For the November program of the HBA, we will have our Annual Honey Tasting Contest. This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, November 15, 2011, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Hopefully, by mid-November, everyone will have extracted their honey for this year. An annual tradition at the HBA is for the members to bring samples of this year’s honey crop for a tasting contest and to share stories of their extracting adventures.
In past years, the contest has been formal and informal. This year, we are opting for a formal tasting. This will be a blind tasting. Each contestant should bring a container with this year’s honey crop and someone will assign a number to your entry and it will be placed in a glass jar for tasting. The same amount of honey will be in each jar. All jars will be identical.
Honey will be judged on bouquet, color, mouth texture, and overall taste. Members will vote on which honeys they like the most. It is called a blind tasting because no one will know who’s honey is whose. Certificates, suitable for framing, will be awarded to the first, second, and third place winners.
As always, we will also have a question and answer period for everyone to tell about their experiences in extracting their honey this year.
This month there will be NO REGULAR MEETING of the Houston Beekeepers Association. Instead, we will have our Annual Fall Picnic on Saturday, October 15, 2011.
The Fall Picnic will be held instead of our regular third-Tuesday meeting for October. The Fall Picnic will be hosted by Donald Burger and Maria Trevino, 702 Mosby Circle, Houston, Texas. The HBA will furnish hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks. Members are asked to bring their favorite side dish, desserts or drinks, if possible. But come regardless.
The backyard at 702 Mosby Circle is set up as a series of “rooms.” There is an herb and vegetable area, a rose garden with over 100 rose bushes, a pond with water lilies, gold fish, and waterfall, an outdoor “G” scale railroad with working steam whistle, a cactus garden, Texas native plants, butterfly plants, and numerous fruit trees. And, of course, a complete bee yard. There will be plenty of seating, inside and out. The party will be held rain or shine.
The Fall Picnic starts at noon and lasts until four p.m. Bring the whole family, children included. We will eat around one. This is a fun meeting. Don't miss it.
The September program for the HBA will be a presentation by Jeff McMullan titled “What Beekeepers Should Know about Aethina Tumida.” This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, September 20, 2011, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
"If you know your enemy and you know yourself you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself you will succumb in every battle." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 600 BCE.
Aethina tumida doesn't seem very threatening, does it? When you learn that it is the scientific name for the small hive beetle, you'll also learn that every beekeeper in our area either has or will be faced with a serious hive beetle problem. "Know your enemy."
L Like many of us, Jeff McMullan has learned about hive beetles the hard way.
For our September program, Jeff McMullan will discuss the life cycle of this pest, where it came from, the latest scientific research, and the practices necessary to deal with this devastating pest. Small hive beetles present a daunting enemy and the millennia's-old advice of Sun Tzu can guide us in this war.
For directions to the new meeting place, click here. * * * * * * * * * * *
Special Visit by Texas Honey Queen
The HBA is pleased to announce that Kaylynn Mansker, 2011 Texas Honey Queen, will be a special visitor to our September 20th meeting. Please be sure and attend so you can meet this representative of beekeepers in Texas and hear her tell us how she came to be the 2011 Texas Honey Queen.
As always, we will conclude the meeting with a comprehensive question and answer session. This is your chance to ask about anything in which you are interested during this time of the year.
The August program for the HBA will be a live demonstration by Bill Busch titled “Extraction: A Live Demo.” This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, August 16, 2011, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Fall is a traditional extraction season. Yes, one can extract at any time after the spring honey flow, but most of us wait until fall. By tradition, the HBA has its bottled honey tasting/contest at the November meeting. Waiting until late November or early December to extract is risky business because “cold” honey does not flow well.
Many members will be extracting for the first time. Experience extractor Bill Busch will present for our August meeting his demonstration “Extraction: A Live Demo.” Bill promises to bring the equipment and knowledge one needs concerning how to extract. Reading about the process is great, but nothing beats a live demo. Bill has given this talk before to the Harris County Beekeepers. We are honored to have him present this most timely topic to the HBA.
As always, we will conclude the meeting with a comprehensive question and answer session. This is your chance to ask about anything in which you are interested during this time of the year.
The July program for the HBA will be a PowerPoint presentation by Donald Burger on “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Pollination.” This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, July 19, 2011, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
As beekeepers, we all know that one of the essential roles of bees is pollination. In fact, pollination is one of the many uses of bees of which the general public is aware. Because the public knows something about pollination, they may ask you for specifics!
Come join us in July as Donald tells us those things we need to know to answer the public’s questions—and learn some interesting facts along the way. After listening to this lively presentation, you too will be able to answer the essential questions about the role of bees in pollination, and why it matters to us all.
As always, we will conclude the meeting with a comprehensive question and answer session. This is your chance to ask about anything in which you are interested during this time of the year.
The June program for the HBA will be a PowerPoint presentation by Donald Burger on what flowers will attract bees to your garden. This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, June 21, 2011, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
For the June program, Donald will present a PowerPoint program showing flowers we can plant in our gardens to help our bees. Donald will explain where to buy the plants, how to plant them, how big they get, when they bloom, and what problems they have. His list will be of plants on which he has seen bees and plants other beekeepers in the Houston area have recommended.
Even though we are in the midst of a summer drought, plants purchased in pots can be successfully planted in the garden, if you are willing to give them some extra care. Donald will explain the things you must do to bring new blooms into your garden at this time of the year.
As always, we will conclude the meeting with a comprehensive question and answer session and this is your chance to ask about anything you are interested in during this time of the year.
The May program for the HBA will be a presentation by Donald Burger on tips and techniques involved if you ever have to move one of your hives. This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
For the May program, Donald will lead a discussion about things to consider if you are ever faced with a situation where you have to move a hive of bees. This includes moves of less than a hundred yards and moves of over a mile. There are some very practical problems a beekeeper faces any time a hive is moved, regardless of the distance. Those problems include how to lift all the weight involved, how to keep the bees from dying of heat, and how to minimize the crushing of the bees during the move.
As you may know, the HBA has purchased a two-person hive carrier that is available to club members. Its use will be demonstrated at the meeting. To supplement Donald’s research on moving hives, everyone is invited to bring their stories of the trials and travails they experienced when they moved their hives.
As always, we will conclude the meeting with a comprehensive question and answer session. Spring (and drought) is upon us and this is your chance to ask about anything you are interested in during this season of the year.
The April program for the HBA will be a presentation by Jeff McMullan on dealing with swarms. Jeff’s presentation is called “Swarm Stories.” This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
For the April program, popular speaker Jeff McMullan will regale us with stories of his exploits in catching swarms. Jeff will talk about trapping or capturing swarms and promises a really good video of a recent swarm capture. Jeff’s presentations are always the highlight of the year and you should make plans to attend this entertaining presentation.
As always, we will conclude the meeting with a comprehensive question and answer session. Spring is upon us and this is your chance to ask about anything you are interested in during this most productive thirty days in the life of a hive.
The March program for the HBA will discuss two current events, hiving your bees and tales from the Rodeo. This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, March 15, 2011, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
To start the March program, Donald Burger will give a short demonstration on how you hive your bees when you are just starting out. Yes, there are some tips that will make this procedure go easier. After we hear Donald's version, the floor will be open so that other members can relate their experiences with this first major encounter with our buzzing friends.
Next on the program will be a group discussion of experiences helping with the bee booth at the Rodeo. At the time of the March meeting, the Rodeo will be seventy-five percent over. If you helped with the bee booth, come tell us what you learned and the questions you were asked while at the Rodeo. If you are considering helping with the bee booth next year, come to this meeting so you can find out how much fun it really is.
As always, we will conclude the meeting with a comprehensive question and answer session. Spring is almost upon us, and this is your chance to ask about anything you are interested in during this most productive thirty days in the life of a hive.
The February meeting of the HBA will concentrate on the beekeeping booth at the upcoming Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which takes place from March 1 to 20. This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, February 15, 2011, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is almost upon us. And at it, we have a unique opportunity to distribute positive information about our hard-working bees at the Bee Booth in the AGventure area. Volunteers are still needed for morning and afternoon shifts.
At the meeting, we will give complete information as to how you sign up to volunteer at the Rodeo. In past years, the “morning” shift was from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and the “afternoon” shift was from 2:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Volunteer efforts are coordinated through the Harris County Beekeepers Association and we need at least one volunteer for each of these shifts for every day of the Rodeo.
At the February meeting, we will go over exactly what you do if you volunteer for the Bee Booth. We have a list of typical questions asked in past rodeos and copies of the questions and answers will be available at the meeting. You can also print them out from the website. Rest assured that, even if you are a beginning beekeeper, you will know enough to answer any questions asked of you.
This is a fun event that depends for its success on our members helping to staff the booth. Please join us to learn how you can share bee knowledge with the Houston community. We will also have a Q&A session at this month’s meeting. If you have any questions about your hives, please attend.
For the second year in a row, it looks like we may have a real winter in Houston. For the January program of the HBA, we will discuss techniques good beekeepers can use to ensure that their bees survive the winter in style. This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, January 18, 2011, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
The January meeting is a busy meeting. First of all, we will be holding officer elections. If you are interested in becoming an officer of the HBA, show up and make your pitch.
Donald Burger will also give a presentation on spring feeding of your hives, including what to feed and when to start your feeding program If you want a strong hive when spring arrives, you need to hear these techniques. The discussion will include both the latest on pollen substitutes and the formula for spring feeding of sugar syrup. Bring your questions on all beekeeping subjects!
The public is invited. Admission is free.
The HBA does not meet in December. Our next meeting is January 18, 2011, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
The November program of the HBA will be on Tuesday, November 16, 2010, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
For the November program of the HBA, we will start with a talk by Jeff McMullan called “Where There’s Smoke” and conclude with our Annual Honey Tasting Contest. This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, November 16, 2010, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Lighting your smoker can be a constant chore until you master the knack of that perfect combination of smoker fuel and kindling. Please join us as Jeff McMullan, probably the most popular speaker at our meetings, takes us for a tour of his journey for the long sought perfect smoker and perfect fuel. At this meeting, Jeff will report on his uncertain progress toward bee calming nirvana. He is bringing along smokers, various fuels, and multiple suggestions for making your smoker a useful tool instead of an excuse to try out words you would not want your kids to hear.
After Jeff’s presentation, we will have our annual fall honey tasting. Hopefully by now, you will have done your fall extracting. An annual tradition at the HBA is for the members to bring samples of this year’s honey crop for tasting. This will be a blind tasting. We will tally the votes to determine whose honey is the sweetest. Bring your best taste buds.
This month there will be NO REGULAR MEETING of the Houston Beekeepers Association. Instead, we will have our Annual Fall Picnic on Saturday, October 16, 2010.
The Fall Picnic will be held instead of our regular third-Tuesday meeting for October. The Fall Picnic will be hosted by Donald Burger and Maria Trevino, 702 Mosby Circle, Houston, Texas. The HBA will furnish hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks. Members are asked to bring their favorite side dish, desserts or drinks.
The Fall Picnic starts at noon and lasts till 4 p.m. Bring the whole family, children included. We will eat around one. This is a fun meeting. Don't miss it.
The September program of the HBA will be on Tuesday, September 21, 2010, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Drought hits bees especially hard. It is usually hot, and nectar is in short supply. And we all know that bees need water to keep themselves alive and the hives cool.
At our September 21st meeting, which starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, Donald Burger will give a presentation on providing water sources for your bees. And this doesn't mean your neighbors' swimming pools.
He will share his experiences in providing drinks for our girls, and what works and what does not. Donald will bring several interesting devices he has used to provide water for his bees. Members are also invited to share their experiences in getting bees to drink.
After the talk, there will be plenty of time for questions and answers from the members about issues they are facing at this hot time of the year. Extracting season is coming up, so if you have questions about that process, bring them to the meeting.
Ask any old-time beekeeper and he will tell you that keeping bees isn’t as easy as it was in the “good old days”. Jeff McMullan has learned that if you ask honey bee scientists the same question, you will get the same answer! At the August HBA meeting, Jeff will give a presentation on small hive beetles, the newest pest to plague beekeepers.
Jeff’s first hive of bees was a feral colony that moved into a flower pot in his back yard. Coached along by friends that were experienced beekeepers, he moved the colony into a hive and a new beekeeper was on his way. A year or two later in mid-summer, there was suddenly no hive activity. Where just days before there had been hundreds, maybe thousands, of bees clustered outside the hive each afternoon (“just too hot inside” Jeff thought), there was ominous quiet. Inside the hive he discovered “the most disgusting sight you could imagine.”
Determined to avenge his loss, Jeff set out to learn all he could about dealing with small hive beetles. He read all that he could find about this small innocent looking insect. Research Entomologist Dr. Lilia deGuzman (as well as other scientists at the USDA Honey Bee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Research Laboratory) were quizzed time and again over the phone and in person about their small hive beetle research. On August 17, Jeff will report on what he has learned so far about the origin of this pest, its life cycle and behavior and what we can do to help our bees cope with Aethina tumida.
After the talk, there will be plenty of time for questions and answers from the members about issues they are facing at this hot time of the year.
The July program of the HBA will be a talk by Donald Burger and a question-and-answer session on different types of hive tools and frame grippers and the advantages and disadvantages of the different models of these useful tools. The July meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 20, 2010, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
One of the top three tools of any beekeeper is the hive tool. It is so important that many beekeepers have more than one model. Although not as essential, frame grippers are also seen in many bee yards.
At the July meeting, Donald Burger will lead a presentation on the varieties of hive tools and frame grippers that are available. Actual models will be demonstrated. Members are encouraged to bring their favorite hive tools and frame grippers to the meeting so those in attendance can see the many variations available and decide whether they are satisfied with their current models.
After the talk, there will be plenty of time for questions and answers from the members about issues they are facing at this hot time of the year.
The June program of the HBA will be a talk by Donald Burger and a question-and-answer session on what you should be doing now to get ready for extraction. The June meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 15, 2010, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
One of the benefits of belonging to the Houston Beekeepers Association is that the Club has purchased basic extracting equipment for the use of our members. The equipment includes a radial extractor, an electric hot knife with stand, a capping scratcher, an uncapping tank and a stainless steel double sieve.
However, members still need to purchase certain equipment themselves in order to complete the extracting process. At the June meeting, Donald Burger will discuss using the Club equipment and also hand out written materials listing the basic equipment a beekeeper will need to purchase in order to extract honey.
After the talk, there will be plenty of time for questions and answers from the members about issues they are facing at this hot time of the year.
The May program of the HBA will be an encore performance by Jeff McMullan, who wowed the crowd last month with his talk on catching swarms. He is the featured speaker for the May meeting, which will be held on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Old time beekeepers will all tell you that keeping bees is a lot harder than it used to be. In fact, almost every day we read of honey bee losses due to Colony Collapse Disorder ("CCD") and the global effort to determine its cause and cure. It is a fact that, despite efforts at control, exotic afflictions can quickly make their way around the planet, whether it is H1N1 swine flu virus in humans or some pathogen that strikes the honey bee. For our May program, Jeff McMullan will present an overview of honey bee pests and disease and beekeeping practices that are necessary to protect our hives. His puzzling title is "Dogs and Fleas".
After the talk, there will be plenty of time for questions and answers from the members about issues they are facing during this most unusual spring.
The April program of the HBA will be on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
At this time of year, swarms are everywhere. HBA members regularly receive email requests from the public to come get a swarm. If you have ever considered a swarm as a source for free bees, please come to our April meeting where Jeff McMullan will present a PowerPoint program on his many experiences in catching swarms.
Swarm catching is as much an art as science. Learn the techniques from the experts and your chances of succeeding with the swarm you go after will be vastly improved. Come learn from Jeff McMullan about this most interesting aspect of beekeeping.
After the talk, there will be plenty of time for questions and answers from the members about issues they are facing during this most unusual spring.
The March program of the HBA will be on Tuesday, March 16, 2010, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
One of the most memorable experiences in the life of many beekeepers is hiving their first package of bees. This is especially true if you have never seen it done before and all you have to go on is the written description in bee books.
For the March program, Donald Burger will lead a demonstration on how you hive your bees. This hands-on demonstration should be valuable to new beekeepers who have yet to face this experience. We will also have stories from the members about their experiences in hiving their first packages of bees. A good time should be had by all.
The Livestock Show and Rodeo is in progress until March 21, 2010. We always help with the Bee Booth, and it is not too late to sign up.
There will also be a Q & A session, so bring your hardest questions.
This month's meeting will be on Tuesday, February 16, 2010, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
The February program of the HBA, will include a hands-on demonstration of how one uses a queen excluder to find the queen. Rest assured that no bees will be used in this demonstration. However, visually seeing how the technique is performed will help you find your queen when all else has failed. This is not the easiest way to find a queen, but it is a sure way when all else has failed. Come learn this technique.
At last month's meeting, we discussed the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the bee booth that is part of the AGventure exhibit. The Livestock Show and Rodeo is coming up from March 2 through March 21, 2010. We always help with the Bee Booth, and we will again discuss what that is all about at the February meeting.
There will also be a Q & A session, so bring your hardest questions.
For the January program of the HBA, we will have a program lead by Donald Burger on "Getting Ready for Spring." This month's meeting will be on Tuesday, January 19, 2010, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
The January meeting is a busy meeting. First of all, we will be holding officer elections. If you are interested in becoming an officer of the HBA, show up and make your pitch.
We will also have a discussion on what you should be doing to get your hives ready for the spring honey flow. If you have questions about re-queening, spring feeding, or the latest in pollen substitutes, bring your inquiries and our knowledgeable staff will answer your questions.
The Livestock Show and Rodeo is also coming up from March 2 through March 21, 2010. We always help with the bee booth, and we will discuss what that is all about at the January meeting.
There will also be a Q & A session, so bring your hardest questions.
The HBA does not meet in December. Our next meeting is January 19, 2010, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
For the November program of the HBA, we will have our Annual Honey Tasting Contest. This month's meeting will be on Tuesday, November 17, 2009, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Hopefully, by now you will have done your fall extracting. An annual tradition at the HBA is for the members to bring samples of this year's honey crop for tasting. This will be a blind tasting. We will tally the votes to determine whose honey is the sweetest. Bring you best taste buds because there is a rumor that there may be some store-bought ringers mixed in with the members' entries.
Also, Abigail David has reported that raspberry ants have been found in Houston. A short strategy session will be held on how to deal with this newest menace to our bees.
There will also be a Q & A session, so bring your hardest questions.
This month there will be NO REGULAR MEETING of the Houston Beekeepers Association. Instead, we will have our Annual Fall Picnic on Saturday, October 17, 2009.
The Fall Picnic will be held instead of our regular third-Tuesday meeting for October. The Fall Picnic will be hosted by Donald Burger and Maria Trevino, 702 Mosby Circle, Houston, Texas. The HBA will furnish hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks. Members are asked to bring their favorite side dish or drinks.
The Fall Picnic starts at noon and lasts till 4 p.m. Bring the whole family, children included. We will eat around one. This is a fun meeting. Don't miss it.
To read about past programs of the Houston Beekeepers Association, Click here.
For directions to the new meeting place, click here.
For the September program of the HBA, Donald Burger will give a presentation on “Bottling and Labeling Your Honey.” This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, September 15, 2009, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
At last month’s meeting, Sandy Morgan and Rita Willhite walked us through the process of extracting your honey. Once we have the honey in those five gallon buckets, we still need to get it in a container and label it.
At this month’s meeting, Donald Burger will go through the steps he takes in the final filtering of the honey choosing a suitable container, getting the honey from the bucket to the bottle and labeling the honey.
Because most of us give away our honey, it is important that we take the time to put it in a suitable bottle and add an attractive label. Come to the September meeting and learn about the tips and techniques for “finalizing your golden nectar.”
After the talk, we will have a Q&A session to address any issues you are having with your bees or hives. Be thinking of what you want to ask and bring your hardest questions.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
For the August program of the HBA, Sandy Morgan and Rita Willhite will share with us their experiences in extracting honey. This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, August 18, 2009, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
It’s getting to be the time of the year when all good beekeepers’ thoughts turn to extracting their honey. Although extraction is not especially difficult, there are a lot of steps throughout the process.
Whether you are a veteran extractor or are extracting for the first time, you should come to the August meeting to hear “Tales from the Extractor,” based on the experiences of two veteran beekeepers who have extracted honey numerous times.
Sandy and Rita will be bringing the actual equipment used in the extraction process so you can take a first-hand look at all the special equipment needed to make your extracting process go easily.
After the talk, we will have a Q&A session to address any issues you are having with your bees or hives. Be thinking of what you want to ask and bring your hardest questions.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
For the July program of the HBA, Donald Burger will lead a discussion on "Tips for Lighting Your Smoker." This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, July 21, 2009, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
It seems a simple thing, in theory, to light a smoker. However, if you have ever gotten to your beehive and discovered the smoker is no longer working, you know how important it is to get this task right.
This month’s presentation will cover the care and feeding of your smoker, including fuels that can be used to light your smoker, techniques to make sure the smoker stays lit, how to keep from burning yourself, and how to use your smoker at the hive.
There will be samples of the major commercial smoker fuels plus homemade ones. Bring your experiences with methods you have tried so we can all learn from each other’s successes.
After the talk, we will have a Q&A session to address any issues you are having with your bees or hives. Be thinking of what you want to ask and bring your hardest questions.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
For the June program of the HBA, Dave Carlson will give a PowerPoint presentation on "A Sampling of Bee Heritage." This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, June 16, 2009, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
HBA member Dave Carlson will present a talk on the European dark honey bee and beekeeping as it existed in Sweden in the early 1900s. Dave’s father was a beekeeper and he has pictures of his father’s old farm, where bees are still kept in skeps. He will also treat us to honey from France.
The honey operation at his dad’s farm was part of the self-sustaining farming done in Sweden at the turn of the 20th century. This is your chance to learn about early beekeeping and beekeeping in Europe (plus taste some prime honey from France).
After the talk, we will have a Q&A session to address any issues you are having with your bees or hives. Be thinking of what you want to ask and bring your hardest questions.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
This month, on May 19, 2009, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
The Houston Beekeeper’s Association is honored to have the 2009 Texas Honey Queen, Nicole Pettibon, as its special guest at our May meeting. This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Ms. Pettibon began beekeeping in 2004 when she won a Collin County Hobby Beekeeper’s Association Scholarship. She lives on a ranch in McKinney, Texas and is seventeen years old.
This year her reign will be spent traveling around the state promoting the honey bee industry and representing the Texas Beekeepers Association. She currently manages three hives and enjoys playing the violin and the piano.
The TBA has done a good job in selecting knowledgeable beekeepers as their honey queens. We are looking forward to an interesting presentation not only on beekeeping but also on how the public perceives beekeepers.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
This month, on April 21, 2009, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
For the April program of the HBA, Jeff McMullan will give a presentation on "Essential Equipment for the Beginning Beekeeper." This month's meeting will be on Tuesday, April 21, 2009, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Those of us who have been in beekeeping for a while have accumulated a lot of equipment. Some of it is very valuable, and some of it looked like a great idea when we bought it, but we never use it. April's talk will include a demonstration of what is really essential in the realm of protective gear and beekeeping tools. If you are just getting started, this talk can save you a ton of money by showing you what you should look for when you are browsing the bee catalogs.
Jeff will lead the discussion, but audience participation is always encouraged. If you have a favorite piece of gear that you can't live without, bring it to the meeting so we can all see it. If you are a beginning beekeeper, bring your questions with you, whether they are on gear or other topics. We always have a Q&A session at each meeting, and this will be your chance to gain that essential knowledge.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
This month, on March 17, 2009, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
For the March program of the HBA, Donald Burger will give a presentation on "Tips for Assembling and Painting Hive Bodies." February and March are the seasons when you should get your frames and hive bodies assembled in anticipation of the spring honey flow. Donald Burger will bring an actual hive body and frames to the meeting to show the tips and techniques he has learned over the years on how to put together this wooden ware. He will also give some techniques on painting the hive bodies. No real hives will be harmed during this demonstration.
This should be a fun program, and audience participation is encouraged. There is seldom just one way to do things, and this will be your opportunity to compare your methods with those of other club members. Please join us to learn the various ways hive bodies and frames are assembled and painted. We will also have a Q&A session at this month's meeting. If you have any questions about your bees, please attend.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
This month, on February 17, 2009, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
The February meeting of the HBA will concentrate on the beekeeping booth at the upcoming Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. This month's meeting will be on Tuesday February 17, 2009, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is almost upon us. And at it, we have a unique opportunity to distribute positive information about our hard-working bees at the Bee Booth in the AGventure area. Volunteers are still needed for morning and afternoon shifts.
To volunteer at the Bee Booth, go to the Harris County Beekeepers website (www.harriscountybeekeepers.org) and click on the EVENTS button halfway down the column on the far left-hand side of the page. You will be taken to the AGventure section. The button for the volunteer schedule is on the right-hand side of the page. Contact Deborah Rankin to claim your shift.
At this month's meeting, we will go over exactly what you do if you volunteer for the Bee Booth. We have a list of typical questions asked at past rodeos and that list is available for print out on the Houston Beekeepers website (www.houstonbeekeepers.org). Rest assured that, even if you are a beginning beekeeper, you will know enough to answer any question asked of you.
This is a fun event that depends for its success on our members helping to man the booth. Please join us to learn how you can share bee knowledge with the Houston community.
We will also have a Q&A session at this month's meeting. If you have any questions about your hives, please attend.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
This month, on January 20, 2009, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
For the January program of the HBA, Donald Burger will give a presentation on "New Techniques for Finding the Queen." This month’s meeting will be on Tuesday, January 20, 2009, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Finding the queen in your hive is always a problem for beekeepers. Many techniques exist for accomplishing this project. Of course, it helps tremendously to have a marked queen. But sometimes, even that is not enough. The hive may have swarmed, leaving you with an unmarked queen. Or, if you have been lax about swapping out your queens, the paint may have mostly worn off. Donald Burger will quickly go over these time-honored methods and then demonstrate a new technique (at least to some) for finding the queen when all else fails.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
In December there will be no meeting of the Houston Beekeepers Association. Our next meeting will be on January 20, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074.
This month, on November 18, 2008, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074.
For the November program of the HBA, Sandy Morgan will give a presentation on "Bee Trivia." This program was scheduled for the September meeting, which we had to cancel because the Bayland Community Center was closed because of Hurricane Ike. This month's meeting will be on Tuesday, November 18, 2008, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
So you think you know your bees? You spent the lazy dog days of summer fanning yourself, sipping lemonade, and are now ready for the ultimate test. It is the 2008 HBA Bee Trivia Buzz-Off! Trivia questions will focus on how bees gather nectar, the plants they visit, the contents of honey, and other areas. We will finish with a honey tasting. If you have harvested honey this year, bring some for us to taste.
Whether you are a first time beekeeper or an old hat, we bet you can learn a new thing or two about your bees. At this month's meeting, Sandy Morgan will deliver a slide presentation of bee facts, trivia and even a bit of fiction.
This month there will be NO REGULAR MEETING of the Houston Beekeepers Association. Instead, we will have our Annual Fall Picnic on Saturday, October 18, 2008.
The Fall Picnic will be held instead of our regular third-Tuesday meeting for October. The Fall Picnic will be hosted by Donald Burger and Maria Trevino, 702 Mosby Circle, Houston, Texas. The HBA will furnish hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks. Members are asked to bring their favorite side dish or drinks.
The Fall Picnic starts at noon and lasts till 4 p.m. Bring the whole family, children included. We will eat around one. This is a fun meeting. Don't miss it.
The September Meeting was cancelled due to Hurricane Ike. Below is the scheduled program. Below is what was scheduled.
This month, on September 16, 2008, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
For the September program of the HBA, Sandy Morgan will give a presentation on "Bee Trivia." The meeting will be on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
So you think you know your bees? You spent the lazy dog days of summer fanning yourself, sipping lemonade, and are now ready for the ultimate test. It is the 2008 HBA Bee Trivia Buzz-Off!
Whether you are a first time beekeeper or an old hat, we bet you can learn a new thing or two about your bees. At this month's meeting, Sandy Morgan will deliver a slide presentation of bee facts, trivia and even a bit of fiction.
This month, on August 19, 2008, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
For the August program of the HBA, Donald Burger will give a talk on "Crystal Balls and Fall Chemicals." The meeting will be on Tuesday, August 19, 2008, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
In traditional beekeeping, fall is the time for dosing your hives with various chemicals to deal with nosema, tracheal mites, varroa, and foulbrood. The beekeeper’s chemical arsenal includes Apistan, Checkmite, menthol, Fumidil-B, and Terramycin. In addition to figuring out the proper dose of the chemicals used to attack these pests, the beekeeper is also faced with the issue of how long to leave the treatments in place. Each of these chemicals also has a “remove before” date so that the residues are not in the hive during a honey flow.
In this talk, Donald Burger will discuss the daunting issues of timing when taking a chemical approach to apiary pests. If you use these chemicals or are contemplating using them in the future, you won’t want to miss this talk.
This month, on July 15, 2008, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
The July program of the HBA will be a talk by Nancy Greig on “The Observation Hive at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.” The meeting will be on Tuesday, July 15, 2008, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
At our July meeting, Nancy Greig, curator of the Cockrell Butterfly Center, will give a talk on her experiences setting up the observation hive that is now a popular part of the Butterfly Center. In May, 2007, the museum installed a four-frame observation honeybee hive inside the butterfly center as part of the renovation of the insect wing. Nancy will talk about how the observation hive works, sources for such hives, and the museum's experience with maintaining this type of hive on a permanent basis.
Observation hives are, by their very nature, unusually hard to maintain. Nancy will discuss the specific problems she encountered with the observation hive and what has been done to resolve those problems. If you have ever considered having an observation hive, you should not miss this talk.
Please note: We have a new meeting place. This month, on June 17, 2008, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
The June program of the HBA will be a talk by Donald Burger on "Gardening for Bees." The meeting will be on Tuesday, June 17, 2008, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Come to our June meeting and learn the unusual techniques of gardening for bees. Bees have special requirements that are not present in other kinds of gardening. Traditional practices will not necessarily attract bees to your garden. Our speaker will discuss his experiences with gardening for bees as well as the plants he has found that Houston bees love. After hearing this talk, you too can have a golden thumb.
Please note: We have a new meeting place. This month, on May 20, 2008, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
Our special guest speaker for the May meeting will be Rachael Seida. The meeting will be on Tuesday, May 20, 2008, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Rachael last spoke to us on August 21, 2007, in her capacity as Texas Honey Queen. Since then, she has been crowned the American Honey Queen. Rachael is a long-time beekeeper and has inspired many local members with her extensive knowledge of beekeeping. She will talk to us about what is involved in being the American Honey Queen, and her experiences both as a beekeeper and as a representative of the beekeeping industry.
Please note: We have a new meeting place. This month, on April 15, 2008, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
The April program of the HBA will be on "Best Books for Beginning Beekeepers." The meeting will be on Tuesday, April 15, 2008, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
The program for April will be on the "Best Books for Beginning Beekeepers." Donald Burger will start the program with a quick review of half a dozen basic books, and then the members will give short reviews of their favorites-both fiction and non-fiction. Bring your favorite beekeeping book that is geared for beginners and tell everyone why you like it.
Please note: We have a new meeting place. This month, on March 18, 2008, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
The March program of the HBA will be on "Dealing with Small Hive Beetles." by Donald Burger. The meeting will be on Tuesday, March 18, 2008, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Small Hive Beetles were first confirmed in the U.S. ten years ago in Florida. They have swept the nation, leaving a path of destruction. Many local beekeepers have found these pin head sized beetles in their hives.
Donald Burger will present the March program on dealing with small hive beetles. He will discuss the life cycle of the beetle, chemical approaches to dealing with them and integrated pest management techniques. Three kinds of small hive beetle traps will be demonstrated, along with actual samples of the adult and larval form of this pest. Don’t miss this informative talk!
Please note: We have a new meeting place. This month, on February 19, 2008, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
The February program of the HBA will be on "Spring Feeding of New Hives," by Donald Burger. The meeting will be on Tuesday, February 19, 2008, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center. The public is invited. Admission is free.
Come to our February meeting and learn the techniques of Spring Feeding of New Hives. Last month, Donald Burger presented a program on how to feed established hives. This month he will cover the techniques of spring feeding to get your newly established hives off to a good start. The program will cover the types of feeders, what to feed, how long to feed and why to feed. If you are going to be setting up a new hive this year, this is a program you won't want to miss.
There will also be a short segment on how you can participate at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Bee Booth. Each year, as part of the Ag-Adventure section of the Rodeo, a bee booth is set up to show the public about beekeeping. There is a live hive in a screened gazebo, and an observation hive for the kids to observe bees at a close-up range. During the day, many school children will come by the booth. The Rodeo has guides for such groups, but we try to have beekeepers on hand to answer any and all questions. The Rodeo is from March 3 to March 22, 2008. We divide the day into two shifts, 9:30 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 9 pm. We need volunteers for all these slots. We will discuss what you do, and how you get to the booth. Please come join us. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Please note: We have a new meeting place. This month, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Phone number is 713-541-9951. Get complete directions below.
The most common method of providing winter food for bees is through the use of a second hive body, sometimes called the food chamber. Placing this hive body on top of the brood chamber is often enough for our mild winters.
However, there are additional things one can do to encourage the queen to begin increasing the colony size earlier than normal. The goal is a strong colony by the time of the spring honey flow.
Approaches include feeding sugar syrup at various concentrations, feeding brood builder or pollen substitute and employing various contraption for feeding large quantities of supplemental feed.
Our program this month will go over the strategies and techniques of spring feeding. Come hear the latest ideas along with tried and true approaches to this aspect of hive management.
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Please note: We have a new meeting place. This month, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
The program for December will be our Annual Holiday Meeting and election of officers. Main entree, coffee and soft drinks will be furnished. If you feel like cooking, bring your own special side dish, dip or dessert. If you don’t feel like cooking, bring something from the store. And if you don’t want to do either, please come anyway. There is always plenty of good food and we want to see you at the meeting. If you have always wanted to drag your spouse to a meeting, this is the one. Also, children welcome. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
For directions to the new meeting place, click here.
Please note: Starting this month, and for the foreseeable future, we will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, Texas 77074. Get complete directions below.
This month we meet on November 20, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. We will have honey tasting and a round table discussion about current hive issues. Please bring a sample of your honey from this year's crop to share with the group. Also bring your questions, problems, and issues that you'd like to discuss and we'll address these with the collective experience of the HBA.
This month there will be NO REGULAR MEETING of the Houston Beekeepers Association. Instead, we will have our Annual Fall Picnic on Saturday, October 20, 2007.
The Fall Picnic will be held instead of our regular third-Tuesday meeting for October. The Fall Picnic will be hosted by Donald Burger and Maria Trevino, 702 Mosby Circle, Houston, Texas. The HBA will furnish hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks. Members are asked to bring their favorite side dish or drinks.
The Fall Picnic starts at noon and lasts till 4 p.m. Bring the whole family, children included. We will eat around one. This is a fun meeting. Don't miss it.
Note: We are pleased to announce that this year we have asked members of the Fort Bend Beekeepers Association and the Harris County Beekeepers (and their families) to join us. Don't pass up this chance to meet additional beekeepers--and hear new beekeeper stories!
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, September 18, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the Houston Baptist University. Directions are:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards
Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the
freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball &
baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in
the parking lot. The Hinton Center is the domed building on the right. The
meeting is nearby in Room 113 of Atwood II. Just follow the signs.
For a campus map click here.
This month's program will feature a roundtable discussion of what is happening in the beeyard, with special emphasis on harvesting your honey for the fall. Next month we meet on a special day, October 20, 2007, starting at noon. We will have our annual fall picnic at 702 Mosby Circle, the same location as last year. Donald and Maria will host the affair. The HBA will provide the hamburgers, hot dogs and buns. Attendees are asked to bring drinks or a side dish. Come to the September meeting for more information and a map to the location.
Come to this month's meeting and see what all the BUZZ is about!
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, August 21, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at our new location. Directions are:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards
Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the
freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball &
baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in
the parking lot. The Hinton Center is the domed building on the right. The
meeting is nearby in Room 113 of Atwood II. Just follow the signs.
For a campus map click here.
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
This month's speaker is the current reigning Texas Honey Queen, Rachael Seida. She is a long-time beekeeper. Come to our August meeting and ask your questions of this experienced beekeeper.
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, July 17, 2007. This meeting will be held at a special location instead of our (new) regular meeting place at the Houston Baptist University. For this month only, we are meeting the Enchanted Forest Nursery, 10611 FM 2759, Richmond, Texas 77469. Phone is 281-937-9449. For this month only we are also meeting one hour earlier than normal. The June meeting will start at 6:30 p.m.
We are getting a private tour of all their wonderful plants, with special emphasis on those plants that are especially attractive to bees. The Enchanted Forest is approximately 20 miles from the HBU campus. Take Highway 59 south and then take the Crabb River Road Exit. The exit will loop back over Highway 59. Travel south on Crabb River Road for approximately 1.8 miles (the road becomes FM 2759). At FM 729, turn left on FM 2759/Thompsons Road for approximately 3.7 miles. Enchanted Forest will be on your left. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, June 19, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at our new location. Directions are:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards
Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the
freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball &
baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in
the parking lot. The Hinton Center is the domed building on the right. The
meeting, for this month only, is in Room #117 instead of the usual room of #124.
This month's program will be a round table discussion of why each of us got into beekeeping and any tricks of the trade we use in keeping our bees, extracting & bottling.
(Please note that next month's meeting will be at Enchanted Forest. Stay turned for details and directions.)
Most important: There has been a temporary room change for the June meeting. It will be in the same building but in Rm. 117.
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, May 15, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at our new location. Directions are:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards
Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the
freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball &
baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in
the parking lot. The Hinton Center is the domed building on the right. The
meeting is in room #124.
For a campus map click here.
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Not only is this the beginning of the beekeeper's year (well, close to the beginning), but we also have lots of new members who are just starting out. We had lots of questions about the basics at the last meeting, so we decided to spend the whole program this month on talking about what should be going on at your hives, and how you can address any problems you are having.
So, whether you are an old hand, or a first timer, bring your questions to the meeting and hear what other members of the HBA have to say. You may find out that they have already been through the exact problem that is puzzling you. Sharing knowledge (including mistakes) with each other is one of the prime benefits of coming to the meetings. And yes, Pies by Simon (made with local honey) will be served!
Come to this month's meeting and see what all the BUZZ is about!
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, April 17, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at our new location. Directions are:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards
Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the
freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball &
baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in
the parking lot. The Hinton Center is the domed building on the right. The
meeting is in room #124.
For a campus map click here.
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The latest problem to plague bee hives in the Houston area is the small hive beetle. These little creatures have been detected in many of the hives in this area. Our speaker for this month is Rita Whillhite, who will tell us everything we want to know about this new pest. Come learn the latest information on the small hive beetle, and find out what area beekeepers are doing to deal with this latest threat.
Come to this month's meeting and see what all the BUZZ is about!
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, March 20, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at our new location. Directions are:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards
Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the
freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball &
baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in
the parking lot. The Hinton Center is the domed building on the right. The
meeting is in room #124.
For a campus map click here.
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
This November the Texas Beekeepers Association will hold their annual convention in Galveston, Texas. Several of the local beekeeper clubs are helping with this convention. Our guest speaker for the March meeting will be Don Angle of the Harris County Beekeepers Association. Mr. Angle will go over exactly what activities the Houston Beekeepers Association will help with, and what all goes on at this state-wide convention.
The HBA has agreed to provide help and personnel to make this convention a success. Come to our March meeting and find out all the fun-activities that take place at the TBA convention--and learn how you can be a part of this year's gathering.
Come to this month's meeting and see what all the BUZZ is about!
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, February 20, 2007. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at our new location. Directions are:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards
Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the
freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball &
baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in
the parking lot. The Hinton Center is the domed building on the right. The
meeting is in room #124.
Campus map: www.hbu.edu/icm/HBU_CampusMap.pdf
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is almost upon us. And at it, we have a unique opportunity to distribute positive information about our hard-working bees at the Bee Booth in the AgAdventure area. Volunteers are still needed for morning and afternoon shifts.
To 'bee' a volunteer at the Bee Booth, review the volunteer sheet on Harris County Beekeepers website at www.harrisbee.org and click on the rodeo section above the two beekeepers. Contact Don Angle to claim your shift.
At this month's meeting, we will answer the following Bee Booth
questions:
* What are the morning shift duties?
* What are the afternoon shift duties?
* Can I display my local honey/handmade beeswax candles at the
booth?
(( YES! -- Please bring them to the meeting! ))
* Do I wear my bee suit while on duty?
* What has been the most unique question asked?
* What is the question most often asked?
And introducing a new program segment, What did you find?
Come to this month's meeting and see what all the BUZZ is about!
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
The January meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association, scheduled for Tuesday, January 16, 2007, at 7:30 pm at Houston Baptist University’s Hinton Center
The December meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association, on this month only, is on Tues, December 12, 2006 at 7:30 pm at Houston Baptist University’s Hinton Center:
7502 Fondren
Hinton Center, Rm. #124
Houston, Texas
The program for December will be our Annual Holiday Meeting and election of officers. Main entree, coffee and soft drinks will be furnished. If you feel like cooking, bring your own special side dish, dip or dessert. If you don’t feel like cooking, bring something from the store. And if you don’t want to do either, please come anyway. There is always plenty of good food and we want to see you at the meeting. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Directions:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball & baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in the parking lot. Meeting is held in the Hinton Center (domed building) room #124.
For a campus map click here.
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Calling all chefs, cooks, and eaters! This month bring your favorite food which has a bee product as one of its ingredients (this includes honey, pollen, or beeswax). The food item can be one that you bake or one you purchase. Get creative!
The November meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tues, Nov. 21, 2006 at 7:30 pm at Houston Baptist University’s Hinton Center:
7502 Fondren
Hinton Center, Rm. #124
Houston, Texas
Directions:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball & baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in the parking lot. Meeting is held in the Hinton Center (domed building) room #124.
This month there will be NO REGULAR MEETING of the Houston Beekeepers Association. Instead, we will have our Annual Fall Picnic on Saturday, October 14, 2006.
The Fall Picnic will be held instead of our regular third-Tuesday meeting for October. The Fall Picnic will be hosted by Donald Burger and Maria Trevino, 702 Mosby Circle, Houston, Texas. The HBA will furnish hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks. Members are asked to bring their favorite side dish. The Fall Picnic starts at noon and lasts till 4 p.m. Bring the whole family, children included. We will eat around one. This is a fun meeting. Don't miss it.
Note: We are pleased to announce that this year we have asked members of the Fort Bend Beekeepers Association (and their families) to join us. Don't pass up this chance to meet additional beekeepers--and hear new beekeeper stories!
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, September 19, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at our new location. Directions are:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards
Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the
freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball &
baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in
the parking lot. The Hinton Center is the domed building on the right. The
meeting is in room #124.
Campus map: www.hbu.edu/icm/HBU_CampusMap.pdf
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
This month, we feature our annual Honey Tasting. The sweet taste of success --- that first or even second extraction of the season!
Bring your honey… and your bee’s production, to the September meeting of the Houston Beekeepers Association.
We will be sampling each other’s varieties and picking a blue-ribbon winner!
If you have acquired local honey during your travels this summer – bring that too and we will compare.
It’s HBA’s Annual Honey Championship!
Also, check out the latest: What did you find?
Come to this month's meeting and see what the BUZZ is about! Admission to our meetings is always free and the public is welcome.
Meetings are held at Houston Baptist University's Hinton Center.
7502 Fondren
Hinton Center, Rm. #124
Houston, Texas
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, August 15, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at our new location. Directions are:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards
Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the
freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball &
baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in
the parking lot. The Hinton Center is the domed building on the right. The
meeting is in room #124.
Campus map: www.hbu.edu/icm/HBU_CampusMap.pdf
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
This month, test your knowledge of our bee-loved bees. I have scoured the world wide web to pull trivia, facts, myths, pictures and darn good reading material. If you are a novice or an expert, come learn some new bits of knowledge at this month's meeting.
Also, check out the latest: What did you find?
Come to this month's meeting and see what the BUZZ is about! Admission to our meetings is always free and the public is welcome.
Meetings are held at Houston Baptist University's Hinton Center.
7502 Fondren
Hinton Center, Rm. #124
Houston, Texas
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, July 18, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at our new location. Directions are:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards
Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the
freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball &
baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in
the parking lot. The Hinton Center is the domed building on the right. The
meeting is in room #124.
Campus map: www.hbu.edu/icm/HBU_CampusMap.pdf
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
This month Wayne of the Harris County Ag office will address our meeting. Also, Rita Wilhite will tell us about her talk to the Bellaire Senior's Group. We will also discuss having a joint picnic with the Harris County Beekeepers. Come to this month's meeting and see what the BUZZ is about! Admission to our meetings is always free and the public is welcome.
Meetings are held at Houston Baptist University's Hinton Center.
7502 Fondren
Hinton Center, Rm. #124
Houston, Texas
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, June 20, 2006. This meeting will be held at a special location instead of our (new) regular meeting place at the Houston Baptist University. For this month only, we are meeting the Enchanted Forest Nursery, 10611 FM 2759, Richmond, Texas 77469. Phone is 281-937-9449. For this month only we are also meeting one half hour earlier than normal. The June meeting will start at 7:00 p.m.
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
For this month only we are meeting at the Enchanted Forest Nursery at 7:00 p.m. We are getting a private tour of all their wonderful plants, with special emphasis on those plants that are especially attractive to bees.
The Enchanted Forest is approximately 20 miles from the HBU campus.
Take Highway 59 south and then take the Crabb River Road Exit. The exit will loop back over Highway 59. Travel south on Crabb River Road for approximately 1.8 miles (the road becomes FM 2759). At FM 729, turn left on FM 2759/Thompsons Road for approximately 3.7 miles. Enchanted Forest will be on your left.
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, May 16, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at our new location. Directions are:
From IH 59 (Southwest Freeway), exit Beechnut. Take Beechnut east towards
Fondren. The entrance is on the left between the 1st & 2nd light from the
freeway. Take the divided boulevard entrance between the softball &
baseball fields. Follow the driveway as it curves left and park anywhere in
the parking lot. The Hinton Center is the domed building on the right. The
meeting is in room #124.
Campus map: www.hbu.edu/icm/HBU_CampusMap.pdf
Admission is free. The public is welcome.
It doesn't matter if you are a Master beekeeper or a novice, we all goof sometimes.
And what is the hooked end of the hive tool for anyway?
This month we will reminisce, laugh, and generally poke fun at ourselves as we work with our busy little bees!
Also, check out the latest: What did you find?
Come to this month's meeting and see what the BUZZ is about! Admission to our meetings is always free and the public is welcome.
Meetings are held at Houston Baptist University's Hinton Center.
7502 Fondren
Hinton Center, Rm. #124
Houston, Texas
The next monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Tuesday, March 21, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
It's Springtime and with it comes the excitement of the new bee season!
Have you checked your hives yet?
Do you have enough supers for the honey flow?
Should you medicate your bees?
Come to the March meeting with your questions and our experienced beekeepers will have an opinion or two or an experience to share.
Also, check out the latest part of our meetings: What did you find?
Come to this month's meeting and see what all the BUZZ is about!
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in February is on Tuesday, February 20, 2006. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is almost upon us. And at it, we have a unique opportunity to distribute positive information about our hard-working bees at the Bee Booth in the AgAdventure area. Volunteers are still needed for morning and afternoon shifts.
To 'bee' a volunteer at the Bee Booth, review the volunteer sheet on Harris County Beekeepers website at www.harrisbee.org and click on the rodeo section above the two beekeepers. Contact Don Angle to claim your shift.
At this month's meeting, we will answer the following Bee Booth
questions:
* What are the morning shift duties?
* What are the afternoon shift duties?
* Can I display my local honey/handmade beeswax candles at the
booth?
(( YES! -- Please bring them to the meeting! ))
* Do I wear my bee suit while on duty?
* What has been the most unique question asked?
* What is the question most often asked?
And introducing a new program segment, What did you find?
Come to this month's meeting and see what all the BUZZ is about!
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
Holiday Party
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in December is on Tuesday, December 20, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the Cafeteria.
The program for December will be our Annual Holiday Meeting and election of officers. Please bring a side dish, dip and chips or a dessert. Main entree, coffee and soft drinks will be furnished. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Fall Picnic
This month's meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association is on Saturday, October 15, 2005. The Fall Picnic will be held instead of our regular third-Tuesday meeting for October. The Fall Picnic will be hosted by Donald Burger and Maria Trevino, 702 Mosby Circle, Houston, Texas. Directions will be sent out to members. The HBA will furnish hamburgers, hot dogs and drinks. Members are asked to bring their favorite side dish. The Fall Picnic starts at 11 am and lasts till 3pm Bring the whole family, children included. We will eat around noon. This is a fun meeting. Don't miss it.
Honey Tasting and Round Table Discussion
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in September is on Tuesday, September 20, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
This month we will have honey tasting and a round table discussion about current hive issues. Please bring a sample of your honey from this year's crop to share with the group. Also bring your questions, problems, and issues that you'd like to discuss and we'll address these with the collective experience of the HBA.
You should also mark your calender for the HBA Fall Picnic, to be held on October 15th, and hosted by Donald Burger and Maria Trevino, 702 Mosby Circle, Houston, Texas, from 11 am to 3 pm. This will be our monthly meeting for October. We will not have a Thursday meeting in October. More information about the fall picnic will be shared at the September meeting and on the website.
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
Special Guest - Ray Latner (Dadant & Sons)!!
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in August is on Tuesday, August 16, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
This month we will have a round table conversation with special guest Ray Latner. Ray is the Dadant Area Manager for their Paris, Tx location. He will be able to discuss any of the Dadant products and supplies, with special attention to control of hive beetles and varroa mites. Ray will bring a product display with samples available for purchase. Members may contact Ray in advance (877-632-3268) for small item orders which he can bring to the meeting and save shipping costs. Please plan to come and experience an informative evening with Ray and the HBA.
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
New Queening Method
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in July is on Tuesday, July 19, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
This month we will feature club member Rene Deblaere, who will speak to us on a new method for producing queens that he is using to good effect. Come hear all about his techniques and successes. Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
Bees In America: How The Honey Bee Shaped A Nation by Tammy Horn
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in June is on Tuesday, June 21, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
This month we are honored to have nationally known author Tammy Horn speak to us. She is the author of the recently published book Bees in America: How the Honey Bee Shaped A Nation. In addition to the history of the honey bee in America, this delightful book is full of little known anecdotes about the role honey bees have played in shaping US history. Find out why George Washington credited the honey bee with helping him defeat British General Cornwallis during the American Revolution. Read why early writers advocated moving bee hives by horseless carriages instead of horses.
Ms. Horn has gratiously agreed to autograph her book if you bring it to the meeting. It is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders, and, or course, amazon.com. Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
Insects in the Houston Area
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in May is on Tuesday, May 17, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for May will be a talk on insects by Maggie Honig. Through a slideshow presentation, she will cover various types of insects and how to identify them. Maggie and her husband, Bob, are well-known naturalists in the Houston area. They frequently give talks in Houston and also lead longer nature trips both within the U.S. and internationally. Bring your questions about insects, animals, birds, and plant life for Maggie, as she is extremely knowledgeable. This program should be a real treat!
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
Native Plants That Are Attractive to Bees
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in April is on Tuesday, April 19, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for April will be a presentation by club member Christina Bell on native plants that are attractive to bees. Come see and hear her discussion on which native plants you can add to your garden to please both you eyes and your bees.
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
Spring Hive Maintenance
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in March is on Tuesday, March 15, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for March will be a roundtable discussion on spring hive maintenance. Come find out what we need to be doing in Houston in the spring. The discussion will be lead by Phil Dubose and will include topics such as inspecting your hives, adding supers, splitting hives, etc. Don't miss this chance to ask your questions on problems coming right up!
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
The Bee Booth at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, 2005
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in February is on Tuesday, February 15, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for February will be on your Beekeeping Booth at the 2005 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Rodeo season starts on Tuesday, March 1, 2005, this year and continues through Sunday, March 20th. A webpage has been set up so you can wee what slots are still open and sign up for your tour of duty. To check on slots where we still need people,
click here.
To volunteer for a timeslot, email Donald Burger at burger@burger.com
with the time for which you volunteer (or email Greg Carrier at gregorycarrier@pdq.net
Please try to fill a vacant slot before doubling up with someone.
The bee booth only succeeds with your help. Come to the meeting and help finalize our plans and learn what happens at the bee booth. If you have helped in the past, come with your war stories. If you haven't yet helped, come to get tested information on what to expect.
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
Hive Construction the Phil Dubose Way!
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in January is on Tuesday, January 18, 2005. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for January will feature HBA member Phil Dubose on hive construction. Phil has assembled countless hives over the years. Come to the January meeting and learn his secret methods for quick hive body construction.
Greg Carrier will also give us our first "update" on the bee booth at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. This is an annual event among the local bee clubs and gives us the chance to tell the public about the benefits of bees and bee keeping. Volunteers will be needed. This year we will have to man the booth from March 1, 2005 to March 20, 2005. See the website for a sign up sheet. (www.houstonbeekeepers.org/rodesign.htm) Almost all slots are open. Bring your calendars so you can tell Greg what time slots you can work. This should be a great first meeting of the year.
Admission to our meetings is free. The public is welcome.
Holiday Party
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in December is on Tuesday, December 14, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the Cafeteria.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in November is on Tuesday, November 16th. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The meeting for November will be a round table discussion on wintering hives, feeding your bees and general hive health. Please bring your questions (and answers) on this seasonal topic.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in October is on Tuesday, October 19th. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The HBA is fortunate to have Clarence Shephard coming to be our guest speaker for October. Clarence, a resident of Lufkin Texas, is a past director of the Texas Beekeepers Association, past President of the Galveston Beekeepers Association, and a founding member of the Pineywoods Beekeepers Association in Lufkin. He has 20+ years experience as a beekeeper and is active in the various beekeeping programs around the State of Texas. Clarence will tell us what we need to know about the various regulatory and non-profit beekeeping organizations in the State of Texas.
He'll also describe current issues facing Texas beekeepers, and potential regulatory changes we would be interested in. Please plan to attend and bring your questions about Texas beekeeping programs or any other aspect of beekeeping you'd like to discuss.
To read about past programs of the Houston Beekeepers Association, Click here.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in September is on Tuesday, September 21st. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for September will be a talk by Greg Carrier on building your own solar wax melter. This is a good way to maximize the use of the cappings left over from harvesting your honey. Bring your questions to the meeting and find out how Greg uses sun power to melt his wax.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in August is on Tuesday, August 17th. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for August will be a video and discussion on bottling and selling honey. Come hear about techniques for creating an attractive honey package and a discussion of options for honey sales. Bring your questions to the meeting and hear how others are packaging their honey.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in July is on Tuesday, July 20th. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for July will be a panel discussion of summer problems faced by Houston-area Beekeepers. Bring your questions to the meeting to find out how to deal with summer seasonal problems.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in June is on Tuesday, June 15th. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for June will be about top bar hives. HBA member Rene Deblaere will bring a model hive and describe unique issues related to top bar hives. Don't miss this chance to get some first-hand knowledge about this approach to beekeeping! Bring your questions or email them in advance to Jim Biles at bilesj1@bp.com.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in May is on Tuesday, May 18th. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for May will be about commercial beekeeping. Come hear our own Woody Speer describe special considerations for a successful beekeeping business as well as tips that only a commercial beekeeper would know! Bring your questions or email them in advance to Jim Biles at bilesj1@bp.com.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in April is on Tuesday, April 20th. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for April will be on swarm avoidance and management. Hives are more likely to swarm in the spring. Come participate in a roundtable discussion about how to recognize the signals of a pending swarm, steps to reduce swarming, and how to manage a swarm should one occur.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in March is on
Tuesday, March 16. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building,
5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for March will be on splitting hives and requeening. This is
a great time of year to grow your beekeeping hobby/business. Come see a short
video on good techniques for splitting your hive followed by member
discussion. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The 2004 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has kicked off, with the HBA again
sponsoring a beehive exhibit. The Beekeeping Booth opened on Tuesday, March
2nd this year and continues through Sunday, March 21st. If you have not yet
volunteered, a webpage has been set up so you can sign up for your tour of
duty. To volunteer for a timeslot, email Donald Burger at burger@burger.com with
the time for which you volunteer (or email Greg Carrier at gregorycarrier@pdq.net) Please try to fill a vacant slot before
doubling up with someone. The bee booth only succeeds with your help.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in February is on February 17, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for February will be on your Beekeeping Booth at the 2004 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Rodeo season starts on Tuesday, March 2, 2004, this year and continues through Sunday, March 21st. A webpage has been set up so you can sign up for your tour of duty. To volunteer for a timeslot, email Donald Burger at burger@burger.com
with the time for which you volunteer (or email Greg Carrier at gregorycarrier@pdq.net
The bee booth only succeeds with your help. Come to the meeting and help finalize our plans and learn what happens at the bee booth. If you have helped in the past, come with your war stories. If you haven't yet helped, come to get tested information on what to expect. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Hive Construction
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in January is on Tuesday, January 20, 2004. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
Holiday Party
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in December is on Tuesday, December 16, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the Cafeteria.
The HBA meets on the third Tuesday of each month. The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on November 18, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for this month will be a talk by Houston attorney (and HBA member) Donald Burger about bee laws in Texas. The talk will cover statutes, administrative code regulations and case law in Texas about bees. Donald promises the talk won't be dull. Come learn something about how the state of Texas regulates bees and honey. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
For an online version of this topic, click here.
The HBA meets on the third Tuesday of each month. The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on October 21, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for this month will be a panel discussion on getting your hives ready for winter. Although it is clear that our bees don't face much of a winter threat here in Houston, there are still things that need to be done in the bee yard during the winter months. Come participate in this general discussion of what a good beekeeper should be doing once the honey flow is over and the honey harvested for the year. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The HBA meets on the third Tuesday of each month. The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on September 16, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for this month will be a short video of a 1919 film made by A.I. Root Company promoting their company. This is a silent film. Come see what beekeeping was like in the early twentieth century. See a 1919 smoker. Compare the hive bodies of 1919 with those of today. This is an interesting film on early beekeeping.Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The HBA meets on the third Tuesday of each month. The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on August 19, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at the former Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for August will be a short video on small scale extracting and bottling, using your garage and your kitchen. This short video features Kim Flottum and was produced by Bee Culture magazine. Come see this video to see how someone actually handles uncapping (with a bread knife!), judging whether frames are ready for extracting, extracting and filtering. Then watch Kim as he bottles the extracted honey in his kitchen. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The HBA meets on the third Tuesday of each month. The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on July 15, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for July will be a short video on various techniques for removing bees from your honey frames prior to extracting the honey. This 20 minute video features Kim Flottum and was produced by Bee Culture magazine. Various techniques are considered such as brushing, Porter bee escapes with inner covers, ventilated Porter bee escapes, cone escape boards, triangle bee escape boards, fume boards, and blowers. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Reading Frames: A Video Presentation by James Tew
The HBA meets on the third Tuesday of each month. The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on June 17, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for June will be a short video on reading frames. This 15 minute video features James Tew and was produced by Bee Culture magazine. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Tips on Bee Talks to the Younger Audience
The HBA meets on the third Tuesday of each month. The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on May 20, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for May will be a presentation by a couple of our members on what they learned in recent speeches to audiences under ten years old. At any time you could be asked to give a bee presentation to school kids. Come find out how recent speeches have gone. Find out works and what doesn't. Get some ideas on what to say to keep the interest of our future beekeepers. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Your Smoker: A Video Presentation by James Tew
The HBA meets on the third Tuesday of each month. The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on April 15, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for April will be a short video on bee smokers. This 15 minute video features James Tew and was produced by Bee Culture magazine. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
What We Learned from Hosting the Observation Hive at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Year 2003
The HBA meets on the third Tuesday of each month. The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on March 18, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for March will be on what we learned from our experiences with the Beekeeping Booth at the 2003 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Come with your war stories and ideas on what we should do differently next year. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in February is on February 18, 2003. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for February will be on your Beekeeping Booth at the 2003 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Rodeo season starts on February 25 this year and continues through March 16th. A webpage has been set up so you can sign up for your tour of duty. To volunteer for a timeslot, email Donald Burger at burger@burger.com
with the time for which you volunteer (or email Greg Carrier at gregorycarrier@pdq.net
The bee booth only succeeds with your help. Come to the meeting and help finalize our plans and learn what happens at the bee booth. If you have helped in the past, come with your war stories. If you haven't yet helped, come to get tested information on what to expect. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Nine Frames or Ten: Bee Space and the Number of Frames for Your Supers
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in January is on Tuesday, January 21, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
Holiday Party
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in December is on Tuesday, December 17, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
Video Tape: The Queens Must Die
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on November 19, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
This month's program will be a selection from the video tape from PBS special called Tales from the Hive. Come see fantastic photos the ritual fight to the death of the newly emerging queens from their queen cells and film of a unique method of capturing a swarm. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Video Tape on the Birth and Establishment of a Swarm
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on October 15, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
This month's program will be a selection from the video tape from PBS special called Tales from the Hive. Come see fantastic photos of the formation of a swarm and its travels to its new home inside a tree hollow. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Video Tape on the Summer Clinic at the Copeland Bee Farm Visit
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on September 17, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
This month's program will be a video tape made by David Bauer on "The Summer Clinic at the Copeland Bee Farm". On Saturday, June 8, 2002, the Texas Beekeepers Association held a meeting hosted by Coplin Bee Farms. Member David Bauer taped parts of the presentation. Come to our next meeting to see what happened at this Summer Clinic. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
What to Do When You Get that Swarm Call
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on August 20, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The August 2002 program will be a panel discussion on What to Do When You Get that Swarm Call. We will discuss various techniquest for dealing with swarms in structures such as walls and attics. Come learn what has worked for our memebers in the past. Dealing with "wall jobs" is never easy, seldom quick and often involves more expense than the homeowner expects. The more you know, the better able you will be to decide whether to tackle this project. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
\
Panel Discussion on Getting Ready for Fall
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on July 16, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The July 2002 program will be on "Panel Discussion on Getting Ready for Fall". Come join us for a discussion on what Houston Beekeepers should be doing to get ready for Fall. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Panel Discussion on Summer Clinic at Coplin Bee Farms
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on June 18, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The June 2002 program will be on "Panel Discussion on the Summer Clinic at Coplin Bee Farms". On Saturday, June 8, 2002, the Texas Beekeepers Association held a meeting hosted by Coplin Bee Farms. Come to our next meeting to find out all that happened at this Saturday seminar. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The May 2002 program will be on "Training Bees at Sandia National Laboratory". Earlier this month NPR ran a program on "All Things Considered" about the work done at Sandia National Laboratory in New Mexico on training bees to be used in detection of land mines and explosives. Our May program will explore this and other uses bees are being considered for at Sandia National Laboratory. Come get the inside scoop on what these scientists are up to and how they are proceeding. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The April 2002 program will be a discussion of
your favorite book on beekeeping--one suitable to recommend to someone just
getting in to beekeeping. Bring your favorite(s) so you can let us know
what you like. I have the just releases BEEKEEPING FOR DUMMIES that I will
bring to pass around. I'll post some of the books on our website after the
meeting so beginners can see what we like. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
What We Learned from Hosting the Observation Hive at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Year 2002
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association this month is on March 19, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for March will be on what we learned from our experiences with the Beekeeping Booth at the 2002 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. Come with your war stories and ideas on what we should do differently next year. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in February is on February 19, 2002. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for February will be on your Beekeeping Booth at the 2002 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. We are in the middle of the rodeo season. If you have already helped with the booth, come with your war stories. If you haven't yet helped, come to get tested information on what to expect. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
Getting Ready for the Beekeeping Booth at the 2002 Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.
December, 2001: Holiday Party November, 2001: Techniques for Requeening:
October 2001: Techniques for Using Electric Uncapping Knives.:
September, 2001: Frequently Asked Questions about Africanized Honey Bees
August 2001: Recent Reports of Africanized Bees in Harris County
July 2001: The Internet Beehive
June, 2001: How Allison Impacted Houston Bee Hives
May, 2001: How to Mow Around Your Hives
April, 2001: What's Happening in Your Hives
The program for April will be a Round Table Discussion of What's Happening in Your Hives. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
March, 2001: What We Learned from Hosting the Observation Hive at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Year 2001
The program for March will be a Round Table Discussion of What We Learned from Hosting the Observation Hive at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in Year 2001. Those who participated on behalf of the Club will tell their tales. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
February, 2001: How to Feed Sugar Solution to Your Bees
January, 2001: Hiving Your BeesJanuary 2005 Program
December, 2004 Program
The program for December will be our Annual Holiday Meeting and election of officers. Please bring a side dish, dip and chips or a dessert. Main entree, coffee and soft drinks will be furnished. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
November, 2004 Program
October, 2004 Program
September, 2004 Program
August, 2004 Program
July, 2004 Program
June, 2004 Program
May, 2004 Program
April, 2004 Program
March, 2004 Program
February, 2004 Program
Please try to fill a vacant slot before doubling up with someone.January, 2004 Program
The program for January will be on Hive Construction. In addition to a general discussion of hive construction, there will be a video on constructing frames. As a special treat will be also view a very short video clip of the real African Honey Bee--from Africa! Admission is free. The public is welcome.
December, 2003 Program
The program for December will be our Annual Holiday Meeting. Please bring a side dish, dip and chips or a dessert. Smoked meat, coffee and soft drinks will be furnished. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
November, 2003 Program
October, 2003 Program
September, 2003 Program
Beekeeping in 1919 August, 2003 Program
A Video Presentation by Kim Flottum July, 2003 Program
A Video Presentation by Kim Flottum June, 2003 Program
May, 2003 Program
April, 2003 Program
March, 2003 Program
February, 2003 Program
Please try to fill a vacant slot before doubling up with someone.January, 2003 Program
The program for January will be a short talk by Donald Burger on nine frames versus ten, followed by a panel discussion among members on whether to use nine frames or ten in supers. Learn the advantages and disadvantages of each. Find out about bee space and its effect on the choice of the number of frames to put in your hive bodies. A spirited discussion is expected. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
December, 2002 Program
The program for December will be our Annual Holiday Meeting. Please bring a side dish, dip and chips or a desert. Smoked Turkey, brisket and coffee and soft drinks will be furnished. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
November, 2002 Program
October, 2002 Program
September, 2002 Program
August, 2002 Program
July, 2002 Program
June, 2002 Program
May, 2002 Program
April, 2002 Program
March, 2002 Program
February, 2002 Program
January, 2002 Program
This month's program will be on planning for HBA participation at the 2002 Houston Livestock Shkow & Rodeo beekeeping booth. This is a great service event, with lots of fun. Come to the meeting to help with our club's participation in staffing the beekeeping booth.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in December is on December 18, 2001. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5556 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for December will be our Annual Holiday Meeting. Please bring a dip and chips or a dessert. Coffee and soft drinks will be furnished. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The meeting will feature a discussion of the best ways to find your
old queen and re-queen your hives. Included will be how much smoke to use, frame manipulation and the advantages and disadvantages of wearing gloves during requeening.
The program for October will be Techniques for Using Electric Uncapping Knives. Select videos will be presented showing the various ways folks use their uncapping knives. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The program for September will be Frequently Asked Questions about Africanized Honey Bees. Members will discuss the proposed questions and answers to be placed on our website in hopes of dispelling many of the myths surrounding the AHB. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The program for August will be Recent Reports of Africanized Bees in Harris County. Texas A&M has verified the presence of Africanized Bees in Harris County. This round table discussion will be on the impact of this recent finding on Houston Beekeepers. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The program for July will be The Internet Beehive. Come join our very own Webmaster, Donald Burger, for a program on using the internet for research on bees. Learn tips of the trade. Free handout provided. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The program for June will be How Allison Impacted Houston Bee Hives. Some parts of Houston got over 30 inches of rain on Friday, June 8, 2001. This month our program will be a round table discussion of the effects of Allison on local bee hives and what to do to avoid and/or correct such problems in the future. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The program for May will be How to Mow Around Your Hives. There is a right and wrong way to do this. Few things aggravate bees as much as grass clippings shooting into the hive entrance. We will have a video tape of proper techniques and other tips for general maintenance around (and especially in front of) your hives. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in April is on April 17, 2001. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5555 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The monthly meeting of the Houston Beekeeping Association in March is on March 20, 2001. The meeting begins at 7:30 pm at Westbury Hospital Building, 5555 Gasmer in the New Conference Room.
The program for February will be on How to Feed Sugar Solution to Your Bees. We will have a short selection from the video tape, Keeping Bees and Producing Honey: An Introduction, featuring
Steve Forrest, the owner of Brushy Mountain Bee Farm. Entrance feeders, pail feeders and top feeders will be discussed. Come see each of these approaches demonstrated. Admission is free. The public is welcome.
The program for January will be on Techniques for Hiving Your Bees. We will have a short selection from three different video tapes showing various approaches to hiving new packages of bees. The first selection will be from An Introduction to Beekeeping, by Ed Weiss. The second selection will be from Honey Bees & Beekeeping-A Year in the Life of an Apiary, hosted by Dr. Keith S. Delaplane of the University of Georgia. The third selection will be from Keeping Bees and Producing Honey: An Introduction, featuring
Steve Forrest, the owner of Brushy Mountain Bee Farm. Come see how to introduce a queen and package to your new bee hive. Admission is free. The public is welcome.