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

Winter is when most beekeepers lose their hive. Hives can die for a variety of reasons during the winter. After reading this article you will hopefully be well equipped with the knowledge to see your hive safely through the cold months. Winter preparation should really start in October. Hives with less than 3-4 frames of bees should be combined. Make sure your hive has 40-60 lbs of honey/syrup Check your Mite levels! Many hives die during the winter due to varroa! Make sure y

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