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 fight its spread. EFB is misunderstood and not heavily researched, but as we’ve been learning (listen to our episode with Dr. Andony Melanthopoulos for additional...

In today’s episode of Beekeeping Today Podcast, we delve deep into the intricate world of honey bees and the environmental challenges they face. Today, we are honored to chat with Dr. Judy Wu-Smart, who leads the bee lab  at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her extensive research on pesticides' effects on bee health caught our attention and we knew you would benefit from the discussion. Dr. Wu-Smart sheds light on the complex interactions between honey bees and various pesticides,...

In today’s episode, Jeff and Becky chat with Chris Hiatt, the President of the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA). AHPA, with a history dating back to its establishment in 1969, has been a cornerstone of the beekeeping community. Their mission has always revolved around advocating for beekeepers and the honey industry, and they've consistently upheld this commitment. The AHPA has played a pivotal role in advancing the beekeeping industry, with a primary focus on the needs and...

In pop culture, beekeepers are generally portrayed as quirky side characters. There are exceptions, of course. The movie Ullee's Gold with Peter Fonda, comes to mind, as does The Secret Life of Bees, first as a novel and later a movie. Now, there is a new book where both bees and an entomologist are the subject, victim, and heros! Today, author and screenwriter, David Boito, join Jeff and Becky to talk about his newly released book, Bee Conspiracy. David talks about why he chose the...

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 transparency, they can be a source of confusion within the beekeeping community. As we will hear, these differences can be particularly vexing for beekeepers who sell their...

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. Al developed this hobby as a passion project, a way to learn new skills and contribute to the environment. As a bonus, he now has an outlet that benefits his mental well-being!  Al...

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 constructing bear fences. Fall is a time when all animals across the Northern Hemisphere prepare for the coming winter. Many find our carefully maintained bee colonies a great sweet energy source… with a crunchy coating. OR… there...

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 legislation impacting beekeepers at the state as well as national level. For those interested in science-backed beekeeping...

On this week’s episode we welcome beekeeper, YouTube influencer and conference organizer Kamon Reynolds. Kamon’s YouTube channel provides viewers factual and entertaining looks at managing honey bees, product reviews and interviews. There are many different beekeeping Youtube channels, and Kamon’s is one of the best. In today’s show, he tells us how it all got started. Also today, he talks about the new North American Honey Bee Expo, set for early January in Louisville, Kentucky. The NAHBE...

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 beekeeper. We chat about their book as well as their approach to beekeeping which places emphasis on a system of management that works with the honey bee as opposed to against it,...

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 hives are very much like the traditional Langstroth hives, which are vertical stacks of boxes, except horizontal hives are only one box high and about three boxes long. The very best thing about...

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, Varroa Management Guide. Varroa management is a very serious problem for beekeepers around the world. Sadly, varroa was just found in Australia this year with devastating consequences as hundreds, if not...

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 an important show coming up for you today. We talk with Becky Masterman of the Minnesota Honey Producers Association and commercial beekeeper, and good friend of the podcast, John Miller, to talk about the Bee and...

Etienne Tardif and Ron Miksha join us today to talk about the Western Apicultural Society 2023 Conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Listen in as they talk about all that’s going to be happening and everything you wanted to know about this year’s WAS meeting, highlighting the topic Northern Lights Beekeeping This year, the conference is at the Gray Eagle Resort and Casino in Calgary, Canada. There will be a swarm of speakers on any topic you can think of, multiple workshops, a trade show...

On today’s podcast, we talk with third generation Australian commercial beekeeper, Victor Croker. When we caught up with Victor, he was in the States promoting his new EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) hive system developed with his experience of over the past 40 years of moving beehives around Eastern Australia. His beekeeping business centers on producing over 330,000 pounds of honey and pollinating almonds and other crops each season. Victor and his beekeeping partner started to experiment with...

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 does of a gel beekeepers can place in their hives between honey flows, or after the honey season is over. It is considered a flash treatment...

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. Becky Masterman has been on the podcast before and we enjoy having her back to discuss the USDA-ARS NP-305. The NP-305 sets the research priorities for the USDA-ARS for the next five years. Right now and...

In today's episode, we have two guests, both deep in the promotion of honey and honey bees.  First up, Jeff talks with Allison Hager, the 2023 American Honey Princess, and then we talk with Keith Seiz, of the National Honey Board (NHB) and how they are promoting the use of honey and how this benefits beekeepers across the United States. First up, we learn about the American Beekeeping Federation Honey Queen program. This program selects an ambassador to represent the beekeeping industry,...

In today’s episode, we welcome back Dr. Andony Melathopoulos of Oregon State University. In this episode, Andony talks about the dual concerns surrounding European Foulbrood (EFB) and the ongoing debate between native bees and honey bees on public lands. EFB, a highly contagious bacterial disease, poses a significant threat to honey bee populations and the beekeeping industry. Andony works with beekeepers who deal with EFB as they pull their bees out of pollination of Oregon’s blueberry crop...

On today’s show, Jeff chats with Max Cherney and Nico Coallier. Max is the Chief Operating Officer and Nico the Principal Data Scientist of Nectar Technologies. Max joined us back in Season 4, along with Washington State University’s Dr. Rae Olson.  The combination of Nectar’s products: a NFC/QR tag, portable app and a management portal helps the owner manage their operation with a single comprehensive view. Max and Nico join us from their Montreal base, but they spend most of the season...

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 a pesticide-free approach protecting crops including citrus, nut, vine and vegetable using a technique called ‘mating disruption’. Amelia works primarily with Almond and citrus growers...

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– thanks to you, our listeners. So, this is not a celebration of BTP as much as it is a celebration of you and your support! Thank you! If it is the start of a new BTP season, then it must also mean that it is the kickoff of Pollinator...

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 refers to the practice of preserving and storing surplus queen bees for use later in the season. This process allows queen breeders (both backyard and commercial) to...

“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 Carolina), Tracy Alarcon (Ohio), Jay Williams(Tennessee), Ed Colby (Colorado), Duane Combs (Arizona) and Paul Longwell (Washington) to talk about their past winter season, the challenges they faced in their...

In today’s episode, we talk with Dr. Robyn Underwood of Penn State’s Lopez-Uribe Lab. We’ve invited Robyn as she has researched and written about the Spotted Lantern Fly and how its presence can impact honey production. Have you ever tasted your honey and thought was a bit off, or perhaps… way off?  Maybe even awful?  If you are along the East Coast of the United States and now even parts of the Midwest… check to see if you have the Spotted Lantern Fly in your State and locale. If you do...