American Honey, Russian Bees, and the Work of the AHPA with Steven Coy (405)

Steven Coy returns to Beekeeping Today for a wide-ranging conversation about the challenges facing American beekeepers—and the role genetics may play in building more resilient colonies.

Steven is president of the American Honey Producers Association and a longtime commercial beekeeper and Russian honey bee breeder. He begins by explaining how the AHPA represents commercial beekeepers through advocacy, Farm Bill work, anti-dumping efforts, and programs such as ELAP. He also discusses the proposed Honey Integrity Act and why the industry wants a federal standard of identity for honey.

The conversation also examines declining U.S. honey production, imported honey, consumer confidence, and efforts to encourage consumers to buy American honey and support domestic beekeepers and pollination agriculture.

In the second half, Steven takes Jeff and Becky inside his Mississippi operation and nearly three decades of experience with Russian honey bees. He discusses Varroa resistance, wintering, brood production, honey production, defensive behavior, and why resistant stock still requires thoughtful mite management.

Steven also makes the case for evaluating genetics at the apiary level, explaining why mite drift and surrounding colonies can mask the advantages of resistant stock.

Websites from the episode and others we recommend:

• American Honey Producers Association: https://ahpanet.com
  
• Russian Honey Bee Breeders: https://www.russianhoneybeebreeders.org
  
• Steven's Book about Russan Honey Bees at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Vuipui
  
  
• Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org
• Project Apis m. (PAm): https://www.projectapism.org
• The National Honey Board: https://honey.com
• Honey 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