The Hive Jive - Beekeeping Podcast

This might surprise you, but the answer to all of your questions is Drones.  Yep!  You might not have even know that you were asking a question, but the answer is still Drones.  Drones are the key to a lot of crucial decisions both for a colony and a beekeeper this time of year.  But how do you know when you have a sufficient number of drones to start making those decisions?  Well, get our your ca...

Spring is approaching for some sooner rather than others, and they guys are scheming and plotting what their first moves should be coming out of this winter.  However, what are some of the things to consider before you start taking any actual actions with your colonies?  Tune now to find out… Plus, its time for the first segment of our Natural Beekeeping Corner with Nathalie B!

The guys poke their heads out for the first time after the historic winter blast that nearly crippled Texas.  Did all their colonies survive?  Only time will tell as the ice and snow begins to melt and the guys are able to finally get out and do some initial evaluations to see what possible losses they might be facing.  Plus, its time for Ken’s first Cooking Corner segment!

Though most of the northern U.S. has already been in the grips of winter for a while, a Polar Vortex has plunged everyone into a deep freeze unlike anything those of us in the far south have experienced in over a decade.  What does this mean for our bees?  Does this type of weather phenomenon affect all colonies across the country the same, or is there more to it than just the drop in temperatures...

The guys are back for their first episode of 2021 and they might just have a few opinions to share.  They discuss the effects of different invasive species and a current push to release the Chinese Flea Beetle in order to eradicate the invasive Chinese Tallow Tree in the Texas and other states in the U.S.  They also introduce a couple of new segments that will become a regular part of this third s...

There may have been a few moments when the mics were still live while the guys catch up with each other over recent events, upcoming projects, and a few strong opinions about some new TV shows.  Tune in now if you'd like to hear some random chatter.

Ken and John sit down for their final main segment episode for 2020 as they ring in the Holiday Season.  We find out who the winners were for Ken's Fruitcakes, as well as discuss an email from down under and talk about possibly building an AZ hive.  Happy Holidays Everyone!

What is an acceptable drop rate during the winter, and how can you tell if finding dead bees at the entrance is normal or a sign of problems inside the hive?  Also, its that time of year again and Ken has succumbed to his fruitcake madness!

Welcome to our first LIVE (at the time of recording at least) Listener Questions episode.  In this installment the guys are joined by Jake from NE, Rachel from Oz, Frank from the UK, and JeffreyAnn, as well as several other members who were listening and chatting along in the comments section during the event.  The guys tackle questions about good balling of queens by worker bees, knowing if you a...

Winter is finally making its first appearance in central Texas with our first freeze on the way.  But, does Ken have his colonies all prepped and ready for the end of the beekeeping season?  Do they have enough food?  Did they get their mite checks done? Treatments?  So many questions, and yet, we are all out of time!

During times of dearth (no food available in nature) honeybees can be highly prone to robbing.  Even the slightest drop of a sugary substance can set off quite the catastrophic chain of events if the beekeeper is not careful.  And, even when all precautions are taken, weak hives can fall victim to a horrific invasion.

It is time for another update from Ken’s self-proclaimed Redneck Brother from Another Mother Down Under… Brett!  Only this time, its LIVE!  Or, well at least it was live when it was being recorded.  Tune in now to hear the abridged version of our first ever Live show with our Australian guests!

They guys are back, but obviously still not fully recovered from their traumatic tasting of the Buckwheat Honey samples.  It very well may have short-circuited a few synapsis as well, seeing as how the guys can’t seem to maintain a single cohesive thought between the two of them.  They touch on many varied topics from their recent honey experiences to some teases about the upcoming live episodes. ...

John and Ken recap a few final thoughts on winter prep and give some last-minute pointers for those of us that may have been procrastinating.  Winter… is coming early!

In this episode we will eventually learn what to do with our wax once we have harvested and uncapped our honeycomb... But first, Ken hijacks the show with some new honey to be tasted.  Tune in now to learn what initial steps you can take to clean and preserve this wax and render it down for future use.

John and Ken are back in the rehearsal studio space this week to tackle some of the recent questions that listeners have sent in over the last few weeks.  But first, they start off with a gift of Sourwood honey that they happily taste… again, and again, and again.  This round we hear questions and feedback from Jeffrie Ann, Darrell S, Amy P, Jamie & Shannon, Blake, Kylie, and James S.  

John and Ken sit down with the Honey Sommelier, C. Marina Marchese, from the American Honey Tasting Society. John has sent Marina a few samples of honey for the group to go through and taste in order to map out the different scents and flavors associated with each. The group sample two versions of spring honey, one from John's main apiary, and another from on top of the hotel in downtown Austin. T...

Spring has sprung down under, and Fall has come again to North America.  That means winter will not be too far behind and it will be hitting the northern states sooner rather than later.  Its time to reflect on the progress each hive has made this year and determine if they are capable of surviving winter on their own, or if it would be better to cut your losses now and potentially combine weaker...

On this episode John is joined by Nathalie Biggie to discuss how the foundations of natural and treatment free beekeeping has formed the basis for all that they do at Bee Mindful.  From the minimalist approach to beekeeping using found and recycled resources, to the reasoning behind what it truly means to be treatment free, this episode covers a wide range of topics that ultimately keeps coming ba...

Ken and John have some big news to share regarding the major changes and transitions the show has recently undertaken.  They are joined by a couple of special, though silent, guests in the recording space today as well and eventually the conversation turns to the importance of fall mite treatments for colony healthy and well-being.  Tune in now to catch up on all the exciting new changes and learn...

Today John sits down with author and reluctant beekeeper, Dave Doroghy.  Dave recently released a new book about his misadventures in beekeeping called “Show Me the Honey – The Adventures of an Accidental Apiarist.”  The guys discuss some of the trials and tribulations that Dave went through after receiving a hive of honeybees as a gift from his sister.  Tune in now to hear Dave tell you from expe...

In this special bonus episode of The Hive Jive, John sits down with Gemma Astley from Homestead Hens and Honey.  The pair talk about how Gemma got started in podcasting, her love for animals big and small, and a few of the adventures and misadventures on the homestead.  From whippets to bees, and chickens to lizards, this episode has it all… even a sorted love affair between a tortoise and ceramic...

In this latest listener questions episode, the guys tackle emails and online submissions from: Asha K, Charli B, Rachel S x2, James (Jimmy P), Jadyn S, Jamie S, Louise J, and Roger T.  Tune in now to see what interesting questions and answers might apply to your own beekeeping adventures!

Though Ken has mentioned it a few times, and a few listeners have also asked about it, the timing for Fall Splits completely slipped John's mind. Where we usually do really well about getting the content out to you just before you need it, we totally dropped the ball on this one. So, tune in now to hear how Fall Splits work, and when you really should start them to ensure the best chances of succe...

The original point of this episode was to talk about some of the natural predators of the Honeybee during the peak of summer. However, first we must due some quick updates from around the world, and then we should probably figure out what the heck B.A.V. stand for exactly.