The Hive Jive - Beekeeping Podcast

John has a few things he would like to share with you before we round out 2022.  Tune in now to hear his podcast recommendation, updates about The Hive Jive itself, and what to expect in the coming weeks.

For this month's Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie breaks down the first two stages of IPM (Integrated Pest Management) for natural beekeeping and goes into detail about how each stage can be implemented into your own natural practices.   

Welcome to a grizzly tail from the forest... ok, so not really grizzly (though the bees would beg to differ), but it does involve a bear.  A Black Bear to be specific!  Tune in now and listen along as John details his first encounter with a Black Bear and the path of devastation it left behind.

Today John gives us an update on the current state of his health, and poses a question based on one of his current COVID related symptoms.  What would beekeeping be like without the sense of smell?

For the 13th installment of the Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie sits down with Les Crowder to discuss the current events that are unfolding in Australia with the introduction of Varroa Destructor.  The pair offer up some natural beekeeping solutions that can be used to both help check for and reduce mite populations in an effort to provide a little bit of hope to our fiends Down Under.  Tune in now to learn more...

(Original Air Date: Sept 3rd, 2020) Some listeners recently shared an article about a 17-year-old young lady who has invented a new entrance portal that will help treat bees for mites as they pass through the portal. John and Ken discuss the potential pros and cons of this concept. The guys also talk more about Ken's swarms and if he should be combining his hives, and if so, which queens to keep and which to say goodbye to. Plus, some updates and sneak peeks about things to come!

(Original Air Date: Aug 27th, 2020) Apparently, based solely on the sounds of their voices and their redneck speak, someone thought that John and Ken both had long thick beards. Think, Duck Dynasty! LOL Of course, we couldn't let such a thing just pass on by without comment. The guys also discuss some of the exciting changes and additions that are currently in the works for The Hive Jive. Tune in now to find out more!

(Original Air Date: Aug 20th, 2020) A little while back, a listener commented on a social media post and asked if we were ever going to discuss the single box method. To which, John has responded by staring at the screen and scratching his head in confusion... for weeks on end.  "What exactly do you mean?" he wonders to himself. Is this a reference to a literal single box of bees, no expansions, nothing else? Or is this just a way to refer to raising bees in a single brood box with a queen excluder on top? Today, the guys ponder this statement, much to no avail. LOL

(Original Air Date: Aug 13, 2020) In this episode, John and Ken learn about one of the oldest intact Apiaries to ever be discovered on an archaeological dig in Israel. They guys also discuss the bizarre possibility of bees making a hive out of an active underground septic system, and talk about some culturally sensitive and possibly inappropriate naming conventions.

(Original Air Date: Aug 6, 2020) In this bonus episode, John learns a startling revelation about the infamous (and still not assembled) Flow Hive. The guys also discuss the appearance of late season swarms, and whether they are worth the effort or not.

(Original Air Date: July 30, 2020) In what is a rather quick episode, we talk about going slow and steady. Ha! Ken discusses his most recent bee removal from a water meter box, how Max's beekeeping diligence differs from his own, as well as a new swarm caught out at his brother's property. John tries to remind Ken that there is truth to Max's methods and that going slow and steady in all aspects of beekeeping is how you win the race.

(Original Air Date: July 9, 2020) In this bonus episode, John continues his talk with Steve Jimenez from Hives for Heroes. This conversation picks up directly from where the main podcast episode left off. Despite the main episode being completed, the mics kept recording and the camera kept rolling as the discussion carried on.  

(Original Air Date: July 2, 2020) From horse and cow manure to misrepresented TP and even a few crappy people, this episode sure does have a lot of toilet talk. There's also a few bad words too… Well poo!

(Original Air Date: June 25, 2020) The colonies have divided and sent out multiple potential new colonies as Swarmageddon sets in out at Ken's place. Could this be a repeat of last year's crazy swarms that Ken and John experienced at the lake? Only time will tell, but it sure had Ken all riled up as they start to run out of swarm traps.

(Original Air Date: June 18, 2020) John recounts a recent bee removal with some really testy bees and their shady neighbors.  Plus, we take another shot at identifying the difference between Swarm Cells vs Supersedure Cells vs Emergency Cells.

(Original Air Date: June 11, 2020) It is now June and for many regions the nectar flow is now at its peak, but it won't last forever. In fact, for some of us, we are running out of time to maximize this year's honey crop! Is Ken going to be ready? Will he get any honey? Does he know how to count his boxes? Tune in to find out these burning questions and more…

For the 12th installment of the Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie sits down with Fonta Molyneaux from Wild Everlasting Farm to discuss Brood Dynamics and how to optimize your natural beekeeping for your own specific region.  This is a great conversation to help lead you down the path to becoming a more intuitive and instinctual beekeeper.  Tune in now to learn more…

Today John poses a challenge to any interested beekeeper out there who might be willing to do a little research.  We've always heard how much honey it takes for the bees to make wax.  But, we never hear how much wax a colony actually needs.  Someone should really figure this out to help fill in the gap of knowledge and understand of our bee statistics.  Are you up for the challenge?

Nathalie B. takes us on a journey of sustainably raising your own queens right in your backyard.  She discusses the difference between commercial queens vs locally raised queens, as well as the reasons you might consider requeening a colony to begin with.  Plus, Nathalie walks us through the process of the 2 into 3 split!  Tune in now to learn more…

Join us, as we look back from 2062 and thank you all for forty years of Hive Jive in our lives.

Nathalie B. sits down with James Lee, a natural beekeeper and licensed clinical social worker who founded the Sustainable Beekeepers Guild of Michigan, to discuss the cognitive bias and dissonance that can be found in all human interactions.  Can we find a way to have tolerance for other beekeeping styles (and humanity) by empathizing with our fellow beekeepers instead of assuming they are wrong because their goals and fears do not line up with our own?  This episode strives to spark an intelligent discussion on how we can all learn from each other, how we can find common ground even whether we prefer to treat or not treat our bees, and how natural, sustainable beekeeping can be discussed positively without beekeepers entrenching themselves in opposite extremes. Plus, as always, a few practical tips on how to be successful with treatment-free beekeeping in your own apiary! Tune in now for a fascinating journey through human psychology and how it relates to Natural Beekeeping.   Sustainable Beekeepers Guild of Michigan www.SBGMI.org

Has John completely lost his mind?  Well, that remains to be seen.  Join us for a special stand-alone episode of The Hive Jive and learn all about the wild and crazy things that have taken place since we went off the air in 2021, and possibly catch a glimpse of what's still to come in 2022.

Consider this a reminder that to love and to be loved is the most important thing there is in this world.  In his own words and from his personal trials, John takes us on a somber tribute to those people in our lives we have lost over the past year, and a reminder to those left behind that you are not alone.  Always bee kind to one another!

(Original Air Date: June 4th, 2020) In their latest misadventures, Ken comes across an ice chest full of bees, and John is called to a swarm that has over 5 virgin queens in it!

(Original Air Date: May 28th, 2020) Its time for another Random Clips episode. Just like the title implies, these clips are random and don't necessarily have anything to do with one another. They are all items that originally were left on the cutting room floor and didn't make the final version. But now you can hear some of these behind the scenes moments and pick up on some of the randomness that goes on when you're not listening.

(Original Air Date: May 21st, 2020) In this bonus episode John continues his rant from the main segment about the irresponsible beekeeper and the chaos the "Bad Bees" caused; while Ken recounts the rest of the story of Max's attempt at catching and dispatching with a bad queen, and tries to keep straight all the different races of queens they now have.

(Original Air Date: May 14th, 2020) Ken and John question the new temp soundboard operator, Shannon, about her thoughts on the show, as well as her experience with Honey.  The guys also discuss Ken's ongoing trap-out scenario and the logistics of if he's already gotten all the bees in such a short time.

(Original Air Date: May 7th, 2020) The saga continues with Ken and Max and their re-queening attempts.  Plus, does the color of your bee really matter?

(Original Air Date: May 1st, 2020) The trial-and-error part of the learning curve continues as Ken and Max attempt their first round of re-queening on a hive that originally contained feral stock.  John and Ken discuss this, as well as Ken's new Chickens!

(Original Air Date: April 23rd, 2020) While we continue our Quarantines with horrible audio quality, Ken has been working on more trap-outs from old oak trees that are going to be knocked down and Max is still putting up swarm traps around the land. Ken still has the swarm commander in this truck, of course, and John has something to say about that. John also reminds Ken what an inspection actually is, and talks about the unexpected nectar dearth that hit Central Texas.

For our 9th installment of the Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie is again joined by Les Crowder as the pair discuss ideas based on an article from 2020 titled “Natural Selection, Selective Breeding, and Evolution of Resistance of Honey Bees – Apis Mellifera – against Varro.”  Do the findings of the article line up with Les' view points on natural beekeeping, and what does this mean for the future of beekeeping?

(Original Air Date: April 9th, 2020) Ken and Max had a heck of a week trying to work their bees.  So much so that Max has flipped from keeping the feral stock to wanting to requeen them all.  Tune in now to hear about how it all went haywire.

The social distancing and lock-down of Austin continues, so the guys carry on with their telecommute remote broadcast… In this episode they discuss some of the various projects that Ken and Max has gotten themselves into, including a Trap Out of a couple different colonies. John gives a bit more insight into how that type of process really works. Tune in now to learn how to get yourself into some sticky situations.  (Original Air Date: April 2nd, 2020)

In this latest edition of the Natural Beekeeping Corner, Les Crowder joins Nathalie for a chat about Hive Intensity Thresholds verses available forage in a region.  The pair also discuss some aspects of how important the queen is to your natural beekeeping practices, as well as a plea for beekeepers to resist the urge to purchase and resale honey from commercial operations when you are running low on your own honey supplies.  Tune in now to learn more!

John and Ken talk about some of the current events and John gives a high level walkthrough of a bee removal from a shed floor, and if you toss in a little crazy talk about smoke you will have rounded out this Bonus Episode!  (Original Air Date: March 26th, 2020)

In random string of thought fashion, this episode covers Ken's discover of Tom Seeley and his books; his incoming packages of bees; to treat or not to treat your hives; and even a little background on pure mated bloodlines in queens!  Tune in now to learn all about it.  (Original Air Date: March 19th, 2020)

We continue our conversation with Mary Reed, Chief Apiary Inspector for the state of Texas where we join the gang amid a fit of laughter. All bets are off pretty much right from the start as the group tries to compose themselves. But, there are some great bits of information that sneaks in there between the outburst of laughter. Oh, and did we mention the Beedazzled Queens? Yes. It's a queen. It needs a crown!

What happens when you take the motor cowling from an 85 horsepower V4 Johnson outboard boat motor and turn it into a swarm trap? Well, we don't actually know. However, Ken and his son Max are willing to find out! Tune in now as Ken and John discuss this, and a few other random topics to round out a truly random bonus episode. (Original Air Date: March 5th, 2020)

Bees employ various strategies in order to fend off pest and diseases.  Join Nathalie as she discusses how bees do this naturally at both the colony and individual level and how this understanding can help you choose bees that will give you the best chances of success in your natural beekeeping endeavors.

Grab yourself a slice of strawberry cake and pull up a chair while Ken and John ramble on. Did you know that a bad combo of bee genetics can be the cause of a spotty brood pattern? Could Ken finally get his Bahama Mama? You'll have to go brave the DropBears to find an Australian Penguin in order to get the answers. Well, that… or you could just tune in to this bonus episode. (Original Air Date: Feb 27th, 2020)

Join John and Ken in cabin 13 just off the shore of lake Buchanan as they discuss Ken's absence from the last main episode, his surgery, and him missing out on all the studio fun.  This includes a little PSA for Men and prostate issues.  Ken also gets to taste the Jerrabomberra Urban Honey for the first time.  For longtime listeners of the show, this is where his obsession with Jerrabomberra honey started.  (Original Air Date: Feb 20, 2020)

Who knew that clover and alfalfa could cause such a fuss?  Well, John is happy to tell us all about it while he vents about a recent encounter he had on this bonus episode... (Original Air Date: Feb 12th, 2020)

(Original Air Date: Feb 6th, 2020)  This episode has it all… no till gardening, potato tipping which is not to be confused with cow tipping, planting by the phase of the moon, paper cows, and even purple mushrooms! Oh, and bees of course. 

(Original Air Date: Jan 30th, 2020)  In a fully hyped-up caffeinated sugar high type of morning, the guys are in rare form. They run through a series of seemingly unrelated (though mostly bee related) topics from commercial beekeeping routes, to pesticide usage, and even a couple of rants about social media influences who do more of a disservice to their followers than they might realize. Bees on Tinder anyone?

In this 6th segment of our Natural Beekeeping Corner, Nathalie talks about some of the key factors that are often attributed to honey bee colony decline… namely Varroa Mites and Viruses.  However, could there be more to it than just that?  Nathalie challenges you to look beyond the forest, so to speak, and think a little bit about the unintended consequences that can come from other sources, like pesticides and even mite treatments.

(Original Air Date: Jan 22nd, 2020) The guys are suffering from delirium after the never-ending listener question episode, and todays topic seems to reflect just that.  Yep, Alien Bees!  Don't worry though, they also talk a bit about mites, and hive beetles too.  Enjoy your latest bonus episode.

(Original Air Date Jan 15th, 2020)  Welcome to your first new Bonus episode for all you Hive Jive Junkies out there.  Ken and John figured they should just start off with a bang, and what better way than by insulting two very large groups of people... Commercial Beekeepers and Vegans! How dare they!

It is time to say goodbye to yesterday… Season three of the podcast comes to a close and as the guys wrap up this little beginner beekeeping adventure that has spanned the last three years, they recap on where the show started and some of the milestones along the way, all the while paying tribute to our beloved redneck who allowed us all to join him on his journey to becoming a beekeeper… Mr. Ken Milam.

Today John is joined once again by Miss Tara Chapman from Two Hives Honey.  Tara teaches us about honey crystallization, what it means, and the four main factors that contribute to this process.  This is key knowledge to help you better understand the process, how you can use it to your advantage, and how to better educate the end consumer about your honey.  The pair also catch up on current life events and share some successes and challenges from this beekeeping season.  Tune in now for one exceptional interview!

This year's honey harvest has come and gone, and it is leaving a few tears in its wake.  John discusses how the main apiary did this year, or rather, how much it didn't do at all.  The bizarre weather patterns have definitely taken their toll on the nectar flow and John gives a few stark examples of how much of an impact it will have on this year's honey sales.  If you're feeling the strain this season, tune in now and join in on the harvest woes.

This episode coils up and strikes at the heart of a slippery subject… Snakes in the bee yard.  There are all kinds of different critters out there that we often don't notice as we go about our bee business, focused on what has become a habitual process of tasks.  But that doesn't mean that those critters don't notice us as we go about our work.  Some of these critters might cause us to do way more harm to ourselves then they ever could on their own as we try to escape a sudden unexpected encounter.  But a few of these critters can pose a great danger to the unaware beekeeper who is focused on their routine and not paying attention to their surroundings.  Tune in now to hear a few close encounters of the slithering kind and remember to be mindful of your surroundings when out in nature.