LOGISTICS
- DAY: Wednesday, February 11, 2026
- TIME: 6:30 pm
- LOCATION: Zoom only
- LEARN -Preparing for The Honey Flow + Update from BIF Awardee
- WHO: Bill Hesbach, EAS Certified Master Beekeeper + Molly Carlson
- ZOOM: CLICK HERE when it is time to join the meeting
SCHEDULE
| 6:30.pm.ET | Zoom socializing | |
| 7:00.pm ET | Club Announcements and What's Up with The Bees? | |
| 7:15.pm ET | Brief remarks by Molly Carlson, MCBA Bee Impact Fund 2025 recipient, on her project. | |
| 7:30.pm ET | Presentation by Bill Hesbach, "Late Winter to Early Spring Colony Assessment - Preparing for the Honey Flow" |
PRESENTATION DESCRIPTIONS
Preparing for the Honey Flow - KEYNOTE
EAS Certified Master beekeeper Bill Hesbach will present "Late Winter to Early Spring Colony Assessment - Preparing for the Honey Flow." He will discuss recognizing the transitioning from the repose of the winter cluster formation to promoting the build up and the preparations necessary to maximize the population for the upcoming honey flow.
Tricking Colonies into Accepting New Queens - Brief Update
Our 2025 Bee Impact Fund awardee, Molly Carlson, is in the early stages of setting up her research lab. She will update us on her progress, and her next steps. Her ultimate goal is to test whether beekeepers can convince a colony to accept a new queen by making her 'smell' like she belongs. Full details are HERE.
SPEAKER BIOs
Bill's Bio
Bill Hesbach is a Connecticut native with a background in engineering.
He's an Eastern Apicultural Society Certified Master Beekeeper, a graduate of the University of Montana's master beekeeping program, and the President of the Connecticut Beekeepers Association.
Bill also operates a sideline bee business called Wing Dance Apiary in Cheshire, CT., producing artisanal raw honey and other natural hive products.
Bill teaches bee biology and various beekeeping methods at meetings hosted by regional beekeeping clubs. Bill is an active member of the Eastern Apicultural Society, where he is part of the Master Beekeeper Certification program. Bill is a regular guest speaker at national beekeeping seminars and was presented with the Distinguished Speaker Award at the 2019 EAS conference.
His special interests in beekeeping include bee biology, flight, and the connection between local flora and bee behavior. He's a published author, and his articles on beekeeping appear in The American Bee Journal and Bee Culture magazines.
Bill's book "Splits and Varroa" is available from Northern Bee Books HERE
Molly Carlson is a graduate student and researcher at North Carolina State University, working for the internationally known bee researcher, Dr. David Tarpy.
Professor David Tarpy’s letter of recommendation describes her as “an exceptionally hard worker… She already has a wealth of experience with honey bee research at two USDA-ARS labs” adding, "the details and sophistication of her project belie her underlying love for beekeeping, which is her main motivation.” In fact, Molly is a long-time hobbyist beekeeper, and is one of the youngest beekeepers to receive certification by the North Carolina Master Beekeeper Program. (see TV report about this!) So, underneath her careful research, she is one of us, and knows the pain of queen acceptance failure.
Colony Quips - Humor
RECORDING of Presentation
You are not logged in. Please login to view the RECORDING and to access other support material.. Thanks!