Beekeeping at FiveApple

Hope you enjoy this podcast geek out on pollen and its uses in the hive and how critical it is to the colony's success.

Patrons: If you have any portions you would enjoy knowing more about, just let …

Today I'll tell you the unfortunate bear story and how the hives are doing...then, the full episode continues on Patreon with the bonus audio I've promised patrons:  an explainer on how the age distr…

It's my least favorite month of beekeeping, August, aka Grumpy Bee Month. Here are some tips to help you and the bees get through it the best we all can. Kind regards to you all and patrons, you keep…

Ep 136 Post-conference ramble

A few thoughts after a day of the NC State Beekeepers Association summer conference day last Saturday / Back Care Tips / Details of the why and how of feeding in summer-…

Part 2 of a radio-reader episode of Kayla deJong's March 2024 article on the division of labor in a colony. It's fascinating to remember the many roles the bees move through in a lifetime!

If you are…

A radio-reader episode of Kayla deJong's article in American Bee Journal March 2024 on the division of labor in a colony. It's fascinating to remember the many roles the bees move through in a lifeti…

Ep 133 Queen Excluders: the good the bad etc--

A wonderful patron asked that I talk about the pros and cons of using queen excluders so that is the subject of today's episode.  Detailed show notes (a…

Springtime greetings to you all!  Part one of today's episode is a chat on the evolution of how I keep records in my own apiary, in hopes there may be helpful ideas for your own. Then part two is a w…

This episodes concludes the series on splits, with the best saved for last: The Reverse Doolittle, aka The Cutdown. (Best for intermediate beekeepers. ) Also, a review of split dynamics for beginners…

Talking today about the handy and easy Nuc (or Retirement Nuc) split; using a quiet box; making and using a Doolittle Box....with a printable PDFs on making a Nucleus Split and a Doolittle box exclus…

With some swarm prevention skills, you can better time your splits! Patrons, the printable of the notes/links on this episode can be downloaded on the Patreon post. Thank you all for your support! Le…

Patron "Show Me Bees" from Missouri asked that I talk about the ins and outs of running all 8-frame mediums. So in today's episode I do. :-) 

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Telling the recent story of how my apiary was saved by bee friends after a tree fell right over the middle of it. Ed and Jim, you saved the day. Plus a reminder to keep an eye on your hive's stores a…

A couple things the bees do with propolis I forgot to mention in the episode: embalming hive intruders, fencing in hive beetles! Bee caulk is amazing. Links collected over at Patreon on the post:

• Th…

Tips and thoughts on starting with packages for the first time, or starting again after winter loss. Patron exclusive links over at patreon.com/fiveapple

• Kamon Reynolds showing both ways to install …

Ep 124 Better (than caging) Brood Breaks

Diving into why there are better options (imo) than caging a queen to create a brood break for mite reduction. Exclusive show notes and links to the things me…

Some reflection on the past year's bee season and things I'd like to continue with (and get better at) in the new season to come. Show notes for patrons with links for stuff mentioned in this episode…

A deeper dive into the why and how of the insulation setup I started using several years ago, the condensing-hive concept. For the patrons, find the links to everything mentioned in the show, and the…

The first portion is about bees and the ups and downs of Fall care. Then in a change of subject, I want to tell you about what happened in my little section of Western NC in the floods of Hurricane H…

Fall prep list (120) How can it be September already?!? In this episode I go through my own fall prep list and considerations.

WELCOME new patrons Sam, Phil, Taylor and Missy! Thank you so much for j…