Spring has sprung and the bees are getting busy a little early this year, which is a good problem to have for beekeepers. That also means hives are swarming, or casting off new colonies, and existing colonies that have survived the winter are building up and getting active. My phone is ringing off the hook … Read More
Dearth. It means a “scarcity” or “lack” of something. And the Texas summer dearth is a long season with a total lack of nectar-bearing plants for bees and other pollinators. When the temperatures are consistently above 100F, foliage just shrivels up and the land goes dry. And this year has been downright Biblical so far … Read More
1-D-1 open space law offers incentives for landowners and opportunity for beekeepers By Charlie Agar (originally printed in the Texas Bee Supply Magazine – Feb 1, 2022) Ben Franklin famously said that nothing is more certain in life than “death and taxes,” but a 2012 Texas law gives landowners a potential reprieve (from the tax … Read More
These recent years have been a rollercoaster, haven’t they? From running out of toilet paper and dousing groceries in Lysol in early 2020 to deep political divides, climate-related catastrophes, and just far too many Zoom calls, it’s been a bit surreal. But through it all I’ve found solace in the simple act of working my … Read More
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Texas airwaves will be buzzing this January when the all new reality television series, Charlie Bee Company, makes its US broadcast premiere on Austin PBS, KLRU-TV. The (8) hour-long episodes from iniosante studios put viewers in a front row seat working with our planet’s most important pollinator. … Read More
That’s it for Charlie Bee Company in 2021, y’all! We’re coming into the colder months here in Texas and any nuisance hive removals will have to wait until March so the bees can survive the transition from your wall, tree, or water meter to the CharlieBee bee yard. Our hives will be getting into their … Read More
Puns about bees and being “busy” are done to death, but suffice it to say I’m “very busy” with removals these days and scurrying to take care of clients before the close of the season when it becomes impossible to remove and “save” hives through the winter. I usually do removals right up through early … Read More
CENTRAL TEXAS BEEKEEPER SAVES ONE HIVE AT A TIME BY BUILDING NEW HOMES FOR POLLINATORS CLICK HERE to read the article at Statesman.com Claire Osborn / Austin American-Statesman Photos by Mikala Compton Sept. 5, 2021, SAN MARCOS — When Charlie Agar pried open the lid of an abandoned piece of farm machinery in San Marcos … Read More
I know I’m supposed to be all grown up and stay with the all the other old fogeys on Facebook, but I think TikTok is just about the most fun going on the Interwebs. Folks share some funny and poignant stuff and have been having a blast posting bee content. Click below for a sample … Read More
Enjoy this short video of a big ‘0l live beehive removal in New Braunfels, Texas. This older ranch home just west of New Braunfels was being torn down to make way for more homes – New Braunfels is growing like crazy! The demolition company reached out and said the bees were holding up the works, … Read More
