For this beekeeper chat, Natalie and John tackle the concept of keeping bees in plastic bottles as shown on a popular YouTube video.  Did their heads spin in circles and explode as they watched the video? Perhaps initially.  But... after watching the full video can they find some redeeming aspects to what they see?  Tune in now to find out more...

For today's beekeeper chat, John attempts to read (and fails several times) a research article on the nutraceutical values of honey that Nathalie brought to his attention.  The pair discuss points of interest that they each found of value in the published research paper, and touch on a couple of questions they might have about some of the research and its potential meaning.

In this week’s beekeeper chat, John and Nathalie discuss a 2019 research article that indicates queen bees not only have control over fertilization of eggs, but also can influence the egg size as well. The initial findings from this research show that eggs laid in queen cells were actually larger and weighed more than eggs laid in worker cells. Could this tie back in to the concept of a royal genetic code or bloodline? Tune in now to hear more!

In today’s beekeeper chat, John and Nathalie talk about the aspects of storage and space management and how it relates to both the type of hives you keep, as well as your own management practices. Can space management also equate to better time management? Tune in now to learn more!

(Original Air Date: Dec 22, 2021)

In this latest edition of the Beekeeper Chats, John and Nathalie discuss the difference between individual bee immunity vs colony immunity and how these two aspects work together to help ensure the survival of the entire superorganism.

(Original Air Date: Dec 8th, 2021)

What would beekeeping look like if it were done more from the perspective of the bee's natural preferences?  That is the concept of bee-centric beekeeping, where as many aspects as possible are lined up more in favor of what is best for the bee and not necessarily geared toward the convenience of the beekeeper.  Tune in now to learn more!

(Original Air Date: Nov 25, 2021)

Based on a comment from a listener, today’s episode focuses on the ideals of treatment free beekeeping and whether or not those ideals can cross lines over into areas such as Anti-Vaccine. Though one might like to draw a parallel between the two subjects, they are actually very much perpendicular to one another and cannot be fairly compared. Is treating your bees the same as giving a human a life saving vaccine or immune boosting shot? Tune in now to hear our opinions on this matter.

(Original Air Date: Nov 17th, 2021)

In this edition of our Beekeeper Chats, Nathalie and John tackle the subject of Honey Adulteration and the ethics that should be used when handling, marketing, and selling your own honey.  

(Original Air Date: Nov 3rd, 2021)

For this week's beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John talk about the concept of moving/relocation an established hive to a new location.  Whether it is just a few feet, across your yard, down the road, to the next county, or out of state... planning is important when moving an established colony and there are a few key aspects that translate to all scenarios.

(Original Air Date: Oct 27th, 2021)

In this beekeeper chat session, Nathalie and John discuss how important it is to always be striving to learn new aspects of your favorite hobby - beekeeping!  This includes ways to help you discern quality educational sources and information from all the other noise that is out there flooding our daily lives.  Knowing that your information is coming from a reputable source will help maximize your learning without spending excess time trying to decipher the validity of the information being presented. 

(Original Air Date: Oct 20th, 2021)

In today's beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John tackle the different wavelengths of a theoretical topic... the effects of EMF on Honeybees.  Do different frequencies have a positive or negative effect on bees?   Can an electromagnetic field doom the cognitive functions of bees?  Honestly, we have no idea.  But, it doesn't mean we can't apply our own experiences to the subject and theorize about it all the same!

(Original Air Date: Oct 13th, 2021)

For the 16th segment in our Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie sits down with John to talk about her latest Hybrid Hive style where she has combined a permanent Langstroth hive box onto a Topbar Hive body to give beekeepers the options of moving from one to the other, and gaining the best of both worlds.  Tune in now to learn more!

In this episode our beekeepers, John and Nathalie, discuss the value of late season swarms and the cost they could pose to a beekeeper.  However, could they also be put to other uses to help prepare for winter?  What other things should be considered when doing our fall preparations, and when should you combine hives?  Tune in to our beekeeper chat to learn about these topics and more!

(Original Air Date: Oct 6th, 2021)

Join Nathalie and John as they dissect a theological social media post that they both feel was a bit presumptuous and more than a little uninformed.  Whether you agree or not, this is a great thought experiment for you to use to do some self-reflecting on how you view your direct impact and relationship to your bees.

(Original Air Date: Sept 22nd, 2021)

Its time for another Beekeeper Chat... Nathalie and John as they talk about the various aspects of what a beekeeping business might entail.  How can you make money with bees?  What aspects speak most to you and how can you use that to your advantage?  Tune in now to learn more about some of the basic revenue opportunities when working with bees.

(Original Air Date: Sept 15th, 2021)

Join Nathalie and John and they discuss some common pitfalls that you will inevitably encounter while pursuing your beekeeping adventures.

(Original Air Date: Sept 8th, 2021)

(Original Air Date: Sept 21st, 2021)

Following the final episode of Season 3 of The Hive Jive, John and Nathalie sit down for an unscripted chat about their views on beekeeping and provide some advice for new beekeepers.  Welcome to the first of many Beekeeper Chats!

For the 15th segment in our Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie sits down with Bruce Rodriguez from Swarmstead Bees and Gardening to discuss catching swarms to increase his hive numbers, his process when catching swarms, and his views on natural beekeeping... Tune in now to learn more!

(Original Air Date: April 22nd 2021)

Continuing over from the main segment episode where Tara taught us about the uses of Propolis, this bonus episode contains all the random tangents that the group got sidetracked with during the interview process. Needless to say, these were originally cut from the main episode in order to keep it under an hour long. So… tune in now to hear more about Tara’s baby news, Ken’s future cooking episode ideas, moving 25 hives across the state of Texas, desperate stories from trying to seal up hives, the group’s least favorite beekeeping month, people who inflate bee numbers, strange swarm calls, and Tara’s take on a certain individual who portrays poor beekeeping safety practices on social media.

(Original Air Date: April 15th 201)

Today the guys talk about Ken’s Topbar that had a massive beard on the front. Could this be showing signs of swarming, or were they just trying to cool down? John discusses queen cups vs queen cells, and where they can be found for swarm purposes, as well as entrance discs being left on Queen Exclude. Ever heard of Drone Berries? Well, you will know what they are if you have a Topbar with an excluder and John explains why that occurs. The guys also discuss the internal dimensions of a Topbar and why a narrower interior can cause issues, thickness of hives and how it can throw off your final build, and even some tips about comb/bar rotation. Tune in now for these topics and more on this Hive Jive Junkie bonus episode!

(Original Air Date: Jan 21st 201)

In this episode Ken and John discuss a few things to consider this mid-winter, as well as tackling a listener question about what to consider when looking to expand your apiary into multiple locations.  Tune in now to hear how the guy’s hives are doing and maybe you will find a thing or two that you can consider as well.

(Original Air Date: Dec 17th, 2020)

Can you guess the theme of this episode?  John and Ken discuss bees using feces as a deterrent against giant hornets, they also discuss a bad book review, and have a brief talk about Ken's procrastination about combining colonies for winter prep.  Put on your wading boots, cause this one might get a bit messy.

(Original Air Date: Nov19th, 2020)

John discusses the pros, cons, and potential pitfalls of laying the groundwork for a future notification system to beekeepers in the state of TX for when pesticides are going to be utilized in their area. Part of this comes back to hive locations technically being considered trade secrets, or proprietary information. Does volunteering to participate in such a list invalidate your right to keep your hive locations a secret? The guys also discuss some of the other challenges that this year has brought to the forefront, and how they might need to restructure their plans for the next season in order to adapt.

(Original Air Date: Nov12th, 2020)

The guys discuss more about bees being prone to robbing this time of year, as well as clearing up some confusion about which comb/bees should be used when doing mite checks.  Oh, and Hats are now a thing!

(Original Air Date: Nov 5th, 2020)

In this episode John details how he "Almost" won the 2020 Honey Show with the exception of one small oversite.  Minor details are key, as are major ones when entering into a true honey show.  The guys also discuss a few more thoughts on their recent honey tasting, plus cautions about late fall robbing!

(Original Air Date: Dec 24th, 2020)

Ken and John are joined by a surprise guest, Max Milam, Ken's Son!  (It was a surprise for Max as he had no idea he was about to be dragged into the show.)  The guys talk about some recent developments in their lives, and Max and John poke fun at Ken's front porch beekeeping.  Hope you have a very Happy Holiday Season!

(Original Air Date: Oct 22nd, 2020)

In this episode John discusses how prolific honey adulteration really is in today's marketplace and how it affects us all.  It can be difficult for backyard beekeepers to feel like they even have a chance to compete with the prices they see in the supermarkets, but the key is to shift the focus and better educate your consumers... one at a time.  Ken also give some updates on his ongoing efforts to combine colonies to help ensure they successfully overwinter this season.

(Original Air Date: Oct 8th, 2020 with Updated Content from Dec 22rd, 2022)

In the old school style of the season one bonus episodes, this segment covers a lot of ground...  The guys talk about their thoughts from their Honey Tasting episode, the challenges (or advantages) of open mated genetics and how they can influence the bee despite the queen type, how some social media people might be running a long con in order to gain followers with shock value at the expense of innocent peoples safety, and a few stories of misadventures in the bee yards.  Plus - Stay tuned after the episode for a direct update from John about whether his feelings have changed about she who shall not be named...

**Note - For those of you with youngsters that listen along with you, the "S" bomb is dropped multiple times in this episode.**  

(Original Air Date: Sept 24th, 2020)

After a hard spring and summer, Ken has finally come to the conclusion that next season it might be a better idea to focus on the quality of his remaining hives as opposed to the overall number of hives he can accumulate.

(Original Air Date: Sept 10th, 2020)

The world has really gone bananas. Or at least some of the beekeepers sure have! Every so many years there are these miracle cures and wonder elixirs that make their rounds on the internet. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in them as we all would love a simple cure all solution to life’s problems. Rarely, though, is that the case. Bananas are one such magical cure all that is seeing its time in the spotlight again. But, this isn’t for us… no. It’s for our bees! (Or is it?) Tune in now to hear what all the fuss is about and see if it is really worth going bananas over this latest fad.

John has a few things he would like to share with you before we round out 2022.  Tune in now to hear his podcast recommendation, updates about The Hive Jive itself, and what to expect in the coming weeks.

For this month's Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie breaks down the first two stages of IPM (Integrated Pest Management) for natural beekeeping and goes into detail about how each stage can be implemented into your own natural practices.   

Welcome to a grizzly tail from the forest... ok, so not really grizzly (though the bees would beg to differ), but it does involve a bear.  A Black Bear to be specific!  Tune in now and listen along as John details his first encounter with a Black Bear and the path of devastation it left behind.

Today John gives us an update on the current state of his health, and poses a question based on one of his current COVID related symptoms.  What would beekeeping be like without the sense of smell?

For the 13th installment of the Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie sits down with Les Crowder to discuss the current events that are unfolding in Australia with the introduction of Varroa Destructor.  The pair offer up some natural beekeeping solutions that can be used to both help check for and reduce mite populations in an effort to provide a little bit of hope to our fiends Down Under.  Tune in now to learn more...

(Original Air Date: Sept 3rd, 2020)

Some listeners recently shared an article about a 17-year-old young lady who has invented a new entrance portal that will help treat bees for mites as they pass through the portal. John and Ken discuss the potential pros and cons of this concept. The guys also talk more about Ken’s swarms and if he should be combining his hives, and if so, which queens to keep and which to say goodbye to. Plus, some updates and sneak peeks about things to come!

(Original Air Date: Aug 27th, 2020)

Apparently, based solely on the sounds of their voices and their redneck speak, someone thought that John and Ken both had long thick beards. Think, Duck Dynasty! LOL Of course, we couldn’t let such a thing just pass on by without comment. The guys also discuss some of the exciting changes and additions that are currently in the works for The Hive Jive. Tune in now to find out more!

(Original Air Date: Aug 20th, 2020)

A little while back, a listener commented on a social media post and asked if we were ever going to discuss the single box method. To which, John has responded by staring at the screen and scratching his head in confusion... for weeks on end.  "What exactly do you mean?" he wonders to himself. Is this a reference to a literal single box of bees, no expansions, nothing else? Or is this just a way to refer to raising bees in a single brood box with a queen excluder on top? Today, the guys ponder this statement, much to no avail. LOL

(Original Air Date: Aug 13, 2020)

In this episode, John and Ken learn about one of the oldest intact Apiaries to ever be discovered on an archaeological dig in Israel. They guys also discuss the bizarre possibility of bees making a hive out of an active underground septic system, and talk about some culturally sensitive and possibly inappropriate naming conventions.

(Original Air Date: Aug 6, 2020)

In this bonus episode, John learns a startling revelation about the infamous (and still not assembled) Flow Hive. The guys also discuss the appearance of late season swarms, and whether they are worth the effort or not.

(Original Air Date: July 30, 2020)

In what is a rather quick episode, we talk about going slow and steady. Ha! Ken discusses his most recent bee removal from a water meter box, how Max’s beekeeping diligence differs from his own, as well as a new swarm caught out at his brother's property. John tries to remind Ken that there is truth to Max’s methods and that going slow and steady in all aspects of beekeeping is how you win the race.

(Original Air Date: July 9, 2020)

In this bonus episode, John continues his talk with Steve Jimenez from Hives for Heroes. This conversation picks up directly from where the main podcast episode left off. Despite the main episode being completed, the mics kept recording and the camera kept rolling as the discussion carried on.  

(Original Air Date: July 2, 2020)

From horse and cow manure to misrepresented TP and even a few crappy people, this episode sure does have a lot of toilet talk. There’s also a few bad words too… Well poo!

(Original Air Date: June 25, 2020)

The colonies have divided and sent out multiple potential new colonies as Swarmageddon sets in out at Ken's place. Could this be a repeat of last year’s crazy swarms that Ken and John experienced at the lake? Only time will tell, but it sure had Ken all riled up as they start to run out of swarm traps.

(Original Air Date: June 18, 2020)

John recounts a recent bee removal with some really testy bees and their shady neighbors.  Plus, we take another shot at identifying the difference between Swarm Cells vs Supersedure Cells vs Emergency Cells.

(Original Air Date: June 11, 2020)

It is now June and for many regions the nectar flow is now at its peak, but it won’t last forever. In fact, for some of us, we are running out of time to maximize this year’s honey crop! Is Ken going to be ready? Will he get any honey? Does he know how to count his boxes? Tune in to find out these burning questions and more…

For the 12th installment of the Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie sits down with Fonta Molyneaux from Wild Everlasting Farm to discuss Brood Dynamics and how to optimize your natural beekeeping for your own specific region.  This is a great conversation to help lead you down the path to becoming a more intuitive and instinctual beekeeper.  Tune in now to learn more…

Today John poses a challenge to any interested beekeeper out there who might be willing to do a little research.  We've always heard how much honey it takes for the bees to make wax.  But, we never hear how much wax a colony actually needs.  Someone should really figure this out to help fill in the gap of knowledge and understand of our bee statistics.  Are you up for the challenge?

Nathalie B. takes us on a journey of sustainably raising your own queens right in your backyard.  She discusses the difference between commercial queens vs locally raised queens, as well as the reasons you might consider requeening a colony to begin with.  Plus, Nathalie walks us through the process of the 2 into 3 split!  Tune in now to learn more…

Join us, as we look back from 2062 and thank you all for forty years of Hive Jive in our lives.

Nathalie B. sits down with James Lee, a natural beekeeper and licensed clinical social worker who founded the Sustainable Beekeepers Guild of Michigan, to discuss the cognitive bias and dissonance that can be found in all human interactions.  Can we find a way to have tolerance for other beekeeping styles (and humanity) by empathizing with our fellow beekeepers instead of assuming they are wrong because their goals and fears do not line up with our own?  This episode strives to spark an intelligent discussion on how we can all learn from each other, how we can find common ground even whether we prefer to treat or not treat our bees, and how natural, sustainable beekeeping can be discussed positively without beekeepers entrenching themselves in opposite extremes. Plus, as always, a few practical tips on how to be successful with treatment-free beekeeping in your own apiary! Tune in now for a fascinating journey through human psychology and how it relates to Natural Beekeeping.

Sustainable Beekeepers Guild of Michigan www.SBGMI.org

Has John completely lost his mind?  Well, that remains to be seen.  Join us for a special stand-alone episode of The Hive Jive and learn all about the wild and crazy things that have taken place since we went off the air in 2021, and possibly catch a glimpse of what's still to come in 2022.

Consider this a reminder that to love and to be loved is the most important thing there is in this world.  In his own words and from his personal trials, John takes us on a somber tribute to those people in our lives we have lost over the past year, and a reminder to those left behind that you are not alone.  Always bee kind to one another!

(Original Air Date: June 4th, 2020)

In their latest misadventures, Ken comes across an ice chest full of bees, and John is called to a swarm that has over 5 virgin queens in it!

(Original Air Date: May 28th, 2020)

Its time for another Random Clips episode. Just like the title implies, these clips are random and don't necessarily have anything to do with one another. They are all items that originally were left on the cutting room floor and didn’t make the final version. But now you can hear some of these behind the scenes moments and pick up on some of the randomness that goes on when you're not listening.

(Original Air Date: May 21st, 2020)

In this bonus episode John continues his rant from the main segment about the irresponsible beekeeper and the chaos the "Bad Bees" caused; while Ken recounts the rest of the story of Max’s attempt at catching and dispatching with a bad queen, and tries to keep straight all the different races of queens they now have.

(Original Air Date: May 14th, 2020)

Ken and John question the new temp soundboard operator, Shannon, about her thoughts on the show, as well as her experience with Honey.  The guys also discuss Ken's ongoing trap-out scenario and the logistics of if he's already gotten all the bees in such a short time.

(Original Air Date: May 7th, 2020) The saga continues with Ken and Max and their re-queening attempts.  Plus, does the color of your bee really matter?

(Original Air Date: May 1st, 2020)

The trial-and-error part of the learning curve continues as Ken and Max attempt their first round of re-queening on a hive that originally contained feral stock.  John and Ken discuss this, as well as Ken's new Chickens!

(Original Air Date: April 23rd, 2020)

While we continue our Quarantines with horrible audio quality, Ken has been working on more trap-outs from old oak trees that are going to be knocked down and Max is still putting up swarm traps around the land. Ken still has the swarm commander in this truck, of course, and John has something to say about that. John also reminds Ken what an inspection actually is, and talks about the unexpected nectar dearth that hit Central Texas.

For our 9th installment of the Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie is again joined by Les Crowder as the pair discuss ideas based on an article from 2020 titled “Natural Selection, Selective Breeding, and Evolution of Resistance of Honey Bees – Apis Mellifera – against Varro.”  Do the findings of the article line up with Les’ view points on natural beekeeping, and what does this mean for the future of beekeeping?

(Original Air Date: April 9th, 2020)

Ken and Max had a heck of a week trying to work their bees.  So much so that Max has flipped from keeping the feral stock to wanting to requeen them all.  Tune in now to hear about how it all went haywire.

The social distancing and lock-down of Austin continues, so the guys carry on with their telecommute remote broadcast… In this episode they discuss some of the various projects that Ken and Max has gotten themselves into, including a Trap Out of a couple different colonies. John gives a bit more insight into how that type of process really works. Tune in now to learn how to get yourself into some sticky situations.  (Original Air Date: April 2nd, 2020)

In this latest edition of the Natural Beekeeping Corner, Les Crowder joins Nathalie for a chat about Hive Intensity Thresholds verses available forage in a region.  The pair also discuss some aspects of how important the queen is to your natural beekeeping practices, as well as a plea for beekeepers to resist the urge to purchase and resale honey from commercial operations when you are running low on your own honey supplies.  Tune in now to learn more!

John and Ken talk about some of the current events and John gives a high level walkthrough of a bee removal from a shed floor, and if you toss in a little crazy talk about smoke you will have rounded out this Bonus Episode!  (Original Air Date: March 26th, 2020)

In random string of thought fashion, this episode covers Ken's discover of Tom Seeley and his books; his incoming packages of bees; to treat or not to treat your hives; and even a little background on pure mated bloodlines in queens!  Tune in now to learn all about it.  (Original Air Date: March 19th, 2020)

We continue our conversation with Mary Reed, Chief Apiary Inspector for the state of Texas where we join the gang amid a fit of laughter. All bets are off pretty much right from the start as the group tries to compose themselves. But, there are some great bits of information that sneaks in there between the outburst of laughter. Oh, and did we mention the Beedazzled Queens? Yes. It’s a queen. It needs a crown!

What happens when you take the motor cowling from an 85 horsepower V4 Johnson outboard boat motor and turn it into a swarm trap? Well, we don’t actually know. However, Ken and his son Max are willing to find out! Tune in now as Ken and John discuss this, and a few other random topics to round out a truly random bonus episode. (Original Air Date: March 5th, 2020)

Bees employ various strategies in order to fend off pest and diseases.  Join Nathalie as she discusses how bees do this naturally at both the colony and individual level and how this understanding can help you choose bees that will give you the best chances of success in your natural beekeeping endeavors.

Grab yourself a slice of strawberry cake and pull up a chair while Ken and John ramble on. Did you know that a bad combo of bee genetics can be the cause of a spotty brood pattern? Could Ken finally get his Bahama Mama? You’ll have to go brave the DropBears to find an Australian Penguin in order to get the answers. Well, that… or you could just tune in to this bonus episode. (Original Air Date: Feb 27th, 2020)

Join John and Ken in cabin 13 just off the shore of lake Buchanan as they discuss Ken's absence from the last main episode, his surgery, and him missing out on all the studio fun.  This includes a little PSA for Men and prostate issues.  Ken also gets to taste the Jerrabomberra Urban Honey for the first time.  For longtime listeners of the show, this is where his obsession with Jerrabomberra honey started.  (Original Air Date: Feb 20, 2020)

Who knew that clover and alfalfa could cause such a fuss?  Well, John is happy to tell us all about it while he vents about a recent encounter he had on this bonus episode... (Original Air Date: Feb 12th, 2020)

(Original Air Date: Feb 6th, 2020)  This episode has it all… no till gardening, potato tipping which is not to be confused with cow tipping, planting by the phase of the moon, paper cows, and even purple mushrooms! Oh, and bees of course. 

(Original Air Date: Jan 30th, 2020)  In a fully hyped-up caffeinated sugar high type of morning, the guys are in rare form. They run through a series of seemingly unrelated (though mostly bee related) topics from commercial beekeeping routes, to pesticide usage, and even a couple of rants about social media influences who do more of a disservice to their followers than they might realize. Bees on Tinder anyone?

In this 6th segment of our Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie talks about some of the key factors that are often attributed to honey bee colony decline… namely Varroa Mites and Viruses.  However, could there be more to it than just that?  Nathalie challenges you to look beyond the forest, so to speak, and think a little bit about the unintended consequences that can come from other sources, like pesticides and even mite treatments.

(Original Air Date: Jan 22nd, 2020) The guys are suffering from delirium after the never-ending listener question episode, and todays topic seems to reflect just that.  Yep, Alien Bees!  Don’t worry though, they also talk a bit about mites, and hive beetles too.  Enjoy your latest bonus episode.

(Original Air Date Jan 15th, 2020)  Welcome to your first new Bonus episode for all you Hive Jive Junkies out there.  Ken and John figured they should just start off with a bang, and what better way than by insulting two very large groups of people... Commercial Beekeepers and Vegans! How dare they!

It is time to say goodbye to yesterday… Season three of the podcast comes to a close and as the guys wrap up this little beginner beekeeping adventure that has spanned the last three years, they recap on where the show started and some of the milestones along the way, all the while paying tribute to our beloved redneck who allowed us all to join him on his journey to becoming a beekeeper… Mr. Ken Milam.

Today John is joined once again by Miss Tara Chapman from Two Hives Honey.  Tara teaches us about honey crystallization, what it means, and the four main factors that contribute to this process.  This is key knowledge to help you better understand the process, how you can use it to your advantage, and how to better educate the end consumer about your honey.  The pair also catch up on current life events and share some successes and challenges from this beekeeping season.  Tune in now for one exceptional interview!

This year’s honey harvest has come and gone, and it is leaving a few tears in its wake.  John discusses how the main apiary did this year, or rather, how much it didn’t do at all.  The bizarre weather patterns have definitely taken their toll on the nectar flow and John gives a few stark examples of how much of an impact it will have on this year’s honey sales.  If you’re feeling the strain this season, tune in now and join in on the harvest woes.

This episode coils up and strikes at the heart of a slippery subject… Snakes in the bee yard.  There are all kinds of different critters out there that we often don’t notice as we go about our bee business, focused on what has become a habitual process of tasks.  But that doesn’t mean that those critters don’t notice us as we go about our work.  Some of these critters might cause us to do way more harm to ourselves then they ever could on their own as we try to escape a sudden unexpected encounter.  But a few of these critters can pose a great danger to the unaware beekeeper who is focused on their routine and not paying attention to their surroundings.  Tune in now to hear a few close encounters of the slithering kind and remember to be mindful of your surroundings when out in nature.

Recently the gang got together to host a LIVE Natural Beekeeping question and answer session.  Nathalie and John answer questions ranging from keeping survivor stock, to doing brood breaks, and even hive inspection frequency.  Tune in now to hear this and more for this months Natural Beekeeping Corner.

In this episode the guys discuss some of the challenges this season has presented with some areas having a sparse nectar flow and the decisions that beekeepers might be faced with because of those circumstances.  John gives a reminder on colonies shutting down brood production during periods of extreme heat and periods of dearth, and a thought experiment in possible queen issues.  Plus, its time for another stop by Ken’s Cooking Corner!  Tune in now for this and more!

In this round of listener questions we hear from Mike B., Jared M., Ben I., and Connor S.  Topics include how to not go broke doing removals, bees not drawing wax on foundation, using all deep boxes, insulating hives for winter, and open feeding.  Tune in now for a smorgasbord of beekeeping information!

The guys have some corrections they need to make regarding speculations that were made in last week’s episodes.  It turns out not all of the pertinent information was provided regarding Ken’s recent HopGuard III experience and this omission completely changes the outcome of that conversation.  John then proceeds to carry that same message through the rest of the episode to try and drive the point home one last time.  Granted, after three years, he may just be beating a dead horse… so to speak.

In this very extended episode, the guys go back and cover a few items that they had meant to include in previous episodes but kept forgetting.  Ken is up to his old tricks of pulling things out of left field which will keep everyone on their toes, and John discusses how the bees will backfill into the brood nest this time of year and what that means.  Plus, it is the first episode for July, which means it is time for another Natural Beekeeping Corner segment.  This month, Nathalie is joined by Les Crowder!  The pair will discuss the background Les comes from as well as his approach to Natural Beekeeping.  Tune in now for this extended episode!

Today the guys are prompted by Jacob to discuss some important questions you should ask if you are considering buying used equipment.  Ken has a question about swarm traps and direction the entrance should be facing.  Plus, it is time for another edition of Ken’s Cooking Corner.  So tune in now to hear these topics and a few other tidbits in your weekly dose of Bee infotainment.

John and Ken talk about potentially relocating some of Ken’s swarms out to his remote property and implementing some selective breeding and re-queening.  John tells the story of a recent hive relocation due to the bee's extreme defensive behaviors.  Ken has also had a swarm move into a two-inch thick Topbar hive that he had setting outside his house and his wife says it needs to move… so the guys discuss the best method and timing needed in order to accomplish that.  Plus, Ken has been reading online and thinks a colony might have had American Foul Brood.  Could this be possible?  Tune in now to find out.

A lot of drama has happened in the social media version of the beekeeping world while John was lost on a plane, so he gives us an update on the current backlash being experienced by a certain TikTok influencer.   The guys also address a couple of listener questions from Ryan in Indiana regarding building pollen feeders and mowing near your hives.  And there is some random info in here regarding different painful stings that the guys have experienced between bees and wasps, as well as a couple of little bugs that you cannot see until you do see them.  Wait. What?

In this fourth installment of the Natural Beekeeping Corner Nathalie takes us on a tour of “The Peoples Hives.”  What is this you ask?  Well, tune in now to find out what hive style this might be and why Nathalie believes it is the hive of the future and can allow anyone to be a beekeeper.

In this episode John elaborates on a recent listener question about queen math.  This leads into some discussion about queen rearing and a few tips and trip on using the Nicot queen rearing system.  The guys also discuss some of the challenges that can be encountered by the queen on her nuptial flights that might reduce the chances of her successfully making it home, as well as some recent trends where new queens are immediately superseded by the colonies.  Tune in now to learn more!

The guys discuss a recent news article about “Millions of Bees” dying after “being left in a UPS truck for weeks.”  Like many beekeepers our there, John and Ken have both had their own run-ins with shipping related issues, and if you keep bees long enough, you likely will as well.  This topic leads to other ways that shipping can cause issues for your beekeeping business and what things you might want to take into consideration.  Tune in now to learn more!

World Bee Day is coming on May 20th.  Join the gang as they speak with Jonna Sanders to learn more about the history of World Bee Day and Slovenian beekeeping.  If you were not already aware, World Bee Day is the brainchild of the Slovenian Beekeeping Association, Čebelarska zveza Slovenija. Slovenia is doing some truly revolutionary work in honeybee science and education.  Tune in now to learn more!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/world-bee-day-tickets-142278297217?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch 

In this episode, John discusses the concept of excess drawn wax comb creating a hoarding desire in the bees.  This is where generating extra drawn frames during your first two to three years of beekeeping starts to come back into play and can allow you to greatly increase your honey harvest.  Keep in mind though, the tactics discussed in this episode will only work if your colony is strong enough to guard the additional space, and your nectar flow is in full swing.  John also touches on the timing for adding boxes intended for cut comb or ross round honeycomb.  Tune in now to learn more!

In our third installment of the Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie walks us through the differences between commercial beekeeping practices vs the urban backyard beekeeper.  She also covers the benefits of local genetics of bees vs imported genetics, as well as how to do sustainable splits of your existing colonies using the two into three method. 

In this special edition of The Hive Jive, John takes us through the history of “Telling the Bees.”  For centuries, cultures the world round have had their version of telling the bees about significant life events within their family.  Most times, this act especially applied to notifying the bees of a death within the family.  However, bees were also told of other events in the family such as marriages, births, and new household members coming to live with the family.  As John takes us through this history, he weaves in his own recent experience with this old-world tradition.

Ever been in the situation where you desperately need to find a queen in order to do a split or because you are trying to re-queen a colony and you need her gone, but can’t find her no matter how hard you try?  Well in this episode John details a few hail-Mary tricks that you can use if you absolutely must find an elusive queen who has been eluding you thus far.  The guys also discuss the use of Oxalic Acid vaporization and its proclaimed effectiveness, as well as a brilliant idea that Nathalie has come up with for transferring a Langstroth Nuc into a Topbar Hive.  Plus, its time for another edition of Ken’s Cooking Corner where he gives us his experimental Honey Cake recipe.  Tune in now to get your weekly dose of Hive Jive!

This week the guys are joined by Tara Chapman of Two Hives Honey to discuss the uses of propolis.  Most beekeepers have a love-hate relationship with this dark sticky substance as it gets on everything and it does not ever seem to come back off.  Despite being a sticky pain for some beekeepers, hopefully we all realize the great importance that it plays in the lives of the bees and how it helps to create and maintain a healthy hive.  However, what can we as beekeepers do with this substance once we scrape a ball out of the hive during a routine inspection?  Well tune in now as Tara walks us through some of the wonderous possibilities that propolis can hold for an industrious beekeeper.

Sometimes you might find yourself in a situation where you might need to do a split, but you don’t really want to increase your total number of full-sized colonies.  Or, perhaps you often find yourself where a few of your colonies always seem to need a boost.  Well, this is where the beauty of creating a Nuc as a resource hive can come in handy.  Tune in now as the guys discuss these concepts, as well as a high level overview of double screened boards and Snelgrove boards and how they can be used in processes like these. 

It is the first episode of April and Ken seems to be missing in action.  Could it be a delayed April Fool’s day joke?  John does a quick recap of the topics from the first part of this year, and touches on the key aspects to be focused on as Spring unfolds.  Plus, its time for our second Natural Beekeeping corner and Nathalie breaks down the concepts of the Integrated Pest Management process, or IPM for short.  Tune in now!