In this workshop, we’ll evaluate a colony’s stores, observe what’s occurring with brood rearing, and check for varroa. In the heat of the summer, we consider details for helping bees into autumn. The purpose of fall management is to ensure colonies are healthy throughout the coming winter so they can build up quickly in spring. We will evaluate the strength of colonies and consider combining weak ones. This can also be a time of dearth when robbing occurs, so we discuss options to avoid robbing.

Participant preparation:

1. Be able to determine the difference between orientation flights and robbing behavior.

Led by Bill Hesbach, CBA President

Bill is an Eastern Apicultural Society Certified Master Beekeeper, graduate of the University of Montana's master beekeeping program, and president of the Connecticut Beekeepers Association. He teaches bee biology and various beekeeping methods, and appears as a guest speaker at local and regional beekeeping seminars. Bill has been published in Bee Culture, Bee Craft, and The American Bee Journal, and was presented the Distinguished Speaker Award at the 2019 EAS conference. Special interests include bee biology and flight, and the connection between local flora and bee behavior.

IMPORTANT: All participants at our bee yard activities or any other CBA-sponsored event involving live bees must bring their own personal protective equipment designed specifically for beekeeping. Participants are responsible for ensuring they have complete coverage of bare skin with light-colored clothing (nothing black) and must wear a proper bee veil or bee suit and closed-toed shoes at all times. Bees sting and inject venom, so if you are concerned about your reaction, please consult a physician before attending.