BYBA Blog
Join Us for a S’mores Social Saturday, 10/16/21
Happy Fall Back Yard Beekeepers! Since we all enjoyed our Summer Ice Cream Social in June at Lachat Farm we thought that it would be fun for all of us to gather again in an outdoor setting for a few hours and catch up on everything social. On Saturday afternoon,...
Words From Our President – October 2021
Happy Fall to All of our BYBA Members, As we wind down our beekeeping season we need to continue to judiciously assess our hives and either make critical decisions or micro-adjustments to our colonies. For many, this time of year means we need to feed, feed, feed our...
Words From Our President – August 2021
Hello BYBA Beekeepers We are now into the full swing of Summer in our apiaries. And it’s been very hot outside. So what are you seeing? Lots of activity?...substantial brood, pollen, and honey being packed away in cells? Swarms, robbing, unusual behavior, aggressive...
Hive Installation Videos 2021
Rick Glover and Barbara Giobbi installed four packages of bees at the BYBA bee yard in Easton. With the assistance of board members Robin Hodgkins, Michael Lund and Susan Hawley, all went smoothly and the honeybees have all been placed in their new homes. Here are the...
Meeting Replays
In case you missed it! We still have a few weeks until our next meeting. In the meantime, we hope you'll enjoy revisiting one of our recent speaker presentations: Robyn Underwood COMB Project Jennifer Berry Results of the 2020 Oxalic Acid Study SamComfort The...
“If they aren’t making honey, they’re making queens”
by David Blocher One of the greatest challenges in beekeeping, especially with an overwintered hive, is keeping your bees (i.e., preventing your bees from swarming). Swarming is a biological imperative, and almost all colonies will attempt to swarm. Swarming,...
Words From Our President – May 2021
Happy May 2021 Backyard Beekeepers! This is the time of year in the beekeeping season that is the most fun for me. Our bees have plenty to forage on, their populations are growing fast, the mite loads are low, and the weather outlook predicts a great several months...
Forage – The Flying Frontier
by Michael Lund Sunday, January something. The weather report here in Connecticut looks as if bees may fly today. It’s been about 4 weeks since the last flight. As the temperature climbs into the low forties’ bees start checking out the entrance. While getting warmed...
TO FEED OR NOT TO FEED …..AH THAT IS THE QUESTION!
by Ralph Szur Paraphrasing the Bard leads to a discussion about springtime management practices. As beekeepers, we are often driven by the desire to “help” our colonies. Sometimes it is about helping ourselves to achieve a larger honey harvest. Whether you are...
CSI: Deadout
Gather evidence at the scene. Do your best to figure out what happened. Other bees' lives may be at stake, should you disregard the clues. Hives that die in winter don’t usually perish of American Foulbrood, but still, you want to rule that out as a cause of death. ...
Our general membership meetings are held on the last Tuesday of the month at 7:30 PM at the Norfield Church in Weston, CT