Episodes

In this episode of Bee Love Beekeeping we have the pleasure of going all the way to New Zealand to have a discussion with a beekeeper who doesn't like honey! What?! Sarah Cross lives and takes care of her honey bees in Ngaruawahia, New Zealand. She actually started her career managing 250 hives, but now is more into education, hive management, consulting, and writing about bees. We discuss Manuka honey, varroa, IPM, and Sarah's favorite wild & crazy beekeeping moments. Above all else, she reco...

What happens when a truck, carrying 300 beehives, rolls off the side of the road? Mass chaos, bewildered law enforcement, stings... and a few heroic beekeepers. This is what happened recently in norther Washington State. Our guest on this episode of Bee Love Beekeeping is Derek Condit, just one of the rescuers who helped save those millions of honey bees, and restore some order to the scene. The details are fascinating! In this episode, we also get a brief synopsis of the great bee die-off of ...

NEWS FLASH: Research results on the 2025 American honey bee die off! The results can help every beekeeper. Then we go to the great white north for a discussion with Raylynn White from Bee Haven to discuss beekeeping in Newfoundland - the unique challenges posed by the local climate and the successful avoidance of Varroa mites. She highlights her innovative work in correctional facilities, where she teaches inmates about beekeeping, fostering mindfulness and respect. Rae Lynn also emphasize...

What is beekeeping like in Nigeria? It must be different, and certainly there are some similarities and much to be learned. Our guest in this episode is Mr. Osita Anumene who runs Slasita Farm and apiary near Abuja, Nigeria. We will talk about their aggressive bees, the types of hive designs they use, bee forage, and honey production. We learn their techniques for catching swarms, and of course top it all of with a wild & crazy beekeeping story or two. Why harvest honey at night? Find out in t...

Beekeeping with the kids; it can be fun and safe! Our guest on this episode is hobby beekeeper, Cindy Elsenbeck from New York, USA. She loves her honey bees and loves sharing her passion with her grandchildren. She discusses the importance of overcoming fears associated with bees, the role of protective gear, and the educational value of observation hives. Cindy also highlights the special bond she has developed with her granddaughters through beekeeping, sharing fun stories and valuable less...

John's first day with honey bees was working for a commercial beekeeper pulling honey frames. From the 'not real Jeff Foxworthy,' to a lengthy wild & crazy beekeeping story that includes the in-laws, to John's beekeeping journey, this episode has it all! We discuss the annual calendar of working for a commercial beekeeper, queen rearing, advice for future beekeepers, techniques for raising queens, different varroa treatments. Did I mention the story about splitting 700 colonies, all with extr...

Are you a sideline beekeeper who hasn't yet exhausted all possible income streams from your honey bees? This episode features our discussion with Connecticut beekeeper, Ryan Griffeth of Neckers Farm. Ryan is a full-time beekeeper caring for upwards of 500 colonies. One of the focuses of his business is honey bee management for clients in the New York and Connecticut area. We discuss everything from varroa management to bee rescues, foraging for mushrooms to catching bee swarms in the dark. Rya...

The 'Not Real Jeff Foxworthy' is in rare form to open this episode of Bee Love Beekeeping and letting you know why YOU might be a beekeeper. We discuss microplastics and the role they may play in the current bee die-off in the U.S. Then we head to Athens, GA for a discussion with beekeeper, Dan Long. We talk about everything from queen rearing, to 3D printing, to yellow legged hornets. It's all about having fun while we learn about beekeeping and sharing the love of honey bees! ______________...

Richard Wahl is our featured guest on this episode of Bee Love Beekeeping. Richard writes a monthly column for Bee Culture Magazine and this month's was titled, "Observations At The Hive Entrance." Our discuss includes bee behavior, fanning, guard bees, cleansing flights, undertaker bees, orientation flights, robbing activity, swarming, and the simple joy of observing your honey bees at their hive entrance. Richard treats us to an unusual 'wild & crazy' beekeeping story, and the Not Real Jeff ...

In this episode of Bee Love Beekeeping, we take a deep dive into everything involved in splitting honey bee colonies. Why split, when to split, and how to split. We are joined by Frank Licata, a sideline beekeeper with decades of experience. He discusses different times to make splits and various methods, including his favorite, the simple shake-down split. In this episode we also discuss making NUCS, honey bee fun facts, and learn whether or not we might be beekeepers by the 'Not Jeff Foxwort...

This episode features an interview with David Westervelt and Bo Sterk from the non-profit, Bees Beyond Borders. We have fun discussing their work with underprivileged beekeepers in various Caribbean locations. They provide education, equipment, and sometimes even honey bees for these people. Also on this episode, we hear from the Not Real Jeff Foxworthy about why YOU might be a beekeeper, honey bee Fun Facts, and a whole lot more! It's all about having fun while we learn about beekeeping and ...

How can honey bee venom, honey and other hive products help with our health and wellness? On this episode of Bee Love Beekeeping we learn all about the health benefits of products from the hive. Our guest is Vermont beekeeper and apitherapy expert, Ross Conrad. Ross discusses his beekeeping adventure in Vermont. Then we dive into an informative discussion about the benefits of raw honey, propolis, royal jelly, pollen, bee venom, and even 'bee air.' This is an informative episode that will hel...

In this episode, we're joined by Paulo Mielgo and David Westervelt from Vita Bee Health. Our discussion is focused on varroa testing and treatment for honey bees. We discuss the pros and cons of Apiguard, Apistan, and the new VarroxSan oxalic acid strips. "Resistance" build up is always an issue with treating for varroa as they build up a resistance to specific chemicals over time, necessitating the rotation of different treatments. Beekeepers know that it's not so much the mites, as the virus...

In this episode of Bee Love Beekeeping we explore everything related to single brood chamber management, including the Demaree method. Our interview features George Datto and Nat Wolfe from The Keeper's Hive. They are experts in Demaree beekeeping and have invented a new hive design that makes it easy, with less lifting of heavy boxes. The show kicks off with more fun from the Not Real Jeff Foxworthy and bees in the news from around the world. It's all about having fun while we learn about be...

The Not Real Jeff Foxworthy is back with all new material, much of it sent in by our listeners! Our featured guest on this episode is Jenna Prososki, Director of Sales & Marketing, Mann Lake. We discuss the essentials of spring beekeeping, feeding bees, dead-outs, the importance of testing and treating for mites, and much more! Learn about wax-dipped woodenware, how to know if you're buying quality equipment, Mann Lake's history, and new beekeeping products. Of course we top if off with a cou...

Heard any good honey bee 'dad jokes' lately? We start off with more of those than you could ever want :) Then we travel to Switzerland to have a discussion with 4th generation beekeeper, Pascal Brunner. His company, Life Hive, has created a chemical-free treatment for varroa mites using heat in a hi-tech way. We also discuss beekeeping in Switzerland, personal joys of beekeeping, and end with a wild & crazy beekeeping story. Beekeeping and the beekeepers, it's all about he love of honey bees! ...

On this episode we learn about a fun new beekeeping product in development, an electric smoker that works as easy as the push of a button. Our guest is Michael Erpenbeck from Technically Beekeeping. We discuss beekeeping in the Chicago area, new inventions for beekeepers, wild & crazy beekeeping stories, and much more! In our bees in the news section, we discuss a new study that highlights the dangers of fertilizers to honey bees and other pollinators. Also discussed, apiaries in solar power f...

Our guest on this episode is Chris Hiatt, commercial beekeeper and past president of the American Honey Producers Association. The topic of conversation is this winter's severe colony loss, especially with commercial beekeepers. We discuss the amount of losses, possible causes and prevention techniques. Other topics include the annual schedule of commercial beekeepers, the love of honey bees and the business, a wild & crazy beekeeping story, plus much much more. Beekeeping and the beekeepers,...

The U.S. is experiencing "Sudden and Severe Losses" to honey bee colonies, anywhere from 50% - 100%. Is it time to panic? In today's episode we discuss those bee losses, hear some wild & crazy beekeeping stories, and have a discussion with James Wheeldon, a beekeeper in Warblington, Hampshire, England. We also learn about James' new charity organization, Beekeeping For Hope. It's a way for beekeepers to give back through donating a small portion of their honey harvest to people around the worl...

Why are honey bees covered in hair? How do bees navigate? These, and more answers to questions you never thought to ask, in this episode's Fun Facts. Then we have a great discussion with 4th generation beekeeper, Steven Stewart. We discuss overwintering techniques, beehive ventilation, problems with water in the hive, and what beekeepers can do mid-winter to help their bees survive. Steven had a successful career as an engineer, and in retirement he has developed the solar powered Hive Heater....

Our guest on this episode is Dr. Mathieu Lihoreau, an Animal Cognition Researcher from France. We discuss how bees play, what they think about, learned behavior vs. instinct, yellow legged hornets, and much more! Beekeeping News features U.S. research which includes attaching QR codes to 32,000 honey bees. There is an island in Ireland where you can spend time on a "bee bed," which has 5 full beehives under it. Beekeeping and the beekeepers, it's all about he love of honey bees! Special thank...

200 Pounds of Honey per hive in 6 weeks! What's the difference between a beekeeping veil and a wedding veil? Ask our stand-up comedian. This episode crosses the full spectrum from honey bee biology to crazy beekeeping stories, and great advice about becoming a small commercial beekeeper. Plus how to keep bees in the cold British Columbia climate. Our guest is Christine McDonald, a former forest firefighter and school teacher. She and her husband run Rushing River Apiaries. In our discussion, ...

This episode of Bee Love Beekeeping features a discussion with master beekeeper, Patrick Hardy. Patrick is the founder of Bee Platoon, dedicated to helping beekeepers in disasters. Patrick has been an emergency and disaster professional for 25 years. In this discussion we cover preparedness, prevention, mitigation, and how to help beekeepers in the Southern California wildfire area. Patrick's time as a swarm removal specialist helps him bring special insights to the safety aspects of swarm rem...

This episode of Bee Love Beekeeping begins with our favorite (not) Jeff Foxworthy comedian telling us why YOU might be a beekeeper! We then discuss Apitherapy, also known as Bee Venom Therapy (BVT) and some of it's possible medical benefits. Before trying apitherapy, make sure that you have done your homework, are not allergic to bee stings, and always have an EpiPen nearby. Our guest on this episode is Justin Sanchez, Founder and CTO of Terra Vera. We discuss varroa mites and their new amino ...