The Hive Jive - Beekeeping Podcast

We all have our challenges as we first start our beekeeping journey, but it might surprise you to know that even long seasoned and experienced beekeepers still have challenges that we face on a regular basis. This can change from year to year and person to person, but there is always something new to learn or a challenge to overcome. Tune in now to learn what current challenges face John and Nathalie in their own practices... (Original Air Date: Aug 10th, 2022)

Can you use a Tangential Extractor to get honey from a Topbar Comb without destroying the comb? This week, Nathalie and John discuss the tricks and patience that would be needed to pull off such a feat. Plus, is extracting the honey to save the comb for the bees really worth all the effort? Tune in now to find out... (Original Air Date: Aug 3rd, 2022)

For this week's beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John discuss a research paper written by Emily Nordic and James Ellis on the efficacy of pollen substitutes in honey bee colonies. You can read the article yourself prior to listening, or tune in now to hear their thoughts on this pollen sub-ject. (Original Air Date: July 27th, 2022)

For this week's beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John talk about the far futuristic technology that has been conceptualized over the last few years. From Robotic Bees to Robotic Bee Vehicles, and even fully autonomous AI powered mega bee buildings, the possibilities seem endless. But, are these future concepts really solving a problem, or perhaps creating their own unintended consequences? Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: July 20,2022)

In today's Beekeeper Chat, John and Nathalie continue their discussion about the unfolding situation in Australia with the introduction of the Varroa Mite. This time the pair take a look at a recent article (link below) that implies the mites could be used as a biological weapon against feral honey bee colonies since the bees themselves could be considered an invasive species. What would the repercussions be for such an action? Tune in now to hear our beekeeper's opinions on the matter... (Original Air Date: July 6th, 2022)

In June of 2022 the unthinkable happened... Varroa Mites were detected in New South Whales, Australia. Nathalie and John talk about what this could mean for our friends down-under, and the impacts it has already had for a few local beekeepers in the area. Is there anything that can be done, or is this the beginning of the end for the last refuge from Varroa Destructor? (Original Air Date: June 29th, 2022)

For today's Beekeeper Chat, Nathalie and John tackle a beekeeper question based off of the recent "Ticking Timebomb" episode. John also gives an update on his new hives and the pair cover a few random extra topics to finish out the chat. Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: June 22nd, 2022)

Today Nathalie and John go a bit further into the methods they are currently using to naturally convert a colony living in a Langstroth Hive over into a TopBar hive. John has put one of Nathalie's first conversion methods to the test and is already having results. The pair discuss some key points to keep in mind, plus Nathalie has a few other conversion ideas she is planning for future experimentation. Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: June 15th, 2022)

In this week's beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John feel like there might be something fishy in the air. John gives an update on his Apiary and re-introduction to bees, and the pair discuss how crucial it is to pay attention to descriptive words on honey labels lest you end up buying something fishy. Oh, yeah, and Bees are Fish too! **Correction: In the first portion of this episode John is talking about his battle with Carpenter Ants. After comparing them to Wood Ants, he then accidentally interchanges carpenter "bees" for "ants," but he was still referring to Carpenter Ants and not bees. (Original Air Date: Jun 8th, 2022)

In this week's beekeeper chat, John gives Nathalie some scenarios that can be encountered during a hot summer dearth so that she can detail how she would personally approach each scenario. Topics include shrinking colonies, the presence of wax moth larvae, and missing queens. Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: July 13th, 2020)

Today, Nathalie and John discuss a recent docu-video that talks about whether bees truly are herbivores, or if there is more going on behind the scenes… Welcome to the microscopic world of microbes, bacteria, and fungi! Tune in now to learn more about how these tiny aspects might be making a big impact on the health and lives of our honeybees. (Original Air Date: June 1st, 2022)

In this week’s beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John tackle the sting of beekeeping. Literally, the sting, and its effects. Do you have an allergy to bee stings? Are you sure? Do you know the true definition of an allergic reaction verse a local reaction? Do you have an EpiPen, just in case, but have never been medically diagnosed as being allergic to stinging insects? Tune in now to learn more about the pros and cons of such devices, as well as how to tell if you are truly allergic to bee stings. (Original Air Date: May 18th, 2022)

In this week's edition of the Beekeeper Chat, John and Nathalie discuss the challenges and heartache that can be experienced on both sides of being the buyer waiting to get your bees, and the seller trying to fulfill their orders. This, of course, is brought on by John's bee order being delayed again, and now at risk of being canceled completely... and he's not so sure he fully believes the reasoning behind the delays. Tune in now to get caught up on the latest from the Beeless Beekeeper! (Original Air Date: May 11th, 2022)

In a follow-up to the Natural Beekeeping Corner episode - pt 12 - Brood Dynamics with Fonta Molyneaux, John and Nathalie discuss the concepts of what it is to be an Intuitive Beekeeper. How do you build up your own instincts so that you can be a better collaborator with your bees? Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: May 4th, 2022)

In today’s beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John discuss the concepts of 3D Printed Hives. What styles are out there? What possible side-effects could the materials hold for the bees? Are they truly an option for every beekeeper, and should they even be considered if they were? Can they really help to “Save the Bees?” Tune in now to learn more… (Original Air Date: April 27th, 2022)

Don’t let all the fluff and random banter between these two beekeepers lull you into a false sense of security, as the main subject matter of this episode could be triggering for anyone who has a problem with little creepy crawlies. Today, Nathalie and John discuss a variety of topics ranging from updates on John’s lack of bees; a study on bananas in hives; Topbar hives in northern climates; chickens for pest control; and of course the pest themselves… Ticks! Scorpions, roaches, and maggots also get a special mention in this creep show of a crawly little episode as well. So, grab your favorite bug repellant and settle in for a potentially unsettling conversation. Don’t look now, but I think there’s something crawling up your arm… (Original Air Date: April 20th, 2022)

In today's beekeeper chat, John has a variety of things on his mind. Well, Varietal Honey things to be specific. Nathalie and John talk through the concept of varietal honey and the processes that can be taken to achieve you goals. Though, they also pose a few questions about the realities of the process along the way. Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: April 2022)

In this latest beekeeper chat, John talks about surviving April Fools day and gives an update on Ken. Nathalie and John then discuss the way comb is naturally built by bees and the different directions it goes during the process. Perhaps this knowledge can also help you when planning your hive expansions and colony growth. (Original Air Date: April 2022)

In this edition of our Beekeeper Chats, Nathalie and John discuss some of the disturbing setbacks that have occurred with the banning of harmful pesticides. Though it is jokingly called a conspiracy in the title, its really more like blatant disregard. (Original Air Date: March 16th, 2022)

John starts off today's beekeeper chat with a rant about certain people being selected to represent beekeepers on a world stage. Oddly enough, this does somehow transition over into discussions about how selecting for the wrong things in our beekeeping practices can cause unintended consequences, even when we think we are doing it for the right reasons. Tune in now to learn more! (Original Air Date: March 2nd, 2022)

Is killing your queen and replacing her really the answer to all beekeeping issues? Hopefully you know the answer to that is a resounding NO. But, just in case you are curious when might be a good time to pinch your queen, and when you should leave her to rule in peace, Nathalie and John tackle some scenarios that help you develop your own beekeeping intuition based on other evidence that the colony might be presenting, or is found in your surroundings. Tune in now to learn more! (Original Air Date: Feb 23rd, 2022)

In this beekeepers chat, Nathalie and John expand on the concepts of Bias in Beekeeping that were touched on in the main segment episode titled “NBC pt 10 – James Lee.” What other ways does bias show up and how does it affect our own practices and our views of others? Tune in now to learn more… (Original Air Date: Feb 9th, 2022)

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.**