June 14, 2026

In This Issue:

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Letter from our President

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Letter From the Vice President

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The Case for Brood Breaks

If you think the only way to beat Varroa mites is by chemical treatments, you could be missing the most powerful biological weapon in your arsenal, the intentional brood break.

Forcing a temporary halt in the colony’s reproductive cycle resets your mite loads without wearing out your bees.

The biology is very simple as both Varroa and Tropi mites can only multiply inside the safety of capped brood cells. When you let your queen lay eggs nonstop all summer, you are providing parasites with a luxurious, endless breeding ground. By taking control and creating an artificial brood break, you completely disrupt this reproductive conveyor belt.

How do you actually execute this? The easiest method is to capture your queen and lock her inside a small isolation cage right in the center of the brood nest for 21 to 24 days (do not take her out of the hive please, just cage her in a square).

During this isolation period, all the existing capped brood will emerge, leaving the hive completely clean of any capped cells. What happens to the mites? Without any pupae to hide under, every single mite inside that hive is forced out onto the bodies of the adult bees. They are exposed, vulnerable, and have absolutely nowhere to hide.

At this point, a single application of oxalic acid at the exact moment the hive hits absolute zero capped brood will achieve a devastating kill rate that purifies the colony. VIP – It’s very important to do this treatment when ALL the bees are inside the hive, either at dusk or dawn.

The optional timing for this operation would be mid to late summer, right after you harvest your main honey flow. Timing like this aligns perfectly with the natural summer dearth between the spring and fall flow before they slow down for winter.

If you still have some nectar around and wish to gather the extra honey, you can take out some capped brood from assist hives and pump fresh bees into the production hives, but be careful so they all hatch before you apply the treatment.

Brood breaks can be a valuable tool in your IPM as a well timed one helps prevent chemical exhaustion and snaps the back of the Varroa population when it hurts them the most.

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Nomination Committee Needed

In September, at the ABA fall conference, we will be electing four positions:

1 North board member
1 Central board member
Vice President
President

To do this, we will need a nomination committee consisting of two members from each of the
regions: North, Central, and South. If you are interested in being on the nominating committee, please call Hal Hendrix at +1 (205) 243-8424. If he doesn’t answer, leave a text or a message and he will get back to you.

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How New Beekeepers Can Improve Faster and Avoid Common Mistakes

By Brandon Hargraves

One of the most rewarding aspects of beekeeping is that there is always something new to learn. While mistakes are part of the journey, there are a few common pitfalls that can slow colony growth and lead to unnecessary setbacks. The good news is that most of these mistakes can be avoided by focusing on quality equipment, quality bees, and quality mentorship.

1. Be Careful with Plastic Foundation

One of the most overlooked issues for beginning beekeepers is improperly coated plastic foundation. Honey bees are naturally attracted to wax, and when plastic foundation lacks an adequate wax coating, colonies may be reluctant to draw comb efficiently. This can slow colony expansion, delay brood production, and reduce the overall momentum of the hive during critical growth periods.

Colonies that struggle to establish strong comb during spring buildup may become more prone to swarming pressures or fail to reach their full potential before seasonal changes occur. Always inspect foundation before installation and consider adding an additional coating of quality beeswax if necessary.

2. Learn from Experienced Beekeepers

The fastest way to become a better beekeeper is to spend time with beekeepers who have already faced the challenges you are encountering. Books, videos, and online resources are valuable, but nothing replaces standing beside an experienced beekeeper and seeing firsthand what healthy colonies look like throughout the year.

Make an effort to build relationships with mentors, visit apiaries, and participate in hive inspections whenever possible. Consistent pursuit of knowledge is one of the greatest predictors of long-term success in beekeeping.

Equally important is learning what each month presents in your area. Understanding seasonal colony needs—whether it is swarm prevention, honey production, mite management, feeding, or winter preparation—helps you stay ahead of problems rather than reacting to them after they occur.

3. Immerse Yourself in Your Local Beekeeping Community

Successful beekeepers rarely work in isolation. Local clubs and associations provide opportunities to learn from others, hear about regional conditions, and stay informed about current management practices.

Attend club meetings regularly. Participate in field days, workshops, and educational events. The conversations before and after meetings often provide as much value as the presentations themselves. By immersing yourself in your local beekeeping community, you gain access to decades of collective experience that can help shorten your learning curve significantly.

4. Buy Quality Bees from Reliable Local Sources

The quality of your bees matters. Whenever possible, purchase bees from reputable producers within our state. We are fortunate to have excellent honey bee genetics being produced by commercial beekeepers, sideliners, and local beekeepers throughout the region.

Locally produced bees are often better adapted to our climate, forage conditions, and management challenges. Supporting local producers also helps strengthen the beekeeping community and promotes the continued development of productive, resilient honey bee stock.

5. Ask Questions and Keep Good Records

Never be afraid to ask questions. Every experienced beekeeper started as a beginner, and most are happy to share what they have learned.

Just as important, keep detailed records of your own observations. During the active seasons, inspect your colonies approximately two to three times per month and document what you see. Note brood patterns, queen status, honey stores, population levels, signs of disease, and any management actions taken.

A simple but effective technique is to use weather-resistant pens or markers to write short notes directly on hive lids. This allows you to quickly review colony history at a glance and maintain a record that can be referenced for up to a year. Good records help identify patterns, improve decision-making, and accelerate your growth as a beekeeper.

Final Thoughts

Beekeeping is a lifelong learning experience. By using properly prepared equipment, purchasing quality local bees, seeking mentorship, participating in your local beekeeping community, and maintaining good records, new beekeepers can avoid many common mistakes and become successful much more quickly. The colonies will benefit, and so will the beekeeper.

Brandon Hargraves, Apiary Inspector
Plant Protection Division
AL Dept of Agriculture and Industries
1445 Federal Drive
Montgomery, AL 36107-1123
 334-922-8996
brandon.hargraves@agi.alabama.gov

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Registration is Open for ABA Fall Conference

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Alabama Master Beekeepers Annual Conference

Candidates and Masters:

The Alabama Master Beekeepers Program will hold annual classes and testing July 23-25, 2026 at the Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center in Clanton, Alabama. Classes are available for Beginner Beekeepers, Apprentices, Journeyman and Master Levels. Please visit the Master Beekeeper Program tab on the ABA website for more information.

2025 Master Beekeepers, James Guy and Marisa Masters

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Congratulations to the Whites, Again!

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Op-Ed: Connections Matter

By Ros Horton

Alabama’s runoff election is Tuesday, two days from now. One of the offices of particular concern to beekeepers is the office of Commissioner of Agriculture as this individual will have authority over all of us.

I have not met Corey Hill but I support him. Several beekeeper associates have met him and I appreciate their insight.

I have met Christina Woerner McInnis. She is a nice lady with impressive credentials. But some of her connections are of concern as they are not necessarily friendly to beekeeping. How do I know this? Because I experienced the “wrath of God” over a political issue from some of her connections, and beekeeping was one of the things I was clobbered over the head with.

Taken to the extreme, the mindset that warranted an unprovoked attack on me would eliminate human exploitation of bees altogether and let them return to the wild. (And you’re thinking like I am that every pest and disease out there would exploit them instead!) Thankfully humans like their honey too well and the bulk of us aren’t like hard core vegans who think beekeeping is immoral.

Animal rights and animal welfare are not the same thing. Animal WELFARE, what we used to call CONSERVATION, means you CARE for your land, your bees, your livestock, your pets, wildlife and humanity in a sane balance that works for all. It’s Genesis 3:15. It’s what most people who claim to be for animal rights actually believe. And it is Corey Hill.

Sadly, animal rights propaganda using emotional manipulation is so effective that most are blind to the actual agenda of those organizations, the ones that beg for money on TV with images of pitiful animals, usually in third world countries. The end goal is less about animal welfare and more about money and power and control to the tune of hundreds of millions in offshore accounts being used to lobby and pay for commercials. On a legislative level things like due process, civil rights, free enterprise, and the Constitution take a back seat as evidenced in the recent passage of Beau’s Law which includes a provision to “legally” violate the 4th and 14th Amendments, and to a minor degree the 5th. There are already several cities and counties in our state where landowner rights and free enterprise have been curtailed because of animal rights activism.

The same people who doxxed me in retaliation for not supporting a bad bill ten years ago are the ones who are hopeful to influence our next Commissioner of Agriculture. Currently our deep south activists concentrate on pets, a steppingstone to ridiculous controls like IP28, a ban that would criminalize hunting, fishing and farming in Oregon if it goes through. It could happen as the initial petition already exceeds the required signatures. Oregon did get there overnight. It was done little by little, chipping away here and there. Alabama has a few chips already. So let’s just not go there. Vote for our Department of Agriculture to be led by a livestock farmer with actual skin in the game, not someone with connections to extremists with no respect for existing law or traditional values.

The thoughts expressed here are those of the author and may not reflect those of others within the ABA.

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