Here is a great link from a beekeeping exam about the bee waggle dance. I personally think the student should get full points for creativity.
http://myrmecos.net/2011/08/09/the-bee-dance-language-explained-at-last/
Category Archives: education
Brushy Mountain IPM Webinar
This is short notice, but Brushy Mountain Bee Farm is having a webinar on Integrated Pest Management on August 4th at 7:30 pm EST. You need to register to attend, so if you are interested, Click Here.
Filed under beekeeping, education
Round Rock Honey Beekeeping Class
Today I went out to Round Rock Honey to help teach an Intro to Beekeeping Class. I took the full class back in 2009 which really gave me the hands on experience I wanted to make sure beekeeping was for me. For folks interested in keeping bees, this one day class will run down the essentials of beekeeping as well as suiting up and visiting a hive. Round Rock Honey often runs a $39 special via Groupon so I recommend keeping an eye out for this deal.
Filed under beekeeping, education
Vanishing of the Bees
I’ll be attending a screening of the Vanishing of the Bees this evening at the Alamo Drafthouse Village. If you would like to see this movie, here is a link to the upcoming screenings around the country.
Filed under beekeeping, education
Beekeeping meets Groupon
For those of you in the Austin area, Round Rock Honey has a Groupon available for a $39 dollar Intro to Beekeeping Class. I took this class in 2009 and really enjoyed it.
Filed under beekeeping, education
Brushy Mountain Bee Farm Webinar
I’ve taken several webinars from Brushy Mountain Bee Farm, and they have all been very informative. I received the information below on an upcoming webinar about something that is very topical for me as I’m starting my 2nd year as a beekeeper:
Year 2 – Build them up, keep them healthy, and produce honey
We will have a panel made up of beekeepers from different parts of the U.S. Each will discuss the steps they take coming out of winter to build the colonies. We will cover how to get the most from the colony while also keeping it healthy. Lets get ready for the coming year. Panelist include Kim Flottum (editor of Bee Culture Magazine) and Marygael Meister (hobby beekeeper in Denver, CO)
Title: Year 2 – Build them up, keep them healthy, and produce honey
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Time: 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST
The webinar is free; however, space is limited and advanced registration is required. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/814801226
Filed under beekeeping, education
Beekeeping 101 Follow-up
After our Austin Urban Beekeeping Meetup this past weekend, I’ve reserved the meeting room at the Terrazas Library Branch on Saturday, February 12th from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm for additional time for Q&A. I’ll recap the basics for about 30-45 minutes, but I wanted to make sure we had plenty of time for questions.I’ll also hopefully have an answer from Dadant about free shipping for orders from our group as well.
Filed under beekeeping, education
Williamson County Beekeeper Association
The Williamson County Beekeeper Association has a great deal with Avoyelles Honey Company this year for a 3 pound package with a Minnesota Hygienic Italian queen. The cost is only $55 which is pretty fantastic. Some members will be driving to pick up the bees and they will be available for pickup on April 16th. They are also doing a group order with Dadant for beekeeping supplies to save on shipping costs, and the order will be delivered at their March 22nd meeting. You do need to be an active paid member to take advantage of these opportunities, but it is only $10 per year.
I have yet to make a meeting myself as they are in Georgetown, which is a bit of a drive for me, but for anyone who lives in the north suburbs of Austin, this may be more doable for you.
Filed under beekeeping, education, equipment
Beekeeping 101 Class
The Austin Urban Beekeeping Meetup group will be presenting a Beekeeping 101 class Saturday, February 5th at 11:00am. The class will be at the Carver Branch Library. Jim Hogg will be leading the class, and I will be helping as well. We are bringing a variety of hive types as well as all the necessary equipment needed to start your first hive.
I’m expecting a rather large turnout so we’d welcome any experienced beekeepers to join us in answering questions from the group. Hope to see you there.
Filed under beekeeping, education
Hive Considerations
Now is the time to start placing orders for package bees, but I thought a recap on hive placement considerations was in order.
First check three things:
- City Code – For Austin Residents, here is the code.
- Neighbor HOA and/or Covenants
- Your neighbors
Even if your hive location satisfies all the rules and regulations, I am of the opinion that if your neighbors aren’t cool with you having bees, you should find some place else for your hive. The decision is ultimately yours, but please at least think about what your neighbors may think especially if you live in a neighborhood where the houses are very close together. No matter what you do, your hive may swarm one season, and they may end of up in next door neighbor’s yard.
Once you are sure you can put a hive in your backyard, you’ll need to find the perfect spot. Bees hate lawnmowers and will get agitated very quickly if it is an area that will be close to someone using gas or electric lawnmowers, blowers, edgers, etc. Even if you aren’t mowing your lawn, if the hive is close to a fence line, your neighbor might be. Bees also have a tendency to fly in a straight line after leaving the hive so you’ll want to make sure the location isn’t going to cause a porch or deck to be in the hive’s flight path.
When I was considering the location of my first hive, I originally wanted to have it in my own backyard, but my neighbors were not too thrilled with having a hive right next door. It was probably a blessing in disguise that they initially said no. They have since said they would be fine with it, but with the lot sizes in our neighborhood (i.e. small), and the number of folks who would be mowing around the hive, it probably would have not ended well.
Remember, it is easier to move a hive that doesn’t have bees in it yet 🙂
Filed under beekeeping, education
Urban Beekeeping in Austin, Texas 