# Hello from Connecticut



## Omie (Nov 10, 2009)

Welcome! I am as excited as you are about my bees coming this Spring too.


----------



## bleta12 (Feb 28, 2007)

Welcome, there is a beekeeping school in New Haven in 10 days that I think may be useful. Check ctbees.com 

Gilman


----------



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

Welcome: 
We have a lot of members in New England and they are a wealth of information on keeping bees in that geographic region. Your biggest challenge will be wintering the first few years. use the search feature on the forum and read the wintering threads.


----------



## BeeCurious (Aug 7, 2007)

bluegrass said:


> snip
> 
> Your biggest challenge will be wintering the first few years.


Welcome, have fun, and good luck...

You might take a look at this posting:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?p=493497#post493497

The "Bee School" is a great idea...


----------



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

Why the jab at me? 

I take it you think that wintering in New England is no harder than anywhere else?


----------



## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

I would love to attend the bee school Bleta12 mentioned but between work and school that week it will not be a possibility. 

Bleta12 - what county are you in?

Bluegrass - I had already surmised that overwintering would be one of my first big challenges. The beesource resources are the primary reason I joined the forum. If the overall helpfulness of this forum was the deciding factor no one here would ever lose a hive. This seems to be a general attitude regarding bees that I have come across in many places and was one of the deciding factors to take the plunge.


----------



## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

Omie said:


> Welcome! I am as excited as you are about my bees coming this Spring too.


Good luck!


----------



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

Cascade Failure said:


> Bluegrass - I had already surmised that overwintering would be one of my first big challenges. The beesource resources are the primary reason I joined the forum. If the overall helpfulness of this forum was the deciding factor no one here would ever lose a hive. This seems to be a general attitude regarding bees that I have come across in many places and was one of the deciding factors to take the plunge.


Just keep in mind that wintering is regional specific. What worked for me back home in Vermont is too much and kills my hives here in KY. Expect to loose your hive the first winter or two... If you get it through the first winter don't rest on your laurels and think you have it whipped. Many factors that worked out the first season may not come together the second, or third.

Basically what I am saying is don't loose hope... You may be buying bees 3-4 or more times before you get wintering worked out. You may get lucky and not loose it at all. Even the guys like Mike Palmer who has 30 plus years of experience wintering in northern climates experience heavy losses some years.


----------



## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

You really never know for sure year to year how wintering will work out, success is not based entirely on beekeeping management, there are plenty of things out of your control that can happen to reduce your success also. Experience and knowledge together can increase your odds though.


----------



## bleta12 (Feb 28, 2007)

Bleta12 - what county are you in?


Hartford county. I live in Granby CT

Gilman


----------



## kathygibson (Nov 3, 2009)

Congrats and welcome. Glad to welcome another newbie from CT. I am one myself. Getting my first bees in April.

Kathy


----------

