Episode 152 – The Bee Buzz (27): Spring Beekeeping Q&A 🐝

We wrap up our three-part Bee Buzz Q&A series with a big one — covering everything from screen bottom boards and queen excluders to robbing behavior, swarm cells, spring mite counts, aggressive bees, and more. Plus, a quick family update from graduation weekend, a pickup mission to Kentucky, and the latest with Howard the cat (who now demands an intro shoutout). This is a packed episode with over 20 questions answered.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• When to do your first mite wash after installing packages
• Queen cells: how to tell the difference (and what to actually do)
• Is a loud hive a sign of danger?
• Should I be worried if one new package is way more active than another?
• Robbing, screen bottom boards, and entrance reducer strategy
• Late spring brood levels, swarm triggers, and inspection timing
• Best mite treatment strategies for early season
• And yes — why the queen excluder can go on anytime

Why Listen to This Episode:

This is the kind of episode you revisit every spring. Whether you're installing new bees, spotting queen cells, worried about brood patterns, or just trying to stay one step ahead of swarming season — this Q&A hits the key questions every new (and not-so-new) beekeeper runs into.

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About the Podcast:

Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 2% podcast with over 500,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what doesn’t in real-world beekeeping.