Sometimes the most memorable beekeeping stories have very little to do with honey production.
This week, Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman welcome Nehemiah Ray, a Georgia beekeeper whose family’s everyday life inspired the Sundance Award-winning documentary The Boys and the Bees. What began as a pest control assignment to remove honey bees from a home unexpectedly launched Nehemiah into beekeeping, live honey bee removals, and eventually a life centered around teaching others about nature, family, and stewardship.
Nehemiah recounts learning beekeeping almost entirely through books, YouTube, and experience before joining the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association. He discusses the challenges of managing honey bee removals, maintaining survivor stock with an emphasis on naturally selected Varroa-resistant genetics, coping with Georgia’s difficult weather extremes, and balancing beekeeping with family life and business ownership.
The conversation then turns to The Boys and the Bees, the award-winning documentary that follows Nehemiah, his wife Eliza, and their two sons. Rather than simply documenting beekeeping, the film beautifully captures the relationship between a father and his children, the lessons learned from honey bees, and the importance of curiosity, courage, and spending meaningful time together outdoors.
Jeff and Becky reflect on one particularly moving scene in which Nehemiah carefully guides his son through receiving his first honey bee sting—a moment that has resonated deeply with audiences and fathers around the world.
Whether you’re a beekeeper, parent, educator, or simply appreciate stories about family and nature, this episode offers a thoughtful reminder that honey bees often teach us as much about ourselves as they do about beekeeping.
Websites from the episode and others we recommend:
The Boys and the Bees Website: https://www.raysdwild.com 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
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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
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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.
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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...
