We will discuss several options for acquiring your bees and the pros and cons of each. Learn about the queen breeding industry, package bees, swarm catching and cut-outs. Get tips on how best to install the new bees into your hive, how to introduce a queen to an unrelated hive, how to requeen a failing queen, and suggestions to give your new bees a healthy start. Learn what to look for when inspecting your own hives. Learn how to tell when your bees can handle a honey harvest and when you need to feed them. Learn how to tell if your bees are planning to swarm or if they are trying to replace a failing queen. You can start reading your hive before you even light a smoker and open the lid. We will share ways to assess your hive inside and out.