The Hive Jive - Beekeeping Podcast

Oh my gawd its back again! (The summer dearth that is...) John reminds us that most things in beekeeping are cyclical and points to a couple of episodes from year one of the podcast that can help you through this tough spot of summer. The guys also tackle a few listener questions from Becca, Tim, and Rachel.

John checks in with Ken to see how things are going so far. Has Ken finally learned his lesson about not being a Front Porch Beekeeper? We’ve heard a lot about how many new colonies have been acquired by either swarm capture or water meter removals, but how many colonies have been lost this year? Let’s see what answers are to be had…

In this episode the guys discuss a few listener stories regarding bee stings, as well as some YouTube videos about Honey Bees Choosing what they prefer. Tune in now to catch the buzz!

In this episode John adds a couple of after-thoughts to the previous honey extracting episode. Also the guys discuss some of the findings from John’s recent visit up to see Ken’s hives and their Hail Mary attempt to salvage what they could.

This episode has been a year in the making for those of you who have been following alongside the podcast in time with your own beekeeping journey. And, if everything has gone well, and mother nature was kind to you and your bees, hopefully it is time for your first legitimate honey harvest!! Tune in now as John walks us through the concept of the honey harvest and extraction process.

John sits down with Steve Jimenez from Hives for Heroes to discuss the important work that they are doing to help save veteran’s lives, and rescue bees in the process. There are countless heroes out there who come back to a world they don’t often relate to any longer. They struggle to cope with the things they have seen and done and they fall victim to the effects of PTSD. Often these individuals fall through the cracks in our society, and they slip away. This is a sad and unfortunate reality for many veterans and members of the armed forces, and it is a reality that amazing organizations like Hives for Heroes is working tirelessly to correct.

It’s Ken’s Birthday!!! Or, rather, it was his birthday. He is happy to be 21 again, or maybe it was 22. It’s hard to keep track once you are up there that far. But, the addition 3 dozen and 6 years experience sure does help out along the way. (You do the math!) In this episode we catch up on Ken’s swarm traps, talk about BetterComb briefly, and have a sneak peek ahead to a potential honey harvest.

Ken curls up for a nice little nap while John tackles another batch of Listener Questions from ya’ll.

Ken learns a hard lesson in what happens when you get lax and just do “Front Porch Beekeeping”… meaning you simply watch the bees from the entrance coming and going, peek in via an observation window, or crack the lid just long enough to say “Yep, there’s bees in there.” Unfortunately that last remark is all you can actually gather from this style of observation, and you don’t really know what might be going on deeper inside the colony. Often this leads to missing key signs that could have possibly helped you prevent the unnecessary crash of a colony.

John sits down with NYC’s premier beekeeper, Mr. Andrew Coté, to discuss what it is like being a 4th generation beekeeper in the Big Apple. The guys cover a wide range of topics including the challenges of rooftop beekeeping, having hives on United Nations soil, and helping beekeepers around the world via Bees Without Borders. Andrew also gives us a sneak peek at what it was like writing his new book “Venom and Honey: Confessions of an Urban Beekeeper.” Tune in now!

John tackles another round of listener questions directly from you lovely Hive Jivers. Is your question on the list?

It's time to go back and quickly recap the key points from our spring episodes. Can Ken hold his own, or will he fail this pop quiz?

In what almost feels like a regular episode, the guys lose track of time and give us our first 45-minute episode since the Quarantine started. Recent rains may signal a light at the end of the tunnel, and a hopeful saving grace for a potential honey harvest this summer. A lot of people have been dealing with swarming already this year, and that might only continue now that rains have arrived. Plus, what’s an episode without a rant about irresponsible beekeepers getting EMS and the Fire Department called on them!?

In this episode, John discusses one listeners opinion of the P word, and then turns around and chastises sensationalists for using the M word. Say what? Tune in now to untangle this mess, and to learn a little bit of truth about the Asian Giant Hornet and whether it currently garners the attention it is getting in the media at the moment.

This April was like a yo-yo as far as the weather went. This back and forth caused some setbacks to the flowers, which negatively impacted the bees, and therefore some of the beekeepers as well. John sits down to tell just a few of the problems that he faced this past month in an effort to let everyone know that we all face hard times every now and then. It happens to us all.

In this episode John attempts to walk us through the concept of reading your comb. Did the bees drink that jar of sugar syrup you just gave them yesterday, or simply store it? Are they raising brood? Does your queen have a good laying pattern? Is there a nectar flow in your area? All of these things can be determined by learning how to read your comb to better understand what is going on with your bees.

On the previous episode they guys discussed how you can raise a new queen. But, what about the actual installation process itself? Regardless if you have a ripe queen cell, a new virgin queen in a cage, or have purchased a fully mated queen, how you install them can make all the difference!

Today, on a very crackly episode, the guys discuss the various ways you can raise a new queen bee at home. Both on purpose, and of course by accident.

While the social distancing continues, John and Ken phone in another episode via remote broadcast and teleconference. This week the guys are discussing the different ways that you can make a split from your colony. There are a lot of different options based on the time of year, available resources, and what you are trying to accomplish. Tune in now to see if they guys can help make it clear as mud!

The guys are forced to do their first ever episode via Teleconference and they aren't so sure they like it all that much. But, despite all the crazy COVID19 restrictions and hurdles, there is still a lot of bee talk that needs doing! So join us as the guys phone in their experiences while installing Ken’s first packages of bees.

Ken seems to think that you can teach your bees how to play checkers. There is a management aspect to beekeeping called Checkerboarding, but it has nothing to do with your bees playing checkers. Sorry Ken. Tune in now to learn what this concept means, and catch up on what all is going on in these strange times.

You've heard the guys joke about bee math and compare it to chicken math, meaning you say you only want one or two and end up with 3 or 4. However, now it is time to talk about real bee math. How do you know if it is time to start raising queens in your area? How long will it take? You need Bee Math!

John and Ken visit with Mary Reed, the Chief Apiary Inspector for the state of Texas. At first glance, some new beekeepers might be intimidated by the thought of a State Inspector coming to look at their hives. However, it can be quite a fun and educational experience. Tune in now as the group discusses what it is to be an apiary inspector, what an inspection is like, and what they are looking for when inspecting a hive.

In the previous episode they guys discussed some initial spring tasks such as rotating your boxes. But, what about those of us that don’t use a Langstroth style hive? Well, this episode will break down how you can accomplish the same sort of task for all your Horizontal Hive Style setups out there!

It’s time to take a look at the second set of checklist items headed into the pre-springtime for your second year of beekeeping. (Keep in mind, these will also be the same for each spring moving forward.) The guys will cover the items you need to be focused on as your temps start to rise and the bees begin early brood production, including: checking food stores and walking that fine line between solid food and starting liquid syrup again, mite checks and treatment, and the concept of rotating boxes.

While Ken is out for a medical procedure John is joined by the beautiful vocal stylings of Katherine, all the way up from Australia, and Nathalie, who is fresh out of the Congo. Exotic accents abound as the group discusses the recent issues for Australia, recent work being done in Africa, and compare and contrast the differences of beekeeping amount the three continents.

In this listener question episode we get an update from Downunder, talk about the mystery of a queenless colony that isn’t queenless, ponder the details on potentially placing hives at a business or retail establishment, and tackle a few questions about a Long Lang style hive.

Sometimes bad things just happen. And, sometimes it is because bad people cause them to happen. Every year when almond pollinations comes around, the news of hive thefts starts popping up across the country. But, sometimes this string of thefts is driven by other factors, such as the natural disasters that Australia recently experienced with the bushfires. In both cases, some people out there see an opportunity to try and make a quick buck, and they do it at the expense of those who are just trying to make ends meet and get by. What is even worse, is when people choose to vandalize someone’s hives for no apparent reason other than to create chaos. Could this happen to you? Should you be worried about your hives? Well… lets talk it over for a moment, shall we?

You have survived your first season of beekeeping, and you are almost through your first winter, congrats! Now it is time to start considering what you want to do in your second year of beekeeping. This episode will provide you with the initial checklist of items to start working on as your second season approaches.

Someone thought it would be a good idea to take ALL of the Listener Questions from over the holiday break all the way up through now, and answer them all at once. This will be the first, and likely last, nearly TWO HOUR episode! Take your time, break it up, digest it slowly. There is are plenty of tidbits of information spread throughout.

The guys are finally back in the studio to kick off the second season in rare form. There are a lot of big announcements to be had, some catching up to be done, and laughs to be had along the way. However, as promised, they do eventually get around to talking about feeding solid sugar to your bees as emergency winter food rations.

The guys have taken all the scraps left over from 2019 and stitched together one last, final, final episode for your listening pleasure. Buckle up, this ones gonna be a long one! We'll see you again in 2020. Happy New Year Everyone!

The guys sit down for their final episode of 2019. A few gifts are exchanged, and Ken finds justification to his Award Winning labeling. We hear a listener question from David regarding a late split that didn’t make it, and the guys break down the reasoning as to why. Tune in now to finish out a great first year with the guys and ring in the holidays.

The guys recap the Podcast stats up to this point and discuss a variety of topics from food and honey, to painting hives and calculating the average daytime temps to know if you can still be feeding in a liquid form.

John and Ken welcome Dr. Ferhat Ozturk into the studio for this very special episode. Learn the nuances of honey and how it can be used for medicinal purposes. Tune in now to find out the relation to certain types of honey and hydrogen peroxide; the complexity and depth of darker honey; and how buckwheat honey may have some redeeming qualities.

Despite their best intentions, this episode never stood a chance. The guys talk about bandages, Ken’s ongoing obsession with ordering packages, phallic stings, dropbears, and other animals that shouldn’t exist. Surely there’s bees in there somewhere…?

Tara Chapman rejoins the guys for a fun talk about her recent experiences at the first US based Honey Sensory training program. Join us to learn some of the nuances that can be attributed to honey tasting, as well as interesting aspects regarding honey crystallization. Plus, Tara and John try to find the humor in recent developments within their respective lives.

In this episode, John and Ken recap on their recent screening of The Pollinators documentary, and John has just returned from the Texas Beekeepers Convention and shares some of the Highlights. Plus a listener question from Frank in Wales! Tune in now to catch up on the recent events.

In this episode, John and Ken recap a few of the more important aspects of winter prep for people living in the southern states. However, the simplification of this might catch you off guard. The warmer the climate you live in, the less preparations need to be done. You’ll see a big detour from what was covered in the northern states episode.

Join us as the guys tell you some scary bee stories about things that go BUZZ in the night... to fill your Halloween with a little fun and fright.

As John and Ken are alone in the studio attempting to tackle your latest listener questions, some strange occurrences take place in the building! Very distracted, and a bit paranoid, the guys attempt to power through in order to get some answers out to Sue, Tanya, and Ann. Enjoy!

Its time for a quick refresher on some of the basic beekeeping terms. Join John as he gives Ken an impromptu terminology quiz.

Desperate times bring out desperate bees, and the late fall periods do just that! When no other food is naturally available, and winter is fast approaching, all of nature desperately seeks out the last few morsels of food as it could be their saving grace that helps them survive the winter. This can be seen in yellow jacket colonies that are rushing to raise the new queens that will overwinter and start new colonies in the spring… by feasting on your honeybees and other unsuspecting insects. Or, it can be the honeybees themselves robbing out a weaker colony in order to horde all the resources for themselves. Tune in now as John and Ken share stories of these exact scenarios!

The listener questions just keep on coming, so the guys keep the answers coming. Tune in now to catch up with Ken's hives and get your own questions answered.

These guys have no concept of time when recording, and Ken is a master at derailing a topic right off into left field. Thanks to all these factors, we present to you another assortment of random clips that were cut from previous episodes due to topic or time constraints. Enjoy!

Ken has been getting a lot of requests for bee related things as people start to learn that he has taken up the hobby. Now, he has encountered his first real moral dilemma that can come with the territory. Tune in now, and help Ken determine what the best course of action would be in this situation.

Ken just can't seem to help himself when it comes to buying things. He recently found a deal where a local beekeeper was looking to sell two complete 10 frame hives, and naturally Ken jumped on the opportunity.

What happens when you have a couple of colonies that both seem just so-so and winter is approaching? Well, one option might be to combine the two weaker colonies to create a colony strong enough to potentially survive the coming winter. In this episode John and Ken discuss how you can consolidate colonies to improve their chances at winter survival.

In this episode John and Ken speak directly to those of you who reside in the northern United States… Winter is Coming! This episode will, hopefully, help lead you in the right direction when preparing your hives to survive your first northern winter. At the very least, it will give you a lot to think about, and a lot more to look up! Are you prepared for winter?

They are those little black bugs that we try desperately to smash every time we see them. People panic the first time they see them in their colony, and even blame them for colony losses… It’s the one and only hive beetle! Come join us for this bonus episode to learn a little bit about what all the stink is over these little black beetles.