Oct ober 2023

FeatureTopics
What'sGoingOnIn
Your Hive?
Beekeeper s of Winter Ready
t h e Cor n ... Checklist
Sp o o k y MakingtheMost of
What YouHave
OxalicAcid

THE BEE SUPPLY

MONTHLY
w w w .TheBeeSupply.com

Ph ot o Cr edit : St eve Br u m m et Edition 40

Table Of
Con t en t s
Clicking on a Topic will
take you right to it!
6 Monthly Tips
8 What's Going on in Your Hive Right Now?
14 Winter Ready Checklist
18 What Kind of Bees Should I Order?
20 Thinking Outside the Hive Box
21 Common Uses for Beeswax
22 How & When to Combine Hives
24
25
Story & 1/2 Hive Perfectly Ready for Winter
Making the Most of What You Have - Consolidating
Resources
8
26 What are your bees saying to you?

22

14
2
 Oct ober
28 Expert Interview - Kamon Reynolds

28 30
34
Preparing for a Honey Show
Storing Hive Equipment & Drawn Comb
38 What's the Buzz? Oxalic Acid
43 #BeekeeperLife
44 Beyond Bees - Wildlife Preparing for
Winter
46 Recipe: Honey Apple Slice Cookies
48 Webinar Q & A
49 Club Finder
50 U.S. Drought Map

38
This publication is best
viewed on a PC or Laptop
computer, or downloaded
on a Mobile Device.

3
Fast an d Depen dable
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Rou n d Rock , TX 78681
4
 INTRODUCING OUR NEW
SUPER SM OKER!

Th is has been a long time coming and we are so excited to finally

share with you - - We have our very own smoker!
Our completely rebuilt Super Smoker has several features that make
smoking bees so much easier! You get all the convenience of a
top-notch smoker at a more affordable price.
Updat ed Feat u r es:
- Thicker stainless steel
- Ultra thick leather bellows
- Larger bellows spring for more airflow/smoke
- Extended heat shield for increased safety
- Welded lid to smoker joint to prevent long term lid detachment
- Stainless steel plate to protect flame kick back & bellows burning

5
 October Tips
1 October provides one of the last
months for major bee management.
Final feeding should take place, and
syrup consumption should begin to
decline as your queen begins
shutting down for the season. In the
south, feed to maintain a 30 lb.
surplus of stored syrup through
October. For northern states,
70-100 lbs. is recommended.
2 Continue feeding pollen
substitute. 2 lbs. per hive should be
sufficient. A strong hive should be
able to eat about 1 lb. every 10
days. If a hive is weaker, give them a
half pound per feeding.
3 Any hive that has less than 6
frames, covered front and back with
bees, should be combined with
another hive. Eliminate the queen in
the weak hive and remove the lid of
the hive you are going to join with.
By: Blake Shook
Place the box containing the bees
from the weaker hive directly on
top. In previous tips we've
recommended the newspaper
method when combining hives. But
in my experience, there isn't any
need to go to that extent - they will
integrate together with little to no
fighting.
4 Finish any final mite treatments,
remove any queen excluders, and if
you use them, place entrance
reducers in hives at the very end of
October.
5 If your hive has been properly
cared for and everything has gone
well, you should have 8-16 frames
of bees going into winter. A well-fed
hive, with virtually no mites, should
easily survive the winter.
6
 We are thrilled to announce TBS Advan ced
is now offering Artisan Classes
to our ever-growing line up at
Classes
most of our store locations.
Although some are seasonal,
others will be offered
throughout the year!

- Mead Making
- Honey Extraction Class
- Candle Making LEARN M ORE

We are also near completion on an all-day Beekeepin g

201 class that covers the following in detail:
- Biology
- Diseases and Viruses
- Pest Management
- Hive Growth/Increasing Honey Production
- Requeening
- Laying Workers
- Checkerboarding
- Nutrition
- Problem Solving
- Bearding
- Robbing
7
 Wh at 's Goin g On In
You r Hive Th is M on t h ?
By: Ch ar i Elam
As we go into October most
experienced beekeepers have a
good understanding of how their
hives should look and what they
need to do in the next few weeks to
ensure successful overwintering.
On the other hand, at least a
portion of you are questioning
some, if not all, of what your bees
need and what you should be doing
for them!
The title of this article pretty much
sums up how to get the answer!
What ?is? going on in your hive?
Let?s face it ? how do we know what
to do if we don?t look?!
Scan to learn
MUCH MORE
on Hive
Inspections
To start, I?ll tell you what is
supposed to be going on.
Depending on your area these
points could vary by 2, or even 3 +
weeks.
- There's little to no egg laying,
except in southern states.
- Drones have been, are in the
process of, or are about to be
kicked out.
- Fall nectar flows are still going
in a lot of areas, even in
northern climates, but as it
gets cooler, foraging will
dwindle.
- Bees may become a bit robby
on warmer days if their stores
aren?t filled.
- They are focused on winter
coming by gathering as much
nectar as possible, whether
nature-made or beekeeper-
supplied.
- Bees gather propolis and use it
to seal cracks and seams for
weather control.
8
Area breakdown:
In Tem per at e climates where
temperatures stay at 50 degrees or
below, bees experience much less
outdoor activity. Hopefully they
have at least 100 lbs. of stored
honey and are ready to stay indoors
for the next 6 months.
For these hives, if you haven?t
already done so, we suggest:
- Have a top and bottom
entrance allowing for your
bees to enter even in the event
of deep snow.
- Install entrance reducers with
the smallest opening pointing
upward. This will ensure the
natural die-off of winter bees
won?t block the entrance.
- Screen bottom boards should
be closed off.
Whether using the large
or small opening...
turning it facing up will
prevent dead bees from
clogging the entrance.
- Tilt the hive forward about 1?
to allow moisture to drain to
the front of the hive instead of
on the bees. Condensation
freezes then melts on warmer
days causing ?rain?inside the
hive.
- Start preparing to insulate IF
you do that, following the
guidance of local beekeepers.
Local expertise is a real help
with topics such as these. If
you decide to insulate, strongly
consider leaving a dead air
space between the box and the
insulation. This prevents
moisture buildup on the inside of
the hive.
- Pull any remaining mite
treatments. Varroa mites are
winding down and shouldn?t be
an issue until spring.
9
Currently, M oder at e zones have
several weeks left for winter
preparation. In these areas
temperature extremes become
more of an issue. Hot one day, cool
the next? cold next week, warm
again. When this starts to happen,
bees tend to get super focused on
getting ready for the impending
cold. Almost like they are saying,
?Get out of my way! I?ve got work to
do!? Plus, they get a bit grumpy -
kind of like us with the temperature
swings! A few suggestions:
- Wait to place your entrance
reducers on your hive, but
have them handy.
- Close off the bottom boards, or
wait for a cold snap.
- Continue to feed syrup if you
are concerned about how
much your bees have stored.
Between 40-60 lbs. is optimal
to overwinter.
- Watch for robbing. Bees in a
pinch will get really pushy
towards a hive not able to
defend itself.
- Combine weak hives! I can?t
stress this enough!! See: ?How
& When to Combine Hives?
- Install mouse guards by end of
the month. Rumor has it 50%
of hives can get these pests
during winter, but this is a
super easy and cheap
preventative measure.
- Do one last Varroa check to
verify thresholds aren?t beyond
1 mite per 100 bees. You still
have time to treat with Oxalic
Acid if needed. All other
treatments should be
completed by the end of this
month.
In Su b-Tr opical, warmer climates,
you still have through November, at
least, for the bees to steady the
course. Most of you should have a
decent fall nectar flow, giving the
bees anything needed to fill empty
cells.
Some things to think about:
- Being that the temperatures
stay warm, the combination of
feeding and the queen slowing
down laying can cause
backfilling of nectar. Don?t over
feed, but feed if needed while
monitoring. 30 ? 40 lbs. stored
honey is sufficient.
10
- Weather gets weird most
years, just like in moderate
zones but with less volatility.
Wet and cool, then dry and
hot? yet staying above 50/60 (if
not 90) degrees until next
month.
- Utilize Pollen patties for
boosting the health of your
winter bees. Feed through
October. Stan?s Soft Sugar
Bricks are a fantastic way to
maintain good health through
late fall and winter as well.
- Entrance reducers and closing
bottom boards are optional.
We?re located in this zone and
have overwintered without
either, but all the while being
prepared to utilize both in the
event weather dictates it.
- Combine weak hives! Statistics
show overwintering a weak
hive will only result in a dead
hive by spring. Why take the
chance?
- Remember due to our
elongated summer and fall,
varroa have longer to
propagate. Although final
treatments should be
completed by the end of this
month, using Oxalic Acid
through November is
completely ok if warranted.
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- Insulated to withstand extreme
weather and designed to
prevent moisture accumulation
inside the beehive. Bees can
survive colder winters
consuming less honey, and
spring build-up is much faster.
- Standard features include
screened bottom board perfect
for fighting Varroa mites and
small hive beetles, split hive
entrance with entrance
reducers, division/uniting board,
and 2 top feeders for left and
right sides of a split hive.
11
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Alw ays 1st Th u r sday of Each M on t h Sign
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Oct ober 5t h , 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

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IS JOINING US!
DON'T M ISS IT!

Upcom in g Agen da
- Live in the Bee Yard Tips
- October Tips
- Being Careful Not to Over Feed
- Culling/Combining Hives Kamon Reynolds is a well
- Queenless in October known & respected expert
- How Many Boxes to Leave for Winter beekeeper with over 600
- Fixing Wax Moth & SHB Damage videos and a huge following
- Fall Blooms on YouTube!
- Live Q &A
12
13
 Win t er -Ready
Ch eck List
By: Blak e Sh ook

How & Wh en t o Use an En t r an ce Sh ou ld I Cover M y Scr een ed

Redu cer Bot t om Boar d Du r in g t h e Win t er ?
Covering your screened bottom
The everlasting debate: should I use
board in southern climates with
an entrance reducer? Is it necessary?
minimal snowfall is not necessary. In
Should I use the big hole or small
areas with significant snowfall and
hole? The good news is, unlike many
long winters, covering the screen
things in beekeeping, this one really
with an insert, or switching to a solid
doesn?t matter too much! Using an
bottom board may be a good idea.
entrance reducer can help keep
In either situation, preventing cold
some cold wind from blowing in the
wind from blowing up under the
entrance during the winter and can
screen and into the hive is the most
help keep robber bees out of a weak
important thing to prevent. This can
hive. So, it doesn?t hurt to use them.
be easily done by setting your hive
But, if you forget to install it going
on top of an empty deep box as a
into winter, it?s not going to hurt
hive stand. This will seal out the cold
your hive in most cases. I
wind and allow you to leave the
recommend always using the largest
screen exposed during the winter.
opening. Install when daytime
While some varroa mites can still
temperatures are steadily below 60
drop during the winter, it is typically
and remove when they are above 60.
minimal, so covering the screen
In hot climates, a strong hive can
should not hurt the hive in any way.
overheat if you have a day in the
At the end of the day, you are free to
80's or 90's and you used the
do whatever is convenient for you,
smallest opening.
and helps you rest easiest as the
beekeeper during the winter.
14
How M u ch Hon ey Does M y Hive
Need t o Su r vive t h e Win t er ?
There are 2 main factors that we
need to take into consideration to
answer this question. One is your
climate, the other is the strength of
your hive. Simply put, a stronger
hive, 1 deep box full of bees or
more, will need more food. And
hives in areas with winters that last
several months will also need more
food. Hives in areas like Florida and
Southern California will also need
more food as they continue to
forage and grow during winter
months.
In general, strong hives in the
southern half of the USA need
between 30- 40 total pounds of
honey to overwinter successfully.
Hives in the northern half will need
about 80 total pounds. Keep in mind
a deep box, completely full of honey
is 60 lbs, while a medium, 6 5/8" box
completely full is 40 lbs. Hives less
than a deep box of bees will need
about half of those amounts. In
Florida or So. Cal. you will need to
routinely monitor food stores, but
you are also able to routinely feed
your hives if they need more food.
Checking honey stores doesn't have to
involve opening the box - Here's how
In the rest of the country, once
daytime temperatures are in the
50's or below, hives cluster and do
not readily drink syrup. That?s why
it?s important to ensure your hive
has plenty of honey or syrup stored
several weeks before those
temperatures arrive.
How t o Tell How M u ch Hon ey a
Hive h as St or ed
Checking your hive for honey can
be a quick and easy task once
you?ve practiced a few times! The
easiest, and most common method
is just to lift up on the hive and take
your best guess. It?s often called the
?tilt method?. Just tilt up on the back
of the hive to feel the weight of how
much honey is inside. Having
multiple hives helps to compare
one with another. If the weather is
warm, you can do a visual
inspection. A deep box completely
full of honey is about 60 lbs, a 6 ? "
medium is about 40 lbs, and a
shallow box is about 30 lbs. A deep
frame is about 5-6 lbs, a medium
frame 3-4 lbs., and a shallow frame
2-3 lbs.
15
How M an y Boxes t o Leave on a
Hive f or Win t er
The simple, and most common
answer is 1 deep & 1 medium box,
or 2 deep boxes. It is rare to have a
hive so strong going into winter that
it needs more than 2 deeps. Plus,
swarming is not a concern going
into winter, so it?s fine if the boxes
are completely full of bees. You?ll
just need to add boxes or split
when the pollen flow begins next
spring to prevent swarming.
In general, I wouldn?t recommend
more than 3 boxes. A common
scenario is having multiple boxes
with some honey and bees, but
they aren?t all full. If they are all full,
it?s fine to leave them. Since bees
don?t keep the entire inside of a
hive warm- only their cluster- a little
extra space isn?t a huge problem.
If the upper boxes aren?t completely
full, you can consolidate frames of
honey and bees into 2 boxes. Keep
in mind, bees do need some
partially empty frames to properly
cluster in the winter, so having a
few frames in the middle of each
box that are 2?3 empty is a good
thing. You can also move boxes of
honey between hives.
If you have one hive with a box that
has no bees, but is full of honey,
you can give it to a single-story hive
that needs the honey or put it on
top of a 2-box hive that is packed
full of bees. If no one needs it, you
can simply store the box of honey
and use it next year when buying
bees or making splits. It will give
them a fantastic head start! See
?Storing supers of honey.?
Fall Feedin g
Feeding in the fall is tricky business.
Some general rules are that you
want to make sure your bees have
all the honey/syrup they need to
survive the winter stored by the
time daytime temps are routinely in
the 60's. For some areas, there is a
very short window between the
time you harvest honey, and the
days in the 60's. It may even
happen at the same time! In those
cases, you will need to leave
enough honey post-harvest to
ensure the hive can survive the
winter. But, in most areas, you have
weeks, or even months between
harvest and days consistently in the
60's.
16
For southern regions that have
extended periods of summer
dearth, I recommend ?trickle
feeding? (See ?When to Feed Syrup-
Summer Trickle Feeding) over the
summer, which means feeding your
bees about ? of a gallon of 1:1
syrup over the course of the
summer until they reach the
needed amount of stores, then only
feeding as needed to maintain that
amount. If you have a strong fall
honey flow in your area, you may
need to do very little to no fall
feeding.
My general rule of thumb is to
maintain at least 30-40 lbs of stores,
then about 3 weeks before days
remain in the 60's, feed up to 1-2
gallons per week to achieve the
needed stores. The concept here is
to feed enough over the
summer/fall to keep the hive well
fed, and thus minimally stressed,
then increase feeding as winter
approaches as needed. Heavy
feeding during the summer can
cause a hive to become honey
bound.
Keep in mind that a weaker hive
(less than 1 deep full of bees) will
need about half as much stores as a
stronger hive.
Feeding in fall can be
necessary, but not
knowing when enough is
enough can translate into
a honey bound hive.
Check out this video
where I show you what
this looks like and how to
fix it!
17
Wh at Kin d of Bees
Sh ou ld I Or der ?

I t?s that time of year again ?

time to order your 2024
Nucs, Full Hives, Packages,
and Queens! But are you
confused on which is best
for you? Let's go over some
fast facts about the 2
breeds that we carry.

Scan h er e f or ou r Decision Ch ar t

18
TX 5000 ? It alian / Car n iolan
Gen et ics (Nu cs, Fu ll Hives,
Pack ages, an d Qu een s)
- Gentle and easy to work
Parasite and disease resistant.
- Early spring buildup in
population
- Tendency to limited swarming.
- Ability to ripen honey rapidly.
- Less propensity for robbing
behavior
- Adept at handling dearth
- Rapidly adjust brood
production according to food
availability
- Among the best at
overwintering
BEES
Listen as Expert Cameron
Crane gives some advice
on which is better to to
purchase for new
Beekeepers - Nucs, Full
Hives, or Packages
Golden Cor dovan (Nu cs, Fu ll
Hives, an d Qu een s)
Originates from the Italian family so
it carries some of the characteristics
of that breed.
- Believed to be the gentlest
breed in the world.
- Good honey producers
- Does well in warm weather
- Good wax producers
- Great choice for backyard
beekeepers
St ill h ave qu est ion s?
Which is better for backyard
beekeepers? Either one! Both the TX
5000 and Golden Cordovan are
sweet, gentle bees and suitable for
being placed in suburban backyards.
For farm situations the same is true,
however, for an increased honey
production, the TX 5000 is your best
bet.
19
 NOW
YOU'RE

Th in k in g Ou t side t h e
Hive Box!
Ph ot o/ Idea/ Facebook Post Cr edit : Gin ger M allar d - Hon olu lu , Haw aii

I f you do crush and strain and have some wax that you?d like the bees to clean up,
but don?t want to open feed for whatever reason (small yard, and you don?t want
to invite robbers; flow is still on, so bees will ignore it (but the ants will LOVE it!)),
you can put the comb in these handy dandy little to-go containers that many of us
have become so familiar with over the last few years, and set them in an empty
box on top of the frames in your hive, and the bees will clean them right up! As
you can see, you can fit two of the smaller, rectangular boxes in a 10-frame hive.
A large square box fits perfectly in an 8-frame hive. You can even do smaller little
half-batches if you don?t have an extra box but have a few frames you can pull
out. Even after several days of draining on my counter, each full tray of comb had
about 1.5-2 lb. of honey in it that the bees were able to reclaim. by: Ginger Mallard

Have a " GREAT" idea?

Su bm it it t o: editor@thebeesupply.com
20
 COM M ON USES
FOR BEESWAX
Photo Credit: Bishop Decker

H ave you ever thought about what - Use it to make fire starters
all you can do with your collected - Make your own lip balm
beeswax? There are literally - Face moisturizing cream
thousands of ways it is used. Here - Ease cracked heels
are just a few you can take - Homemade dog paw balm
advantage of around your home! - Make a luxurious body butter
- Homemade lotion with
- Making natural wax candles
beeswax
- Easy sliding wooden drawers
- Use in soap recipes
- Makes zippers zip
- Use to make homemade
- Sealing envelopes with wax
petroleum jelly
- Make your own furniture polish
- Great for hair care or beard
- Prevent bronze tarnishing
balms
- Natural scented wax melts
- Honey burn salve
- Make herbal wax sachets
- Create your own herbal salves
- Use it in canning to seal jars
- Use with essential oils to make
- Moisturize leather
natural vapor rub
- Make natural food wraps
- Make bug bite sticks
- Makes shop hand saws work
- Used to make natural non-toxic
smoother
crayons
- Lubricate wood screws and
- Use for plant grafting
nails
- Traditional water proofer

READ MORE about making products with your wax!

21
 If you have two hives that are both
high in varroa, or were in the past,
How an d Wh en combining them together is fine.
What you want to avoid is
t o Com bin e combining a sick hive with a healthy
hive.
Weak Hives Below are some parameters around
when a hive should be combined vs.
a hive not worth combining.
By: Blake Sh ook
1. In general, a hive that is 3-6
The objective in combining hives is
frames of bees (a frame of bees
to take a small, weak hive and
is 1 deep frame, ? covered
combine it with a stronger hive to
with bees on the front and
increase its strength or combine two
back) going into the winter is a
weak hives to create 1 strong hive
good candidate for combining.
that is able to survive the winter.
Check on your hive when the
Combining is typically done in the
temperatures are around 60
late fall or a few weeks before
degrees to give you the most
temperatures are routinely in the
accurate view of the bee
50?s during the day. Keep in mind
population. At that strength,
that any hive you are considering
unless you are in an area with
combining should not have a Varroa
very warm winters where hives
infestation (more than 2 per 100
may grow a bit, there is a good
bees), see ?How to Test for Mites?,
chance they won?t survive.
should not have brood disease, see
2. If a hive is less than 2 frames of
?European Foulbrood? ?American
bees, it?s typically not worth
Foulbrood? and ?Chalkbrood?,and, it
trying to save. You can shake
should not be weak from a previous
the bees out of the hive and
high Varroa infestation. If that?s the
store the equipment for next
cause of it being weak, even if
year.
you?ve treated and reduced the
mites, those bees can still be
carrying viruses that you don?t want
to transfer to a healthy hive.
22
If you?ve made the determination
that you should combine your hives,
here are the steps to take to do so:
St ep 1 - Locate the queen in the
weakest hive and eliminate her. If
you can?t find the queen, it?s OK to
combine them together and let the
2 queens fight it out.
St ep 2 - Try to consolidate all the
bees, brood, and honey in the weak
hive into 1 box. You can do the same
for the hive you are combining the
weak hive with. You may need to let
the hive settle for an hour or so
after you?ve reduced them down to
1 box.
St ep 3 - Stack the two hives on top
of each other. If you can?t get all the
bees into 2 boxes, it?s OK to have 3
boxes for the time being. You can
most likely remove the 3rd box a
month or two later once it?s empty.
St ep 4 - Close up the hive. You are
done! Many recommend adding a
sheet of newspaper between the
two hives to allow the bees time to
adjust to the pheromones of the
other hive as they chew through the
newspaper over a 1?2-day period. In
my experience however, just joining
the two hives together without the
newspaper results in almost no
fighting or dead bees? usually only a
few dozen or less. I think the
newspaper makes us feel better as
beekeepers, but in reality, it?s not
really necessary.
If you combine two weak hives
together, the odds of them surviving
the winter are often about 50/50.
But that is typically better odds than
if they hadn?t been combined!

Ch eck ou t t h ese video's on How To Com bin e an d w h at you can

expect f r om doin g it !
23
 A St or y & a Half Hive PERFECTLY
Ready f or Win t er

I t has become very common to

keep story & ½ hives ? That is, 1
deep brood box and a medium
brood box on top. There is an
advantage in doing this - primarily
you aren?t dealing with the weight of
a typical deep top brood box during
hive inspections. This video does a
very good job of describing what
makes for a ?perfect? story and a
half hive going into winter!

24
 M ak in g t h e
m ost of w h at
you h ave
As we go into late fall and winter, understanding
the need to maximize the resources you have
available is key to overwintering successfully.
In doing so, unused, and unneeded frames
taking up space should be culled ? reducing the
hive down to an appropriate space for the bees
to thermoregulate as well as keeping the food
resources close by.
This process isn?t difficult ? follow these easy
steps in this video to make the most of your
resources!

25
 Photo Credit:Theresa Guy

Wh at ar e You r Photo Credit: Janet

Fletcher Castle

Bees Sayin g
t o You ?

By: Jam es Elam

The sound of honey bees

communicating with each other is
becoming better and better
understood as we speak. Bees
communicating with the beekeeper
can also be easily understood by
those of us willing to listen. As we
hear and learn the "buzz words", it
all begins to make sense. Years ago,
our personal mentor coined the
phrase ?Bees don?t talk, and bees
don?t write books?. This statement
was commonly fed back to us when
we asked him a beekeeping
question. We quickly accepted this
response as a challenge to discover
the answers on our own.
As our experience grew, we
developed an enhanced ability to
instinctively listen, read, and to
react to these sometimes-one-sided
conversations by simply drawing on
some basic management skills.
Examples of management skills
include planning, decision making,
problem-solving, motivation and
you guessed it, communication.
How are your bees communicating
with you?
1. Common buzz- A low, continuous
humming sound. This low
continuous buzz sound is one of
relaxation, cooperation and even
forgiveness. The common buzz may
occur within the colony as well as in
the air directly surrounding the
colony. The presence of the
common buzz is a sign of
acceptance allowing peaceful
entrance both into and around the
colony area.
26
2. Informal buzz - A buzz with a
general sense of interest or pending
excitement. The informal buzz
tends to be a by-product of careful
and thoughtful frame examination
and management. All is still well,
but at least a few of the individuals
are now paying attention.
3. Uncommon buzz - A medium
pitched buzz of actual excitement
and increased activity. The informal
buzz is typified by many bees
staring up at the intruder. The
?shoulder tap" technique of
communication soon begins. This
physical display of advanced
warning is offered as an
opportunity for the intruder to
consider retreat. The medium
pitched sound of the uncommon
buzz combined with bees tapping
your hat / veil and shoulders will
confirm this action as an advanced
warning.
4. Threatened buzz - A buzz of a
higher pitch and volume is
indicative of heightened
defensiveness. The threatened buzz
is often displayed in Queenless
colonies.
5. Banana buzz - A high-pitched,
high-volume buzz of excitement,
alarm pheromone release and
full-on defensiveness. Hope you
have your suit on!
Are you convinced yet? Do you look
at your bees in a way that is
receptive to communication?
What about these buzz words:
Un-healthy buzz, stressed buzz,
hungry buzz, thirsty buzz, hot buzz,
cold buzz, and tired buzz.
Hmm, it seems as though the [Buzz]
vocabulary might be larger than
originally thought! Or how about,
?Things seem a little tight around
here?buzz, house hunting buzz,
moving on buzz, we?re lost buzz, we
made a mistake buzz - which circles
right back to the ?please help me?
buzz. These ?buzz words? are much
different than those previously
discussed.
Our ability to read this
communication directly influences
the health and well-being of our
bees. Recognizing and responding
to the ?Helping Buzz Words? may be
the MOST important skill of all!
What are your bees saying to you?
Buzzzzz? .
27
TBS Beekeeper Ch at
w it h
Kam on Reyn olds
You Tu be Beek eeper Sen sat ion

with Chari Elam

Listen in as Kamon and I really cover some ground when it comes

to getting ready for winter with your bees! Topics like: What a hive
looks like when it needs to be combined, reduced down or
eliminated. The low quality of fall pollen flows and why your mind
shouldn't be set on substituting pollen, but rather supplementing
it! Treating with Oxalic Acid - the controversial dosing amounts...
and how much is too much?! And - SO much more!
Join me in subscribing to Kamon Reynolds - Tennessee's Bees
YouTube Channel!

28
29
 Pr epar in g Th e lat e An n Har m on doin g w h at sh e did
best - Ju dgin g Hon ey Com pet it ion s

For a Hon ey
Sh ow
By: Dodie St illm an an d
Ch ar i Elam

One of the greatest bi-products of

beekeeping is being able to enter
your honey and honey products in a
state or local contest! These
opportunities can even go national!
Having both won awards with honey
and related products, we can attest
to the joy and, let?s face it, bragging
rights that winning a ribbon gets
you! Without going into detail of
each and every honey contest, we?ve
put together some helpful
Doin g w h at it information regarding what contests
typically look for and tips to get you
t ak es t o be a in the top contender category!
con t en der ! Bees make the honey. You are not
winning on the honey, but your
presentation of it. Judges look at
how you present the honey and
taste is a secondary (sometimes
deciding) factor. ~Jimmie Oakley~

30
Tips f or en t er in g liqu id h on ey
com pet it ion s:
- Read (print) and follow every
detail of the rules!!
- Be sure to keep up with any
rule changes!
- Present your honey in the
container called for by the
contest. It is essential to use
the right container, and the
correct lid!!
- Make sure your containers are
clean. Wash in a dishwasher by
themselves or hand wash.
Never touch the jar with your
hands after that, use lint free
cloth or photo gloves.
- Pick the Perfect Jar. Look
carefully for bubbles or flaws in
the glass, even on the bottom.
- Put only good honey in your
jars. Choose only fully capped
frames and taste it for flavor
(no bitter weed, leafy spurge, or
goldenrod).
- Purchase a Refractometer and
use it. Check the moisture level
of your honey. Test for density
to get the maximum points.
- Fill your jars slowly, holding
them with a towel, tipped at an
angle to prevent bubbles.Fill
level of jar is the top screw
thread the first time.
Reduce honey to the correct
level before entering into the
contest (read contest rules ?
most often this is the top of the
bead molded on the jar just
below screw thread). This
allows for the removal of
bubbles and/or debris.
- Cover Jar (under the lid) with
Plastic Wrap. Judges look under
the lid and no honey should be
there. Have a second lid
available if you need to replace
your original lid. Remove the
plastic wrap before turning in
for judging.
- Bottle honey early as opposed
to late. Give your honey time to
settle and provide an
opportunity to skim or remove
bubbles and/or debris. Remove
the top layer with a spoon to
above the inside fill line (or
contest requirements). You
should not see empty space
below the lid.
- Transport your honey in a sock
to prevent fingerprinting, and
in a box that will not allow your
honey to tilt. Tilt lines will
disqualify you faster than
anything else?
31
Hon ey is t ypically ju dged in
cat egor ies based on :
- Color
- Density of water ? Check rules
for best percentage for highest
points
- Free of foreign matter -
granulated crystals, bubbles,
foam, wax, lint.
- The appearance of the bottle -
cleanliness of the container
inside and out; no honey under
the lid.
- The uniform fill - up to fill line
indicated in contest rules.
- Flavor and brightness - clear
and transparent.
Hon eycom b en t r ies
A bit different from liquid honey,
here is a tip in presenting the best
honeycomb possible:
- Make every effort to remove
comb honey as soon as capped
to prevent the ?travel stain?
from pollen and propolis.
These will be seen on the
wooden frame of square
sections, on the plastic rim of
rounds, and on the surface of
all combs. Unfortunately, some
parts of the country have dark
propolis and brilliantly colored
pollen.
The judge is looking for the
absolute minimum of ?travel
stain.?
- Display in a transparent-on-all-
sides container
- Chunk of comb must be in one
piece, with a straight mid rib
and of uniform thickness.
- This year ?s comb wax is
preferred ? much brighter and
cleaner in appearance.
- Cuts should be straight, clean,
and uniform ? not jagged
edges or leaking honey off the
sides.
Com b is ju dged in cat egor ies
based on :
- Absence of uncapped cells
- Uniformity of appearance,
color, and cut.
- Cleanliness of frame/container
- Absence of wet/watery
cappings
- Absence of pollen and
granulation.
Sh ow Hin t s:
- You can heat honey slowly and
allow bubbles to rise by leaving
the jar in a closed, parked car
on a warm day or setting it on
top of a warm oven.
32
- To remove specks, wax, or lint
try using a long wooden
skewer to move the foreign
matter to the top and dip it off
with a spoon or plastic wrap.
Some contests will allow
filtering your honey for the
utmost pristine visual
presentation possible. Not all
will so verify this ahead of
time. This typically doesn?t
involve competition where
taste is judged, merely
appearance.
- Polish jars with a silk cloth. Use
an individually cut moist
square of lint free cloth (white
men?s handkerchief) to wipe
the underside of lid before
presentation.
- Store honey in room
temperature above 57 degrees
to avoid granulation.
- Let comb honey submissions
sit for a time before boxing
them, allowing them to drain
the cuts.
- Handle comb containers with
gloves and travel with them in
a towel right side up, not
allowing them to shift (move)
inside the container.
We, of course, did not cover all
aspects of every show in the
country, but with these tips you
should do exceptionally well!
Another quick tip ? for conferences
that encourage Honey Swaps,
consider using these 2 oz honey
bears with a hang tag telling who
you are and where your honey
comes from. They will love it and it
won?t cost you a lot of money in
bottling or honey!
Cr yst allized Hon ey?
Check out this very good
article written by Pamela
Yeamans - Barton Creek Honey
LEARN
MORE
Need a quick way to liquefy
your honey?
We have the solution!
BUCKET HEATER
33
 With all the talk this month and
St or in g Hive last on overwintering our bees,
Equ ipm en t & Dr aw n have you thought about
overwintering equipment and
Com b Fr am es Over drawn comb frames? Whether
it?s hive boxes, honey supers, or
Win t er frames from a dead hive or
surplus drawn comb from
combining hives, storing them
for future use effectively and
efficiently can be a challenge
depending on how many you
have.
St or in g Equ ipm en t
Odds are you are storing frames
with their perspective hive
boxes but what if you aren?t and
you have multiple used boxes
lying around empty? This is a
fairly easy problem to resolve if
you have the space. Both deep
hive bodies and mediums will
stack inside each other. Make a
stack of 2 boxes, then place 1
deep or 2 mediums on their
sides inside those boxes. Keep
going up as high as you are
comfortable making it.

By: Pau l Fagala an d Ch ar i Elam

34
Here are some additional tips that
can help preserve them for next
spring:
- Store off the ground ? Ground
contact will rot boxes. If
storing outside (which is fine),
put timbers or concrete blocks
on the ground and build your
stack from there.
- Allow for moisture drainage ?
If storing outside, these boxes
will be subject to the elements
which can age them
prematurely. Make sure your
boxes are not stacked where
water can accumulate in
them, and certainly not on a
surface that traps moisture.
- Try to keep them clean. Bees
will no doubt live in a box that
is somewhat dirty, but why
subject them to it if it?s not
necessary. Clean hive =Happy
bees!
- Keeping stacked hive boxes
under a covered area is best,
but still stack them on top of a
support object such as bricks
or timbers to allow for airflow.
Scan to check out Dan Wynn's (Bee Informed
Partnership) "Dolly Project."
A great way to store boxes and still be able to
move them around!
There are several ways you can
successfully store drawn comb to
preserve it for next year.
- Certan B402 is a biological
larvicide that will protect your
drawn comb from wax moths.
Certan has a bacterium that is
lethal to moths and butterflies
but has no effect on bees or
humans. Using a hand sprayer
to distribute the 19-to-1
dilution will protect your
frames over the fall and
winter. Because the bacteria
will kill the wax moth larva,
you do not need to wrap
them, nor do you have to
repeat the process before
putting them back in service.
Follow steps previously stated
for storing hive boxes, but only
do so under cover where frames
can remain dry.
Photo Credit: Dan Wynn
35
- Super Bag is a new product
that protects boxes of frames
in a seamless nylon zippered
bag. When using these bags,
you only need one application
of Para-Moth wax crystals. Or
freeze the frames for at least
24 hours to kill any wax moth
eggs/larvae to avoid using
moth crystals with the bags.
The small Super Bag will fit
two medium or one deep box,
and the large Super Bag fits
six medium or three deep
boxes.
- Freezer ? If you have plenty of
Super Bag
- Para-Moth can be used in a
couple of different ways. Wrap
your supers in a trash bag or
tote box placing Para-Moth on
the top box and close the bag
or tote tightly. Or stack the
supers on top of each other
on a flat surface or inverted
hive cover and place a small
amount of Para Moth (in a
sock, on a paper plate, piece
of paper? etc.) between some
boxes as well as on the top
box under the cover. Reapply
as needed to keep wax moths
out. Air the frames out prior
to use. (Do not use moth balls
because they will penetrate the
wax and leech into the stored
honey the following season).
freezer space for all of your
frames of drawn-out comb,
freezing is a great way to
protect them from wax moth
damage. Frames can stay
frozen indefinitely. Take them
out to thaw prior to putting
them in a hive with bees.
36
 NEW
PRODUCT
ALERT

Ch eck ou t ou r NEW Kids Bee

Su it s an d m at ch in g gloves!
Not on ly w ill t h ey be pr epar ed
t o w or k bees alon gside you ...
w h at a gr eat Hallow een
cost u m e t h is cou ld be!

SHOP

37
 Wh at 's t h e Bu zz
abou t Oxalic Acid?
By: Lyn n e Jon es

Are you still scrambling to get your
bees prepared for winter? Although
October is a bit late to be treating
for Varroa mites, the benefit of your
procrastination is
with less brood
being produced,
oxalic acid
treatment will be
more effective!
Because oxalic acid (OA) does not
penetrate capped cells; it can only
kill varroa mites outside of cells (i.e.,
phoretic).
In colder climates, the queen stops
laying naturally. But in warmer
climates where the queen continues
to lay into late fall, a brood break
can be accomplished artificially by
caging the queen to prevent new
brood or by using a frame isolation
cage, restricting the queen to lay
brood on a specific frame which can
be removed from the hive after it is
capped.
However, waiting for capped brood
to emerge takes time. The quickest
way to have no capped brood in the
hive in order to start OA treatment is
to simply remove frames with
capped brood, freeze them, and
return them to the hive the following
day. Once there is no capped brood
in the hive, your choice application
of oxalic acid can be very effective. If
a brood break isn?t possible, multiple
applications of OA are needed to
treat varroa mites after they have
emerged from capped cells.
The only OA product that can legally
be used in honey bee hives to treat
varroa mites is Api-Bioxal which is
officially registered by the USDA and
approved by the EPA. Furthermore,
the label which is attached to the
product, provides directions for the
three approved application methods
and as always, ?the label is the law?.
38
The three approved OA treatment methods are:
- Sugar syrup drip with syringe or applicator
- Fumigation / Sublimation
- Mist application for caged (package) bees

39
 Author?s comment:
Research reveals the legal
dose of 1.0 g, and even a
dose of 2.0 g per brood
chamber to be ineffective
in lowering mite counts.
Resources backing that
statement
1| 2| 3

Video dem on st r at in g all 3 m et h ods pr ovided by Hon ey Bee Healt h Coalit ion

Kamon Reynolds, a Tennessee Dr. Peck mentioned there is some

beekeeper whose goal is to offer development in the works for an
quality information on beekeeping extended-release product that could
techniques to his 62.5K YouTube be available to purchase in the next
subscribers, recently hosted Dr. David twelve to eighteen months. The
Peck in a Live Chat to discuss the availability of this product is
latest news on Oxalic Acid and other something to look forward to, as it
available Varroa mite treatments. Dr. will give beekeepers an additional
Peck is the Director of Research and method of using OA; however, it is
Education at Betterbee. According to not considered the ?silver bullet?to
Peck the process of getting the dose the Varroa mite problem.
for OA vapor method increased is in
the works, but what the dose will be
and when it will be approved is still
unknown (or was unknown at the time
of the Live Chat). The updated
instructions will also indicate the need
to use a thermostatically controlled
vaporization device.

You can message me on Facebook or send an email to

BrazosRiverHoney77474@gmail.com
40
QUEEN ISOLATION
CAGE
This queen isolator cage gives you
control over your queen's location,
allowing complex queen
manipulations without the hassle of
other caging or confinement
methods. The cage is made of bars
spaced like a queen excluder. Our
isolator holds one deep (9-1/8" tall)
Langstroth frame and fits inside a
deep hive body.
If the queen is inside the cage, she
will work to fill the single frame with
brood but won't be able to leave.
If the queen is outside the cage, you
can prevent her from laying eggs on
the isolated frame.
In either case, workers will happily
move through the bars to tend to
the brood and the specific
pheromones of a laying queen
continue to keep the
colony cohesive, which is
not the case when
caging her in a standard
queen cage.
Uses include:
- Short-term confinement of a
queen from a recently caught
swarm or package, so that she
can begin laying without any
risk of the bees absconding
- Limiting the queen to one
frame, and then removing that
frame of brood, to produce a
completely broodless colony
for certain mite treatments
- Imposing a brood slow-down to
limit colony growth before a
dearth
- Isolation of the queen for a day
to produce eggs or brood of a
very precise age
- Short term isolation of the
queen on one frame so that
you can quickly
find her later.
41
 NEW
PRODUCT
ALERT

Co2 In ject or

I n Varroa testing using the Co2 method, bees and mites are
rendered unconscious by exposure to carbon dioxide gas.
The sample of anesthetized bees is then gently shaken in the
EasyCheck, causing the mites to fall from the bees and pass
through the white basket?s holes. Simply lift the basket and
count the mites! Within seconds, the anesthetized bees
regain consciousness to continue on with the daily work!

42
I n t h e w or ld of beekeepin g, w e don't ju st cu lt ivat e h on ey,
w e becom e a par t of a r h yt h m m u ch lar ger t h an ou r selves.
As t h e su n begin s t o dip below t h e h or izon , cast in g golden
h u es acr oss t h e sk y, w e pau se an d t ak e in t h e ser en e
beau t y. Su r r ou n ded by ou r bu zzin g bee f am ilies, w e'r e
r em in ded daily of t h e sim ple w on der s of n at u r e. Wat ch in g
su n set s like t h is, w it h t h e h u m of bees as t h e back gr ou n d
scor e, is a m om en t of pu r e m agic. It 's m om en t s lik e t h ese
t h at m ake all t h e h ar d w or k w or t h w h ile. Her e's t o n at u r e's
sym ph on y an d t h e en dless beau t y it br in gs.

#Beek eeper Lif e

#Su n set Ser en ades

Ben Moore - Ben's Bees

Victory Australia

43

Beyon d Bees
By: Paul Fagala
Wildlif e Pr epar in g
For Win t er
After the long, hot summer we just
endured, it seems weird to talk
about winter preparations. But to
wildlife, preparing early for winter
can mean the difference between
life and death. We all know what
bees do to prepare for winter ?
collect enough resources to have all
the honey and pollen they need,
propolize all the cracks to
weatherproof the hive, and form a
cluster that will keep the bees and
the brood warm over the winter
months. But what about other
wildlife? How do they prepare for
winter?
Probably the most well-known are
bears. Bears engorge themselves
on fall fruits, putting on pounds of
fat they live off of as they hibernate
in dens until spring.
Photo Credit: Backyard
Ecology - The Carolina
Chickadee
Photo Credit: Nanette Davis
Several species of birds?cache
seeds in the autumn months for
use later when food is scarce. Did
you know? The brain of a Carolina
Chickadee grows as they add cells
in the hippocampus to remember
where they stored the seeds. In the
spring when food is abundant,
those same brain cells die, making
the birds forget where the stored
seeds are! Blue Jays also cache
seeds in large quantities (acorns),
crediting them with the northward
expansion of several species of oak
trees. Some mammals such as
squirrels and mice gather seeds
and nuts storing them in a dry,
protected place to access later.
44
Mammals such as foxes and coyotes
eat a varied diet in the autumn
months and change their muscles,
skin, and fur for the upcoming
winter. They shed their summer coat
and replace it with a much thicker
winter coat for added protection.
And, like other animals, their
autumn diet builds fat reserves that
will get them through the lean
months ahead.
In late August and September, you
may have noticed birds in your
backyard with missing feathers on
their heads or missing tail feathers.
Birds molt and replace all their
feathers in the warm late summer
months to have fresh feathers for
winter protection. They can lock
those fresh, healthy feathers
together to make a windproof and
waterproof barrier to keep them
warm on the cold rainy days of
winter.
Many species of hummingbirds
overwinter in the Gulf Coast states.
On cold nights, hummingbirds enter
a state called torpor where their
heart rate, body temperature and
metabolism drop dramatically, as
they fall into a deep sleep.
The following day when the
temperatures warm up, all their
bodily functions return to normal,
and they wake up to forage for food.
Monarch butterflies and many
species of birds migrate from their
northern summer homes to warmer
places in the south where food can
be more easily found. Case in point,
the Arctic Tern is the champion of
migration. It breeds within the Arctic
Circle in the Northern Hemisphere
and as winter approaches migrates
to the Antarctic Circle ?
approximately 18,641 miles away.
As winter approaches in the
Southern Hemisphere, it makes the
same trip to return to the Arctic
Circle.
As you watch your bees prepare for
winter, look at the wildlife around
you as well ? See if you can spot the
changes in their behavior as they
prepare for the upcoming winter!
Tips f or
pr epar in g f or
Win t er
45
46
 HONEY APPLE SLICE
COOKIES

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
2 - large apples 2 T - pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup - orange juice 1/4 cup - granola
1/2 cup - peanut butter 2 T - toasted coconut
1/4 cup - pretzels, broken into small 1/4 cup - dried apricots, chopped
pieces 2 T - dried cranberries
2 T - almonds, sliced honey, for drizzling

DIRECTIONS
Core each apple and cut away the top and bottom of each apple; cut the
rest of each apple into 4 slices for a total of 8 slices, toss with the orange
juice to prevent browning.
Lay each slice of apple on a tray and pat dry with a paper towel. Spread
the peanut butter evenly on each apple slice and sprinkle the remaining
ingredients over the apple slices. Top with a drizzle of honey.
Enjoy!

TIP: You can substitute Sunbutter for the peanut butter if you are concerned
about peanut allergies.

47
 Join u s f or t h e lar gest " LIVE" m on t h ly Zoom
Webin ar m eet in g an yw h er e!
On poin t t opics, In t h e bee yar d t ips, t im ely
pr esen t at ion s...
Plu s - LIVE Q & A! Ch eck ou t w h at you r f ellow
beek eeper s w er e ask in g last m on t h !

Webinar Q&A

Ch eck ou t ou r last Webin ar !

48
2023 BEGINNING BEEKEEPING
CLASSES

Choose your
location
In-Person or
Online!

RESERVE YOUR SEAT

49
Bee Clu b Dir ect or y

Need help finding a bee club near you?

Click on the link below to connect with one
of the hundreds of great clubs across the
nation!

FIND A CLUB

50
U.S. Dr ou gh t St at u s
For r eal t im e in f o, click h er e

51
 We welcome your
feedback and submissions!
editor@thebeesupply.com

Beekeeping Questions:
help@thebeesupply.com

Beau t if u l Ar t w or k Su bm it t ed By: Th om as M au ldin - Raleigh , NC

52