Overwintered Colonies & Package Installation Workshop

Overwintered colonies, package installation, and mite check at the Bee Yard. 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.

CBA BEE YARD

875 Boulder Rd, Cheshire, CT

Join us at CBA’s Boulder Knoll Bee Yard for a beekeeping experience! Established as a new bee yard in the spring of 2022, this area provides 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.

RAIN / RESCHEDULING

If rain prevents us from installing packages Saturday, we will reschedule to the following day, Sunday, at the same time.

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.

IMPORTANT: 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.