Step by step guide for testing honey bees for Varroa mite using the non-destructive powdered sugar roll.
Advertisement for Louisiana hobbyist beekeeper survey.
This fact sheet provides information on how Louisiana beekeepers, farmers, landowners and pesticide applicators can work together to protect the state's pollinators from accidental exposure to pesticides.
Blueprints to help you build a beehive or honey extractor. (PDF format only)
This publication contains a variety of information about 53 Louisiana plants that can serve as nectar sources for honeybees. Illustrated by color photos of each plant, the 32-page guide includes descriptions of the plants and the honey produced from each source. It also includes a handy chart showing the blooming season for each plant. Cost: $10 plus tax and shipping. You can order this book through our online store by using the Order Publication link below.
Small hive beetles were first detected in the United States in 1996. Although they are relatively harmless pests in their native South Africa, they have become serious pests of honey bees, especially in the southeastern region of the United States. Information on damage, life cycle, best management practices and control included. (PDF Format Only)
The living drill, as the carpenter bee has been appropriately named by many homeowners, has the ability to bore into and structurally damage timbers and other painted or unpainted wooden materials. These holes are actually the nesting sites the bees use to raise their young. (PDF format only)
The process of removing honeybees from walls in a house is complex. Most people think they only have to spray and kill the bees. This would be effective if they were yellow jackets or hornets or even bumblebees. Honeybees, however,require a more demanding process. (PDF format only)
Keeping bees can be a fascinating and profitable hobby in Louisiana. Start with one or two colonies and, as you learn the mechanics of beekeeping, establish additional colonies. Two or three colonies of bees in a good location, properly cared for, should provide enough honey for your family and some to give to friends and neighbors.
Africanized honeybees were brought to Brazil in 1956 to improve local strains. In 1957, several colonies escaped. Once established in Brazil, the Africanized honeybees moved north up the east coast of South America and into Central America. During the next few years, they increased their northward expansion through central Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, reaching Southern California in 1994. (PDF format only)