Bee Talks

00:00:00 - Welcome & honoring Peter Loring Borst (continued at 28:27) 00:01:50 - New 2025 Bloom Tracker Observations for Connecticut Beekeepers (link in blog post below) 00:08:30 - Bloom Calendar 00:13:40 - Installing New Package with Queen Substitution, Virgin Queens and Requeening (continued at 48:40) 00:16:48 - Are this year’s packages really defensive than usual? What can I do with a defensive colony? 00:20:10 - What is the status of the Spotted Lanternfly? Do we still need to be reporting sightings? (continued at 48:44) 00:22:18 - I did a Demaree split and now have capped queen cells at the bottom of the frames in the top box. Does that mean that the bees in the bottom box are going to swarm…or are the bees in the top box going to swarm? 00:26:02 - What are intercaste queens? 00:29:08 - Each year my colonies fill the lower brood boxes with nectar, ignoring the honey supers and regardless of my use of queen excluders. What am I doing wrong? 00:34:16 - Discussion about the current Bee Die-off and what is causing it 00:36:22 - How can my bees swarm without an adult queen in the top box? Did I miss the swarm? Could my queen excluder have failed? 00:42:38 - Can you take the frame of queen capped cell and some capped brood into a nuc box to start another hive? 00:48:40 - Discussion of swarm cells, swarming, and various ways to watch for signs of swarming 00:59:10 - Tips on feeding your bees right now More about the episode at https://www.ctbees.org/bee-talks-recap-may-2025 __________________________________________________________ Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #beekeeping #bees #beelife #beetalks MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org #beekeeping #bees #beelife MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org

In this episode of Bee Talks: 00:00:00 - Discussion of Primal Hives 00:06:06 - Bloom Calendar & Discussion about Queen Bumblebees 00:13:05 - I’m getting a new package, and have drawn-out comb & bee bread from other hives - what’s the best way to use this to the new package’s advantage? 00:16:00 - Further discussion of bumblebees and blooms 00:18:03 - I had a couple of small hives, and combined them - but my colony killed the queen…what happened? 00:24:30 - Discussion of how to balance hives using a Doolittle split method 00:27:15 - If I’m only moving capped brood, is it less likely to I’ll have a large population of nurse bees? 00:28:20 - I’m seeing charged swarm cells already - is it too early to make splits? 00:33:46 - My colonies overwintered and are too full of bees - How should I handle this? 00:39:50 - I don’t see any drones coming out of my hive entrances - does that mean they aren’t ready to swarm? 00:42:10 - I have frames of honey from hives that didn’t overwinter - can I extract honey from these frames so that the queen can use them to lay in? 00:43:26 - If I have supers with drawn comb, when should I start adding them to my hive? 00:44:38 - Discussion about using Queen Mandibular Pheromone (TempQueen) to reduce swarm signaling 00:48:48 - What are the best robbing screen designs / orientations? More about the episode at https://www.ctbees.org/bee-talks-recap-april-2025 __________________________________________________________ Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #beekeeping #bees #beelife #beetalks MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org

00:00:00 Welcome & Bloom calendar overview 00:04:01 Do I have mold in my colony? 00:06:48 What is a nuc (nucleus colony) and what issues should I expect when starting with one? 00:09:29 Can I use equipment that has been stored since last year? Should I be worried about the current bee die-offs happening in commercial beekeeping? 00:12:00 I don’t see evidence of drone cells in my hives yet. How long should I wait before I can do splits? 00:15:01 Is it a good time to feed supplemental pollen? 00:18:28 When should I replace my brood frames? 00:23:16 What do I use to catch a swarm? 00:24:43 If my hive goes queenless into winter, will it die out? 00:25:46 Which small hive beetle traps should I use? 00:31:02 Can I use the honey & bee bread from my dead hives for a new package of bees? 00:33:46 Do bees always create queen cells before they swarm? 00:36:40 Should I take my insulation covers off yet? 00:37:44 Can you discuss your Sticky Board Mite Population article in American Bee Journal? 00:39:41 What is the best way to preserve comb? More about the episode, including links to products and recommendations at https://www.ctbees.org/bee-talks-recap-march-2025 __________________________________________________________ Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #beekeeping #bees #beelife #beetalks MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org

00:00:00 - Widespread die-offs in Commercial Bees - does it affect backyard beekeepers? 00:04:59 - What’s happening in our colonies right now? 00:07:24 - What does it mean if I see dead bees outside of my hive during the winter? 00:09:25 - When is a good time for oxalic acid treatment? 00:10:39 - What is the best electric fence for keeping bears away from my hives? 00:12:41 - When is the best first treatment for varroa in Spring? 00:15:30 - How to use Varroxsan Oxalic Acid Strips 00:20:37 - Should I use someone else’s frames in my hives? 00:24:17 - In-depth discussion of Connecticut’s Bloom Calendar and Seasonal honey flow 00:30:12 - Does temperature matter when doing oxalic acid vaporization treatment? 00:31:04 - Hives shouldn’t be vented during the winter - here’s why 00:32:50 - Don’t make fondant - why you should be making sugar cakes instead 00:33:55 - Where can I find a new hive setup for a new beekeeper? 00:35:19 - Can I treat new packages with Varroxsan or should I vaporize them? 00:36:35 - Can I use OAV and sticky boards to assess mite levels in the colony? 00:38:02 - Can I use “Better Comb” to get bees to draw out comb? 00:42:43 - Can I use Varroxsan alone or do I need to use additional treatments throughout the year? 00:45:02 - Do I need to use hot water when making sugar cakes? 00:46:05 - Will a mouse in the hive kill my bees? More about the episode, including links to products and recommendations at https://www.ctbees.org/bee-talks-recap-february-2025 __________________________________________________________ Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #beekeeping #bees #beelife #beetalks MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org

00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:16 - Bee School Agenda 00:00:58 - 2025 Upcoming Guest Speaker Lineup 00:02:30 - 2024 Seasonal loss Numbers 00:04:16 - Feeding Bees 00:07:43 - Bloom Calendar 00:09: 21 - Emergency Feeding versus Current Practices 00:11:07 - Treating with OA Vapor in Winter 00:12:31 - OA Dribbles in Winter 00:13:03 - Books on Bee Biology 00:13:55 - Capped Brood in Winter 00:15:15 - Hefting a Colony 00:16:40 - Understanding a Brood-Minder Scale 00:22:08 - Heated Bottom Boards  00:24:06 - Insulated Bee Boxes 00:30:20 - Quilt Boxes 00:33:37 - New Beekeepers 00:34:50 - Raised Dome Transparent Inner Covers 00:36:15 - Closing Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #bee #bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #beelife #honeybee #beetalks #science MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org

In this episode of Bee Talks: 00:00:00 - Bee School Announcement 00:01:09 - November Bloom Calendar and Warm Weather Discussion 00:03:35 - Feeding 2:1 in November 00:04:21 - Winterization 00:06:49 - Chat Questions/ Oxalic Acid Applications 00:09:07 - Insulation Types 00:09:56 - More on OA treatments 00:12:03 - Winter Entrance Openings 00:13:52 - Incoming Pollen and More on Insulation 00:17:17 - Small Hive Beetle Traps 00:25:23 - Capped Brood Present and Tropy Mites 00:29:20 - Varroxsan Miticide 00:32:41 - More on Entrance Reducers 00:37:22 - Thermoregulation 00:38:53 - Marta’s Treatment Spreadsheet 00:40:57 - Closing Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #bee #bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #beelife #honeybee #beetalks #science MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org/

In this episode of Bee Talks: 00:00:00 - Introduction, fall blooms, and robbing 00:04:13 - Upcoming Events 00:06:33 - Deep Pesticide List 00:13:09 - Small Hive Beetles Hiding Under Treatments 00:16:50 - Deep Pesticide List Cont. 00:19:25 - New Bee Inspector, Paula Wolfe 00:20:31 - Questions about the pesticide list 00:22:56 - VarroxSan, new varroa miticide 00:25:06 - Varroa management during the season 00:25:43 - Wax Moths 00:29:10 - Broodless Colony 00:33:57 - Winterization 00:34:26 - Using Black Plastic Frames 00:37:28 - Robber Bees 00:40:18 - What to do about an empty bottom deep 00:45:24 - Overwintering in a Single Deep Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #bee #bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #beelife #honeybee #beetalks #science MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org/

00:00:00 - Introduction of Paula Wolf, our new bee inspector 00:05:14 - The benefits of registering your bee colonies 00:11:48 - Bloom calendar 00:18:56 - Questions / dead bees on a sticky board 00:22:03 - Disposing of the drones 00:23:47 - Pulling out frames with pollen 00:25:02 - Bees building bridge comb between frames 00:29:35 - Beekeeping tasks in September 00:31:12 - Queen cells in September? 00:34:43 - Peter’s Broom Minder Scale Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #bee #bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #beelife #honeybee #beetalks #science MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org/