In this episode, we delve into a pivotal event in the North American beekeeping calendar: the annual migration of over two million honey bee colonies to California's almond orchards. This massive movement, spanning mid-February to mid-March, marks the beginning of the beekeeping year. Coordinating this migration demands meticulous planning and…
Every hobbyist beekeeper eventually contemplates scaling up to a commercial operation with thousands of hives. Our podcast guest, Charlie Linder, embraced this challenge and has been forging ahead ever since. Initially, Charlie's beekeeping business centered on honey production. However, facing declining wholesale honey prices and competition from imported honey, he…
In this episode, Dr. Eva Reinicke, DVM, of Northfield, Minnesota joins Becky and guest cohost, Dr. Meghan Milbrath, assistant professor at Michigan State University. One focus of Meghan’s MSU bee lab is honey bee medicine training for veterinary practitioners. Her expertise is perfect for chatting with Eva who has been…
Recorded live from the Beekeeping Today Podcast booth at the North American Honey Bee Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, Jeff prepared this update from special guests who stopped by the booth and from the floor, on the last day of the Expo Included in this special episode are: Cliff Struhl -…
Recorded live from the Beekeeping Today Podcast booth at the North American Honey Bee Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, Jeff prepared this update from special guests who stopped by the booth. Included in this special episode are: Attending beekeepers Dr. Erica Shelley - Better For Bees Anna Kaur and John Turpin…
Happy New Year! As we embark on a new year, often marked by resolutions, we're excited to present a New Year's Archive Special. Join Jeff and Becky as they revisit Jeff‘s and Kim’s insightful interview with Colorado beekeeper Tom Theobald, in 2021. While Tom might not be the inventor of…
Merry Christmas from Beekeeping Today Podcast! If you're tuning in on this festive day, we're glad to have you with us. The holiday season is a cherished time for family and friends, and though we dearly miss our beloved colleague, Kim Flottum, we're here to bring some warmth and reflection…
Welcome to this week’s episode where we've woven together a rich tapestry of stories and expertise to enrich your winter days and nights with the fascinating world of bees. Ed Colby: High-Altitude Beekeeping Tales We start with our regular contributor, Ed Colby, a seasoned beekeeper from Colorado's Western Slopes. Ed's…
In this enlightening episode, we're thrilled to welcome Dr. Samuel Ramsey for his fifth appearance on the podcast. Renowned for his groundbreaking work on honey bee parasites, ‘Dr. Sammy’ brings his wealth of knowledge and passion for bee health to our listeners once again. In today's discussion, we receive an…
On today’s episode, Jeff and Becky talk with Dr. Meghan Milbrath, assistant professor at Michigan State University. Meghan splits her time between teaching at the MSU veterinary school, extension and research. On today’s episode, Meghan discusses the impact European foulbrood on today’s honey bees and what beekeepers can do to…
On today’s show, Jeff and Becky welcome back Eugene Makovec, editor of the American Bee Journal! Honey labeling laws vary widely across the US, creating a complex patchwork of regulations that can be challenging for both new and experienced beekeepers. While these laws are intended to protect consumers and promote…
On today's episode, guest cohost Becky Masterman, PhD, joins Jeff to talk with Al Renslow, who lives at a Chicago senior living community, The Admiral at the Lake. Al, a retired schoolteacher turned beekeeper, has assembled a corp of like-minded ‘bee-lievers’, who refer to themselves as The Admiral Bee Buddies.…
Fall is here. No amount of denial no longer can hide that fact, now. There is lots to do to prep the bees for the coming cold months. You should be well down that task list of colony preparation. In this episode, we talk with Betterbee co-owner, John Rath, about…
There are two organizations shaping the American beekeeping industry: the American Beekeeping Federation (ABF) and the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA). On today’s episode, we talk with Dan Winter, President of the American Beekeeping Federation. The ABF takes comprehensive approach to serving its members by, addressing educational programs, research, and…
Welcome to another episode of Beekeeping Today Podcast! This week, we're excited to host Joy and Eric McEwen, the authors behind the recently released book, “Raising Resilient Bees.” The McEwens offer a natural and sustainable model that focuses on hive health and prioritizes the well-being of the bee over the…
While Jeff and Kim are taking time this week to tend their bees, we bring you this Archive Special from May of 2021. In this third installment of our five-part Hive Types Series, we talk with Colorado Master Beekeeper and columnist Tina Sebestyen about the Long or Horizontal Langstroth. Horizontal…
On today’s episode we are joined by professor, author and noted speaker Dr. Dewey Caron. Dewey is an active member of the Honey Bee Health Coalition where he helps with the creation and maintenance of the Coalition’s Hive Management program. Today he joins us to talk about the just updated,…
Thanks to Jennifer Keller, opening this episode! Jennifer stopped at the Betterbee booth during EAS and left us that greeting! You too can record an opening for an upcoming episode! Simply record one on your phone and send it to us at the podcast! Simple as that!! We do have…
In this episode we talk with Amber Leach, North American Sales Manager, and Dr. Miguel Angel Rodriguez, DVM, and Business Development Head, from Véto-Pharma. Véto-Pharma is just rolling out and the distribution of their newest varroa control compound called Amiflex. Primarily for commercial beekeepers, this amitraz-based product comes in premeasured…
We are excited to bring you this packed episode. We start with Jeff talking with Becky Masterman, from the Minnesota Honey Producers Assn. about the USDA-ARS National Publication 305 (NP-305) and its importance. Next Jeff and Kim talk with Dr. Lars Chittka about his book, The Mind of a Bee.…
In today’s episode we talk with Amelia Cadwell who grew up with a grandfather who kept bees, which lead to time spent working for a commercial beekeeper and today, keeps bees herself. She also works with Suterra, a global pest management company headquartered in Bend, Oregon. Suterra specializes in providing…
Welcome to Season 6 of Beekeeping Today Podcast! When we launched this podcast on the first day of Pollinator Week in 2018, we had no idea where the podcast would go, or how long it would continue. It is fun to see that we are still going strong and growing–…
On today’s episode, we welcome Dr Brandon Hopkins of Washington State University back to the podcast to talk about his recent research on the benefits of indoor banking of honey bee queens in temperature-controlled storage facilities. Traditionally, queens are banked in small nucs in yards throughout the summer. Queen banking…
“All beekeeping is local” so the saying goes. On today’s episode, we welcome back our Regional Beekeepers, all from different parts of the country, to see just how localized beekeeping can be. And how much it can be the same, too. Today we’ve asked Rainier Eich (Maine), Mark Smith (North…
