Mind Your Hives Beekeeping

Happy spring beekeepers! We're talking all things spring on the farm - splitting hives, stopping swarming, some heartbreak, tricky situations, bee math...we're all over the place. We also get to some listener questions, hope you enjoy!This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, we ship all over the US. Soaps, scrubs, serums, wound care, acne fighting, anti-aging...using the power of the honey bee!

We're back and we're planning for the year ahead - spring is so close!! We discuss goals and how we work backwards to accomplish them; new plans around the farm; how farming is in our DNA…and more! Wrapping things up with Herb Corner where Kara Jo discusses the protocol she put together for Greg's shoulder surgery recovery. Enjoy!Check out KaraJoSkinCare.com and help your winter skin! We ship all over the U.S. and appreciate the support.

The Bee Farm is headed into winter. In the midst of a drought and record high temps for October and November, we're doing our best to get these bees ready for whenever winter decides to show up. Lots of farm talk, puppy talk, a ridiculous story (that comes with a @KaraJoSkinCare listener giveaway!) and a "special" Herb Corner about Wild Geranium. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

In this episode we're all over the place. Current apiary updates. Successful and unsuccessful mite treatments. What's up with all these people calling honey bees invasive?! Learning from our mistakes and more! Herb Corner is about one of our favorites - Goldenrod! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, check out their natural skin care line and more! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

Summer is on its way out which means we've been harvesting honey and we need to make sure our bees are on the right track to survive winter. Kara and Greg talk about the current state of their apiaries and some ideal hive timelines that get big honey yields while allowing the bees to go through their natural cycles. Kara Jo finishes up with Herb Corner about Clover! Shout-out to Troubles End Brewing for the beautiful lagers we enjoyed. This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com Try Kara Jo's First Aid Wound Salve and harness the power of herbs while NOT putting petroleum products onto your skin! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

What up! We're talking about chicken life on the farm, selling bees, following up about splits, queen introductions and some crazy hive situations we've experienced. Kara Jo's Herb Corner dives into the beautiful and powerful - Passion Flower! Hope you dig it. This episode is brought to you by @KaraJoSkinCare and @KaraJoBeeFarm. Checkout their whole line of Bee-Powered Skin Care at www.KaraJoSkinCare.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

We're talking about the best time to be a beekeeper - the spring! Spring time is swarm time and swarm time is splittin' time. Amongst other things, we dive into bee math aka the bee life cycle and how it allows us to make decisions and prevent swarms. Herb corner is all about dandelion and we crack open a beautiful saison from our friends at The Seed: A Living Beer Project. Cheers! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. Check out our Bug Repellent and Natural Deodorant, they really do work!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

Kara and I hop over to the mics straight out of the apiary after the 2024 seasons first inspections. Our spring has been cold and rainy so far and we're definitely a few weeks behind previous seasons but we're feeling great! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. Check out our newly upgraded Bug Repellent! Proven to work in even the harshest environments and actually good for your skin. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

First we talk how understanding bee biology can help in decision making with a deep dive on the effects of pollen feeding followed by whether we think you can stop your bees from swarming. Finishing up with an 'Herb Corner' about medicinal mushrooms for both bees and humans! All while sipping a lovely witbier from Referend Bier Blendery in Kutztown, PA. This episode is brought to you by Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm. Check us out online at KaraJoSkinCare.com - your support means the world to us. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

It is almost spring!! And for many that means starting their first year keeping bees. We're answering some common beginner questions including equipment, buying bees and bad teachers (luckily we know some good ones!), how we handle spring mites, and more. We finish up with Kara Jo's Herb Corner segment on Propolis! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. Check out all our skin care and honey bee products - we ship! Instagram: @MindYourHives, @KaraJoBeeFarm and @KaraJoSkinCare. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

Bee Side Episode! We're hanging out with Chris Stoudt of Stout Lawn and Pest and host of The Root Zone Podcast. We talk winter lawn practices, spring prep and that middle ground where your lawn can be more than just a green desert! This episode is brought to you by @KaraJoSkinCare (karajoskincare.com). Check out our winter skin care products! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

We're talking about beekeeping with a purpose and how it can help in your decision making, why hive deaths aren't necessarily bad and how we developed our style of hive management...and of course all the tangents those topics took us on before ending with an 'herb corner' about Thyme! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, check out our line of skin care products utilizing the power of the bees!! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

We're talking off-season prep, building our forest apiary, revisiting Bee Venom Therapy and answering your questions! This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. New winter skin care is out now and available for shipping! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

We're talking our current November beekeeping including adding some robbing screens to help against Yellow Jackets and taking a trip down memory lane about our start working Farmers' Markets. Also a message to vegans...honey is a by-product of plants, not animals...listen to find out why. This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, gift packages available for the holidays. Use coupon code "mindyourhives" to get 10% off! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

There are lots of ways to beekeep but some styles (people?) really bother us...we're talking pet peeves, how we determine our top queen lines, mite follow-ups, overwintering our garden and more. This episode is brought to you by Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm. For online orders (listen for a promo code!) go to www.KaraJoSkinCare.com. @KaraJoSkinCare @KaraJoBeeFarm @MindYourHives --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

Kara Jo and Greg are talking about their apiary after the late summer mite treatments. The varroa debacle in Australia. A surprise swarm catch. What to expect in the coming fall. And another great Herb Corner with Kara Jo discussing the medicine of garlic. Cheers y'all! This episode is brought to you by Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm. You can find their bee-inspired skin care, shampoo, soaps, and HONEY online at KaraJoSkinCare.com. Follow @KaraJoSkincare and @KaraJoBeeFarm for more info. MindYourHives@gmail.com for questions. Educational Videos on Mind Your Hives Beekeeping Youtube Page. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mindyourhives/support

The battle against mites hits its peak this time of year. We're talking testing for varroa and how we keep our bees healthy NOW before going into winter while being fueled by beautiful wild ales from Plan Bee Farm Brewery in Poughkeepsie, NY. Cheers!

In this episode we're talking about building our new farm, moving bees unexpectedly and how crazy life has been the past few months. We're drinking a Little Did you Know (our collab with Threes Brewing and Forest & Main) and when you listen to the episode you'll understand why that beer name really hits home! Hope you enjoy!

We are talking all about how we make splits while sipping on our newest collaboration beer from Threes Brewing in NYC. The beer name is 'Little Did We Know' and that sure sums up our lives as beekeepers! We have had a ton of success growing our apiary without buying bees for years using this split method and hope you can all learn from our experiences. As always this podcast is brought to you by Kara Jo Skin Care and Bee Farm. Check us out at KaraJoSkinCare.com. Cheers!

Happy Spring! We're letting y'all know what we're seeing in our apiaries this time of year and how we approach the spring season. We finish up the episode with a little chat about what to expect if you're a beginner and you're just getting into beekeeping right now...Enjoy! As always, each episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, please go check out our line of skin care products using honey, beeswax, propolis and more! @KaraJoSkinCare @KaraJoBeeFarm @MindYourHives on social media.

It's the beekeeper's offseason and we're answering your questions! Thanks for asking 'em. All episodes are brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com and special shoutout to Plan Bee Farm Brewery (Poughkeepsie, NY) for the killer Barn Beer.

Chickens have been a part of our little farm's ecosystem since before we even had bees. On this Bee Side we're talking about our backyard chicken journey. From the original scrap wood chicken tractor to now we've learned how to manage mites, bumblefoot, predators, sour crop, water belly, trauma eggs, blood crazed hens, chicken dances and so much more...hope you enjoy. Shoutout Origin Beer Project for the beautiful saison.

Happy Thanksgiving!  This is a fun one. We're talking about the current state of our hives, a recent deer tick bite, some mind blowing herbalism, and Greg's favorite Honey Bee Tale - Redhook Brooklyn's infamous red honey and how it took down a Cannabis Kingpin (or did it?)..  Check out KaraJoSkinCare.com for some awesome Holiday Gift Packages on sale through Cyber Monday!!  And enjoy some Forest & Main Brewery and Odd Colony Brewing Company beers like we did!

We recorded this episode in early October and discuss our final winter preparations and a look back into some of the trends from the 2022 season.

On this episode of the Bee Side we're talking with Farmer Thom from Everwild Farm in Ambler, PA! There's so much crossover to how Everwild approaches farming and how Kara Jo Bee Farm approaches beekeeping so we threw a suit on Thom, went into some hives then sat down for a chat! We hope you get a glimpse into why we love knowing where our food is coming from and how you can take some regenerative practices into your home garden. Cheers!

Preparing your bees for winter starts in the spring, but right now is CRUCIAL. It's right now that winter bees aka FAT bees are being made. We're talking all things preparing for that final winter prep. Why are winter bees so important? What are we doing to help them? Do you know your flow? Tune in and find out. Cheers y'all! Check out our Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm products online at KaraJoSkinCare.com and @KaraJoSkinCare.

On this Bee Side - we're talking to Philadelphia Mixologist Mike Landers about cocktails. We dive into honey simple syrup, herb / flower infusions, drink history, batch cocktails and more! Check out our instagram (@mindyourhives) for the recipes and checkout @LandersDrinks and @BarSylviaPhilly for more from our special guest. Enjoy!

We're talking our recent State Inspector visit, bad bee sellers, harvesting honey, Formic Pro for mites and more - all while weathering some wicked storms in Pittsburg, NH!

We're talking about all things going on around the farm! Our new baby chicks hang out in the background while we discuss an unfortunate cutout situation, getting to know our surroundings, and we dive into some follow-up questions from the previous episode. (pssst: pay attention for a special offer from Kara Jo Skin Care and Bee Farm!)

Spring has arrived and the bees are swarming!  We're talking swarm prevention, how we make splits and why understanding bee math and life cycles is so important.

Here's a little bonus episode that we recorded right after doing some hive autopsies like we discussed in Episode 13. This one also has a special guest - spring peepers!

We're talking about staying out of the hives until nature tells us its time to inspect. Are beekeepers over-treating for mites? And how we're preparing for the busy season! Any questions feel free to send 'em to mindyourhives@gmail.com. Cheers!

Its cold out and we're answering questions. Thanks for sending them in! And shout out to Full Circle Everest Expedition Team who we talk about in the beginning. Check them out on Instagram @fullcircleeverest and online at https://www.fullcircleeverest.com/about. Show them some love!

We're recapping some lessons we learned during the 2021 beekeeping season and finally discuss Kara Jo's Bee Sting Allergy along with a little follow-up on our winter prep. Thanks for tuning in!

We've talked in depth about the dreaded Varroa Mite and this time we have to act!  Hear how we are handling an unusually high mite load and how we're prepping our honey bees for winter.  Enjoy!

September 1st 2021 changed everything for us - here is the story. 

We're day drinking booze made with honey while sitting next to the First Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg, NH! We talk about a crazy (turned amazing) experience using HipCamp to book a campsite on our trip as well as our new obsession with Ravens (their smarts rival even bees). Support independent breweries and farms! Enjoy.

We're talking hallucinogenic honey, why we let the bees work their magic and a fun encounter with the super talented Actor / Writer / Comedian Wil Sylvince! Hope you enjoy!

Its been busy on the Kara Jo Bee Farm lately! In Ep. 6 we laugh about the recent "bee influencer" drama before diving into the world of Queen Bees and finishing with a quick chat on Mindfulness in beekeeping. Cheers!

Bee Swarms seemed so gnarly until we got to understand them better and like everything with bees - they are fascinating! We talk swarm basics and recent catches after giving an update on whats going on around the farm. Enjoy! Be good to each other! Plant natives!

We talk about how “Saving the Bees” is more about protecting native wild bees rather than the non-native honeybee. And we give you tips on yard/garden maintenance and what to plant this spring to help do just that!

Greg and Kara Jo discuss all things Bee Venom Therapy.  Currently Greg is doing BVT for pain management and they discuss the science and protocol behind it alongside how bee venom fights Lyme Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis and more!

In Episode 2 we talk the ancient medicine of Apitherapy!  This will be a two part episode with the first about all things Honey, Pollen, Propolis and Beeswax (part 2 will be all about Bee Venom Therapy!).  Check out KaraJoSkinCare.com to see all of our apitherapy products made from the Kara Jo Bee Farm.  

Beekeeping has changed our way of life and our outlook on just about everything! How'd we get here and what should you expect from this podcast.  Thanks for checking us out.