I do not know if this is the case in California. Do any of our California readers have any information about this?

Northern bred bee’s. From my findings expect to pay dearly for them. While there’s a good many places to buy bee’s up north most folks are selling nuc’s and packages using young new Queen’s purchased from the south or west.

Good luck and I hope this helps. ~Jim

The best guarantee of a good harvest next year is healthy, vigorous hives in the early spring.  Good luck!

OK: I have spoken with our Conn. Ag guy, Ira Kettle, who always seems to know what he’s talking about…certainly more than I do. Here are some of the things I can remember:

- No need to treat for tracheal mites. Apparently bees have adapted to deal with them. They haven’t been around Conn. lately.

- Treat for Nosema (Fumidil-b) beause there’s a new and deadlier strain in town.

- Treat for Varoa mites. (I’m going to use Api Life VAR because it’s organic, but Ira says to be sure to follow directions.)

- Treat for foulbrood with Terramycin.

- There’s been no Colony Collapse Disorder reported in Connecticut. In fact, it’s only migratory beekeepers that are getting hit. A smart guy at Columbia U. may be about to issue a peer-reviewed report that CCD is being caused by a virus. The report of CCD in Willimantic, which appeared in a newspaper, was false.

That’s most of what I remember. The rest was the usual good advice. Scrape the black comb off your plastic frames. Hosing down your empty comb in the spring will benefit the bees. Wear gloves if you use Checkmite, residue of which, BTW, remains on comb at least a year after it’s been in there, which means it’s in the honey, too.

Pass it on.

I’m a “newbie” to beekeeping but plan on bee-coming a lifelong keeper of bees. I have seen firsthand and recognize their importance.

I’m a bit fanatic about learning everything I can about any new venture I wade into. My bee keeping library is already pretty expensive, uhm, make that extensive! The internet is also wealth of knowledge and in doing my research I’ve found that many states have very good beekeeping clubs with websites. I’m not going to knock the Ct Beekeepers Association as I’m sure they are doing the best they can. But perhaps these folks could do more in the way of working with the state and broadcasting whatever State/local information is available? I’d be happy to volunteer and help.

OK, I’m hoping that my written word does NOT stir up a bee’s nest. Everything I say is said with the best of intentions and not written in a way to put down the efforts of our state or local organizations.

My name is Jim. Please feel free to contact me. I’m happy to help in whatever way I can. And for you expert’s out there my antennae are out! Feed me!

Thanks.

Do you have an item for sale? If so, you are welcome to post it here, with the same disclaimer as above. Also, if you have one or more items that you would like to trade for something else, let us know!