There is no “silver bullet” to successful beekeeping. Please stop looking for one. I know you want perfect hives. I do too. I know you started beekeeping with all of the best intentions. Ditto. Maybe you followed the advice of the most sagely gurus on the internet or at your local bee club and have … Read More
Made you look! LOL! Quick video of a bee removal in San Marcos. These bees were surprisingly gentle, so I was able to remove my veil and even scoop them up with an ungloved hand. Why would I do this? Choose one: a) I am a grandstander b) I want more followers on social media … Read More
Seems like everyone on social media is getting lots of exposure these days for doing daring things with honeybees without wearing any protective equipment. And while it’s certainly true that a sign of a skilled beekeeper is being able to work bees and read their “mood” and likeliness to sting and then cover up (or … Read More
I’ve had lots of questions from folks wondering how bees can survive these record low temperatures and unusual heavy snowfall in Texas recently. “Do bees hibernate?” “Do you have to bring the hives into your garage?” The good news is that honey bees are made for this! All of their hard work over the busy … Read More
We still have potential cold days ahead of us in this new month of February, so I’m not in full bee removal mode yet. But when I get calls like this about a hive in a dangerous situation during a structure demolition, I hustle right to the scene. These bees were a very quick and … Read More
Looking to maintain good social distance? No sweat! The New Braunfels Farmer’s Market is offering curbside pickup this Saturday, Jan. 23 from 9 am to 1 pm at 186 S Castell Ave downtown, just next to Krause’s Biergarten and Cafe. Simply fill out the form below and send payment to Charlie via Venmo at @Charles-Agar. … Read More
Short video of a swarm capture on January 18, 2021 Another winter swarm! I caught a little swarm in December and now an early spring swarm on January 18. It’s kind of unusual behavior, as most bees only swarm in spring or when resources are plenty. “Swarming” is how bees reproduce. A successful colony has … Read More
Is there someone super sweet on your Christmas list this year? Why not get them a little sugar, baby? Honey bee sugar that is, straight from CharlieBee! Treat all or your employees or co-workers to some local-local goodness. One-pound jars or honey sticks make great stocking stuffers. Or buy a big five-pound jar for that … Read More
(Photo CharlieBee) Charlie under the wheel of Samsara in a temple near Tibet in far western China (Photo CharlieBee) Novice monks smile from the doorway of a temple in Luang Prabang, Laos I’ve always wanted to be a monk. It started in college when I read Beat Generation authors with their focus on Eastern thought … Read More
I highly recommend this upcoming (Saturday, Nov. 7) virtual conference of the Texas Beekeeper’s Association – for anyone from experienced beekeepers to “never-evers.” I produced two video segments (see below) that will be in the archive and I also serve on the organization’s board, so maybe I might be guilty of some bias, but objectively this … Read More
