Archives

Ag Valuation Questionnaire – Collin County – 2025

Clients in Collin County now have a questionnaire to fill out for their annual ag valuation for honeybees. Here are some of the answers I can provide for you for filling that out – for properties where I am managing bees on your land:

 

When did you obtain equipment – (when placed on your […]

Urgent: Nationwide Bee Losses in Winter of 2024-2025

2-7-2025 10pm

If you have not heard – over the last month – as many beekeepers prepare to send bees to California for Almond pollination – it’s being found that the normal approximate annual attrition rate of honeybee colonies of 40% – is this year – being seen in the range of 50%-80% and in […]

Simple Hive Stands

These hive stands are strong, hold the hives to a proper height for easy inspections – and are quick to make with simple tools.

Most of the ones I make are 8′ long – and hold 4 hives easily – or 5 that are pretty tight. So I use 2 stands for most be yards […]

Pollinator Plants for Texas

Many property owners ask me about what to plant to help feed the bees. The short answer – is to plant for ALL the pollinators (butterflies, moths, wasps, bees (including native species as well as the honeybees used in agriculture for pollination services and honey production).

Though I separate this list to categories […]

Fencing the Bees

Some customers who may have other livestock on properties – or in fields that aren’t fenced to keep the public out – may be asked to provide fencing around the hives. Here are some samples that a few of my clients have put around the bees to protect from cattle, horses, humans, goats, and sheep. […]

2025 Texas Legislation to watch

12-11-2024 : Legislation that may affect beekeeping and associated agriculture operations in Texas during their 89th Legislature session:

Searches in Legiscan were for keywords: Honey, Bees, Honeybees

https://legiscan.com/gaits/search – Specify Texas as your state and if asked – 89th Legislature.

 

HB 519 – ( Mary Gonzales – D ) Defines honeybee producer of honey […]

Rainfall and the Effects on Nectar

In North Texas – the 2024 spring season gave me a false hope of being a good honey production year. The first weeks in March provided the beginning of a decent nectar flow from the plants that were in bloom leading up to that week. Several hives proved to me that nectar was being brought […]

The State of the Bees – June 11 2024

11 June 2024.

An update on this year’s honeybees.

Rain Rain Rain!

We have had MUCH more rain this year than the last 10 year average. Of the locations that I manage hives – the rainfall has been between 55% and 80.0% higher than the last 10 years’ average rainfall.

The highest actual rainfall – […]

Beekeeping Changes in 2023

This year, legislation was passed that was an overhaul of Texas Agriculture Code for beekeeping. This is Chapter 131 of the Texas Agriculture Code.

The following letter was sent from the Texas Apiary Inspection Service in regards to some of the changes that take effect on Sept 1.

Changes coming September 1st, 2023 to the […]

Coming Home Magazine

Coming Home magazine is a publication focused towards community living and HOA demographics.

Karina Burnett -Senior Copyrighter interviewed Rex Smith of Harmony Hollow Apiary – to learn more about bees and what a beekeeper does.

Here’s a link to a digital copy of the Summer 2023 edition containing the interview – my interview starts on […]