We are pleased to announce that the TCBA Youth Mentoring and Scholarship program is returning for another year!  Applications are now being accepted for the 2018 program.  This year we will also be adding an in-person interview section to the application process.  Completed applications will be accepted until March 15th, 2018.  *Any applications postmarked after March 15th will automatically be disqualified.  The in-person interviews will be scheduled for Saturday, March 24th, 2018.

Through our annual fundraising activities, member support, and donations from people like you, we are able to continue offering kids an opportunity to chase dreams that might otherwise seem out of reach to them. We are very excited to be able to continue this opportunity into 2018, and we hope will join us in helping enrich the lives of youths in our area.

“Finding a path or a hobby that you are passionate about is not always an easy task. And, once you do find a hobby you are interested in, it can be even harder to get started and find a reliable source to learn about your new hobby. This is why Youth Programs, such as this, play a very important role in the lives of our younger generations. TCBA’s Youth Mentoring Program is a scholarship based program designed to help today’s youth get started in beekeeping by providing them the resources and guidance needed to become tomorrow successful beekeepers. By becoming a young beekeeper, our youths are not only learning about the wondrous world of the honey bee, but they are also learning about the importance of our tiny friends in nature, as well as becoming better stewards for our world.”

~ John Swan| TCBA President

If you would like to learn more about this years Youth Mentoring Program, or to download an application, please visit our Scholarship Page.

A single Varroa mite infestation can quickly spread and devastate hives across an entire region. Early detection and control are key to supporting honey bee health and preventing catastrophic infestations. That’s why the Honey Bee Health Coalition, which has developed essential Varroa mite resources, is proud to support the first ever Mite-A-Thon.

The Coalition urges beekeepers to participate in this exciting and free event by visiting www.pollinator.org/miteathon.

The event, which will take place from Saturday, September 9, to Saturday, September 16, will help collect vital data on Varroa infestations across North America and help beekeepers and others confront these problematic parasites.

Participants will test the level of mites present in their hives using a standardized protocol utilizing two common methods of assessment — powdered sugar roll or alcohol wash — and upload their data at www.mitecheck.com, including location, total number of hives, number of hives tested, local habitat, and the number of Varroa mites counted from each hive.

Beekeepers and others also can learn more about Varroa mites and best practices to monitor and control them by visiting honeybeehealthcoalition.org/varroa/.

This conference is going to be AMAZING! Randy Oliver is a leading expert in beekeeping right NOW! If you want healthier colonies, this is not to be missed!

Its only $50 for TBA members to attend! Don’t miss this opportunity! 🙂

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!!!

TCBA Youth Mentoring and Scholarship Program

Thanks to the ground-work laid by our founder, Tanya Philips, as well as our ever supportive and growing number of members, we have finally reached one of our original goals. TCBA is very proud to announce that we have finally kicked off our inaugural Youth Mentoring Program!

Finding a path or a hobby that you are passionate about is not always an easy task. And, once you do find a hobby you are interested in, it can be even harder to get started and find a reliable source to learn about your new hobby. This is why Youth Programs, such as this, play a very important role in the lives of our younger generations. TCBA’s Youth Mentoring Program is a scholarship based program designed to help today’s youth get started in beekeeping by providing them the resources and guidance needed to become tomorrow successful beekeepers. By becoming a young beekeeper, our youths are not only learning about the wondrous world of the honey bee, but they are also learning about the importance of our tiny friends in nature, as well as becoming better stewards for our world.

Through our annual Tour de Hives event, fundraising activities, member support, and donations from people like you, we are able to offer kids an opportunity to chase dreams that might otherwise seem out of reach to them. We are very excited to bring this opportunity to Travis County, and we hope will join us in helping enrich the lives of youths in our area.

If you would like to learn more about our Youth Mentoring Program, please visit our Scholarship Page.

~ John Swan| TCBA President

Travis County Beekeeper members John Swan, John Kirkland, and Pamela Yeamans all took and successfully passed the Texas Master Beekeeper Advanced Level Exam on Thursday November 3, 2016! Congratulations to all of you! 🙂

The Texas Beekeeper’s Association Annual Conference in Belton TX this past weekend was a great success! The keynote speaker Mike Palmer was fantastic!

Tanya Phillips was elected to the Texas Beekeeper’s Association Executive Board as a new Director. Congratulations!

American Beekeeping Federation Conference is coming up in January 11-15th in Galveston TX! Early registration discounts end today on November 7th! http://www.abfnet.org/default.asp? – Register today! 😉

There is also a discount for members of ABF and TBA, so make sure to use your discount code if you are a member! 🙂

Governor Greg Abbott issues welcome letter and commendation for Tour de Hives participants as we celebrate the honey bees and our efforts to raise public awareness.

governors letter – pdf

Austin Mayor proclaims August 15, 2015 as Honey Bee Awareness Day which will be celebrated during the 3rd Annual Tour de Hives. This is an all day event for the public to tour private bee yards from Dripping Springs to Georgetown and get the opportunity to learn more about honey bees and beekeeping. The day begins at 8am at Bee Friendly Austin apiary in SW Austin where you can sample honey, taste mead, meet our Texas Honey Queens, buy tour t-shirts, take beginning beekeeping classes, listen to a variety of speakers, and pick up your maps to tour around to other bee yards.

proclamation – pdf

On Friday March 27, 2015 several of the Travis County Beekeeper members drove down to Brenham Texas to attend the FIRST Texas Master Beekeeper Testing Day and we are happy to report, they all passed their exams with flying colors and have been accepted into the Master Beekeeper Program! In attendance was Pamela Yeamans, Brandon Ferhenkamp, Chuck Reburn, and Tanya Phillips. Congratulations to all! If you are interested in taking the next Master Beekeeper exam, you must have been keeping bees for at least 1 year and currently have at least 1 hive. Cost is $50 per person and the next exam will be November just prior to the Texas State Beekeepers meeting in New Braunfels.