Beekeepers Blog

                                   By: Michael Kelling -                             President Central Texas Beekeepers Association Michael owns approximately 100 hives that he uses mainly to provide...

Topics Beekeepers Can't Agree On!   By: Lynne Jones On September 29th, I asked members of two Beekeeping Facebook groups* to state their preference for Solid or Screened bottom boards and why. There were roughly 33 people that commented with only 28 having...

Topics Beekeepers Can't Agree On! By: Lynne Jones Last month we found beekeepers have a pretty clear preference on bottom boards, the obvious next question is: Which is better, telescopic, or migratory covers? On October 30th, I asked this question in...

Both plastic frames and wood frames w/ plastic foundation are common and both have pros and cons. Wood frames with plastic foundation is more common, and what most beekeepers prefer. But let’s examine them both so you can decide which...

This is especially common when the weather begins to warm, and you are using a Boardman entrance feeder. Sugar water has a shelf life of 7-10 days so make sure you only give the bees as much as they can...

Green Drone frames are a one piece plastic frame imprinted with a larger cell pattern to encourage the worker bees to make drone comb. Varroa mites prefer drone comb over worker comb due to the fact drone cells are capped...

Topics Beekeepers Can't Agree On! I usually decide on my question for beekeepers at least a couple of weeks before I post it on Facebook, and my planned question for this article was no exception. March 1st, I opened the Texas...

By: Chari Elam The "Notch" For beekeepers that use telescopic lids, inner covers are necessary in that it prevents bees from propolizing the outer lid to the box. But are you taking advantage of another attribute to these inner covers? How to use the notch:  For...

Topics Beekeepers Can't Agree On! By: Lynne Jones Queen Excluders below your honey supers - always, never, sometimes? That was the question I asked beekeepers in two Facebook groups on April 1st. Out of twenty beekeepers that responded, a whopping...

June and July are known as “Honey Harvest” months for most beekeepers - Some with totes full and others with buckets full! Remember: This is not a contest! Any harvest is a GOOD harvest!! Here are some tips to help...

I'm already there - Won't you join me? By: Charlie Agar - Owner Charlie Bee Company and FrontRow Multimedia Texas Beekeepers Association Director and Volunteer Mentor for Hives For Heroes It will all start out innocently enough. You watch a...

How to make a handy mobile storage dolly By: Harrison Rogers Vice President Harris County Beekeepers Association Treasurer - Real Texas Honey Program - Certified Texas Master Beekeeper Have you ever started pulling supers out of storage when the nectar...

Tips for storing Honey Only bottle the amount you can sell in a reasonable amount of time. Depending on the time of year, you may only sell a few bottles a week or even a month. Avoid having cases of...

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...

NOW WHAT? By: Blake Shook 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,...

As with many topics in beekeeping, there is much room for debate on comb rotation as well. There is no hard and fast rule as to when combs should be rotated. The problem is not that comb darkens or gets...

Unlike any other suit on the market - the one and only TBS Super Suit! This suit is built to last. Made of the toughest triple layer material we could find with only the very best non-rusting zippers and the...

Only YOU Can Prevent Fires in the Bee Yard! With the heat and severe drought conditions we are experiencing, the smallest spark from a bee smoker can become a nightmare in minutes! Our bee yard happens to be located in...

There are a lot of pros, and a few cons to screened bottom boards. In general, both screened or solid can work, and you won’t hurt your bees no matter which you choose. Bees in the wild live in spaces...