Latest Apiarist Podcast Episodes
Plain Talk: Box Hives (176)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - April 25, 2024 10:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this enlightening episode, Jim takes listeners on a historical journey through the evolution of beekeeping hives. Delving into the storied past of traditional box hives, Jim reflects on a unique box hive he acquired, which was originally built in 1853—the same year L.L. Langstroth revolutioni...
Plain Talk: Leftover Honey (175)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - April 18, 2024 10:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this episode, Jim explores the practical aspects of dealing with "less-than-pristine" honey, an inevitable challenge for many beekeepers. Throughout the discussion, Jim shares personal anecdotes and insights from his extensive experience, providing a nuanced look at what beekeepers can do wit...
Lost Queens (174)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - April 11, 2024 10:00 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this episode, hosts Jim Tew and guest Anne Frey, delve into the intriguing and sometimes baffling phenomenon of beekeepers being unable to locate their hive's queen. Whether you're an experienced beekeeper or just starting, losing sight of your queen can stir a mix of mystery and panic. But a...
Plain Talk: Honey Bee Eggs (173)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - April 04, 2024 10:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this episode, Jim Tew takes listeners on an intricate journey into the life of a honey bee egg, uncovering its quiet but highly active existence. Despite the challenge of discussing such a microcosmic topic, Jim eloquently demystifies the complexities surrounding the initial stage of a bee's ...
Observing Queen Anomalies with Anne Frey (172)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - March 28, 2024 10:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this intriguing episode, Jim Tew and Anne Frey delve into the unexpected and often perplexing world of queen bee behavior and physiology that diverges from the norm. This episode explores the rare but fascinating occurrences that beekeepers might encounter with their queens, ranging from fain...
Plain Talk: Spring - Help, Don't Hurt Your Bees (171)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - March 21, 2024 10:00 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim takes beekeepers through the critical period of late winter and early spring, emphasizing the delicate balance between intervening in the hive and letting bees be. Drawing from his observations during an unseasonably warm day in Northeast Ohio, Jim share...
Managing Nucs with Anne Frey (170)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - March 14, 2024 10:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, we dive into the intricacies of nurturing nucleus colonies (nucs) with beekeeping expert Anne Frey from Better Bee. Jim and Anne discuss the benefits and methods of working with nucs, emphasizing their role in sustainable beekeeping practices. Anne shares h...
Plain Talk About Division Board Feeders (169)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - March 07, 2024 10:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this episode Jim discusses the obscure world of division board feeders, exploring their history, evolution, and practical use in beekeeping. These feeders, which replace a frame inside the hive, have undergone significant changes over the years, from simple molded plastics to modern versions ...
Talking With Kids About Bees (168)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - February 29, 2024 10:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this enlightening episode, Jim invites American Bee Journal editor, Eugene Makovec, to the podcast to chat about their experiences and insights on how to engage young minds with the fascinating world of beekeeping. They delve into the joys and challenges of presenting beekeeping to children, ...
Dealing With Heavy Hives with Anne Frey (167)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - February 22, 2024 10:00 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this episode, Jim Tew and Anne Frey tackle a common yet often overlooked challenge in beekeeping: managing the heavy weight of hives. They delve into practical solutions and innovative ideas to make beekeeping tasks more manageable, emphasizing that this issue impacts beekeepers regardless of...
Sampling Varroa Mites (166)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - February 15, 2024 10:00 - 24 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsJoin Jim Tew and David Peck in a critical conversation about Varroa mite management in beekeeping. This episode demystifies the process of counting mites, offering practical advice and insights into the importance of monitoring mite levels for the health of bee colonies. Discover various methods...
Eating Honey (165)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - February 08, 2024 10:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsDiving into the sweet yet challenging world of honey consumption, this week’s episode of Honey Bee Obscura delves into the nuances of enjoying honey—without the mess. Jim discusses the inevitable sticky spills that occur no matter how careful you are with honey. Whether it’s a drop missing the t...
Colony Collapse and Varroa, Plain Talk with Dr. David Peck (164)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - February 01, 2024 10:00 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn today's episode, Jim is joined by Dr. David Peck, an expert in varroa mites, to delve into the critical issue of honey bee colony collapse linked to varroa infestation. This topic is different from Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), focusing instead on the impact of varroa mites and the diseases...
In Class with Jim: "Supering" (163)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - January 25, 2024 10:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this episode we delve into the concept of "supering," a term unique to beekeeping that has emerged over the past century. To those outside the beekeeping community, the term might sound like something out of a superhero comic, but for beekeepers, it's a crucial aspect of hive management. Ji...
Mentoring Young Beekeepers (162)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - January 18, 2024 10:00 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn today's episode, Jim and Becky Masterman (co-host of Beekeeping Today Podcast) delve into the challenges and joys of mentoring young beekeepers, with a special focus on family dynamics. Jim shares his recent experience of being asked to mentor his grandson, who lives four hours away in a diff...
Colony Confinement (161)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - January 11, 2024 10:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsBeekeepers must often confine their bees to the hives for long or short periods of time, whether it be to move them from one yard to another, or if pesticides are to be used in neighboring fields and even transporting home package bees or nucs in the spring. Have you ever considered the effects ...
Hive Inspections: When, Why and How Often (160)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - January 04, 2024 10:00 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsHive inspections are essential in the beekeeping, serving as the cornerstone for effective colony management. Through these inspections, beekeepers gain crucial insights that guide their decisions for immediate and long-term hive care. In this episode, Jim is joined by Anne Frey, an EAS Master B...
Keeping Small Colonies (159)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - December 28, 2023 10:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this week's episode, Jim is delighted to welcome back David Peck from Betterbee. In this intriguing discussion, they explore what Jim calls, "Reverse Beekeeping," a unique approach that focuses on maintaining smaller bee colonies. Traditionally, beekeeping has been all about growing large c...
Repetition Beekeeping (158)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - December 21, 2023 10:00 - 21 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsPractice makes perfect, as the old adage says. This really rings true in the bee yard and working with honey bees. This week, Jim invites Betterbee’s EAS Master Beekeeper, Anne Frey, to the podcast to discuss how experience, gained by doing something over and over, is the basis of becoming a bet...
Downsizing Your Bee Operation (157)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - December 14, 2023 10:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsThere comes a time for many beekeepers when they realize they have more colonies than time to properly work them - with “work” being the operative word. If they’ve been keeping bees long enough, they may decide that hefting ten-frame hive bodies full or honey or bees just too difficult. The beek...
Queen Isolation Cages (156)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - December 07, 2023 10:00 - 23 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn today's episode, Jim and David Peck, PhD, delve into a fascinating topic that rarely gets any ‘air time’ unless you are interested specifically in raising queens: Queen Isolation Cages. For beekeepers, the queen bee is the heart of the hive, responsible for laying eggs and maintaining hive ...
Winter Chores: Culling Combs (155)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - November 30, 2023 10:00 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Kim and Jim delve into several important maintenance tasks that beekeepers can undertake during the winter season to ensure the health and productivity of their hives. Winter might seem like a downtime, but it's a critical period for preparing your hives for...
Archive Special - Preparing Your Hives for Winter! (154)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - November 23, 2023 10:00 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsHappy Thanksgiving!! Join Kim and Jim in this special archive episode from late October 2021, where they delve into the critical task of preparing your hives for the winter season. This episode is particularly crucial for beekeepers in colder climates. Are you comfortable in shorts outdoors ...
Browsing Bee Books (153)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - November 16, 2023 10:00 - 16 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsAs the leaves fall and the bees nestle in for winter, many beekeepers find themselves next to a warm fire, a cup of tea in hand, flipping through the pages of their cherished bee books. Have you ever looked at your shelf brimming with bee books and wondered, 'Will I ever read all of these?' You'...
Rothenbuhler's Legacy (152)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - November 09, 2023 10:00 - 17 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn today’s episode Jim invites Becky Masterman to discuss the lasting impact of Dr. Walter Rothenbuhler’s seminal research on honey bee hygienic behavior. His work, which has been a bedrock in the field of apiculture, sheds light on the genetic foundations of disease resistance among honey bees,...
Transfers and Cutouts (151)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - November 02, 2023 10:00 - 18 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsBeekeeping is not always as straightforward as hive inspections and honey extraction. When bees decide to set up shop in places beyond the traditional hive box, it requires specialized techniques and knowledge to safely and ethically relocate them. When beekeepers set up plain boxes (not the s...
Dealing With Quirky Queens (150)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - October 26, 2023 10:00 - 19 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn the intricate realm of beekeeping, the queen bee reigns supreme, yet she remains a mysterious figure for many beekeepers. Join Jim as he welcomes Anne Frey, the head beekeeper of Betterbee, to delve into the fascinating world of Queen Quirks: Unusual Phenomena in Queen Bees. Jim and Anne sh...
Honey Bees and Native Bees (149)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - October 19, 2023 10:00 - 22 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsIn this episode, Jim, is joined by guest, Eugene Makovec, the editor of The American Bee Journal, to dissect the emotionally charged debate that's capturing the attention of beekeepers everywhere: Do honey bees harm native bees? This intriguing question unfolds as a complex ecological issue, lac...
Dealing With Fall Equipment (148)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - October 12, 2023 10:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsAfter all of the nectar has flowed, the honey spun and you’re just waiting to put the bees to bed for the winter, you might look around at the clutter of equipment in your bee yard, bouncing in the back of your bee truck or shoved aside in the bee hut. Is there a better way to store that equipme...
Barrel Hives with Jerry Hayes (147)
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast - October 05, 2023 10:00 - 20 minutes ★★★★★ - 100 ratingsThis week, Jerry Hayes sits in with Jim while Kim is out. In this episode, Jerry talks about one of the most unusual hive designs he's ever built and worked with... a hive made out of a old 55-gallon drum. We know honey bees will build their nests just about anywhere... but is this practical? ...
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