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Beekeeping Today Podcast

Beekeeping Today Podcast

By: Jeff Ott Becky Masterman
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The weekly podcast bringing beekeepers the latest news, research, and insights on honey bees. Hosted by Jeff Ott and Dr. Becky Masterman, each episode features conversations with beekeepers, scientists, authors, and industry leaders. Whether you're just starting your first hive or managing hundreds, you'll find practical tips, fresh perspectives, and engaging stories to inspire your beekeeping journey.2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC All Rights Reserved Science
Episodes
  • Bee Science with Dewey Caron: Honey Bee Domestication

    Bee Science with Dewey Caron: Honey Bee Domestication
    21 Oct 2026
    Have humans truly domesticated the honey bee? In this Bee Science Short, Dr. Dewey Caron looks at that question through the history of honey bee breeding and the growing interest in locally adapted stock. Dewey explains that honey bees don't fit neatly into the same domestication category as cattle, chickens, or dogs. Managed colonies can swarm and survive as feral populations, yet generations of beekeepers have clearly selected for traits such as gentleness, hygienic behavior, productivity, and appearance. He then traces changes in bee breeding from imported Italian bees and early queen-rearing systems to hybrid lines and today's commercial queen industry. A major focus is genetic diversity and genotype-environment interaction: the idea that bee stock adapted to one environment may perform differently somewhere else. Dewey reviews COLOSS research in Europe in which locally adapted colonies showed better survival, strength, and productivity than non-local stock under the conditions tested. BSD-11 - Domestication He closes with examples of U.S. efforts to maintain or develop locally adapted, mite-resistant, and survivor stock — and leaves beekeepers with an ongoing question: should we continue moving selected genetics widely, or place greater emphasis on bees adapted to local conditions? Notes and references: Cobey, Susan, W.S, Sheppard and Dave Tarpy, 2011. Status of Breeding Practices and Genetic Diversity in Domestic U.S. Honey Bees. IN Honey Bee Colony Health, Chapter 4. CRC (Routledge). Meixner, M. D., Büchler, R., Costa, C., Francis, R., Hatjina, F., Kryger, P., Uzunov, A. & Carreck, N. L. (2014) Honey bee genotypes and the environment, Journal of Apicultural Research, 53:2,183–187, https://doi.org/10.3896/IBRA.1.53.2.01. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3896/ Meixner, M.D., Büchler, R., Costa, C., Andonov, S., Bienkowska, M., Bouga, M., Filipi, J.,Hatjina, F., Ivanova, E., Kezic, N., Kryger, P., Le Conte, Y., Panasiuk, B., Petrov, P., Ruottinen, L., Uzunov, A., Wilde, J. (2015) Looking for "the Best Bee". An experiment about interactions between origin and environment of honey bee strains in Europe. Amer. Bee J, June 663–666. https://bluetoad.com/publication/?m=5417&i=257867&p=66&ver=html5 Büchler, R., Uzunov, A., Costa, C., Meixner, M., Le Conte, Y., Mondet, F., Kovačić, M., Andonov, S., Carreck, N.L., Dimitrov, L., Basso, B., Bienkowska, M., Dall'Olio, R., Hatjina, F., Wirtz, U. (2022) EurBeST—a pilot study testing varroa resistant bees under commercial beekeeping conditions. American Bee Journal 162(2):213. https://doi.org/10.2762/470707. https://bluetoad.com/publication/?m=541 Cecilia Costa, Marina Meixner, Norman Carreck, Aleksandar Uzunov and Ralph Büchler 2025. Sustainable Honey Bee Breeding: A Scientific Guide for Future Beekeeping. Springer Thomas D. Seeley, David R. TARPY, Sean R. Griffin, Angela Carcione and Deborah A. Delaney. 2015. A survivor population of wild colonies of European honeybees in the northeastern United States: investigating its genetic. Apidologie (2015) 46:654–666. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-015-0355-0 Sustainable Beekeepers Guild of Michigan https://sbgmi.org/queenportal ______________ Brought to you by Betterbee – your partners in better beekeeping. Betterbee is the presenting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com _______________ We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments in the show notes of this episode or: questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com Thank you for listening! Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents; Epilogue by Musicalman; Faraday by BeGun; Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus; A Fresh New Start by Pete Morse; Wedding Day by Boomer; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; Red Jack Blues by Daniel Hart; Bolero de la Fontero by Rimsky Music; Perfect Sky by Graceful Movement; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott. Beekeeping Today Podcast is an audio production of Growing Planet Media, LLC ** As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC
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    23 min
  • Live from the Pacific Northwest Beekeeping Conference: Varroa, Invasives, and Winter Prep (407)

    Live from the Pacific Northwest Beekeeping Conference: Varroa, Invasives, and Winter Prep (407)
    19 Oct 2026
    Recorded live at the Pacific Northwest Beekeeping Conference in Wenatchee, Washington, this episode brings together five experienced voices for a fast-moving discussion of some of the biggest issues facing beekeepers today. Jeff Ott moderates a panel featuring Adam Pachl, Dr. David Peck, Dr. Brandon Hopkins, Kamon Reynolds, and Fred Dunn. The conversation begins with a familiar question: after nearly 40 years of Varroa in the United States, are we actually making progress? The panel looks at resistant stock, improved management strategies, RNAi technology, and the reality that Varroa will likely remain part of beekeeping for years to come. The discussion then turns to invasive pests and the importance of vigilance in port states such as Washington, including Tropilaelaps and invasive hornets. Panelists emphasize that local clubs and individual beekeepers can play an important role in early detection and monitoring. Audience questions bring practical issues to the forefront: creating brood breaks, queen caging, pheromones, warm winters, mite-treatment choices, amitraz resistance, oxalic acid, and the limitations of current Varroa monitoring methods. The panel closes with one simple challenge: go home, look carefully at your colonies, prepare them for winter, and keep learning from the bees. Websites from the episode and others we recommend: Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.orgProject Apis m. (PAm): https://www.projectapism.orgThe National Honey Board: https://honey.comHoney Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC ______________ Betterbee is the presenting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com This episode is brought to you by Global Patties! Global offers a variety of standard and custom patties. Visit them today at http://globalpatties.com and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode! As a beekeeper, you want products that benefit you and your bees. When you choose Premier Bee Products, you choose hive components that are healthier for bees and more productive for you. Because we believe that in beekeeping, details make all the difference. Premier Bee Products: Better for bees. Better for beekeepers. Use promo code PODCAST for 10% off your next online order. Thanks to Strong Microbials for their support of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Find out more about their line of probiotics in our Season 3, Episode 12 episode and from their website: https://www.strongmicrobials.com HiveIQ is revolutionizing the way beekeepers manage their colonies with innovative, insulated hive systems designed for maximum colony health and efficiency. Their hives maintain stable temperatures year-round, reduce stress on the bees, and are built to last using durable, lightweight materials. Whether you're managing two hives or two hundred, HiveIQ's smart design helps your bees thrive while saving you time and effort. Learn more at HiveIQ.com. We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies. Thanks for Northern Bee Books for their support. Northern Bee Books is the publisher of bee books available worldwide from their website or from Amazon and bookstores everywhere. They are also the publishers of The Beekeepers Quarterly and Natural Bee Husbandry. Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of Honey Bee Obscura. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com _______________ We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments in the show notes of this episode or: questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com Thank you for listening! Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents; Epilogue by Musicalman; Faraday by BeGun; Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus; A Fresh New Start by Pete Morse; Wedding Day by Boomer; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; Red Jack Blues by Daniel Hart; Bolero de la Fontero by Rimsky Music; Perfect Sky by Graceful Movement; I'm Not Running Away This Time by Max Brodie; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott. Beekeeping Today Podcast is an audio production of Growing Planet Media, LLC ** As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC
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    59 min
  • The Honey Bee and Climate Change with Dr. Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman (406)

    The Honey Bee and Climate Change with Dr. Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman (406)
    12 Oct 2026
    How is a changing climate reshaping the way honey bee colonies grow, forage, and survive winter? Dr. Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman returns to Beekeeping Today Podcast to discuss her new book, The Honey Bee and Climate Change, and what nearly four decades of honey bee research have taught her about the connections among climate, nutrition, Varroa, and colony survival. Gloria explains how unusually warm fall and winter weather can keep bees flying later in the year, changing colony age structure while extending opportunities for Varroa mites to move among colonies. At the same time, heat and drought can alter flowering periods and reduce both the quantity and nutritional quality of pollen and nectar available to bees. The conversation explores the annual nutritional cycle of the colony, the differences between summer and winter bees, and why fall pollen can be so important for successful overwintering. Gloria also discusses research into cold-storage overwintering as one possible response to increasingly unpredictable fall conditions. Finally, Jeff, Becky, and Gloria look at what beekeepers can do now: improve access to diverse forage, monitor and control Varroa carefully, consider mite-resistant stock, and recognize that yesterday's reliable management calendar may not always fit tomorrow's conditions. Websites from the episode and others we recommend: Gloria's book on Climate Change and Honey Bees at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Vuipui Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.orgProject Apis m. (PAm): https://www.projectapism.orgThe National Honey Board: https://honey.comHoney Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC ______________ Betterbee is the presenting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com This episode is brought to you by Global Patties! Global offers a variety of standard and custom patties. Visit them today at http://globalpatties.com and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode! As a beekeeper, you want products that benefit you and your bees. When you choose Premier Bee Products, you choose hive components that are healthier for bees and more productive for you. Because we believe that in beekeeping, details make all the difference. Premier Bee Products: Better for bees. Better for beekeepers. Use promo code PODCAST for 10% off your next online order. Thanks to Strong Microbials for their support of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Find out more about their line of probiotics in our Season 3, Episode 12 episode and from their website: https://www.strongmicrobials.com HiveIQ is revolutionizing the way beekeepers manage their colonies with innovative, insulated hive systems designed for maximum colony health and efficiency. Their hives maintain stable temperatures year-round, reduce stress on the bees, and are built to last using durable, lightweight materials. Whether you're managing two hives or two hundred, HiveIQ's smart design helps your bees thrive while saving you time and effort. Learn more at HiveIQ.com. We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies. Thanks for Northern Bee Books for their support. Northern Bee Books is the publisher of bee books available worldwide from their website or from Amazon and bookstores everywhere. They are also the publishers of The Beekeepers Quarterly and Natural Bee Husbandry. Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of Honey Bee Obscura. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com _______________ We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments in the show notes of this episode or: questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com Thank you for listening! Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents; Epilogue by Musicalman; Faraday by BeGun; Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus; A Fresh New Start by Pete Morse; Wedding Day by Boomer; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; Red Jack Blues by Daniel Hart; Bolero de la Fontero by Rimsky Music; Perfect Sky by Graceful Movement; I'm Not Running Away This Time by Max Brodie; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott. Beekeeping Today Podcast is an audio production of Growing Planet Media, LLC ** As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC
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    52 min
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