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In this episode of Bee Talks:
00:00:00 Welcome and Events Calendar
00:02:28 Bloom Calendar Overview
00:10:20 How did my bees get robbed, and why did they die?
00:16:25 I have too many bees - what should I do?
00:18:56 A bear visited our yard but left our hives alone…why? Why would bears leave our colonies alone?
00:19:52 Watch bear walk through a bee yard
00:21:25 Do I need to install an 8-ft grounding rod with my electric fence? What is the procedure for installing an electric fence into New England soil?
00:25:27 Which local veterinarians do you recommend?
00:26:33 Should I prophylactically treat for foul brood or apply Fumagillin?
00:30:29 How do bees know when to cap honey? Do they know it has to be less than 18% moisture?
00:33:33 My young colonies don’t have drone brood or drones. Should I be concerned?
00:41:38 I saw a bee carrying a fluid sac - what do you think it was?
00:42:32 Why are some single-capped brood cells taller than the whole frame?
00:43:48 How can I get more activity in the lower deep, or should I even try to do this?
00:45:05 How many pounds of honey should be left in the hive for the winter here in the Wallingford / Cheshire area?
00:46:05 My colony appears to be queenless. What can I do about this?
00:54:20 Does an electric fence harm the bees?
00:54:49 I’m not seeing many mites right now. Should I do mite treatments or wait?
00:55:37 What should I do if I think my hives have foul brood? What happens to colonies with foul brood?
00:56:22 Were there any local effects on bees from the Canadian wildfires?
00:57:21 Should I do an alcohol wash prior to August 1st?
00:58:50 If I take honey from a hive, can that hive become honey bound?
01:01:46 How many times should my bees be swarming? Are swarm rates up this year in our area?
00:09:13 We only have one hive and want to get a second - what should we know about robbing?
00:12:58 Can I stop a swarm when there are multiple capped queen cells?
00:17:30 Why do we run hives as “one deep” or “two deeps”, etc.? What is the distinction between single and double-deep hive setups? What are single brood batch frames and should I use one over the other?
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About Bee Talks:
Bee Talks are held the 2nd Thursday of each month. 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.