Weekly Insight Week 21
Growing Grass in the Desert Starts Here
May 17 - 23 , 2026
Seasons of Life, Purpose, and Bee Control
Good morning.
Last weekend was Mother’s Day. This weekend is graduation weekend. Seasons are changing all around us, not just in our lawns and landscapes, but in life itself.
Before we get into this week’s topic, I want to thank you for allowing me a moment to speak personally instead of strictly business. Many of you have followed these weekly insights for a long time, and this week I felt led to share something from the heart.
This week, I lost my father at 83 years old.
He was an aerial applicator, a crop duster, and a pilot with tens of thousands of hours in the air. But more importantly, he was my mentor. He taught me lessons not through speeches, but through hard work, long days, and example.
He would always tell me:
“Find a need and fill it.”
And another saying he used often was:
“If you need a hand, look at the end of your arm.”
That was not cruelty. That was responsibility. It was accountability. And honestly, it is still true today.
My father worked dawn until dark. We farmed. We loaded airplanes together. We worked dirt runways with pickups parked at each end because we had no lights. And when the day was almost gone and you could barely see, he would still say:
“One more load.”
Never give up.
That was his life.
At the same time our family is closing one chapter, my oldest son, along with thousands of graduates this weekend, is beginning another. That is life. One generation finishing their race while another prepares to take flight.
I have always told my kids life is like a game with four quarters. The first quarter is your youth. The second is building your life and career. The third is using your experience to help others. And the final quarter is the legacy you leave behind.
My father completed his game at 83 years old.
Now it is our turn.
So to every graduate stepping into this next season of life, I want to pass along the same lesson my father gave me:
Find your purpose. Find the need and fill it.
Do not slowly walk toward your goals. Fly toward them.
Life is not simply a race to run. It is a flight toward what truly matters. A life of contribution. A life of resilience. A life dedicated to improving the world around you.
And I believe my father is still flying above us, watching over all of us.
DEE McKENZIE SIMS 1/18/1943 - 5/13/2026 83 Years 3 Months 25 Days
Bee Control in West Texas
So now let us transition into this week’s topic.
With 7.21 inches of rain so far this year, San Angelo is currently sitting about 0.60 inches above our yearly normal. Our current 5-day average soil temperature is 84.7 degrees, and with all this moisture and warm weather, the wildflowers across West Texas have absolutely exploded.
And where you find blooms, you find bees.
Over the past couple of weeks, we have seen a large increase in customers calling and coming into the store asking about bee control. Before we talk about products, I think it is important to understand that not every bee needs to be controlled.
Bees are critical pollinators. They play a major role in agriculture, gardens, flowers, trees, and even our food supply.
With that said, there are situations where control becomes necessary, especially when bees establish colonies near homes, barns, sheds, playgrounds, equipment yards, or inside wall voids.
Soap and Water for Exposed Clusters
One of the simplest methods for controlling exposed bee clusters hanging on tree limbs, fences, or low branches can sometimes be nothing more than soap and water.
The soap acts as a surfactant, breaking down the protective outer coating of the insect and suffocating it.
In my experience, liquid laundry detergent mixed with water has generally worked better than dish soap, although both can be effective when thoroughly applied to exposed clusters.
Africanized Bees vs. Native Honey Bees
One of the most common questions we hear is:
“How do I know if they are Africanized bees?”
The truth is, visually it is very difficult for the average person to tell the difference between a European honey bee and an Africanized honey bee. They look extremely similar.
The biggest difference is behavior.
Africanized bees are typically much more defensive and aggressive. They respond quickly to vibration, mowing, weed eating, loud noises, or disturbances and often attack in much larger numbers while pursuing much farther distances.
If a colony appears highly aggressive around people, pets, or livestock, professional treatment is strongly recommended.
Bee Colonies Inside Structures
The biggest challenge we typically deal with in West Texas is bees establishing colonies inside wall voids, under sheds, around metal buildings, inside pipe chases, or in other hard-to-access areas.
This is where treatment becomes more complicated.
Liquid Treatments
Liquid insecticides and aerosols can work well when you have direct access to the hive or entry point. These products generally provide quick knockdown and good penetration into cracks and crevices.
Dust Treatments
Dust formulations are often my preferred option for wall void applications because the bees will track the dust deeper into the colony as they move throughout the hive.
However, there is a challenge.
The visible entrance hole is not always where the hive actually sits. Many times the hive is above, beside, or several feet away from the entrance point. Since dust follows gravity downward, sometimes the application never fully reaches the colony itself.
That is why multiple treatments are often required.
One Important Reminder
After eliminating a colony inside a wall or structure, the comb and honey frequently remain behind. If not removed, they can attract ants, rodents, wax moths, and even future bee colonies later on.
Every bee situation is different.
Sometimes the best answer is treatment.
Sometimes the best answer is relocation.
And sometimes the best answer is simply leaving them alone and appreciating the role they play in the environment around us.
If you have questions about bee identification, treatment options, dusts, aerosols, or whether you should handle the issue yourself versus hiring a professional, we are always glad to help.
Monte Sims
BES-TEX Supply
4512 Adobe Drive
San Angelo, Texas 76903
325.653.1300