Hawkins Hive

06/17/2026

🏛️ Hawkins History Up for Auction

The former Precinct 3 sub-courthouse building in downtown Hawkins is currently up for auction, with bidding scheduled to close soon.

Located at 117 E. Blackbourn Street, the building previously served the community as a county office and features multiple offices, a meeting room, and a prime downtown location.

It's always interesting to see a piece of Hawkins history enter a new chapter. What would you like to see this building become next?

06/16/2026

🏃‍♂️ Dash for Dad around Lake Hawkins this weekend! 🏃

Love seeing events like this in Hawkins. ❤️ Hoping we continue to see more opportunities for families and our community to come together. 🥰

We are excited to announce our Father’s Day run event around lake Hawkins June 20th, 2026. Detail on site & signups will be uploaded later this week to start early bird signups. We can’t wait to have everyone out there!

06/15/2026

Going there soon to see myself!

06/13/2026

I received a message about some "honey bees" in Mineola and was sent a photo of the colony. From the picture, I immediately recognized that it wasn't honey bees at all...it was a type of wasp!

One of the easiest ways to tell the difference is by looking at the nest structure. Wasps build paper-like nests that resemble papier-mâché, while honey bees build wax honeycomb that hangs downward from the top.

This was actually a very large wasp colony, but I still made the trip to the property to visually confirm what I suspected. I'm always happy when people reach out before removing an insect colony because there are many situations where bees can be safely relocated and saved.

🐝 Fun Fact: Wasps are pollinators too! While they aren't as efficient as honey bees, they still play an important role in our ecosystem by pollinating plants and helping control pest insect populations.

Not every buzzing insect is a honey bee, but every opportunity to educate and learn is a win!

06/11/2026

Bee Beard Contest!!
There is a clear winner 🏆

🐝 What is Bearding? 🐝

If you've ever seen a large cluster of bees hanging out on the front of a hive, this is called bearding.

Bees beard when the hive becomes warm and crowded. Worker bees gather outside the entrance to help regulate the temperature inside the colony, allowing the bees remaining inside to focus on caring for brood and processing nectar. Think of it as the bees' version of stepping onto the porch to cool off!

Bearding is most common during hot weather, high humidity (hello East Texas), or during strong nectar flows when the hive is bustling with activity.

While it can look alarming, bearding is usually a sign that the colony is working together to keep the hive comfortable and healthy. 🐝❤️
Keep Cool Girlies 😎

06/10/2026

Line Dancing at 19Twelve Venue !! 💃

If you have ever wanted to learn, here is your chance! 🤠

Give them a follow! Located in Big Sandy.

06/08/2026

I am a little biased, 🤭, but Strand and Spirit Salon is my favorite Salon around.

06/03/2026

Hawkins, Tx. Get ready!

06/02/2026

🐝 Know Your Local Beekeeper Pt. 7 🐝

This week I met with Janine and her son, Lincoln, who are brand-new beekeepers with two hives of their own. ( This was all Lincoln's idea btw! ) I’m happy to report that they are doing an amazing job!

Like many new beekeepers, they mainly needed a little reassurance that everything was progressing as it should. Their bees are being fed sugar syrup to help them draw out fresh comb, and the colonies are taking full advantage of it.

During our inspection, we found one of the queens, and both hives showed beautiful, solid brood patterns, a great sign of healthy, productive queens and growing colonies. The bees are building, the brood nests are expanding, and everything is moving in the right direction.

Beekeeping can feel overwhelming at first, but sometimes the best thing you can hear is, "Yep, your bees are doing exactly what they should be doing!"

Keep up the great work, Janine and Lincoln. Your bees are lucky to have such attentive beekeepers! 🐝💛