We're not simply trying to keep bees alive from one treatment to the next. We're trying to develop bees that are better suited to living in our particular part of Texas. Central Texas can be a tough place for honey bees—and a tough place for Varroa. But it's also a great place for us to learn what our bees can do when we give them the opportunity. Watch the mites. Pay attention to your colonies. Keep good records. Breed from the best.

What could be better on a sweltering Texas Summer day than homemade honey ice cream with chewy bits of honey praline mixed in? Try this easy recipe timed perfectly to your recent honey harvest.

For many of us, this is the month we've been waiting for. After months of checking brood patterns, watching nectar flows, adding supers, and hoping the weather cooperates, it's finally time to ask the big question: "Is the honey ready