Bee Talks

00:00:00 Welcome & Bloom calendar overview 00:04:01 Do I have mold in my colony? 00:06:48 What is a nuc (nucleus colony) and what issues should I expect when starting with one? 00:09:29 Can I use equipment that has been stored since last year? Should I be worried about the current bee die-offs happening in commercial beekeeping? 00:12:00 I don’t see evidence of drone cells in my hives yet. How long should I wait before I can do splits? 00:15:01 Is it a good time to feed supplemental pollen? 00:18:28 When should I replace my brood frames? 00:23:16 What do I use to catch a swarm? 00:24:43 If my hive goes queenless into winter, will it die out? 00:25:46 Which small hive beetle traps should I use? 00:31:02 Can I use the honey & bee bread from my dead hives for a new package of bees? 00:33:46 Do bees always create queen cells before they swarm? 00:36:40 Should I take my insulation covers off yet? 00:37:44 Can you discuss your Sticky Board Mite Population article in American Bee Journal? 00:39:41 What is the best way to preserve comb? More about the episode, including links to products and recommendations at https://www.ctbees.org/bee-talks-recap-march-2025 __________________________________________________________ Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #beekeeping #bees #beelife #beetalks MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org

00:00:00 - Widespread die-offs in Commercial Bees - does it affect backyard beekeepers? 00:04:59 - What’s happening in our colonies right now? 00:07:24 - What does it mean if I see dead bees outside of my hive during the winter? 00:09:25 - When is a good time for oxalic acid treatment? 00:10:39 - What is the best electric fence for keeping bears away from my hives? 00:12:41 - When is the best first treatment for varroa in Spring? 00:15:30 - How to use Varroxsan Oxalic Acid Strips 00:20:37 - Should I use someone else’s frames in my hives? 00:24:17 - In-depth discussion of Connecticut’s Bloom Calendar and Seasonal honey flow 00:30:12 - Does temperature matter when doing oxalic acid vaporization treatment? 00:31:04 - Hives shouldn’t be vented during the winter - here’s why 00:32:50 - Don’t make fondant - why you should be making sugar cakes instead 00:33:55 - Where can I find a new hive setup for a new beekeeper? 00:35:19 - Can I treat new packages with Varroxsan or should I vaporize them? 00:36:35 - Can I use OAV and sticky boards to assess mite levels in the colony? 00:38:02 - Can I use “Better Comb” to get bees to draw out comb? 00:42:43 - Can I use Varroxsan alone or do I need to use additional treatments throughout the year? 00:45:02 - Do I need to use hot water when making sugar cakes? 00:46:05 - Will a mouse in the hive kill my bees? More about the episode, including links to products and recommendations at https://www.ctbees.org/bee-talks-recap-february-2025 __________________________________________________________ Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #beekeeping #bees #beelife #beetalks MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org

00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:16 - Bee School Agenda 00:00:58 - 2025 Upcoming Guest Speaker Lineup 00:02:30 - 2024 Seasonal loss Numbers 00:04:16 - Feeding Bees 00:07:43 - Bloom Calendar 00:09: 21 - Emergency Feeding versus Current Practices 00:11:07 - Treating with OA Vapor in Winter 00:12:31 - OA Dribbles in Winter 00:13:03 - Books on Bee Biology 00:13:55 - Capped Brood in Winter 00:15:15 - Hefting a Colony 00:16:40 - Understanding a Brood-Minder Scale 00:22:08 - Heated Bottom Boards  00:24:06 - Insulated Bee Boxes 00:30:20 - Quilt Boxes 00:33:37 - New Beekeepers 00:34:50 - Raised Dome Transparent Inner Covers 00:36:15 - Closing Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #bee #bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #beelife #honeybee #beetalks #science MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org

In this episode of Bee Talks: 00:00:00 - Bee School Announcement 00:01:09 - November Bloom Calendar and Warm Weather Discussion 00:03:35 - Feeding 2:1 in November 00:04:21 - Winterization 00:06:49 - Chat Questions/ Oxalic Acid Applications 00:09:07 - Insulation Types 00:09:56 - More on OA treatments 00:12:03 - Winter Entrance Openings 00:13:52 - Incoming Pollen and More on Insulation 00:17:17 - Small Hive Beetle Traps 00:25:23 - Capped Brood Present and Tropy Mites 00:29:20 - Varroxsan Miticide 00:32:41 - More on Entrance Reducers 00:37:22 - Thermoregulation 00:38:53 - Marta’s Treatment Spreadsheet 00:40:57 - Closing Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #bee #bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #beelife #honeybee #beetalks #science MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org/

In this episode of Bee Talks: 00:00:00 - Introduction, fall blooms, and robbing 00:04:13 - Upcoming Events 00:06:33 - Deep Pesticide List 00:13:09 - Small Hive Beetles Hiding Under Treatments 00:16:50 - Deep Pesticide List Cont. 00:19:25 - New Bee Inspector, Paula Wolfe 00:20:31 - Questions about the pesticide list 00:22:56 - VarroxSan, new varroa miticide 00:25:06 - Varroa management during the season 00:25:43 - Wax Moths 00:29:10 - Broodless Colony 00:33:57 - Winterization 00:34:26 - Using Black Plastic Frames 00:37:28 - Robber Bees 00:40:18 - What to do about an empty bottom deep 00:45:24 - Overwintering in a Single Deep Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #bee #bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #beelife #honeybee #beetalks #science MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org/

00:00:00 - Introduction of Paula Wolf, our new bee inspector 00:05:14 - The benefits of registering your bee colonies 00:11:48 - Bloom calendar 00:18:56 - Questions / dead bees on a sticky board 00:22:03 - Disposing of the drones 00:23:47 - Pulling out frames with pollen 00:25:02 - Bees building bridge comb between frames 00:29:35 - Beekeeping tasks in September 00:31:12 - Queen cells in September? 00:34:43 - Peter’s Broom Minder Scale Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #bee #bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #beelife #honeybee #beetalks #science MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org/

00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:30 - Transparent Colony Update 00:01:55 - Varroxsan Miticide Update 00:03:08 - New State Inspector Update 00:03:37 - Bloom Calendar for August 00:11:31 - Nosema and Hive Tool Sanitation Practices 00:18:30 - Drone Congregation Areas 00:19:45 - Late Season Swarm 00:22:11 - Laying Worker Colony 00:23:15 - Late Season Swarms Survival 00:24:06 - Observational Beekeeping 00:24:26 - Uncapped Honey in Supers 00:25:19 - Spotted Lantern Fly 00:28:45 - Yellow Jackets Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #bee #bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #beelife #honeybee #beetalks MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org/

00:00:00 - Introduction and July 27th Extraction Event 00:00:54 - Bloom Calendar 00:04:19 - Varroa Treatment with High Ambient Temperatures 00:04:50 - Robbing Behaviors versus Orientation Flights 00:06:36 - Using Robber Screens 00:08:50 - How to Avoid Starting a Robbing Situation 00:10:29 - Uncapping Tools for Honey Extraction 00:13:26 - Chronic Bee Paralysis Virus 00:18:19 - Bees Not Capping Honey Cells 00:19:24 - Getting Bees to Draw Comb 00:21:12 - A Single Queen Cell - What’s Up? 00:23:55 - Photo of Nine Frames in a Ten-Frame Box 00:24:46 - Bees Bearding on the Outside of the Hive Body 00:26:46 - More on Robbing 00:33:45 - Robbing Video 00:35:40 - Warning About Not Leaving Honey for the Bees 00:37:34 - Single Brood Box Management 00:41:02 - Closing Remarks – Tom Seeley and Extraction Event Reminder In this episode, we talk Robbing, bearding bees, single brood box management, and lots more... Connecticut Beekeepers Association promotes and supports beekeepers and their local organizations. Our goal is to provide a common forum for the beekeepers of Connecticut to come together to share information and ideas. #bee #bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #beelife #honeybee #beetalks MORE BEEKEEPING INFO - https://www.ctbees.org/