It's Springtime!!! As we enter full swing into the busy season, your hive should continue to grow rapidly. Feed sugar syrup as needed and work to maintain at least a 10-15lb surplus of stored honey or syrup. There should be no need to feed any form of pollen substitute as there are abundant supplies available out in the fields! April is the start of the nectar flow! Time to make some of that delicious liquid gold! If you have an questions join our Mentor Group! This is a plac

Happy Beekeeping!!! I hope your hives are all doing well. Your bees should have started raising some brood and gathering pollen. As usual, Texas is experiencing its crazy weather. These cold and warm weather spells can be hard on your hives and result in starvation. It occurs when we have fluctuations of warm and cold weather. Essentially the bees will start to ramp up brood production and using their sources. If it is what we call a "false spring" they can consume to much of

There are several very important things you should be doing and checking for during October. Winter preparation should be at the foremost of your mind and begins now!!! For optimal overwintering, bees should be disease free, healthy, and well fed. We will cover all these important topics in this article. We have readers from all over the globe. Please remember that beekeeping is entirely regional. However, beekeeping management is similar during the different seasons of the y

September is a vital month in the beekeepers year. This is the season for prepping your hives for the oncoming winter. Fall flowers should be providing some much needed nectar. You should also begin to see pollen coming in. I can't stress enough how important this month is. The way you treat your hive in September will determine how is fares during the winter. Please remember that beekeeping is entirely regional. However, beekeeping management is similar during the different

July can be a difficult month for bees in Texas. The temperature will begin hitting the hundreds every day and the heat really slows the bees down. Most of the nectar and pollen sources will also dry up as well. If you removed your honey make sure they have plenty to eat. It can be very beneficial to feed bees in July. It helps keep their population stable and prevents starvation. Here is a to-do list! 1. Make sure hives have plenty of water and ventilation. Bees use a lot of

In Texas the main nectar flow begins to wind down ending around the 4th week of June. Don't delay harvesting your honey as the bees will begin consuming their stores as the flow of nectar subsides. 1. Harvest honey when it is 70-80% capped, or do the shake test. Shake each frame, if more than a few drops of honey fall out of the frame it is still to wet and will most likely ferment. 2. After extraction let the bees clean the honey off the supers before storing them. Don’t let

Hello my fellow beekeeping friends!!! March is a busy time of the year. Your hives should begin rapidly growing, flowers are blooming and beekeepers should be busy! If you have an questions join our Mentor Group! This is a place where you can connect with other beekeepers, and have your questions answered by a professional! Click Here to join! These tips are for those climates that are experiencing fluctuating temperatures from the 20's to 70's.- Leave it to Texas to have a 5

This outline is full of tips and not hard fast rules. In general if you follow these guidelines your hive should survive and thrive. I suggest checking for Varroa during the spring, after extraction and in the fall and winter. The months that are highlighted are the ones that I suggest checking and treating for mites if necessary. This outline also starts in March because March is really the beginning of the year for the Texas beekeeper. Click here to see some of the the most

Now that you have transported your Nuc home, it is time to get it set up in that perfect location. The first step is to place the Nuc in the location it will be permanently. Open the entrance and let your little ladies get some air! You do not want leave them closed up as they can overheat. Let them settle down for at least a few hours after transportation, preferably overnight. After they have settled down you move them out of there temporary cardboard box into their final h

How to Successfully Manage Your Bees in the January Cold? It is the beginning of a new year and while your bees may not have any New Years resolutions, what are your goals for your hives? January in Texas is often quite mild. Temperatures will reach the mid 60's during the day all the way to the low 20's at night. While the warmer temperatures are good, allowing the bees to forage a little and take cleansing flights, there is a danger. The warm air will cause the bees to be m

The Cold weather is rolling in! As the nights get progressively colder the bees will begin to cut their brood production down. This is normal. A hive will not be able to maintain a large brood nest during cold weather. Also, because of the warm spells bees will consume greater amounts of honey than if it is consistently cold. Keep an eye on their stores, you don't want your bees to starve! 1. If you haven’t installed entrance reducers yet do so now to keep rodents out of the

Spring is one of the busiest times of the year for the beekeeper. If you plan to requeen or split make sure you have queens on order as they are usually sold out by March. We offer Italian/Carniolan queens that are strong, productive and gentle! Beekeepers Checklist · Remove hives that died during winter. The boxes and comb can be reused as long as the hive did not die from a brood disease. · Clean boxes in storage and prepare them for honey supering · Check mite levels and t