Hello, questions about Texas Beekeeping

[jcullen24]

I've been reading alot on these boards, thanks again to everyone's informative posts! 

I just got through reading about wintering bees.  I can understand the need to winter Bees in the Cold states, But what are the steps taken here in Texas with our mild climate?

Do you still check on the girls in the winter or do you keep them "buttoned up"?

I stated in my intro post that I live in suburbia, My nieghbor has a pool. I've already read about bees attraction to pools.  I don't think it would be responsible of me to beekeep in my back yard.

Finally, I was just watching some local Bees in my yard foraging. They seemed "miniture". I remember watching bees in my youth and these little girls seemed so very tiny!  Sorry I didn't have a camera. Are the Bees in this region that tiny? 


Thanks again, 
Jim

[Bee-Bop]

" Are the Bees in this region that tiny "

Honey Bee's still same size;
You got taller and farther away from them, also maybee you forgot your glasses  :-D

Age changes a lot of thing !
Bee-Bop

[BMAC]

it depends on your local temps.  If it stays in the 50-60s I would be checking them out at least once a month and feeding

[bassman1977]

Finally, I was just watching some local Bees in my yard foraging. They seemed "miniture". I remember watching bees in my youth and these little girls seemed so very tiny!  Sorry I didn't have a camera. Are the Bees in this region that tiny?

Bees in the wild (AKA Feral or Feral Survivors) tend to be smaller.  Bees in the wild are naturally smaller but the larger cells have a lot to do with man's desire to help the honey bees' ability to get nectar from certain flowers.  It started in the 1800s at some point.  Red clover comes to mind as one of the flowers they wanted to pollinate with the honey bees.  This has become an issue over the years since the varroa mite started to infest colonies.  Small cell and natural cell beekeeping has become more and more popular to help control the mite populations because it shortens the incubation time needed by the mites to develop and thus eliminating the need to use chemicals to treat bees for these infestations.  Some info below.  Mr. Bush's website has information on it.  Just look for small cell.

http://www.beesource.com/pov/lusby/bcfeb1990.htm
http://www.beesource.com/pov/lusby/index.htm

[rast]

 I have some wasps around here that look like minature honeybees.