syrup isn’t completely dissolved and the jar stays clean Prone to cause robbing – not conducive for winter feeding or during dearth Division Board Feeder/Frame Feeder Installed on the outside edge of a box in place of 1 or 2 frames, typically in the bottom brood box Comes in various sizes – 1, 1 ½ and 2 gallons Prone to drown bees – cap & ladder version preferred or installing a large piece of screen or deep foundation to minimize drowning Can be left in year round Bucket Feeder Installed inside an empty box sitting on top of the top box A strong hive may build spare comb inside the empty box, so it must be checked at least once every few weeks during the spring and summer months Can be used all year Bag Feeder Zip lock style bags filled with syrup, directly on the top bars of the top box, with a spare box around it. Tiny holes or slits are cut on the top of the bag allowing the bees to drink the syrup Messy, but works well for winter feeding Lid Feeders A hole is cut in the center of a migratory style lid and fitted with a boardman feeder sized lid. A jar of syrup can be placed directly into the lid Works well for strong hives when the temperature is not freezing Keep in mind, sugar water only has a 7–10-day shelf life, so consider feeding corn syrup, or a blend of corn syrup and sugar syrup if you are feeding more than your bees can eat in 7-10 days. If you do find mold in any of your feeders: Empty out the syrup, and clean thoroughly. Next time you make syrup, add a ½ teaspoon of unscented bleach per gallon of sugar water to prevent mold growing inside feeders. The bees love it, and it does not harm them. You may also see little sugar ants eating the syrup as well. Typically, it is not a problem, and does not prevent the bees from eating the syrup during the day.
Much like Small Hive Beetles (SHB), the adult wax moth does not harm the hive. It is the larva that cause the real issues. The adult moth is about ¾ inch long with silvery/grey wings. The larva at the youngest stage is a very light white color. As they consume wax and pollen in the hive, they become a dark grey color. They also have a brownish-yellow head and can range from ¾ to 2 in. long. They can be extremely destructive to the comb in the hive. A severe infestation can turn a dead/dying hive or stored supers into a mass of webbing in a matter of days. In the early stages you can see silk tunnels running through the comb. Freezing the comb quickly kills the larva and the frames can be easily cleaned by the bees and reused next year. The final stage of a larva’s development is spinning an incredibly tough silken cocoon in the corners or crevices of a hive or burrowed into the wood in the hive. These can hatch into an adult moth anywhere from 28 days to 6 months depending on the season and feeding conditions. Scraping them out and freezing the equipment is the best way to kill them. Do wax moths kill hives? While they can certainly make a mess of comb, they do not kill hives. They are the cleanup crew that comes in after something else has damaged your hive. Wax moths are often blamed for the death of hives since they are the most visible sign of damage. But the vast majority of the time your hive was weakened to the point of near death by something else, often Varroa mites, and they were unable to keep the wax moth larva at bay. The best defense against them is keeping your hive strong and healthy. Defenses Against Wax Moths in Live Hives The best defense is, 1) A strong hive, and 2) A hive that does not have too many boxes. There are no treatments for wax moths that are effective or safe in a living hive. A hive that only occupies a few frames within a hive is at risk of being overrun by wax moths. Focus on mites, proper feeding, new queens, etc. to make sure your hive stays healthy. Otherwise, the wax moths and SHB will begin eating the comb, pollen, and honey. Make sure bees are occupying at least 25% at a minimum of any box on the hive. If they are not, it’s time to remove a box. The exception here would be in late fall or winter. Once the temperatures are routinely freezing at night, wax moths are not a concern. If your top box on a hive is full of honey, but doesn’t have many bees in it, it does not harm them to leave it in case they need the honey later in the winter or early spring. Cleaning frames infested with wax moths If wax moths infest a frame of comb, you may or may not be able to reuse it. If there are only a few tunnels running through it, it can easily be reused. You can physically kill the larva and place the frames in a strong hive. They will easily clean and repair the frame. Assuming you have plastic foundation, if 50% or less of the frame is severely damaged you can scrape off the damaged portion and a strong hive will clean it and redraw the comb. Brushing a bit of melted wax on the bare foundation will help the bees draw it faster. If you use beeswax foundation rather than plastic, scrape it clean, and insert a new sheet of wax . If the frame is over 50% webbing, it is usually best to scrape the foundation clean, recoat it with wax or pop the foundation out, throw it away, and place a new sheet of foundation in the frame.
Identifying Wax Moths
Photo: NSW Dept. of Primary Ind. Schools
WAX MOTHS
Photo: BeeInformed.org
Photos by: Dodie Stillman
Michael Kelling
Re-waxing frames is easy as demonstrated by Dodie Stillman in the May 2021 TBS Monthly. All you need is a crock pot, foam roller, wax, water and foundation frames! For step-by-step instructions check out her article entitled "Wonky Comb?" on page 18!
Cameron Crane
How to Clean Wax Moth Damage
Photo Credit: Nanette Davis
Follow Me!
Dodie Stillman Vice President - Texas Beekeepers Association President - Austin Area Beekeepers Association Master Beekeeper
Harrison Rogers Vice President Harris County Beekeepers Association Treasurer- Real Texas Honey Program Certified Texas Master Beekeeper
Tara Chapman Featured on the Today Show, Vice Media and Eating Well Magazine Two Hives Honey - Austin, TX
You aren’t alone when it’s comes to not wanting to give up on a hive. After all, you’ve got a lot of time and money invested in it! Knowing what to look for to inspire you to keep working it or to let it go are both key into answering that question. Listen as our experts give you their opinions on “when to give up on a hive”!
When do you give up on a hive?
with Chari Elam
Talk with the Expert Introducing John (Skip) Talbert
Join me as I welcome Skip Talbert of Sabine Creek Honey Farm to our monthly Talk with the Expert! Skip's father (John Talbert) started the company in 1985 and after retiring from a career in the military, decided to join the business as Operations Manager. Skip and I talk about honey production in drought conditions and how the lack of rain has affected bees in general. He also gives us solid information about caring for our bees as we progress through August and prepare for winter. All great information!
You want to see a PERFECT summer hive? Check this out!
Easy light with burlap! Check it out!
Proper use of a smoker has never been so important as it is during dearth. Here are a few tips that can help: Use cool smoke - burlap and pellets light fast, burn long and cool. Use 4-5 puffs at the entrance before you do anything. Then pop the lid and give another few puffs under it as you slowly remove it. Smoke the hive again across the top bars if still open after 5-7 minutes to keep them distracted. Keep the smoker "down wind" of the hive and you, the beekeeper. This stops too much smoke from inundating the hive and YOU!
Your most valuable tool
Smokers
By: Lynne Jones
Topics Beekeepers Can't Agree On!
The Most Useful Non-Beekeeping Item
Recently I asked members of two Beekeeping Facebook groups*, “What is the most useful non-beekeeping item in your beekeeping inspection kit or bee shed?” This was a popular topic with over 120 comments. If there’s one thing beekeepers like, it’s a good tip, trick, or hack. Twenty-seven beekeepers stated what they consider to be their most useful item. The item mentioned by almost 1/3 of the responses was tape, but because we are beekeepers after all, we don’t agree on the type of tape. Preferences were almost evenly divided between blue painter’s tape, duct tape and gorilla tape. Several were curious on what the use of tape would be for. Since I am a big user of blue painter’s tape, I replied with some of my uses: Taping up seams between boxes if they have gaps big enough for small hive beetles to slip in In the winter opening a hive violates the propolis seal, so blue tape can "re-seal" the hive. For making temporary repairs to woodware, (although gorilla tape would be my preference for that) Securing robbing screens - I usually tape them on because invariably there are gaps or places where they don’t fit as tightly as they should. I’ve wrapped painter's tape completely around wooden Nuc boxes to hold the top and bottom together for moving them. Last fall I ran out of entrance reducers and just taped up the entire front entrance leaving only a small opening. You can put a piece of tape on the cover to write temporary notes or under the cover for longer term notes. No doubt there are other things I’ve used it for, but those are what come to mind. The comment that generated the most response was made by Earnie Welch. Earnie named Baby Powder as his most useful item, and he uses it instead of gloves most of the time. Earnie said, “… as long as you’re not working with really mean bees it will keep em’ off your hands.” Earnie raises queens and has to be able to handle them without causing injury. Many of us struggle with dexterity when wearing gloves but are not yet comfortable going bare-handed. If you aren’t brave enough yet to give baby-powdered hands a try, you still might find it useful. Laura McGee and Vicki Esaklul also said they use baby powder to make it easier to put gloves on. Another item that garnered interest was Linda Wolfe’s most useful item, a neck fan. Linda said, “This neck fan is amazing! You won’t believe how much cooler you will feel on a hot summer day.” Trey Roden and Darren Cormier (and probably quite a few others) decided to purchase this style neck fan after reading Linda’s comment. Bernard Barela recommends the Gorilla slim-fold work platform, saying, “This bench is a real back saver at 20" high. I can snug it up as close as I need when handling a 60-80 lb. second deep. When done, I just leave it there for next trip.” I should take Bernard’s advice and leave mine in my apiary, but first I’ll have to confiscate it from my husband. Typically, these sell for about $90 at the Big Box stores. Request: If you find an exceptional Black-Friday-type-sale price, be sure to share the info with your fellow beekeepers! There were so many useful items and if space allowed, I’d list all of them. Here are a few I think are clever and perhaps not something you’ve considered. The comment that spoke to me most was made by Zeb Pomerenke. “I am not sure I have anything too unusual in my bee toolbox. Whatever it would be, you bet I don’t have it when I’m in the middle of a hive and far from the house.” I think we can ALL relate to that at some point! If you use Facebook, check out both links for all the other most useful non-beekeeping items. I’ll bet you add a few of them to your beekeeping inspection kit.
Neck Fans available online from under $10 to over $100
To stay hydrated, Timothy Williams wears a Camelback Water Pack – “… place the valve in my veil and sip on 2.5 quarts of water anytime.” Priced from $25 to well over $100
*Facebook Links: Central Texas Beekeepers Texas Friendly Beekeepers
Perhaps just as handy, Danessa Yaschuk always keeps a straw on hand to drink water through the veil’s zipper.
When it comes to magnification and light, Paradise Farmer has an Otoscope, (a medical instrument used to look in the ear canal) - Sells for $10 and up.
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
Frances Royal uses the flat end of a Bamboo grilling skewer to mash small hive beetles in comb cells.
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Snow on the Prairie in full bloom in Collin County and surrounding counties. It grows in wide swaths of white blooms. Some may not recognize it as a single bloom but once you see it you know it. It’s good for the bees now as other nectar is drying up. But when in your honey, it’s spicy/peppery and it isn’t pleasing to all.
Wholesale Priced
Available at both Texas Bee Supply locations and online at DesertCreekHoney.com
DESERT CREEK HONEY Raw.Unfiltered. 100% Real.
YIELD:Makes 20 (2 T) servings INGREDIENTS 1 pint - sour cream 6 T - honey 2 T - orange juice, thawed, undiluted 2 T - Dijon mustard 1 T - cream-style horseradish 2 tsp. - rosemary, crushed 1 tsp. - chervil, crushed 1 tsp. - basil, crushed 3/4 tsp. - salt 1/2 tsp. - white pepper 1/4 tsp. - garlic powder 1/2 cup - feta cheese, finely crumbled DIRECTIONS In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Refrigerate at least one hour to allow flavors to blend. Stir before using and serve with vegetables. NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per serving of dip) Calories 64 kcal; Fat 5 g; Sat Fat 3 g; Carb 5 g; Protein 1 g; Fiber 0 g; Cholesterol 15 mg, Sodium 167 mg; Potassium 31 mg; Calcium 42 mg; Iron 0 mg; Vitamin D 0 mcg
Bees In The Herb Garden Dip
Webinar Q&A
If I can do this - YOU can do this!
DALLAS, HOUSTON AND AUSTIN AREA!
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Some GREAT questions from the last Webinar meeting! Click on the button below to read them all!
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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
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!
BEE SCHOOL
Texas Bee Supply - Austin Area Elgin, TX
Texas Bee Supply is proud to sponsor local educational opportunities like these!
NETBA Fall Seminar
Brazos Valley Bee School in Bryan, TX
2022 Fall Seminar in Canton,TX
Jerry Hayes Guest Speaker August 4th 6:30 PM Texas Bee Supply monthly webinar
Jerry Hayes started out in life as a High School teacher. He hated it. He went into another business where he worked with a beekeeper. Back many years ago Jerry knew about Honey Bees but nobody actually knew a ‘Beekeeper’, did they? Jerry asked him questions, picked his brain, became more interested and fascinated and started reading everything he could get his hands on about Honey Bees. He turned into the consummate backyard beekeeper. He did all the fun and crazy things backyard beekeepers do and build and experiment with. He wondered if he could get into the beekeeping world and support a young family. So, with the support of his family he went back to school under the tutelage of Dr. Jim Tew, at Ohio State University. Best thing he ever did, according to Jerry. Years later looking back on his opportunities as a Research Technician at the USDA/ARS Baton Rouge Bee Lab, Dadant and Sons Regional Mgr., Dadant And Sons New Product Dev., and AR Mgr., Chief of the Apiary Section for the Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Monsanto Honey Bee Lead, VP. of Vita Bee health North America and now Editor of Bee Culture magazine he's awed and amazed. Add to the above the Classroom Q&A Column of the American Bee Journal for almost 40 years, the ‘Classroom’ Book, Author or Co-Author on 23 research papers and a variety of Honey Bee related articles in a variety of publications. Plus, Past President of Apiary Inspectors of America, Heartland Apiculture Assoc., Colony Collapse Working Group, CAPS Science Advisor, PAm Science Advisor, AHPA Science Advisor and many Professional Presentations internationally and media opportunities.
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