Journal Texas Beekeepers Association...Beekeeping Equipment (includes): 1-‐ Hive Tool 1-‐ Smoker...

July / August 2013 Issue 13-4www.texasbeekeepers.org

The Texas Beekeepers Association

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THE JOURNAL OF THE TEXAS BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION22 Issue 13-4

THE JOURNAL OF THE TEXAS BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION 3July / August 2013

President’s Reportfrom Blake Shook

Texas Apiary Inspection Service, Conventions and the Industry Today

As I wrote in my last article, changes are soon to come to the Texas Apiary Inspection Service (TAIS) in Texas. Changes which we at TBA hope to promote and see in effect relatively soon. The goal is to create an inspection service which will be a beneficial service to all beekeepers. Of many hopeful objectives a few would be for the new TAIS to conduct research studies applicable specifically to beekeepers in Texas and perform many extension type services for beekeepers of all sizes. Many questions still surround how the nuts and bolts of this program will come together, but the main action currently being taken is searching for an entrepreneurial and proactive Chief Apiary Inspector. We are looking for someone knowledgeable about beekeeping, who is willing to teach, speak, market the program and perform basic and practical research. Several of us from your board at TBA, as well as the TBA A&M Liaison Committee, recently met at our Bee Lab in A&M University to discuss these and many other proposed changes. Dr. Ragsdale and Dr. Juliana Rangel were very gracious hosts and we were delighted that Dr. Craig Nessler, Director of Agrilife Research was able to join us. They are committed to being key partners with us as we work alongside them to reorganize and restructure this service. The main thing I would ask for from you, the industry, is to let myself or anyone on the TBA Liaison Committee know if you have any suggestions regarding the TAIS and how it could be more beneficial to you. Now is your opportunity to help shape this program, and we ask for your input. On another note, the time for our annual TBA Convention is drawing near! Chris Moore has done an outstanding job at acquiring some of the best speakers in the industry. I believe the program this year is going to be incredibly applicable for beekeepers of all sizes. Be sure to check out more details in this month’s Journal. Our convention is truly one of the most informative and practical in the industry and I would highly encourage you to join us in Plano this year. Speaking of our industry, I told someone recently I have never

seen an industry with such a formidable and challenging, yet exciting and positive future. Honey prices are amazingly high, pollination prices (especially in CA) continue to climb, demand for both honey and pollination is up and the need continues to grow for new commercial beekeepers. But, when we see demand increase, prices climb and producers decline, it begs the question, “why?” Simply put, beekeeping is hard. Not just mildly difficult or a little challenging, beekeeping is very hard and shows no signs of becoming simpler anytime soon. From the knowledge and expertise needed to keep bees alive today, to the massive amount of harmful pesticides on the market, to dramatically dwindling forage for bees, beekeeping is no longer the trade it once was. Each year thousands of acres of forage are eliminated by developing suburbs and tens of thousands of acres of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land is being planted with corn and soybeans. We are running out of forage and bees, both at an alarming rate. Like some assume, there is money to be made in beekeeping, but if you do make it, you will have earned every dollar. Let’s not be discouraged, but realistic, and ready to address the challenges we face, knowing there is success for those who are willing to work together for it. And, don’t believe these challenges will affect only commercial beekeepers. Remember, commercial beekeepers are the source of bees, queens, equipment, pollination and much more. What hurts the industry, hurts everyone, down to the beekeeper with one hive in their backyard. Perhaps I am just not as smart as many other beekeepers these days, but with the rapid changes and challenges in our industry, I think that it is more essential than ever to be a part of an educational association, both for your benefit and to serve an industry that needs everyone’s support. I would obviously campaign for you to attend the TBA Convention, but there are many options. Both national beekeeping organizations will be meeting in the South this year, and provide an excellent source of information. I hope to see all of you at a convention soon!

In This IssuePresident’s Report.......................................................... 3Vice-President’s Report.................................................. 4Director’s Report............................................................ 5Texas Beekeepers Association Convention................ 6 - 10The Buds and the Bees............................................ 12 - 14State Fair of Texas........................................................ 15Selecting for Varroa Resistance..................................... 16Update fron the Honey Bee Lab.................................,.. 18The Brantley Column...............................................,... 19

Buckwheat Honey in East Texas................................... 20Everyone calm down, there is no “bee-pocalypse”.......... 224-H Essay Contest.................................................. 24-26National Honey Bee Day.............................................. 28Beekeeping Tips.......................................................... 29Honey Queen Report.................................................. 30Honey Queen Chair Report......................................... 31List of Associations................................................. 32-33Membership Report.................................................... 34


Vice President’s Reportfrom Chris Moore

Vacation...Here I Come

Extracting honey is one of those necessary evils, a sticky mess, that you can’t wait until it’s finished – but, at the same time, you don’t want it to end… The longer you extract, the more honey you are harvesting. We have just finished extracting our crop here in Southeast Texas. Our yield was better than the last several years, but our colony count is down some 22%. We have changed our annual practice from just making splits in the spring to now making some additional splits in the summer. If we can just keep these amazing bugs alive & healthy. Keep an eye on your larva. We noticed this year several hives that did not produce much honey. After examination, and a few emails, this is what we found out :

“We are seeing more and more EFB (European Foul Brood) this year for some reason. EFB is not like IBDS (Idiopathic Brood Disease Syndrome) or snot, in that we can find the EFB bacteria in the sample if indeed it is EFB. We continue to see snot as well but still do not know exactly what causes snot brood or IBDS.

“I would use TM or oxytetracycline on EFB. Randy will have the formula.” Jeff Pettis (Dr Jeffrey Pettis, the head of the US Department ofAgriculture’s Bee Research Laboratory)

We have been fortunate, for the past 5 years, we have not had to use many antibiotics. But now we are spot treating those colonies. Jeff is referring to Randy Oliver (www.scientificbeekeeping.com) who is our keynote speaker at this year’s TBA Convention in November. Make plans to attend now. On a separate note, It’s time to raise prices. The honey market has gone up some .30 cents a pound from last year. We have raised our prices across the board.

Tip – Late summer nectar dearth can be hard on our bees, depending on the area. They often do not get a balanced diet. Feeding a light sugar syrup and a small (1/4) pollen patty helps bridge the gap until fall flowers begin to bloom.

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Beekeeping Equipment (includes): 1-‐ Hive Tool 1-‐ Smoker w/shield 1-‐ Helmet 1-‐ Folding veil 1-‐ Bee brush 1-‐ Ventilated leather gloves 1-‐ Boardman feeder 1-‐ Metal bound excluder 1-‐ First Lessons in Beekeeping

** $5 Donation per Ticket ** (Proceeds to Benefit the Texas Honey Queen Fund)

Drawing to be held at the November 2013 Texas Beekeepers Association Convention in Dallas

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Calendar of Events

Texas Beekeepers Association at theState Fair of Texas......................Sept./Oct. 2013

Texas Beekeepers Association Annual Conventionin Plano, TX...............November 7th-10th, 2013

ABF Annual Conference in Baton Rouge, LA..........January 7th - 11th, 2014

AHPA Annual Conventionin San Antonio, TX.......... January 7th - 11th, 2014

Texas Beekeepers Association Winter Delegates Meeting in Salado, TX........February 15th, 2014

Cover PictureBumblebee on Texas Sage


Director’s Reportfrom Rodney Holloway

Central Texas, Fort Bend , Brazoria, Williamson County

A local beekeeping association’s newsletter is an important part of the groups activities. Some are more lengthy than others but all generally contain good information. I receive three local Texas beekeeping club newsletters each month and find them helpful in keeping up with a particular clubs interest and needs. It might even be said that a newsletter is somewhat of a barometer of a respective clubs general well being. i.e good newsletters come from healthy clubs. Delivery is electronic but one or two arrive via USPS. Most of the newsletters are written

and published by a club member, however I receive one that is mailed by the local county Extension Agent. Organizations that do not have a newsletter may want to consider getting help from the County Extension office. Often these agents are willing to support local groups with expertise and mailing options. Local Texas beekeeping association newsletters are helpful and informative particularly the “classifieds” and meeting information.

Texas Beekeepers AssociationAnnual Convention

7th - 10th November, 2013

Southfork Hotel1600 North Central Expressway

Plano, TX 75074(972) 578-8555 or (866) 665-2680

Online at www.southforkhotel.com use code TEXASBEEKRoom Rate $84 King or 2 Double

Call before Wednesday October 23rd, 2013


Texas Beekeepers associaTionnovemBer 7Th - 10Th

Keynote Speakers

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve

ArtCentre of Plano

Randy Oliverwww.scientificbeekeeping.comJerry HayesMonsanto CorporationClint WalkerDancing Bee WineryJuliana RangelTexas A&M Honey LabAudrey SheridanMississippi State University

Breakout Sessions

Clint Walker - Bee Products

Dean Cook - Top Bar Hives

Les Crowder - Beeswax Products

Eddie Collins andChris Moore - Splitting 101

Russell Swinney - Beekeeping 101

Ask the Experts - Clint Walker Blake Shook Randy Oliver Jerry Hayes Audrey Sheridan Juliana Rangel

Juliana Rangel - Queens

Traditional Events

Bee Buzz Social

Queen’s Luncheon

Queen’s Quiz Bowl

Annual Banquet


annual convenTion 2013souThfork hoTel, plano Tx

Southfork Ranch

Heritage Farmstead

Interurban Railway Museum

Exhibitors

Dadant

Mann Lake

Texas Insurance

Dancing Bee Winery

Beekeeping Ins. Serv.

KLAB

Shirley AcevedoJ’Neena SwinneySusan Kilpatrick

Fundraising Auctions

Friday EveningQueen’s Quiz Bowl Auction

Saturday EveningAnnual Banquet Auction

Practical Backyard BeekeepingLarry ConnorSee Details Page 8

Contests

Honey

Wax

Photography

Contest Entry Forms and Rules on website at texasbeekeepers.org


annual convenTion 2013souThfork hoTel, plano Tx

Thursday novemBer 7Th, 2013

Practical Back-Yard Beekeeping

For Small-Scale (Hobby) and Serious Sideline Beekeepers

DR. LARRY CONNOR, INSTRUCTOR

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION $60 per person, (Includes $20 credit toward a Wicwas Press book)

Or $90 per couple (only one book credit)

PROGRAM

9:00 REGISTRATION

9:15 Operating Two hives and a Nucleus: Lessons with Limited Colony Resources

10:30 BREAK

11:00 Making $500 per hive per year—Reverse Your Cash Flow and MAKE Money Keeping a Few Bee Colonies

12:15 LUNCH BREAK

1:30 Honey Bee Wellness for the Small-Scale Beekeeper—Simple Sampling Methods to Determine What is Happening inside the Hive

3:00 BREAK

3:30 Drone and Queen Management—Ensuring Well-fed Queens and Drones with High Probability of Success

4:45 WRAP UP

Larry Connor, Ph.D.Wicwas Press1620 Miller RoadKalamazoo, MI 49001Cell: (269) 344-8027www.wicwas.com


TEXAS BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION Registration Form

Annual ConventionNovember 7-10, 2013

Plano, TX 750741600 North Central Expressway - Reservations Toll Free: 866/665-2680

Name : Phone : (Home)

Spouse's Name : (Work)

Address : (Cell)

City : State : Zip :

Other Info: Do you have?

e-mail Address: (please print) Beekeeper Classification (circle one):

Business Name: Commercial / Sideliner / Small Scale

Local Assoc. Affiliation: (300+) (25-299) (0-24)

Renewal (Annual dues *Jan.1 thru Dec. 31* $35.00 per member)

2014 Member Dues $35.00

2014 Spouse Dues 35.00

2014 or Family Dues 50.00

2013 member dues (if unpaid) 35.00

2013 spouse dues (if unpaid) 35.00

: Early Bird Convention : Early Bird Convention

Registration RegistrationPost Mark by Sat.

Nov. 2ndat the Hotel

TBA Member $50.00 $65.00

Spouse - Who is TBA member 15.00 20.00

Who is non-member 25.00 30.00

NON-MEMBER Registration 75.00 90.00

Practical Backyard Beekeeping(registration) 60.00 65.00

Thursday, 11/7/13 9:00am - 5:00pm Couples 90.00 95.00 Number

Queen's Luncheon (ticket required) 25.00 30.00 each X [ ]

Friday, 11/8/13 12:00noon - 1:00pm TBA Annual Banquet (ticket required) 40.00 45.00 each X [ ]

Saturday, 11/9/13 6:30pm - 10:30pm Children age 18 and under w/adult 20.00 25.00 each X [ ]

Donations

Honey Bee Research

Legislative Fund

State Fair Honey Booth

Texas Honey Queen Fund

Make checks payable to: Texas Beekeepers Association Total Due $

% 1799 Goodson Court, Round Rock, TX 78664-3706 Remittance: Cash / Check:


KIDS LEARNING ABOUT BEES

Texas Beekeepers Association www.texasbeekeepers.org

Hosted by:

Thursday, November 7, 201310 AM- 2 PM

Southfork Hotel1600 North Central Expwy

Plano, Texas(972) 578-8555

This free event is open to school children of all ages, accompanied by an adult, during the Texas Beekeepers Association an-nual convention.

Educational stations will be manned by students and experienced beekeepers. Meet Buzzy Bear and Honey Queens and Princesses from Texas who will escort groups through the 30-45 minute tour of the educational stations which will include:

• Anobservationhiveofhoneybees• Beesuit,hat,veil,gloves• Honeyextractingequipment• Beehivebox,smoker,andtools• PollinationDisplay• Beeswaxcandlemaking

• Posters• Handouts• Beerelateditemsandhoneyforpurchase• HoneyQueendisplaytables• BuzzyBear

Contact J’Neena Swinney to registerCell 214-546-7363 Email [email protected]

For your time slot, please email your name, number in your party, and a contact phone number to [email protected]

WanT To sell more honey? Join The Texas honey locaTor!

TBA has recently revamped, and launched a new website! Check it out at www.texasbeekeepers.org! It is very modern, easy to use, with amazing graphics! Best of all, we are integrating benefits for you as a beekeeper. Soon to come will be all permits and resources from the TAIS, educational documents, educational videos, an interactive bee removal list, local honey list, and much much more. As we continue working on adding these benefits, we have one we would like to begin offering now. We are creating an interactive Texas Honey Locator list, locating all of our members who would like

to sell their honey. If you would like to be listed on this map, which will be posted on our website which receives 7,000 page views per month, send an e-mail to [email protected] and we will send you a quick form to fill out. You must be a TBA member to receive this benefit. Whatever contact information you want to be used will be posted onto a map where a potential customer will be able to search for, and find the closest honey supplier to him/her. We are constantly having inquires for local honey through our website, and hope this method will enable our visitors to find you, and your honey.


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THE BUDS AND THE BEESThe Flowers in Your Honey Jarby Becky Bender, Texas Master Naturalist

I get this question a lot: “We just bought land and we’re eager to plant for our bees; what should we plant?” When a new beekeeper recently asked me this, I could tell he was surprised at my answer: “Your bees may benefit more by what you protect on your land than what you add to it.” A few years ago I would have simply given the new land owner a standard list of bee plants. But that changed the day John Talbert introduced me to Dr. Vaughn Bryant, Director of the Palynology Laboratory at Texas A&M University. Palynology is the study of pollen grains. And this lab is where Dr. Bryant performs a sort of “retrospective research” on honey. It’s called pollen analysis and the results can contribute a great deal to our understanding of where bees forage. You might say the flowers in a honey jar tell a story – a story of the bee, the land, and how the beekeeper stewards the relationship between the two. A pollen analysis is done on a small sample of honey using light microscopy to identify pollen to the genus level of a plant. The types and percentages of pollen in honey are not a 1:1 correlation with their nectar source. However, “pollen coefficient ratios” are used to adjust for the limitations and establish more reliable determinations of nectar sources. To read more about the fascinating science, applications and limitations of pollen analysis, read “Meet Vaughn Bryant, Honey Sleuth” in Bee Culture, October 2012. Chances are either you or beekeepers you know have done a pollen analysis. So you may be familiar with the amusing reactions people have to their detailed pollen reports. These reactions seem to fall into two categories -- shock at where the bees have been and dumbfounded stares at the list of plant names. I had both of these reactions to my 2010 analysis. A single pollen so dominated our honey that we could have sold it as a Unifloral honey. And I’d never heard of the plant! While my review of several different pollen analyses across the state is far from rigorous research, observations reveal interesting themes that affect beekeepers. I’ll start with my shocking pollen analysis of 2010.

The flowers in your honey jar may be tiny, inconspicuous blossoms.

Nectar blossoms may be mere “wallflowers”. Unnoticed. Unappreciated. Flowers may be tiny, tinted green, located high on a vine or tree, nestled under leaves or in bloom only a few days a year. Unless you’re lucky enough to hear the buzz of working bees nearby, you may never discover the blossoms. It was Rattan Vine or Alabama Supplejack (Berchemia scandens) that sent me climbing trees in search of a pollen that dominated our 2010 honey. Though it’s considered a major honey plant, I’d never heard of it. Honey is classified as Unifloral honey when pollen from a single source is at 45% or higher; rattan vine pollen was at 61% in our honey that year. I have since found several vines close by, some growing within window view.

The flowers in your honey jar will be different each year.

Rattan Vine

Inconspicuous Flowers of Rattan Vine(Photo by Michael Parkey)

Usually hidden by other vegetation, rattan vine is a large, twining, tree-climbing perennial vine throughout north and east Texas. It’s known to be a common and excellent nectar source which is favored by honey bees whenever it’s in bloom. Tiny, inconspicuous, greenish-color flowers begin blooming in March and are followed by fall fruits which are a critical source of food for birds and mammals. Unfortunately, this vine is often cleared away as messy, unwelcome brush in moist, wooded areas.

Pollen in your honey will differ in type and percentage from year-to-year. This difference can be dramatic. Nectar secretion in the nectaries of many honey plants is affected by the amount and timing of rainfall, light, humidity and temperature. In general,


The flowers in your honey jar may illustrate the diversity of Texas nectar plants.

The Black Willow (Salix nigra) is a valuable honey plant across our state. It’s a tall, fast-growing perennial tree seen near ponds and wetlands. Willow blooms are called catkins, a spike of tiny flowers with no petals. They appear April to May, attract-ing bees, birds and butterflies. This willow is a larval host for the lovely Viceroy and Tiger Swallowtail butterflies. Roots help prevent soil erosion and the tree is easily propagated from seed, root and stem cuttings. Considered a trashy tree by some, the black willow is often cleared from ponds and creeks despite its value as a honey plant. The Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana) is known as a nectar source across Texas. It’s a small perennial tree found in brushy areas where it may be cleared away before it’s even identified. It typically grows to about 15 feet or taller. The fragrant, greenish-white, bell-shaped flowers appear March to April for a brief period. Fruit ripens in early fall and is a favorite of many birds and mammals. The tree is extremely drought tolerant and grows

While lacking in major honey plants, Texas is host to a wealth of diverse nectar and pollen plants. Combinations of various types of pollen are vital to the nutritional health of our bees. I see a good diversity of wild pollen and nectar plants on the analyses of hobby beekeepers across the state. Some of these are: black willow tree, prickly ash tree, rattan vine, clematis, persimmon tree, sumac shrub, poison ivy, the small buckthorn tree, button bush, purple prairie clover, horsemint, blanket flower and dewberry. The black willow and the Texas persimmon are particularly valuable to beekeepers.

high temperatures promote more nectar secretion. But very high temperatures – defined as exceeding 95 to 100 – may inhibit nectar flow. (Honey Plants of North America, Lovell 1926). For ex-ample, I’ve noticed more wildflower pollen in my reports during higher rainfall years and during seasons following higher rainfall. Perhaps it’s because wildflower blooms are dependent on specific combinations of rainfall and temperature.

Flowering catkins of Black Willow

in sun or part shade. In landscapes it’s suited for small spaces in full sun. Blossoms attract birds and butterflies. It germinates readily from seed. Tom Fris, a beekeeper in north Texas, tells a great story about how he increased diverse forage for his bees. Tom’s hives are located near a neighbor’s pecan orchard. Each year his neighbors mowed down vast drifts of wildflowers beneath the trees. When Tom finally gathered the nerve to ask his neighbors to delay mowing for his bee’s sake, he was told his bees had plenty of flowers already. The following year, Tom tried again. This time he sweetened the deal with the seduction of his honey. Fast forward a few years…. Tom’s neighbors are still enjoying his honey while Tom’s bees forage the orchard. Like Tom’s story and many others, the flowers in a honey jar tell a tale, not only about what’s in the jar but what’s missing. The flowers in a honey jar tell a story of the bee, the land and how the beekeeper stewards the relationship between the two. Can you add a no-mow or “pocket prairie” to your yard or field? Can you allow vegetation to grow along fence lines, creeks or ponds? Can you see the beauty of vines and shrubs growing in tandem with trees? What we protect on our land may be more important than what we add to it. Just maybe.

Tiny Flowers of Texas Persimmon

Becky Bender welcomes your questions, comments and bee plant stories. Email to:

[email protected].

(continued on page 14)


Curious about the flowers in YOUR honey jar?

Fill a small air-tight container (like old film canisters) with your honey. Seal lid. Label with contact infor-mation and place in zip lock bag. Be sure to enclose your name, address, email and payment. Cost is $50.00 per sample. Expect a detailed Pollen Analysis report within 2 weeks. Send to: Vaughn Bryant, Professor of Anthropology, Director of Palynology Lab, Dept. of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, TAMU 4352,

College Station, TX 77843-4352.

Dr. Bryant’s email is [email protected]

Share your results. Contribute to a Texas-wide list of bee plants by sending a copy of your results to Becky Bender at [email protected].

(continued from page 13)

Q&A

Q: I enjoyed reading your herb article in the Journal of the Texas Beekeepers Association (Buzzworthy Herbs, May/June 2013). We have bees and although I’m not great at gardening, I’d like to try some of your recommendations. Do you buy your herbs from seed or plant? And do you have a list of herbs per seasons that attract pollinators?

Nisha Coker Brenham, TX

A: Nisha, I usually purchase my herbs as plants. But here are some options for you.

Herbs that can be easily started from seed are: basil, dill, cilantro, borage, fennel and chives. These are all attractive to bees if you let them “go to seed” or “flower out.” Buzzworthy herbs that are fussy about growing from seed and best purchased as plants are: rosemary, lavender, bee balm and tarragon. If you already have healthy plants, try starting new ones with cuttings.

“Shrubby-type” herbs like rosemary, thyme, lavender, sage, oregano and mint are most easily started from cuttings.

Here is your seasonal list of buzzworthy herbs to attract pollinators:

Spring: chives, catnip, thyme, lavender, yarrow, rosemary Summer: mint, bee balm, thyme, borage, germander, lavender, fennel, dill, cilantro and parsley, catnip, basil, rue, borage, oregano, hyssop Fall: mint marigold (Texas tarragon), bee balm, basil, rosemary Winter: rosemary


September 27 - October 20, 2013

from John Talbert, State Fair Committee Chair

The Great State Fair of Texas is already in the headlights. It is a short time until the gates open and the reconstituted Big Tex comes alive and welcomes everyone to the largest and greatest state fair in the country. The cooks are already lined up with the newest and most far reaching specialties of deep fried palate pleasing portions of whatever. Shortly after the newest deep fried winner is announced, the Texas Beekeepers Association Honey Booth will be set in place and ready for the stocking of Texas Honeys. It will not be possible for each of the TBA members to be there to help erect the booth but you can have a presence by sending one or more of your jars of honey for display. It is our objective to have as many Texas produced and labeled honeys on the display as possible. We would like to have a representative honey from all parts of the state. During the Fair, we will need at least four volunteers per day to staff the booth and be prepared to extol the virtues of Texas

produced varietal honey and answer the multitude of questions about the wonderful honey bee. On the last weekend Friday, October 18, Saturday October 19, and Sunday October 20, the American Honey Queen, Caroline Adams, Texas Honey Queen Shelby Kilpatrick and the local association Honey Queens will be making presentations each day. On Friday and Saturday nights, they will be participating in the Starlight Parade. You may volunteer to staff the booth by contacting John Talbert, [email protected]. Your help is needed to fund the cost of the display. The exhibit space is not free and there are booth preparation costs that must be covered. We are asking for donations of $200 from commercial beekeeping operations and $25 from individual members. More if you feel generous. Please make cash donations to TBA, Jimmie Oakley, 1799 Goodson Court, Round Rock, TX 78664 and honey donations to John Talbert, P.O. Box 6, Josephine, TX 75164

Can you donate a case of honey with your label, or even a jar?

Contact John Talbert at (214) 532-9241 if you can.

Can you be a volunteer in the booth to help tell the story of bees and honey?

We need you to sign up for a date.

Call or email John Talbert at [email protected]

Picture from Ginnie Jeske, ETBA Member


Selecting for Varroa ResistanceBy Roger Hoopingarner, Professor Emeritus, Michigan State University

When varroa first arrived in the U.S., almost 30 years ago, colonies were dying at an alarming rate. Why was this so? In part, because varroa was a new parasite on the Western honey bee. And as such it had not worked out a living relationship with its host. It had a bad host–parasite relationship in that it was killing its host—the colony. In those early days that was not a terrible consequence because when the colony had too many varroa mites the colony collapsed and the bees dispersed to other colonies. And there were lots of colonies nearby in which to parasitize. However, when all the feral (wild) colonies were destroyed this “happy” relationship died. Now varroa had to change, at least to some degree. It had to become a more favorable parasite. This is the pathway that honey bees and varroa and beekeeping, must go down. We can never eliminate varroa, though sometimes our collective habits would lead one to think otherwise. The use of the hard chemicals (apistan, coumaphos, etc.) work against the long-term solution of getting varroa and the honey bee to live in harmony. When we use these chemicals we do not give the varroa parasite a place to go to live in harmony, so they develop resistance to these chemicals one after the other. The long-term solution for varroa is to find a strain of honey bees and varroa that can live in harmony at a mite level that does not overly harm the colony. This probably means that the honey bee has to change, but so does varroa. And if the beekeeper would step aside for a few years this would happen. This already has happened in South Africa where the selection took about four to five years. However, if you are a commercial beekeeper, it is probably unthinkable that you can lose a large majority of your bees for that long. Thus, the solution may take a little longer, but is still doable and is the only sensible long-term solution to varroa mites. Resistant Mechanisms. There are some known resistant strains of bees. The best known stock of bees are the hygienic bees. These bees clean their hives of many diseases and parasites and have been selected many times in beekeeping history, but it wasn’t until Walter Rothenbuhler identified the genes responsible for this trait, in 1964, that we were able to consistently establish the trait. In 1992 I started developing a varroa resistant selection program at Michigan State that eventually led to the VSH strain of bees being released by the U.S.D.A. Baton Rouge Lab. When I retired, John Harbo continued the selection via instrumental insemination which helped identify the mechanism(s) which were mostly a highly selective sensitivity to varroa and its removal from the pupa cell. Thus, this strain is another hygienic bee, but just more so. When we were selecting for the VSH strain we looked at the mites on sticky boards that had evidence of damage to their legs and bodies suggesting that the bees had groomed them off of their bodies, or the bodies of their nest mates. This trait is still being selected for as a resistant mechanism by Greg Hunt at Purdue University, and by others. One of the ways that the African bees probably have fewer varroa mites is that they have a slightly faster development time.

This is particularly important during the pupa stage when varroa invades the cell and reproduces on the developing pupa. If the varroa can only produce one female mite before the bee emerges from the cell then the population of varroa will not grow very fast. Thus, one of the mechanisms of resistance is having a shorter development time. This is one mechanism that has not been exploited very well to my knowledge. When I was a young student, working at the U.S.D.A. lab in Madison Wisconsin, one of my tasks was to determine the development time for all of the inbred lines of stock that the lab was testing at the time. The development times ranged from 18 to 22 days for worker bees. If a strain of bees had a development time of 18 days for a worker bee, then no varroa could develop on them and we would have a very resistant bee. The simplest way to select for this trait may be by selecting early development in queen bees. There may be other resistant mechanisms that I have not mentioned here, but certainly the three, or four, described are enough to give the honey bee a chance to survive and flourish. Population Development. In ecology the measure of growth of a population is given as a lower case “r” as a growth equation. For example, a population that is just maintaining itself has an r value equal to 1.0 (r=1), and for a population that is doubling every generation the value would be 2.0 (r=2). Thus, for a population that is stable the value would be 1.0 and a population that is growing it would greater than 1.0. Now, the question is how does a beekeeper measure the varroa population growth? It is fairly easy if the beekeeper is reasonably consistent in gathering the information. Varroa Measurement. There are two or three ways of


measuring the population of mites. The first is by using a sticky board under a screened bottom board. It has been determined that it is better to use a 3-day period for the sticky board to be under the hive simply because it increases the accuracy of the measurement. However, it the beekeeper chooses to use just a 24 hour period that is okay as long as they are consistent. The ether roll or the alcohol wash of a consistent number of bees is also a good measure of varroa mites. (The powdered sugar option is probably a little too variable to be used in place of the alcohol wash.) It does not matter how many bees are used as long as the number of bees is consistent and large enough to be somewhat statistically accurate. The usual number used is about a cup of bees (Approximately 300 bees). By washing the bees with alcohol for two or three minutes the mites are dislodged, or washed off the bees and the alcohol and mites poured through an 8-mesh screen to count the mites. One distinct advantage of the alcohol wash is that it is complete with one visit to the apiary.

Varroa Mite Population Growth Calculation. Once you have a mite count you could then extrapolate to calculate the total number of mites. However, this is not necessary. What is needed is the change from one counting period to the next. I use a three-week interval. Why? First, it is a convenient time period, and second it is reasonably close to the varroa generation cycle. (Twelve days within a pupa cell and about a week in the phoretic stage on a worker bee before re-entering a new pupa cell.) Let’s use an example to show how to make the calculation. On the first visit you do an alcohol wash and you find only 3 mites for your 300 bees. On the next sampling, three weeks later, the same colony had 5 mites. This would give you a value of r=1.67. Not quite doubling but still a fairly high growth rate. The closer you come to an r value of 1.0 the better. In the best of all worlds the value would be less than 1.0 and the varroa population would eventually die out. That is very unlikely to happen, so what we are aiming for is to select those colonies with the lowest growth rate for breeding queens for the next season. Just two sampling periods are not enough to determine a very accurate growth rate, but after three or four the trend should be clear. The best part of this selection method is that the beekeeper does not have to measure, or identify, any resistance mechanism(s). In fact there could be more than one resistance

mechanism working at the same time. It is important to remember not to throw the baby out with the bath water. For example, if you have made the counts and have decided that a certain colony had the lowest mite increase, yet it still has too many mites to make it through the winter, then treat the colony with a chemical such as MAQS to reduce the mite population enough to allow it to overwinter. It is better to save the stock than to let the selection die for lack of attention. Then the following year you can continue your selections by purchasing some other strains of bees, such as VSH. Remembering all the time that what you are trying to do is to incorporate the resistance genes into YOUR stock.

Varroa Mite on Adult BeePhoto by Maryann Frazier

DEWEY M. CARONWITH

LAWRENCE JOHN CONNOR

HONEY BEEBIOLOGY

AND BEEKEEPING

Fully revised and in full color, this very comprehensive Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping is a must have for teachers and beekeepers both. With updated material covering over a decade of changes in the world of apiculture and hundreds of full color photos and diagrams, this book offers insights into bee behavior, current management techniques, and updated threat analysis, all in context that will elucidate and educate. Features many new full-color photos by Caron and Connor as well as new color drawings by Jon Zawislak. This is the first major beekeeping textbook that features 100% post-consumer recycled paper, printed with vegetable based inks, giving it a high Green rating.www.wicwas.comWicwas Press, 1620 Miller Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49001


Update from the Honey Bee Lab at Texas A&M Universityfrom Dr. Juliana Rangel, Assistant Professor of Apiculture, Department of Entomology

Howdy TBA members!

The past couple of months have been full of activity at the honey bee lab. We have kept busy with several projects, a few of which I want to brief you about. About 8 weeks ago two undergraduate students from two different universities started a 10-week Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) internship sponsored by the National Science Foundation. They are each in charge of developing, carrying out and presenting an independent research project. Ms. Elizabeth Walsh, a beekeeper from Ripon College, has been working on a project looking at the effects of miticides in the queen-rearing environment on the attractiveness of queens toward workers by conducting retinue response bioassays using 3-frame observation hives. Liz has paired observation colonies headed by queens that are raised in either miticide-free, or miticide-laden beeswax, and has found that queens raised in the miticide-laden environment are far less attractive to workers than those raised in the miticide-free environment. Given that retinue workers are responsible for grooming and feeding the queen, as well as passing around her pheromones to other workers in the colony, lower queen attractiveness might have direct colony-wide implications that we will have to look in further studies. Mr. Michael Wong, a student from the University of Pennsylvania, has been working on a project looking at the naturally-found variation in drone reproductive quality in apiaries around the Brazos Valley. Michael has been collecting sexually mature drones from 15+ apiaries around College Station and collected their sperm. By using dual-fluorescent flow cytometry, he has been able to look at sperm viability, determining what proportion of the drone’s sperm cells is viable for fertilization. He is also looking at the acrosome integrity of spermatozoa (the acrosome is the cap of a sperm cell and the integrity of its membrane determines whether or not that sperm cell will be successful during fertilization of an egg), determining what proportion of the drone’s sperm cells would be successful at fertilization. Michael has found no significant differences in the drone populations within colonies, but has found some apiaries to have drones that have higher sperm viability and acrosome integrity overall. Results from his study will serve as a baseline for future investigations on the environmental factors (e.g., miticide use) that affect the reproductive quality of drones. Furthermore, a group of 9 researchers, including Dr. Coulson, myself, and members from both labs, went on a field collection trip to the Welder Wildlife Refuge near Sinton, TX. Some of you might remember that location during the process of

Africanization of our feral honey bee population in Texas. The work by Alice Pinto et al. at the Welder Wildlife Refuge showed that by the end of the 1990s, feral honey bees at this refuge had become a “hybrid swarm,” with some colonies maintaining the European subspecies, while others had become Africanized. The last of such surveys was conducted in 2001, so this year we embarked on the adventure of going back to Welder in search for feral colonies. To our surprise, only one third of the surveyed post oaks that were once occupied by honey bees were now deserted, perhaps due to the severe drought that the region went through in 2011. Despite the low numbers of occupied trees, we managed to collect bee samples from all the trees that were occupied, and we now have another REU student, Cassandra Sanabria from the University of Miami, conducting the genetic analyses necessary to determine what proportion of the feral honey bee population at the Welder Wildlife Refuge remains Africanized, and whether there are still European honey bees in that part of the state. I was recently an invited speaker at the Heartland Apicultural Society annual meeting in Cookeville, TN, where I spoke about the biology of mating and honey bee queen reproductive health. Among those in attendance were Kim Flottum fom Bee Culture Magazine, who spoke about the bees’ “meat and potatoes”; Dr. Debbie Delaney from the University of Delaware, who spoke about “bees in trees”; Dr. Nancy Ostiguy, from Penn State University, who spoke about pesticides found in honey, pollen, and comb; Jerry Hayes, Jim Tew, Jeff Harris, Greg Hunt, and Jenifer Tsuruda were also speakers at this multi-state meeting, which reached a record 400+ beekeepers in attendance. Lastly, our 60+ colonies are growing strong and we are expecting to harvest our first honey crop on the first week of August during a celebratory gathering that will culminate the hard work of our REU students before they go back to their respective schools on 10 August. So be on the lookout for “Aggie Honey” sometime this Fall! That is all I want to report for now. As always, if you have any questions, you can email me at [email protected]. For up to date information regarding our program, please visit our website at http://honeybeelab.tamu.edu, or visit us on facebook at facebook.com/TAMUhoneybeelab. And happy beekeeping!


The Brantley Columnfrom S. S. Brantley

East Texas Beekeepers Association

July and August in East Texas are typically hot and dry. Most nectar producing blooms are finished, though Crepe Myrtle and Mimosa may be still blooming. Vitex may continue blooming into Fall. The honey flow is over and little honey is likely to be produced until the Fall Goldenrod blooms. Much of East Texas received an unusually good rain during the middle of July. This rain certainly made the world turn green again but probably will not cause a significant late bloom of nectar producing plants. By now, your bees have either made a honey crop, have stayed alive, or are slowly starving to death. As a new beekeeper, it is time to put into practice the information that you learned in “bee school”, off the Internet, from books and magazines or listening to discussions at bee club meetings. You must evaluate what you see in your apiary and decide what to do for your bees over the next hot and dry month. What is their situation with food? With water? With their ability to protect the hive? Lift the back of your hive and note how it feels. Remember how it felt when you first brought home that new hive that had only a few frames of bees and very little honey stores? If your hive feels that way when you lift it now, it may be in need of supplemental feeding. Open the hive and see what is inside. This time of the year, bees can be cranky and it is always a good idea to properly let them know you are coming into their hive. Lift one corner of the outer cover and give the bees a good shot of smoke, then lower the lid for a minute or two to let them calm down. Look into the brood chamber. You should see the white cappings of stored honey across the tops of most of the brood frames. If the cells are not capped, you may see them filled with a shiny liquid of uncured nectar. Below the honey and nectar, there should be a band of pollen, varying in color from yellow, orange, red, green, or even dark colors. This shows that there is food in the brood chamber. Under the rows of pollen and extending all the way to the bottom of the frame, you should see cells of brood. The caps on brood cells are not white but are usually light brown in color, though sometimes they may even be a darker brown.

If you cannot tell the difference between capped honey and capped brood, it is time to do a little research on the Internet or contact an experienced beekeeper and let them help you learn to distinguish the differing cells. It is important to be able to recognize brood cells so you will know that you have a healthy and laying queen. If you don’t find any honey in the brood nest, you probably will not find much brood either. The bees need food (honey and pollen) in the brood nest to raise the baby bees. Start feeding 2-to-1 sugar syrup and keep feeding until the hive feels heavy again or until you look inside and see syrup or honey stored in the brood nest. Bees need a lot of water during this hot period. Be sure that a fresh water source is nearby. They use the water to cool the internal hive temperature by fanning their wings and evaporating the water. Bees will also gather on the outside of the hive to help reduce the internal temperature by moving some of heat producing bodies outside. This is called bearding and is a natural phenomenon -- don’t be worried when you see bees gathered on the outside of the hive on a hot day. Entrance reducers should be on the hives. It is a good idea to have them installed with the small entrance open. The smaller the entrance, the better the bees are able to defend the hive against not only robber bees but also against hive beetles, moths and other threats like yellow jackets. If you do not have an entrance reducer, you can place a board across the entrance, leaving only about a three quarters of an inch open on one edge. It is a good practice to have one or two beetle traps in each hive box to help control hive beetles. Check the traps each time you are in the hive. A few beetles in the trap is not cause for alarm, beetles are always present in a hive. If you see large numbers of dead beetles in the traps or see a sudden increase in the numbers in the traps, contact an experienced beekeeper for assistance. Beetles can quickly take over a weakened hive. The best defense against beetles (or moths) is to keep your hive well fed, well populated, and its entrance reduced.

“I like pulling on a baggy bee suit, forgetting myself and getting as close to the bees’ lives as they will let me, remembering in the process that there is more to life than the merely human.”

Sue Hubbell, A Book of Bees: And How to Keep Them


A few months ago when we started this series of honey bee gardening columns, our professed goal was to find sources of nectar and pollen that would help us cut back our dependence on sugar and corn syrups and put to rest the belief that summer time and early fall in our region would always show a dearth of what the bees must have to thrive. We are not there, yet, but we seem to be making huge progress. Ray Marshall from near Ringgold in Northwest Louisiana, may be on to something that we have suggested might be a great honey bee plant and source of nectar and pollen as the Dog Days of Summer pile up. Marshall is a veteran and excellent beekeeper who strives to manage his bees the natural way. He took to heart our suggestion that Japanese Buckwheat is a good forage plant and planted a one-acre plot in early June. The seeds germinated in three days, the plants started blooming in three weeks after the seeds were sown, and by the fourth week the blossom branches were waist high The bees went right to work on the buckwheat. Just how well the project will eventually do remains to be seen. So far, things look good. “The bees are working the buckwheat from about 9 a.m. to 1 or 2 p.m.”, Marshall said. “But what kind of honey crop I will have remains to be seen.” As most have heard, buckwheat honey tends to have a strong odor, strong taste and the honey is dark. So, there seems to be some side effects. “It (the nectar and pollen) does have a strong smell,” Marshall said. “Another thing is that the bees seem to want to get in a foul mood after working on the buckwheat. If you have buckwheat, you want to be careful when working the hives”, he said. Since buckwheat honey is dark, very dark, Marshall didn’t plant his buckwheat until after he harvested his spring crop of honey. “Most of my customers prefer dark honey anyway,” Marshall said. “But I waited anyway, since I believe that any honey with 25 percent from buckwheat is considered buckwheat honey no matter how dark it might be.” Another thing to keep in mind is that deer like to browse the patches. Thus, several of Marshall’s neighbors are talking about planting buckwheat for their cattle. Buckwheat seed seems to be readily available in most seed stores now and costs differ, but don’t buy it if it costs much more than a dollar per pound. Generally, it can be purchased in 50-pound bags for $50 per bag. Of course, it can be bought in smaller lots, packets, etc., which is all that most of us would need anyway. Remember, we are not here to boost the bigger beekeepers but it doesn’t hurt to help them get on the right track. Stay tuned for more on the buckwheat situation. I still maintain that we can plant Earlybird 50 Niger and have a forging source just as quick and the honey will be lighter and not as strong as the buckwheat. The thing with the Niger, though, is that it needs to be drilled when planted to be most effective. Buckwheat can be sown with spreaders and does not need to be drilled. In the latest issue of the Texas State Beekeepers Association newsletter, the very knowledgeable writer about honey plants touched on the use of catmint. I agree with her. It is a great

plant. Last year, I secured three scraggly plants in March, set them out and they went crazy. They overwintered easily and started blooming in late March. Each plant has grown into an area about five feet wide. Blooms all of the time and, yes, the honey bees love it.

Buckwheat Honey in East Texasfrom Bobby Howell

Mr. Roy Marshall

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Everyone calm down, there is no “bee-pocalypse”from Shawn Regan, Research Fellow

at the Property and Environment Research Center, Bozeman, Montana

The media is abuzz once again with stories about dying bees. According to a new report from the USDA, scientists have been unable to pinpoint the cause of colony collapse disorder (CCD), the mysterious affliction causing honey bees to disappear from their hives. Possible factors include parasites, viruses, and a form of pesticide known as neonicotinoids. Whatever the cause, the results of a recent beekeeper survey suggest that the problem is not going away. For yet another year, nearly one-third of US honey bee colonies did not make it through the winter. Given the variety of crops that rely on honey bees for pollination, the colony collapse story is an important one. But if you were to rely on media reports alone, you might believe that honey bees are in short supply. NPR recently declared that we may have reached “a crisis point for crops.” Others warned of an impending “beepocalypse” or a “beemageddon.” In a rush to identify the culprit of the disorder, many journalists have made exaggerated claims about the impacts of CCD. Most have uncritically accepted that continued bee losses would be a disaster for America’s food supply. Others speculate about the coming of a second “silent spring.” Worse yet, many depict beekeepers as passive, unimaginative onlookers that stand idly by as their colonies vanish. This sensational reporting has confused rather than informed discussions over CCD. Yes, honey bees are dying in above average numbers, and it is important to uncover what’s causing the losses, but it hardly spells disaster for bees or America’s food supply. Consider the following facts about honey bees and CCD. For starters, US honey bee colony numbers are stable, and they have been since before CCD hit the scene in 2006. In fact, colony numbers were higher in 2010 than any year since 1999. How can this be? Commercial beekeepers, far from being passive victims, have actively rebuilt their colonies in response to increased mortality from CCD. Although average winter mortality rates have increased from around 15% before 2006 to more than 30%, beekeepers have been able to adapt to these changes and maintain colony numbers.

Rebuilding colonies is a routine part of modern beekeeping. The most common method involves splitting healthy colonies into multiple hives. The new hives, known as “nucs,” require a new queen bee, which can be purchased readily from commercial queen breeders for about $15-$25 each. Many beekeepers split their hives late in the year in anticipation of winter losses. The new hives quickly produce a new brood and often replace more bees than are lost over the winter. Other methods of rebuilding colonies include buying packaged bees (about $55 for 12,000 worker bees and a fertilized queen) or replacing the queen to improve the health of the hive. “The state of the honey bee population—numbers, vitality, and economic output—are the products of not just the impact of disease but also the economic decisions made by beekeepers and farmers,” economists Randal Rucker and Walter Thurman write in a summary of their working paper on the impacts of CCD. Searching through a number of economic measures, the re-searchers came to a surprising conclusion: CCD has had almost no discernible economic impact. But you don’t need to rely on their study to see that CCD has had little economic effect. Data on colonies and honey produc-tion are publicly available from the USDA. Like honey bee numbers, US honey production has shown no pattern of decline since CCD was first detected. In 2010, honey production was 14% greater than it was in 2006. (To be clear, US honey produc-tion and colony numbers are lower today than they were 30 years ago, but as Rucker and Thurman explain, this gradual decline happened prior to 2006 and cannot be attributed to CCD).

What about the prices of queen bees and packaged bees? Because of higher winter losses, beekeepers are forced to purchase more packaged queen and worker bees to rebuild their lost hives. Yet even these prices seem unaffected. Commercial queen breeders are able to rear large numbers of queen bees quickly, often in less than a month, putting little to no upward pressure on bee prices following CCD. And what about the prices consumers pay for crops pollinated by honey bees? Are these skyrocketing along with fears of the

Source: USDA NASS Honey Production Report

Source: USDA NASS Honey Production Report


beepocalypse? Rucker and Thurman find that the cost of CCD on almonds, one of the most important crops from a honey bee pollinating perspective, is trivial. The implied increase in the shelf price of a pound of Smokehouse Almonds is a mere 2.8 cents, and the researchers consider that to be an upper-bound estimate of the impact on fruits and vegetables. There is, however, one measure that has been significantly affected by CCD—and that’s the pollination fees beekeepers charge almond producers. These fees have more than doubled in recent years, though the fees began rising a few years before CCD was reported. Rucker and Thurman attribute a portion of this increase to the onset of CCD. But even this impact has a bright side: For many beekeepers, the increase in almond pollination fees has more than offset the costs they have incurred rebuilding their lost colonies. Overcoming CCD is not without its challenges, but beekeepers have thus far proven themselves adept at navigating such changing conditions. Honey bees have long been afflicted with a variety of diseases. The Varroa mite, a blood-thirsty bee parasite, has been a scourge of beekeepers since the 1980s. While CCD has resulted in larger and more mysterious losses, the resourcefulness of beekeepers remains. Hannah Nordhaus, author of The Beekeeper’s Lament, warned that the scare stories evoked by CCD should serve as a cautionary tale to environmental journalists. “By engaging in simplistic and sometimes misleading environmental narratives—by exaggerating the stakes and brushing over the inconvenient facts that stand in the way of foregone conclusions —we do our field, and our subjects, a disservice,” she wrote in her 2011 essay “An Environmental Journalist’s Lament.” “The overblown response to CCD in the media stems from a failure to appreciate the resilience of markets in accommodating shocks of various sorts,” write Rucker and Thurman. The ability of beekeepers and other market forces to adapt has kept food on the shelves, honey in the cupboard, and honey bees buzzing. Properly understood, the story of CCD is not one of doom and gloom, but one of the triumph and perseverance of beekeepers.

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2014TEXAS 4-H BEEKEEPING ESSAY CONTEST

RULES AND GUIDELINES

DEADLINE FOR ESSAYJANUARY 10, 2014

AWARDS:Each State Winner, including the national winners, receives an appropriate book about honey bees, beekeeping, or honey.Texas Cash Prizes to 3 Top Winners 1st Place: $300.00 2nd Place: $200.00 3rd Place: $100.00

Texas Contest Sponsored by: Alamo Area Beekeepers Assn., Central Texas Beekeepers Assn., Collin County Hobby Beekeepers Assn., Dino-Bee Beekeepers Assn., East Texas Beekeepers Assn., Harris County Beekeepers Assn., Trinity Valley Beekeepers Assn., and Williamson County Area Beekeepers Assn.

National Cash Prizes to 3 Top Winners: 1st Place: $750.00 2nd Place: $500.00 3rd Place: $250.00

National Contest Sponsored by: The Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees, Inc.

TOPIC: For the 2014 essay contest, the essay topic is:

“Beekeeping in Colonial Times”

To the earliest European settlers in the New World, honey bees were an important part of their existence. Cargo manifests show that honey bees were among the first shipments of animals. How were they shipped? Why were they important? Why were they so important to the colonists? How does that differ from today? The scope of the research is an essential judging criterion, accounting for 40% of your score. The number of sources consulted, the authority of the sources, and the variety of the sources are all evaluated. Personal interviews with beekeepers, farmers and others familiar with the subject are valued sources of information and should be documented. Sources, which are not cited in the endnotes, should be listed in a “Resources” or “Bibliography” list. Note that “honey bee” is properly spelled as two words, even though many otherwise authoritative references spell it as one word.NOTE: FOR 2014 ONLY ESSAYS SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Kyle J Merten4180 State Highway 6College Station, TX 77845

Tel: (979) 845-6533Fax: (979) [email protected]://texas4-h.tamu.edu

Educational programs of the Texas Agrilife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion or national origin.The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the County Courts of Texas Cooperating.


RULES:

1. Contest is open to active 4-H Club members only. 4-H'ers who have previously placed first, second, or third at the national level are not eligible; but other state winners are eligible to re-enter.

2. Requirements (failure to meet any one requirement disqualifies the essay) - - Write on the designated subject only. - All factual statements must be referenced with bibliographical-style endnotes. - A brief biographical sketch of the essayist, including date of birth, gender, complete mailing address, and telephone number, must accompany the essay. - Length – the essay proper: 750 to 1000 words. - The word count does not include the endnotes, the bibliography or references, nor the essayist's biographical sketch – which should be on a separate page. - Preparation for National Judging: ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS ONLY. Prepare your essays double-spaced, 12-pt. Times or similar type style, following standard manuscript format. Submit as a Microsoft Word compatible document.

3. Essays will be judged on (a) scope of research - 40%; (b) accuracy - 30%; (c)creativity - 10%; (d) conciseness - 10%; and (e) logical development of the topic -10%.

4. Individuals must send all essays electronically to the Texas 4-H and Youth Development Program by January 10th, 2014. Emails should be sent to Kyle Merten at [email protected]

5. Each state may submit only one entry.

6. Final judging and selection of the National Winner will be made by the Foundation's Essay Committee, whose decision is final.

7. The National Winner will be announced by May 1, 2014.

8. All National entries become the property of the Foundation and may be published or used as it sees fit. No essay will be returned. National winning essays will be posted at: http://honeybeepreservation.org.





2014TEXAS 4-H BEEKEEPING ESSAY CONTEST

CERTIFICATION FORMAward Program Entered: Beekeeping Essay Contest Year: 2014

Name: ___________________________________________ Gender: M____ F_____ (First) (Middle) (last)

Home Address: _____________________________________________________________

City/State/ZIP: _____________________________________________________________

District/County: _____________________________________________________________

4-H Club Name: _____________________ E-mail Address: ____________________

STATEMENT BY 4-H MEMBER

I certify that I am an active 4-H member in Texas and that I have not previously placed first, second or third at the national level.

Date: ____________________ Signed: _________________________________________

APPROVAL OF THIS REPORT:

We have reviewed this report and believe it is correct:

Date: ____________________ Signed: __________________________________________ (Parent/Guardian)

Date: ____________________ Signed: __________________________________________ (4-H Club Manager/Leader)

Date: ____________________ Signed: __________________________________________ (County Extension Agent)





1 1

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National Honey Bee Day - Saturday August 17, 2013

Catch the BUZZ!!! Join us for the 1st Annual Austin Tour De Hives!

DATE: Saturday, August 17th, 2013 - National Honey Bee Day

WHERE: Bee Yards within an approximate 20 mile radius of the Capitol

WHEN: Self-guided Bee Yard Tours: 9am-2pm (Bee Yard tours end at 2pm due to afternoon heat/bee safety)

Event Activities: Ongoing at start location from 8am-4pm

Start Location: 9874 Wier Loop Circle; Austin, TX 78736

Tickets: $5 for 1 map for your carload or family up to 5 people (with signed waivers)

(NOT a pet friendly event, please leave pets at home)

The day’s festivities will kick off in Southwest Austin/Oak Hill at the Bee Friendly Austin Apiary. Ongoing event activities include: Honey tasting, mead tasting from Rohan Meadery, beehive tours, basic intro to beekeeping classes, raffle of a starter hive from Bee Weaver, beekeeping supplies for sale and more! This will be a self-guided tour of bee yards in the Austin and surrounding areas. Discover how your neighbors are doing their part to save the planet one bee at a time! Bee yards will demonstrate a variety of ways to keep and attract bees showing all the creative ways you can indulge in the art of beekeeping! We currently have stops registered in Central Austin, North Austin, South Austin, Dripping Springs and Georgetown! You may visit each location in any order during the visiting hours listed on the map. Maps will be available on the day of the event at event headquarters in Southwest Austin. You will exchange your signed participant waiver for tour entry bands at your first stop. The tours will take place at people’s private homes or farms and it is sincerely hoped that everyone will exhibit common courtesy and respect as they visit each location. Guidelines for the tour are posted at: www.tourdehives.org Official Sponsors: Bee Weaver Apiaries & Bee Friendly Austin, LTD.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Bee Friendly Foundation a Texas nonprofit dedicated to helping Texans become more bee friendly through educational opportunities, raising public awareness, promoting bee friendly landscaping and humane treatment of bees, grants for scientific research and more! Contact: Tanya Phillips – 512-560-3732 cell

Honey Bees on Indian Blanket


Beekeeping Tipsfrom Collin County Beekeepers Association

August

1. You should finish extracting honey by the first of August. August and fall flowers do not usually make good tasting honey. So, leave fall honey for the bees.2. Melt wax cappings from your extracting. You may freeze cap-pings for melting at a later date. Freezing should destroy any wax moth larvae that may be present. You can leave “wet” cappings exposed for foraging bees to clean before processing the wax. Don’t attract wax moths by leaving cappings exposed for more than three days.3. Return “Wet” frames to the supers on the hives for the bees to clean.4. Store cleaned supers in a cool and dry area. Place a super on a newspaper and stack two (2) more supers on top of it. Cover the top super (the 3rd one) with an 8” square piece of paper (or a paper plate) and pour six (6) tablespoons of paradichlorobenzene (PDB) moth crystals (NOT MOTHBALLS) on it (PDB can be purchased at most hardware stores). You can also pour the moth crystals into a clean nylon (knee high) stocking, tie it closed, and place on top of every third super. Continue stacking supers andmoth crystals in this manner. When finished stacking the supers, cover the very top super with a hive cover over the moth crystals and newspaper. Check the stack monthly to determine if more moth crystals are needed. Once the crystals have evaporated, the protection is gone. Keep the stack airtight. Allow supers to air out before returning them to your hives in the spring.5. August is the time to treat for varroa. You need strong brood to go through the winter. Examine hives for varroa using either sticky boards, powdered sugar method, or checking for the mites on drone larvae. If varroa are found, treat immediately. DO NOT use chemicals in the honey supers.6. Check the strength of each colony, as a weak colony can become a harbor for wax moths or small hive beetles (SHB). Combine colonies if there are weak ones.7. Keep the bee yard clean. Help prevent SHB by carrying a pail in which to put burr comb.8. Provide a good supply of water in this hot dry month. Keep hives well ventilated by adding an empty super above the brood box.9. If there are not at least two full frames of honey in the brood box, start feeding sugar water. Bees can starve in August.10. Consider re-queening in the fall as the queens are less expensive at that time.

September

1. September is an important month for beekeepers. This month we should finish any extracting that has not been completed. Store cleaned supers carefully for the winter. We should also complete melting any wax cappings.2. This is also the time to make decisions about medicating. If bees are medicated in September then supers should not be on hives.3. Check and treat for varroa mites.4. Check for American Foulbrood and treat, if needed, with pat-ties made of 1/3 lb. of Crisco, 2/3 lb. of sugar and 2 Tbs. of Ter-ramycin. Each patty should weigh 1/2 lb. Use one patty per hive.5. Our area may have a short fall honey flow. Nectar from gold-enrod and asters is available most years. Strong hives will store a surplus. Although with thisyear’s drought, this might not be true.6. September is also the month in which nucs to be overwintered can be started. A good five (5) frame nuc made during the first week of September will overwinter nicely and probably make a crop of honey in the spring.7. Examine hives carefully in September. Failing queens can be replaced now. Weak hives can be combined with strong hives.8. As in previous months continue to supply water and treat for fire ants.9. Continue to feed colonies or nucs if necessary.10. John Talbert will have a signup calendar ready for us to vol-unteer our time and knowledge at the Honey Booth at the Texas State Fair. Working in the Honey Booth is always delightful.11. Please consider donating 2 one pound jars (1#) of honeyfor the State Fair Honey Booth Display.

“I am fascinated by the interactions between bees.I am fascinated by the interactions between beekeepers.”

Marla Spivak Bumblebee on Texas sage


2013 Texas Honey Queen Reportfrom Shelby Kilpatrick

Happy summer, Texas beekeepers!

It has been a great year so far for the Texas Honey Queen Program! Since my May / June TBA Journal article, I have represented you at 14 events and 6 media opportunities across the state. I have selected many of my activities to share with you in this edition’s article. The TBA Summer Clinic was held on June 1st at Walker Honey Farm and Dancing Bee Winery. Over 220 people traveled to Rogers, Texas from across the state to participate in the Clinic! I learned a lot from each of the educational sessions presented, which included Honey Bee Reproductive Biology by Dr. Juliana Rangel, Assistant Professor of Apiculture; Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Varroa Mites; Top Bar Hives; and a tour of the facilities at Walker Honey Farm. On June 14th, I was privileged to visit the Texas A&M University Janice and John G. Thomas Honey Bee Facility in College Station. After introductions and lunch, Dr. Juliana Rangel, Dr. John Thomas, and the Facility staff led my family and I on a tour of the “Bee Lab” and apiary. I was very interested to learn about the research projects; how they are developed and executed. Currently, the research is being focused on areas within honey bee reproductive biology and retinue response to queens reared in contaminated beeswax compared to those raised in clean beeswax comb.

The next day, June 15th, I helped raise awareness for honey bees at the Whole Foods Market in San Antonio. As a part of the Whole Foods Market’s “Share the Buzz” event, 2013 Alamo Area Honey Queen, Francesca Heinz, and I presented information on the beekeeping industry to consumers and hosted a children’s activity station. The Whole Foods Market Team demonstrated recipes including honey as an ingredient and visitors were impressed by the variety of honey available and its versatility. Between June 20th and June 22nd, I worked with the Harris County Beekeepers Association (HCBA). I gave two

presentations at the Sagemont Community Center in Houston. The students enjoyed learning about honey bees, pollination, and the responsibility beekeepers have to manage their colonies properly. The youth also had the opportunity to sample pure, locally produced honey, which they found to be delicious! I also promoted the beekeeping industry at the HCBA’s booth at the Pearland Old Townsite Farmers Market. Many visitors to the farmer’s market stopped by and asked questions about honey bees and honey in Texas. The HCBA also sold honey, donated by a local beekeeper, and raised $587.85 for the Moore, Oklahoma Tornado Relief Fund. I spent the day in San Angelo on July 16th. Mr. Mark Hedley and members of the Concho Valley Beekeepers Association

Dr. Juliana Rangel conducting a tour of the Texas A&M Honey Bee Lab Bee Yard

Live Interview on KLST News

(CVBA) were wonderful hosts throughout the day’s activities. To kick off the day, Dr. Vayden Stanley and I participated in a TV interview on KLST’s local midday show regarding the beekeeping industry and CVBA’s programs. Ms. Carla Ebeling teaches a College Summer Biology Class at the West Texas Training Center and invited me to speak to her students. This unique experience gave me the opportunity to share many of the more complex details of honey bees, their biology, and pollination. I also gave two evening presentations; one to Master Gardeners, beekeepers, and the public on how to start beekeeping, and one during the CVBA’s meeting which focused on TBA and my beekeeping history. On July 21st, the Bluestem Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists hosted a “Taste of Honey” event in Sherman. The program was promoted on two local TV stations, K10 and KXII, and Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners, and others interested in beekeeping came to hear my presentation and sample 13 different varieties of honey. There were also several beekeepers in


the audience and I enjoyed hearing their stories and advice about beekeeping in the area. In addition to the events described above, I have presented at the Denton County Master Gardener Association Children’s Garden (Denton, May 21st), Vickery Elementary School Environmental Fair (Flower Mound, May 26th), Collin County Hobby Beekeepers Association Meeting (McKinney, July 8th), Lake Lewisville Environmental Learning Area Summer Camp (Lewisville, July 10th), and Texas 4-H Volunteer Conference (Plano, July 13th). I have been selected as a United States delegate to the 2013 Global 4-H Youth Ag-Summit. The Summit will be held in Calgary, Canada between August 19th and the 25th. The Summit program will include keynote speakers, group discussions and collaborations, educational tours, and celebrations. 120 delegates from around the world, including myself, will be tasked with identifying actionable agriculturally sustainable solutions to feeding a growing world. To learn more about the Summit, please visit http://youthagsummit.com/. As part of applying to be selected to attend the Summit, I wrote an essay. The following is an excerpt, the introduction to my essay. “The United States of America spans 3,531,905.43 square land miles and the 2012 population was estimated at 313,914,040.[1] Food sources are vital to population sustainability and as the world’s population continues to grow, agricultural supply must support the demand while utilizing less land. In 2009, 19.8% of the total U.S. agricultural commodity output was exported, including 21.9% of crops produced.[2] Honey bees, Apis mellifera Linnaeus 1758, are found in all parts of the world with the exception of extreme polar regions.[3] The pollination services honey bees provide in the U.S. is valued at over $14.6 billion annually.[4] There are many issues facing the U.S. beekeeping industry and in turn, our agriculture production. In this essay, I will present facts that explain how honey bees are a critical factor in food sustainability, the global impact of issues facing honey bees in the U.S. and potential solutions to these issues. Honey bees produce more than just honey, they serve as “Angels of Agriculture” bringing food to our tables every day.”

Bluestream Chapter Master Naturalist Presentation

I would love to visit your area to promote honey bees! Please contact Texas Honey Queen Program Chair, Rachael Seida, at [email protected] or (214) 578-3477 to schedule an event. Also, be sure to follow www.facebook.com/TexasHoneyQueenProgram for all the latest details on my travels and activities!

Harris County Beekeepers Associationat Pearland Old Townsite Farmers Market

Honey Queen Chair Reportfrom Rachael Seida

HELP!!! To raise funds this year, Shelby is also selling honey at events and we are looking for kind individuals that would be willing to donate a gallon or two! To donate: contact Rachael Seida. The bees are buzzing and so is our Queen! In the last month Shelby has kept very busy buzzing from event to event. I would write about those, but instead I will send you to the amazing Texas Honey Queen Facebook page where you can read about the events and also see pictures of Shelby in action. The fall season is coming up and that means the State Fair of Texas! For those new to the program, every fall TBA invites all the Honey Queens and Princesses from around the state to come participate in activities like school presentations, cooking demos, and media interviews. This year our representatives will be there during the last weekend of the Fair. Feel free to come out and see our amazing spokespersons in action! Also, our Texas Honey Queen is selling raffle tickets for a re-ally nice prize! Tickets are $5 a piece and the prize is an expand-ed apiary kit (worth over $300!). So next time you see Shelby, make sure to purchase a winning ticket! May your harvests be plentiful!

To schedule the Texas Honey Queen or find out more,Contact: Rachael Seida [email protected] (214)578-3477


Listing of Local Beekeepers’ Associations in Texas withTBA Delegate and Regular Meeting Information Shown for Each

Please forward any changes and/or additions to John J. Talbert, Executive Secretary, [email protected]

Alamo Area Beekeepers AssociationEdward Priest - (210) [email protected] Maidenstone - San Antonio, TX 78250Meetings: 3rd Tuesday on odd # months; atHelotes Ind. Baptist Church15335 Bandera Rd., Helotes @ 7 pm

Brazoria County Beekeepers AssociationLarry Hoehne - (979) 848-8780 or (979) 236-1385233 Crestwood, Clute TX 77531bcbassociation@gmail.comwww.brazoria-county-beekeepers-association.comMeetings: 2nd Monday of each month at 7pm;Brazoria County Extension Office21017 County Road 171, Angleton TX 77515

Central Texas Beekeepers AssociationMichael Kelling - (979) 277-0411CentralTexasBeekeepers@gmail.comwww.centraltexasbeekeepers.org 1997 Tonckawa Hills Ln - Brenham, TX 77833Meetings: Monthly on the 4th Thursday(except November and December) at the Washington County Fairgrounds Brenham @ 7 pm

Coastal Bend Beekeepers AssociationDeborah Houlihan - (361) [email protected] Parade Dr.,Corpus Christi, TX 78412Meetings: First Thursday of each month at 6:30pm;City of Corpus Garden Senior Center5325 Greely Dr.,Corpus Christi, TX 78412

Collin County Hobby Beekeepers Assn.John J. Talbert - (214) [email protected] O Box 6 - Josephine, TX 75164www.northtexasbeekeepers.orgMeetings: 2nd Monday of each month; Heard Craig Hall, 306 N. Church St, McKinney @ 6:30 pm

Concho Valley Beekeepers AssociationMark F Hedley - (325) 463-53198740 FM 502, Rochelle, TX [email protected]: 3rd Tuesday of each month Jan-NovTexas A&M Research and Extension Center7887 US Hwy 87 N, San Angelo @ 7:30 pm

Dino-Beekeepers AssociationDwain Cleveland - (254) [email protected]: 1st Tuesday of monthChachi’s Mexican RestaurantHighway 67 in Glen Rose @7pm

East Texas Beekeepers AssociationRichard Counts - (903) [email protected] Audrey Lane - Arp, TX 75750www.etba.infoMeetings: 1st Thursday of each month; Whitehouse United Methodist Church,405 West Main (Hwy 346), Whitehouse @ 6:45 pm

Fayette County Beekeepers AssociationEmil Kaluza - (979) [email protected]: First Saturday of the month, Feb, April, June, August, October and DecemberFayette County Agriculture Building240 Svoboda Lane, La Grange, TX 78945

Fort Bend Beekeepers Association1402 Band Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471(281) 633-7029 (during office hours)Jeff McMullan - Secretary - Treasurer(281) 980-2363 (home): (281) 615-5346 (cell)[email protected]: 2nd Tuesday of each month (except December) in the Fort Bend CountyBud O’Shieles Community Center1330 Band Road, Rosenberg, TX 77471


Local Beekeepers’ Associations in Texas

Harris County Beekeepers AssociationCameron Crane - (409) [email protected] Belvedere Dr., Baytown, TX 77520www.harriscountybeekeepers.orgMeetings: 4th Tuesday of each monthGolden Acres Center - 5001 Oak AvenuePasadena @ 7 pm

Heart of Texas Beekeepers AssociationGary Bowles - (254) [email protected]: 4th Tuesday of each month (except December) at A1 Buffet, 301 S. Valley Mills Drive, Waco @ 6:30 pm

Houston Beekeepers AssociationRita Willhite - (832) [email protected] Braeburn Valley Dr. - Houston, TX 77074www.houstonbeekeepers.orgMeetings: 3rd Tuesday of each month; Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bisonnet St.Houston @ 7:30 pm

Metro Beekeepers AssociationStan Key, [email protected] Castle Creek Rd.,North Richland Hills,TX 76182Meetings: 2nd Monday of each month; United Co-op Services Community Room, Bethesda Rd at I 35 W., Burleson @ 6:30 pm

Montgomery County Beekeepers Assn.John Hicks - (936) [email protected]: 3rd Monday of each month at Montgomery County Extension Office @ 7 pm

Pineywoods Beekeepers AssociationCecil Hunt - (936) [email protected] Carriage Dr. - Lufkin, TX 75904Meetings: 2nd Thursday of each monthChamber of Commerce Building, Highway 287 and Highway 58 IntersectionLufkin @ 7:30 pm

Red River Valley Beekeepers Assn.Bennie J. Watson - (940) 767-02071952 - A Hines Blvd.Wichita Falls, TX 76301-7961Meetings: 3rd Tuesday of each month (except December) Bolin Science Hall, Room 209Midwestern St. UniversityWichita Falls @ 7 pm

Rio Grande Valley Beekeepers Assn.Billy Wright - (956) 464-5042Route 5, Box 74 - Donna, TX 78537Meetings: 3rd Tuesday of each month; TAMU Res. and Ext. Center, 2401 E. Highway 83Weslaco @ 7:30 pm

Trinity Valley Beekeepers AssociationAlan Eynon - (972) 231-5702, Ext. [email protected] Vinewood Drive - Dallas, TX 75228www.tvbees.orgMeetings: 1st Wednesday of each month (except August), Continuing Education Center, C.C.Young Facility, 4847 West Lawther Dr.,Dallas, TX 75214 @ 7 - 9 pm

Walker County Area Beekeepers Assn.Steve Kelley - (936) [email protected] Tam Road, Huntsville, TX 77320Meetings: Last Thursday of each month at Walker County Extension Office, #1 Tam Rd.Huntsville @ 7 pm

Williamson County Area Beekeepers Assn.Jimmie Oakley - (512) [email protected] - www.wcaba.org1799 Goodson Ct. - Round Rock, TX 78664Meetings: 4th Thursday of each month (except December) 1st United Methodist Church - McKinney Ministry Center410 E. University Ave Georgetown , TX 78626 @ 7 pm


Membership Report 13-3 by Jimmie Oakley2013 New Members

5/28 Williams Melvin & Sharon Abilene, TX 50 Family6/1 Bader Joe & Lolita Boerne, TX 50 Family6/1 McGilvray David & Andrea Bandera, TX 50 Family6/1 McPeck Pam Canton, TX 35 6/1 Michalik Edward L. Pasadena, TX 35 6/1 Pena Jr. Benjamin & Nancy G. San Antonio, TX 50 Family6/1 Vela Henry Irving, TX 35 6/1 Weems Brenda Jersey Village, TX 35 6/15 Boyle Jr. William D. Katy, TX 100 Century6/17 Markham Robert M. Baytown, TX 35 6/19 Scoggins Richard A. Quinlan, TX 50 Family6/22 Kidd John Houston, TX 35 6/22 LeMier David Houston, TX 35 6/24 McKigney Sharline & Thomas New Waverly, TX 50 Family6/27 Schalk Caleb Lyford, TX 35 7/8 Austin Don Carthage, TX 35 7/18 Fender Terry Saint Jo, TX 35 Shelby Kilpatrick

2013 Renewing Members5/3 Sorrel Gordon El Campo, TX 35 5/28 Howe John Decatur, TX 35 6/1 Garner Larry G. San Antonio, TX 35 146/1 Hatch Diana & Michael Denton, TX 50 Family6/20 Burleson Tim Waxahachie, TX 100 Century6/25 Weaver Daniel & Laura Austin, TX 50 14-Family7/2 Runkle Daniel Crowley, TX 35 7/3 Henley Mark O. Waco, TX 35 7/10 Glassser Pete W. Arlington, TX 35 7/18 Choate Bob Lexington, TX 35 7/18 MacWithey Kevin Fredericksburg, TX 35 7/19 Hunt Frank Austin, TX 35 7/20 Brady Mark Waxahachie, TX 100 Century7/20 Fischer Troy Winnie, TX 50 Family7/20 Garrett Lucas M. & Alia San Antonio, TX 50 Family7/20 Geyer Eddie Moore, TX 35 7/20 Parker Owen S. Fredericksburg, TX 35 7/20 Verhoek Randy Danbury, TX 35 7/20 Weaver Morris & Charlene Montgomery, TX 50 Family7/22 Bradfield William H. Bonham, TX 35 7/22 Crenwelge Jane San Antonio, TX 35 7/22 Nixon Faybert I. Luling, TX 35 7/24 Bauer Dale Kountze, TX 35 7/24 Blackburn Mark & Shelli Austin, TX 50 Family7/24 Stewart Tom W. Corpus Christi, TX 35 7/25 Edwards Kenneth Austin, TX 35 7/25 Hilliard Henry T. 'Hank' Houston, TX 35 7/25 Sherrin Brian K. Rockwall, TX 35 7/26 Bronnenbery Randy Perry, IA 35 7/26 McMullan Jeff Sugarland, TX 35

Mail All Renewals/Inquiries to: Jimmie L. Oakley1799 Goodson Ct.Round Rock, TX 78664-3706

Phone: 512/388-3630e-mail: [email protected]


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Texas Beekeepers AssociationChris Doggett, Editor400 County Road 440Thrall, TX 76578-8701Phone: (512) 898-5500Cell: (512) [email protected]

Return Service Requested PRESORTED STANDARDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

Webster, TXPermit No. 184

TBA Officers-2013PresidentBlake [email protected] Grassmere Ln #1131McKinney, TX 75071(214) 886-6899

Vice PresidentChris [email protected] Bevil Blvd.Kountz, TX 77625(713) 724-7110

Past PresidentEd [email protected] MaidenstoneSan Antonio, TX 78250(210) 722-7380

Executive SecretaryJohn J. [email protected]. Box 6Josephine, TX 75164(214) 532-9241

TreasurerJimmie L. [email protected] Goodson Ct.Round Rock, TX 78664(512) 388-3630

Publications DirectorChris [email protected] County Road 440Thrall, TX 76578(512) 898-5500

Directors -at-Large and Local Associations Served:Wendy [email protected] Blackhill Rd.Floresville, TX 78114-6078(830) 393-2352

Concho ValleyAlamo AreaRio GrandeCoastal Bend

Russell [email protected] W Parker 278-125Plano, TX 75093(214) 619-2050

Collin CountyMetroRed River Valley

Clint [email protected] CR 319Navasota, TX 77868(936) 825-3642

Montgomery CountyHoustonHarris County

Eddie [email protected] Ardis St.Whitehouse, TX 75791(903) 871-2391

East TexasPineywoodsWalker County

Rodney [email protected] Old Hearne RoadHearne, TX 77859(979) 279-2805

Central TexasFayette CountyFort BendBrazoriaWilliamson County

James [email protected] Box 1148Wylie, TX 75098(972) 843-2676

DinoHeart of TexasTrinity Valley

Dreyfus PRINTING/110 W Sealy/Alvin, TX 77511/email: [email protected]/Phone: 281/331-3381 Fax: 281/331-0466

Journal Texas Beekeepers Association...Beekeeping Equipment (includes): 1-‐ Hive Tool 1-‐ Smoker...

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Transcript of Journal Texas Beekeepers Association...Beekeeping Equipment (includes): 1-‐ Hive Tool 1-‐ Smoker...