You're invited to join us at the CBA Bee Yard for our 2023 workshops!
Please register below to participate in these hands-on workshops, and learn how to care for your bees throughout the year...
CBA is excited about our offerings this year as we continue to observe and respond to the needs of our members. We hope you can find the time to join us and take these opportunities to advance your beekeeping skills under the guidance of experienced beekeepers. Workshops will be held at the Boulder Knoll Bee Yard, and appropriate attire/protective clothing is required for all participants.
These in-person beekeeping workshops will:
Provide an opportunity to learn how to do a varroa check and how to treat effectively for the time of year.
Discuss seasonally-appropriate brood development
Examine and evaluate a queen.
Discuss how you can raise a queen.
Allow time to answer individual questions.
About our Bee Yard
Boulder Knoll Bee Yard
875 Boulder Rd, Cheshire, CT 06410
CBA established a new bee yard in the spring of 2022 to provide an ideal space for teaching the art of beekeeping. The yard is easily accessible, with ample parking. Situated on the top of a rise in the landscape, the new yard offers both bees and participants plenty of open space and full sun. The area's floral sources are abundant and bloom from early spring until late fall. Join us at CBA’s Boulder Knoll Bee Yard for a hands-on beekeeping experience!
Safety & Attire
All participants at CBA bee yard activities or any other CBA-sponsored event involving live bees must be properly dressed and wear personal protective equipment designed specifically for beekeeping. Personal protection equipment and proper dress includes, but is not limited to, complete coverage of bare skin with light-colored clothing - nothing black. All participants 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.
Weather & Rescheduling
Just in case it rains or there is inclement weather on the day of a workshop, we may reschedule any workshop to another day. If this happens, we will notify all registered attendees - make sure you register to receive event updates!
Led by Bill Hesbach, Master Beekeeper
Bill is a Connecticut native with a background in engineering. He's an Eastern Apicultural Society Certified Master Beekeeper and graduate of the University of Montana's Master Beekeeping Program. Bill is on the Board of Directors for the Eastern Apicultural Society, and is President of the Connecticut Beekeepers Association. He teaches bee biology and beekeeping methods at events hosted by regional organizations, and appears as a guest speaker at national seminars. Bill's articles appear in Bee Culture, Bee Craft, and The American Bee Journal.
Register to attend using the links below:
March 2023 - Overwintered Colonies & Package Installation Workshop
Participants will evaluate overwintered colonies for brood health and queen performance. Also, we will select potential colonies to raise queens for this year's backyard queen-rearing program. If our packages arrive on time, this workshop will demonstrate two ways to install and treat a new package.
April 2023 - Spring Hive Inspection & Brood Evaluation Workshop
This event has been cancelled due to weather, and will not be rescheduled.
May 2023 - Spring Honey Flow Inspection & Queen Cell Evaluation Workshop
Besides a hive inspection and mite check, this will be the workshop where the nuc boxes are populated with brood and swarm cells assuming they are ready. Also, we will evaluate colonies ready to build comb and apply supers for honey production.
June 2023 - Summer Hive Inspection & New Queens Workshop
Participants will evaluate the overall health of the apiary. Also, we will assess any new queens raised from our nucs and demonstrate requeening.
July 2023 - Summer Hive Inspection for Colony Strength Workshop
Participants will determine a colony's ability to forage, mite level, and honey production. We will discuss and apply techniques for removing honey supers using triangle bee escapes. This workshop is critical to successful overwintering.
August 2023 - Late Season Hive Inspection Workshop
Participants will evaluate the health and the stores in colonies, heading toward winter, using the technique of hefting. Robbing is a consideration this time of year, so participants will observe a demonstration of applying robber screens.
September 2023 - Winter Preparation Workshop
Participants will learn techniques for feeding and insulation of colonies using sleeves that simulate natural hive conditions.