Bee Talks Recap | April 2025
- Connecticut Beekeepers Association
- Apr 18
- 2 min read
Updated: May 2
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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?
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Each session includes an open question & answer period followed by a seasonally-appropriate topic discussion to help guide you through the beekeeping year. Open to every beekeeper regardless of experience or the type of equipment you use, these sessions will support your beekeeping practice and help you get the critical information you need to be successful.
Bee Talks are led by Bill Hesbach, Eastern Apicultural Society Certified Master Beekeeper and graduate of the University of Montana's Master Beekeeping Program. He teaches bee biology and beekeeping methods at events hosted by regional organizations, and appears as a guest speaker at national seminars. Bill is on the Board of Directors for the Eastern Apicultural Society, and is President of the Connecticut Beekeepers Association. His articles appear in Bee Culture, Bee Craft, and The American Bee Journal.
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