Honey Bee Obscura Podcast

Imagine this… you walk out to your beeyard. There is a lot of activity. No problem. That's good right? Probably a nectar flow, you think. But as you get closer, there is something else going on… more frantic, more commotion, more… frenetic; All directed at one or two hives. There are hundreds of bees trying to get into those hives, through any available crack and crevice. Bees are all over in the...

Have you ever tried to capture a swarm while hanging on to the top of a 10-foot ladder that's standing in the back of a pickup? No? Well, Jim Tew has and he'll tell you all about retrieving swarms this week. Kim Flottum has a story about Richard Taylor walking into the middle of a swarm issuing from a hive, reaching up and catching the queen! No, really! It happened! If you are a beekeeper, swarms...

How much space do bees need inside a beehive? Well, it's between 3/16" and 5/16", so you can figure just about a quarter inch should do.  But what happens when bees don't have bee space in a beehive? Propolis is what happens: Tighter than a drum if it's too small and full of burr and brace comb if it's too big. Make it just right for the bees and they'll make it right for you! Are there difference...

When you have more bees at home than you want, or your family wants, or your neighbors want, it's time to find an outyard. There's a lot to consider when choosing an outyard. There are many things to consider, such as: Are you able to get there in all seasons? Does your family knows where it is so they can find you if your truck or car won't start? What about access? Are there gates? Combinations...

Everybody who has bees at some time will have to requeen a colony. You killed her when moving frames, she quit laying, a colony that swarmed didn't make a queen, you stepped on her when she fell off the frame. It happens… and now you have to requeen that colony. If she's gone it's easier than if she's there. If she's there, you got to find and replace her. Right, find her first. Good luck with tha...

A smoker is that extra hand you always need when working bees. It's the right tool for the job. But how smokers get used is mostly influenced by what the beekeeper is doing whether you are working hard, fast and in a hurry, or easy going, slow and gentle. Each approach demands different behaviors and different amounts of smoke. What about smoker fuels? Certainly, what's available helps decide what...

If you need or want to get some honey bees this spring, the two traditional means are to get a 3-pound package or a (usually) 5 frame nucleus colony. There are advantages and disadvantages to both and like so many things in beekeeping – it depends on the situation of which might be a better choice. Packages aren't cheap, and they are slower to develop, which is good for a less experienced beekeepe...

So, you just built brand new wooden hive boxes, tops and bottoms. It all sure looks nice, doesn't it? How do you keep it from rotting, falling apart or just wearing out? For many beekeepers using white latex paint on their equipment is the go-to. But for some, painting isn't on the agenda this season. Painting takes time and colors can vary. Is it OK to use different colors different sized supers?...

What beekeepers choose to wear for protection is determined by many factors. Kim and Jim explore several of the most influential choices today when talking about Protective Gear. Choices are mostly determined by what you have and what you will be doing during any particular visit. Or is it? Do you need to wear the same gear for a quick inspection as you do for moving hives? What about gloves? What...

Kim and Jim trade notes of the things about bees and beekeeping that are fun, enjoyable, educational and generous. It's about honey, gardens, a spring day, being an expert, capturing swarms and the things that work well when you work hard. The pluses outweigh the minuses, every time. __________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast ....

When you look at a hive, you will see many different variations in hive equipment, components, tools and things to "make the beekeeper's job easier". So, what kind of equipment do you use? In this episode, Kim and Jim talk about covers and the rocks we put on them, inner covers, queen excluders, slatted racks and all kinds of bottom boards. It's amazing how much stuff beekeepers use. Listen today!...

Checking your colonies on a cold, snowy, winter day isn't something you probably want to do, but colonies in our care need to be looked after – no matter the season. How and what you can and cannot check depend on where your bees are. A cold and blustery northeast Ohio is where Kim and Jim are today, but what about warmer places, like far southern Alabama, where Jim used to live? Kim and Jim explo...

Once you look at it, managing your space is probably the biggest challenge most beekeepers have. You have more bee equipment inside in the winter than the summer. What do you do with all of it? And once processing honey gets started, and done… what do you do with it all? Figure this out and keeping bees gets a lot less challenging. __________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet M...

Of course, it's best to leave enough food on going into winter so the bees don't get stressed or starve, but sometimes that isn't in the equation. You take too much honey or they simply didn't make enough during the summer. Then what? Several possibilities – fondant can work, sometimes or simply putting dry sugar on the inner cover or sugar blocks or what's probably best, sharing honey from coloni...

Honey Bee Obscura is a brand new podcast focusing solely on honey bees and honey bee management. In fact... all things honey bees. Join each week as former Bee Culture editor and current cohost of Beekeeping Today Podcast, Kim Flottum and long time Bee Culture contributor and former OSU Extension Specialist, Dr. Jim Tew meet to explore and discuss important topics important to beekeepers everywher...