Package Installation and the Top Bar Hive Workshop

Like many aspects of life we have our own way of doing things. The same is true when installing a package of honey bees. There is, however, a number of things you will need to do to be a successful and attentive beekeeper, and the bees will appreciate your keen attention to these matters. This workshop will cover setting up the hive, sugar water requirements, tools needed, how to care for the queen in the process of installing the package, and then closing up the hive.

The workshop will also demonstrate how the top bar hive is constructed and how it works in contrast to the standard Langstroth hive. A top bar hive is one of the oldest methods of keeping bees and is quite common around the world. We will present the advantages of the top bar hive: no heavy lifting, easy working of combs, easy hive inspections, and easier honey harvest.

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.