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This week I have received word that my Apiary has been approved for “Certified Naturally Grown” in 2014. For those unfamiliar with what that means – it’s an alternative certification – very similar to “Organic” certification. CNG Standards are very similar to those required for the national “Organic” standards – with the main difference being […] This has been a winter of winters so far this year – and we’re not even officially to winter, yet! I’m anxious to get out to the bee-yard and assess the hives. Once the ice and nastiness melts away, and the fields are dry enough to drive in – I’ve got a few hives to […] The honeybees have been very busy this summer! Feral hives that normally would have cast off (probably) one swarm, have had strange temperature cycles here in North Texas that have encouraged 3-4 swarms being produced. This means that beekeepers have been very busy performing swarm pick-ups as well as colony removals. For anyone wanting to […] Many of the hives of honeybees that were removed from residences or collected as swarms and nursed to strength have been moved up to full 10-frame commercial-sized boxes. They are now re-orienting to a new field and feasting on some of the best forage that can be provided – land used as an organic farm, […] This last 2 weeks (March 30-April 9 2013) have been “swarm week”. I’ve received no less than 20 calls per day for swarm pickups in people yards, trees, houses, squirrel habitats, school yards, and more… I even caught a swarm that was just innocently crossing the road while I was between calls! Removal – Monday […] As nighttime temperatures rise above 50 deg. F. for several days straight – the bees are able to start producing wax. This generally coincides with some of the nectar flow in plants starting – and a big buildup of brood in the hive. I received a call yesterday a.m. about a swarm that had been […] We’re in the first week of February – and today was in the low 70’s (F). One of my nuc hives that I overwintered had an unusually high amount of activity around it today. I noticed a LOT of bees circulating around a spot that where the nuc had originally placed at about 3-4 weeks […] January 28th – A red-letter day for the 2013 year. Pollen is coming in from at least three local sources. I witnessed bees bringing in pale yellow/white as well as orange and a dark red pollen. The dark red is most likely henbit pollen. The other two – unknown – but VERY welcome to be […] I know that we’ll have a few more cold spats before spring is *really* here – but here’s today’s update from the bee-yard. After our freezes over the holidays. The 2 youngest nucs (which were rescues) did not survive the cold. The other nucs that were started earlier in the fall – doing fantastic! It […] Can you guess where the cluster of bees is in each of the boxes shown? The lids in the outer two nucs are pretty thin, so there’s heat loss through the wood from the bee cluster. I’ll spend some time this week re-making some lids with thicker wood, then will wait til a warm day […] |
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