Archive for December, 2010

Old Texas Law required Swarms Destroyed.


2010
12.23

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UPDATE – Just called the State Apiary Inspector. Their office said the quarantine has been lifted, as the entire state is now considered Africanized. Swarms are no longer required to be destroyed.
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Just noticed that Texas AG Law 71.7 overreacted in the 1980’s and requires all swarms in ‘quarantined areas’ aka Africanized territory must be destroyed. Failure to do so is a Class C misdemeanor. Currently, the Texas State Inspector is stretched thin or is unwilling and this law is not enforced, but is it worth putting in the effort to repeal it?
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“All swarms observed or captured in a quarantined area should be destroyed. Beekeepers retaining AHB swarms are subject to having the Inspector seize and order the destruction, treatment or sale of the bees, equipment, pollen or honey. 71.7(b)(5).”
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Moving the Apiary


2010
12.16

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My old landlord is selling his property, so I have to move 11 hives. 7 Lang, 4 TBH, 1 nuc.
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Noticed yellow pollen coming in on Dec 10.

12 year survivor hive


2010
12.05

The old beekeeper who gave me his hive said he bought them 12 years ago. He set them up for pollination and did nothing but open the hive every fall for honey harvest. So I’ve got a treasure here, a decade old survivor hive. No treatments, no problems, just a self sustaining hive.
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I’ll definitely be making a few nucs out of this hive next Spring. Don’t know how aggressive it is yet. If they are a bit hot, I can’t sell them to new beeks, only experienced beeks at that.
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If they are hot, who thinks they are a good stock for breeding? Comments?
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