Beekeeping Today Podcast - Presented by Betterbee
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Paul Longwell

Master Beekeeper

Paul first developed his interest in bees at a young age while watching the commercial beekeepers’ hives on his aunt’s farm in Yamhill Oregon. After a long career serving in the Army and as a public employee, his love and interest in keeping and working with bees raised back to the forefront in 2008.

An avid beekeeper and member of the Olympia Beekeepers Association, Paul enjoys teaching and sharing his love of bees. As a Montana and Washington state master beekeeper, Paul has gained experience in both Langstroth, Top-Bar and Slovenian AZ hives. He noticed how the local maritime winter weather influenced his honeybees and beehive losses. Paul’s research for solutions lead him to better understand the Slovenian bee houses and AZ hives. Discovering better honeybee health and longevity, Paul converted a storage building into a bee house and installed several AZ-type hives.

Paul actively shares his knowledge by giving beekeeping presentations in-person, during podcasts and Zoom classes. He has taught several beekeeping classes for the Washington State Beekeeping Association, including the apprenticeship course to inmates at Cedar Creek Prison. Paul also serves as one of the clubs’ mentors to new beekeepers. He serves on the Thurston County Fairgrounds and Event Center board.

Along with his wife Penny Longwell who is a master gardener, they co-developed the Pollinator demonstration garden at the Thurston County Fairgrounds and Event Center. They also offer pollinator classes for the local Master Gardener Interns.

March 4, 2024

How To Get Started With Bees in 2024, Part 3 of 4 (S6, E38)

(#267) In "How To Get Started With Bees," part three of our four-part series, we delve deeper into the essential steps for budding beekeepers. This episode focuses on equipment selection, emphasizing the critical decision between new and used gear,...

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June 5, 2023

Late Spring Regional Beekeepers Update (S5, E51)

“All beekeeping is local” so the saying goes. On today’s episode, we welcome back our Regional Beekeepers, all from different parts of the country, to see just how localized beekeeping can be. And how much it can be the same, …

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Oct. 31, 2022

Regional Beekeepers: Fall 2022 (S5, E20)

This week, guest co-host Jim Tew is sitting in for Kim and we have invited four beekeepers to the podcast to talk about their season just past. We call it our Regional Beekeepers show. If you have been a long …

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April 25, 2022

Regional Beekeepers: Spring 2022 Update (S4, E45)

We first met the Regional Beekeepers back in May of 2020. Then twice a year since, we've made a point to catch a chat with them to talk about their bees, their challenges, their successes and plans for the next …

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May 17, 2021

Hive Types - Part 4: AZ Hives with Paul Longwell (S3, E51)

In Part 4 of our 5-part series on hive types other than the standard Langstroth, we talk with Paul Longwell about the AZ Hive. Paul has been keeping bees for quite a few years. He’s a Master Beekeeper and has …

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Jan. 18, 2021

Return of the Regional Beekeepers - Winter Perspectives (S3, E34)

In this episode of Beekeeping Today Podcast, we reconnect with our beekeeping friends from Season 2, Episode 29. They come from across the country including Central North Carolina, North East Ohio, the western slope of the Rocky Mountains and the …

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