Episodes

Recorded at the Midwest Honey Bee Expo, this episode features SimplKomb and BRB Feeder discussing comb honey production and innovative hive feeding solutions.

Jeff Pettis and Carlos Perea return to discuss Terra Vera’s hive health approach, including varroa control, pathogen reduction, and new tools for improving biosecurity in beekeeping.

Live from the Midwest Honey Bee Expo, Jeff and Becky talk with David Burns, BroodMinder, and Hive Butler about beekeeping insights, tools, and innovations shaping the industry.

Stephanie Slater launches a new monthly series on honey shows, sharing how to get started, why they matter, and how competitions like the Black Jar Contest help beekeepers improve their craft.

Chip Taylor and Gard Otis return to discuss Africanized honey bee swarming, sharing research, field observations, and how these bees reproduce and spread differently from European colonies.

Stephanie Slater introduces her experience with honey shows and judging, previewing a new series on evaluating honey and participating in beekeeping competitions.

Spotted lanternfly honey is gaining attention across the beekeeping world. In this episode, Jeff and Becky talk with Dr. Robyn Underwood and Dr. Ferhat Ozturk about what this honey really is, how it’s produced, and what it means for beekeepers navigating invasive species.

Dr. Dewey Caron explains the biology of Varroa mites, how they reproduce inside brood cells, and why understanding their life cycle is essential for protecting honey bee colonies.

Dr. Jamie Ellis discusses honey bee health research, practical beekeeping insights, and how current science helps beekeepers make better management decisions in the apiary.

Tara Chapman returns to discuss her book For the Bees, her biology-first approach to teaching beekeeping, and how she built a successful bee business starting with just two hives in Austin, Texas.

In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Priyadarshini “Priya” Basu of Washington State University to discuss two major topics shaping the future of beekeeping: the upcoming COLOSS North America meeting and the evolving science of honey bee nutrition. COLOSS (Prevention of Colony Losses) is an international nonprofit network of more than 2,000 honey bee researchers across 113 countries. For the first time, a multi–task force North American meeting will be held June 6–12 at Washington State Univer...

Jeff and Becky introduce a live business panel from the 2026 Midwest Honey Bee Expo. Experienced beekeepers discuss profitability, overwintering losses, labor, and the financial realities of running a sustainable beekeeping operation.

Dewey Caron introduces colony necropsy, showing how hive debris can diagnose colony health, seasonal progress, and unseen stress—giving beekeepers a simple, low-disturbance management tool.

What can the hive floor reveal about colony health? Scottish beekeeper Ray Baxter explains how studying hive debris—from pollen and wax to Varroa fragments, aka bottom-up beekeeping—can guide better management decisions and deepen understanding of honey bee biology.

A revisited beginner classic on how to get started in beekeeping, covering mentors, hive location, expectations, and first-year success.

Returning guests Dr. Chip Taylor and Dr. Gard Otis revisit queen mating, DCAs, and Africanized honey bees—exploring what we know, what we still don’t, and how decades of research have reshaped long-held assumptions.

Jeff and Becky answer listener questions on mentorship, overwintering, feeding bees, hive tools, monitoring systems, and common beekeeping myths in this wide-ranging Q&A episode.

How do honey bees survive winter — and what role does clustering really play? In this first episode of Bee Science with Dewey, Dr. Dewey Caron explains the biology behind winter clustering and what it means for colony survival.

What really happens inside a hive during extreme winter conditions? Etienne Tardif joins the podcast to share cold-climate insights on feeding, insulation, brood timing, and how data can reveal what bees need to survive winter.

Join us for a special series of episodes recorded live from the floor of the North American Honey Bee Expo in Louisville, KY, January 8–10, 2026. Jeff and Becky bring you the latest beekeeping insights, trends, and innovations directly from one of the biggest beekeeping events of the year. Tune in as we chat with industry leaders, researchers, and beekeepers from across the country. Whether you’re attending in person or catching up from home, these episodes will keep you connected to the hive...

Join us on the floor at NAHBE 2026 for Day 2 as we capture conversations, reflections, and the energy of one of North America’s premier beekeeping events.

Day One of the North American Honey Bee Expo!

What does a world-renowned honey bee researcher actually do in his own bee yard? Jeff Pettis returns to share insights on bee health, Tropilaelaps research, and the practical choices guiding his day-to-day beekeeping.

A thoughtful end-of-year conversation with Jeff Ott, Becky Masterman, and David Peck reflecting on the challenges and lessons of beekeeping in 2025—from varroa and viruses to smarter management and reasons for optimism heading into 2026.