The USDA has recently approved the 1st vaccination for Honey Bees! This specific vaccination is to help colonies guard against AFB infections, also know as American Foulbrood disease. Tune in now to hear Nathalie and John's take on this new concept for beekeeping! (Original Air Date: Jan 11th, 2023)
John and Nathalie are back to kick off the new year with a bang! But, unfortunately John has experienced another setback in his beekeeping journey... as have a few others out there in Bee Land. Plus, the pair tackle a listener question about whether a hive population is too big to be condensed down. Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: Jan 4th, 2023)
Just in time for Christmas, the gang is all back together to bring you the 2023 year in review! Catch up with John, Nathalie and Ken as they recap the stats from the podcast over the last year.
Just in time for the Holiday weekend, Nathalie and John are up early and decked out in their holiday PJs to bring you one final Beekeeper Chat for 2022. The pair recap some of the past episodes from this year, as well as theorizing what the new year might hold for each of them. Tune in now and help us wrap up 2022! P.S. From all of us here at The Hive Jive, we wish you and yours a very happy, warm, and safe holiday season! P.S.S. John apologizes in advance, again, for not having the correct mic ...
Today John and Nathalie discuss a hot button issue on the pros and cons of Honey Queen/Princess programs at the various levels of local clubs to national associations. While there are many benefits to such programs, could some aspects be a bit outdated... and potentially undermine the whole point of the program? Tune in now to hear some honest opinions from two people who have been in the middle of such programs... *And John apologizes in advance for not having the correct mic turned on... (Orig...
This week Nathalie and John discuss the touchy subject of volunteering at the different levels of various bee associations and clubs. From the local town club, to county clubs, and state associations, there can be a very drastic range of options, commitments, and personalities to deal with. Have you ever volunteered to help out your favorite bee club? Do you want to? Should you? Tune in now to learn more, but brace yourself as this could be a sticky subject! (Original Air Date: Dec 14th, 2022)...
Today Nathalie and John discuss some of the ways you can rekindle the spark you originally felt that can help you reconnect and remind you why you love beekeeping so much. We all have frustrations from time to time, and we can feel at a loss, or defeated. So how does one pull themselves back up from that? Tune in now to hear our favorite things about beekeeping, and methods we use to help reignite that spark! (Original Air Date: Dec 7th, 2022)
John and Nathalie take a stroll down memory lane and share a few stories from their past experiences that are both humorous, as well as great examples of why we always need to be aware of our surroundings when doing beekeeping. We tend to become very focused on the bees themselves and can often forget that there are other things lurking that could cause us some unexpected issues. Tune in now to learn more.. (Original Air Date: 11/30/22)
For today's Beekeeper Chat, Nathalie and John go back and revisit a topic that John and Ken originally covered on a bonus episode back in September of 2020 regarding a Thymol Entrance Portal. It has been a couple of years, and this product, now called HiveGuard, is nearing the end of it's testing trials and is said to be releasing to the public in the coming months. Has John's opinion of this device and its treatment method changed over the years? And, how does Nathalie feel about the concept of...
The first cold snap of winter for 2022 has finally arrived and it has John questioning what has really changed with beekeeping over the last century. Join us as Nathalie and John discuss whether or not he core concept is really any different today than it was way back when. Plus, get some updates about recent changes, and some insights into John's recent Hive Insulation video. (Original Air Date: 11/16/22)
For this week's beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John discuss different ways that they have improvised various aspects of their beekeeping practices. This type of 'out of the box' thinking can come in handy in a pinch, and just might save the day. Tune in now to learn more, and let us know some of your own improvised tricks! (Original Air Date: 11/9/22)
In today's Beekeeper Chat, Nathalie and John discuss some new and exciting research revolving around honey bee swarms. Plus, a few other odd occurrences in beekeeping news from around the world. Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: Nov 2nd, 2022)
We should always strive to keep learning, putting ourselves out there, and gaining new experiences. So, for this week's Beekeeper Chat, Nathalie details some details about her recent trip to Missouri for a beekeeping seminar, and her takeaways from the experience. Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: Oct 26th, 2022)
We all have those moments, some more than others, when we have the best of intentions to get something accomplished... but it can wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow becomes next week, or even next month. In beekeeping we often have these moments as other distractions seem to take precedence. However, there are times when things really can't be put off. And, in those instances, if we ignore our responsibility and things go awry... we can only blame ourselves. Tune in now to hear more and have a laugh ...
Do imported Honey Bees actually outcompete our Native Bees? This week Nathalie and John approach this evolving question first from a rational standpoint, and then start digging in deeper with a little bit of scientific backing. Could we be unknowingly be doing a disservice to our local environment? Are there ways we can help to offset the issue if there truly is a problem? Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: Oct 5th, 2022)
Clearly there was no clear path for this week's Beekeeper Chat as the pair jump from topic to topic with their only goal being to try and stay focused on Bees! John gives an update on his two hives, and the status of the colony from the bear attack. They also discuss the initial plans on how to help overwinter this colony with a modification of the topbar conversion hive, and John points out that the bees agree with him on some of the flaws with the molded plastic nuc boxes. Plus, a new article ...
Today Nathalie and John discuss the pros and cons of both being a mentor, and being an apprentice. As with anything, you get out of it what you put into it, and it all starts with choosing wisely. Have you ever considered apprenticing along with someone, or do you have what it takes to be a mentor to someone else? Tune in now to learn more about how to make the best of these experiences regardless which role you find yourself in... (Original Air Date: Sept 14th, 2022)
For today's beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John discuss new research into h. saltator ant queens which is helping to reveal how queens in a superorganism are able to sustain such long lifespans. With ants, termites, and honey bees being so closely related, could this also help to shed light on why our own queen bees are able to live for so long despite the great energy demand of constantly reproducing offspring? Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: Sept 7th, 2022)
In today's beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John discuss the pros and cons of attempting to give a hive more ventilation during a heatwave, and John gives us an update on the Bear situation. Plus, the pair discuss a "What If" scenario where someday there might be a mite treatment that has zero negative effects on the bees themselves. Would that change things, and would it actually be beneficial to the bees? (Original Air Date: Aug 31st, 2022)
John gives us a recap on what has transpired over the last 12 days. He and Nathalie discuss what beekeeping would be like without your sense of smell. Also, the Black Bear! (Original Air Date: Aug 24th, 2022)
We all have our challenges as we first start our beekeeping journey, but it might surprise you to know that even long seasoned and experienced beekeepers still have challenges that we face on a regular basis. This can change from year to year and person to person, but there is always something new to learn or a challenge to overcome. Tune in now to learn what current challenges face John and Nathalie in their own practices... (Original Air Date: Aug 10th, 2022)
Can you use a Tangential Extractor to get honey from a Topbar Comb without destroying the comb? This week, Nathalie and John discuss the tricks and patience that would be needed to pull off such a feat. Plus, is extracting the honey to save the comb for the bees really worth all the effort? Tune in now to find out... (Original Air Date: Aug 3rd, 2022)
For this week's beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John discuss a research paper written by Emily Nordic and James Ellis on the efficacy of pollen substitutes in honey bee colonies. You can read the article yourself prior to listening, or tune in now to hear their thoughts on this pollen sub-ject. (Original Air Date: July 27th, 2022)
For this week's beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John talk about the far futuristic technology that has been conceptualized over the last few years. From Robotic Bees to Robotic Bee Vehicles, and even fully autonomous AI powered mega bee buildings, the possibilities seem endless. But, are these future concepts really solving a problem, or perhaps creating their own unintended consequences? Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: July 20,2022)
In today's Beekeeper Chat, John and Nathalie continue their discussion about the unfolding situation in Australia with the introduction of the Varroa Mite. This time the pair take a look at a recent article (link below) that implies the mites could be used as a biological weapon against feral honey bee colonies since the bees themselves could be considered an invasive species. What would the repercussions be for such an action? Tune in now to hear our beekeeper's opinions on the matter... (Origi...
In June of 2022 the unthinkable happened... Varroa Mites were detected in New South Whales, Australia. Nathalie and John talk about what this could mean for our friends down-under, and the impacts it has already had for a few local beekeepers in the area. Is there anything that can be done, or is this the beginning of the end for the last refuge from Varroa Destructor? (Original Air Date: June 29th, 2022)
For today's Beekeeper Chat, Nathalie and John tackle a beekeeper question based off of the recent "Ticking Timebomb" episode. John also gives an update on his new hives and the pair cover a few random extra topics to finish out the chat. Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: June 22nd, 2022)
Today Nathalie and John go a bit further into the methods they are currently using to naturally convert a colony living in a Langstroth Hive over into a TopBar hive. John has put one of Nathalie's first conversion methods to the test and is already having results. The pair discuss some key points to keep in mind, plus Nathalie has a few other conversion ideas she is planning for future experimentation. Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: June 15th, 2022)
In this week's beekeeper chat, Nathalie and John feel like there might be something fishy in the air. John gives an update on his Apiary and re-introduction to bees, and the pair discuss how crucial it is to pay attention to descriptive words on honey labels lest you end up buying something fishy. Oh, yeah, and Bees are Fish too! **Correction: In the first portion of this episode John is talking about his battle with Carpenter Ants. After comparing them to Wood Ants, he then accidentally interch...
In this week's beekeeper chat, John gives Nathalie some scenarios that can be encountered during a hot summer dearth so that she can detail how she would personally approach each scenario. Topics include shrinking colonies, the presence of wax moth larvae, and missing queens. Tune in now to learn more... (Original Air Date: July 13th, 2020)
