Learn How to Lift a Heavy Honey Super With ONE Hand.

This episode of Be Love Beekeeping opens with a poetic reflection on honeybees and the sometimes-clumsy humans who care for them, then pivots into a very real problem most beekeepers know too well: heavy lifting and exhausting honey harvests.

After a sobering Arizona news story about a tragic bee-transport accident and a look at emerging research on the mental health benefits of beekeeping, the conversation “heads down under” to Byron Bay, Australia.

Host Eric Bennett sits down with Cedar Anderson, co-founder of Flow Hive, to talk about how he and his father spent a decade turning the dream of “honey on tap” into reality. Cedar explains how Flow Hive works, who it’s best suited for, why education is essential for new beekeepers, and how their global community has grown to over 150,000 hives in 130+ countries.

They also dive into seasonal management with Flow Hives, the brand-new Superlifter that tackles heavy boxes, and a wild prototyping story involving a runaway hive rolling down a hill.

Cedar closes by reflecting on the never-ending learning journey of beekeeping and the critical role honey bees play in global pollination and the “matrix of life” we all depend on.

It's all about the love of honey bees and the humans who care for them!

VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/ZLqNd9dIvqE

Mann Lake's New Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mannlake

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/

Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.

Cedar Anderson: https://www.honeyflow.com/

https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/

[email protected]

Episode Chapters

00:00:00 – A World of Bees & Beekeepers

00:01:27 – The Heavy-Lifting Problem in Beekeeping

00:02:00 – Tragic Bee Transport Accident in Arizona

00:03:12 – Bees, Mental Health & Emotional Well-Being

00:05:02 – Welcome Cedar Anderson, Co-Founder of Flow Hive

00:08:12 – From Sticky Sheds to Honey on Tap: Inventing Flow Hive

00:11:11 – Flavor, Terroir & Single-Frame Honey

00:13:11 – Crowdfunding, Global Reach & Who Buys Flow Hives

00:16:26 – Flow Hive Doesn’t Do the Beekeeping for You

00:18:35 – Education, Community & TheBeekeeper.org

00:20:16 – The Hive: Man Lake’s Beekeeping Community

00:21:50 – Aesthetics & Seasonality with Flow Hives

00:24:01 – Introducing the Superlifter

00:26:34 – How the Superlifter Works

00:29:58 – Wild Story: The Runaway Hive

00:31:36 – Why Cedar Loves Honey Bees

00:32:20 – Closing & Sign-Off

GENETICS MATTER!

Host, Eric Bennett takes us from poetic honeybee musings straight into the practical world of queen bee production on Hawaiʻi Island.

After a heartwarming news segment about 9-year-old beekeeper Nicholas Bard and the Santa Rosa community pushing back on an outdated city ordinance, Eric sits down with Rebeca Krones of Hawaiian Queen Company in Captain Cook.

Rebecca explains why Hawaiʻi is one of the best places on the planet to raise queen bees, how controlled genetics (via Dr. Joe Latshaw) produce gentle but hard-working stock, what their year-round queen breeding business calendar looks like, and how to successfully introduce a new queen into your beehive so you don’t lose your investment.

They also detour into Hawaiian honey flows (mac nut, lehua, and Christmas berry 😋) and shipping mishaps — including the time a carrier bagged 150 queens and…well…suffocated them.

The episode closes with Rebecca’s best piece of beekeeping advice: don’t assume this year will be like last year.

VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/UfIU0kzelKA

Mann Lake's New Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mannlake

Rebeca Krones: https://hawaiianqueen.com/

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/

Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.

https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/

[email protected]

Host Eric welcomes Kevin O’Connor of Bee Boys Apiary from Waiohinu on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi to talk about what many consider one of the spiciest topics in beekeeping: treatment-free, regenerative beekeeping.

Before the interview, Eric shares a fascinating new study on the waggle dance, showing that bees don’t just pass on direction and distance—they actually integrate dance information with their own cognitive map of the landscape to anticipate landmarks and fly more efficiently.

Kevin walks us through the philosophy behind his 100% treatment-free beekeeping business: no plastic, no feeding, no foundation, no pollination services, bees allowed to swarm, and an 8-year closed line of genetics stemming from a single colony. He explains why this slow, sometimes painful path (you will lose colonies at first) can produce very resilient “landrace” honey bees when you pair it with abundant, diverse forage and a clean environment.

They also tackle the big objections—“you’re sending me mite bombs,” “you can’t do that where winters are hard,” “I can’t do that with 2,000 colonies”—and Kevin gives the nuanced answer: you can move toward it, but it’s a multi-year, location-aware transition and you can’t shortcut the genetics of your bees.

Finally, Kevin shares how farmers markets became his best business channel—because people will happily pay top dollar (yes, $45–$50/pint!) when they can look the beekeeper in the eye, hear how the bees are kept, and see all the value-added products (salves, balms, honey vinegars) that come from clean wax and honey.

VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/TEvKZuO2d8k

Mann Lake's New Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mannlake

Kevin O'Connor: https://beeboys.org/

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/

Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.

https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/

[email protected]

What can you learn from a 50 year beekeeper? Chuck Kutik opens up about everything he has learned about beekeeping and making money in the business of bees, over the years.

In this engaging episode, host Eric Bennett welcomes Chuck, a 50-year veteran commercial beekeeper from New York.

Chuck opens up about the fascinating life of bees, the business side of beekeeping, and what it takes to balance passion, profit, and pollination. From moving thousands of hives for blueberry pollination to dealing with bears, yellow jasmine, and lightning strikes, Chuck’s stories blend humor, humility, and decades of hard-earned wisdom.

Episode Highlights The Wonder of the Hive: Chuck shares how each beehive feels like divine creation in motion — a glimpse of harmony between bees, flowers, and nature itself.

Pollination Journeys: His favorite job? Pollinating blueberries in North Carolina. Chuck describes hauling 3,000 hives south, working with farmers he now calls friends, and how blueberries, almonds, and even weather patterns shape the bees’ health.

Toxic Blooms & Bee Hazards: Learn why yellow jasmine, South Carolina’s state flower, is poisonous to bees — and how even his workers once found out the hard way.

Trucking Bees Across America: Chuck details the challenges of transporting bees across long distances — from ventilation hacks on semis to surviving long nights and a near-miss lightning storm in Maine.

The Business of Bees: From selling nucs and queens to running retail stores and pollination contracts, Chuck explains which parts of beekeeping actually make money — and how new beekeepers can start smart.

Honey Varieties & Flavor Talk: Explore the unique tastes of clover, blueberry, sourwood, locust, and the rare Tupelo honey — which Chuck confesses is his favorite.

Lessons in Loss & Survival: How Chuck’s colonies fared through cold winters, why new comb and young queens make a difference, and the constant battle with Varroa mites.

Beekeeping Humor & Humanity: Chuck recalls youthful misadventures, from overworking himself to bringing a spare truck transmission on the road — “because you never know.”

Advice for Beginners: Chuck reminds new beekeepers that bees aren’t for saving money — they’re for joy. “If you just want cheap honey, buy it. But if you love nature and God’s creation, then you’ll love keeping bees.”

VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/2OPwBJqBZ1s

____________________

Mann Lake's New Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mannlake

Chuck Kutik: https://www.kutiks.com/

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/

Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.

https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/

[email protected]

Has Varroa met it's match? Is there really a birth control for mites?

Beekeepers celebrate with this episode of Bee Love Beekeeping!

We start with a love letter to honeybees and the beekeepers who tend them, then head to the Bee Love newsroom: small hive beetle turns up in southeast Alaska for the first time, and West Virginia considers a statewide Beekeeping Rights Bill that would centralize apiary regulations and protect beekeepers.

Our main segment features Eric Walgren and Adam Pachl from GreenLight Biosciences on Narroa, a new RNA treatment that prevents Varroa mites from reproducing rather than poisoning them. We cover safety (no special PPE, broad working temps), application (a sugar-syrup pouch nurse bees convert into brood food), timing and strategy (best as a preventive when mite loads are low; pairs well after a knock-down), storage and shelf life, and availability following recent EPA registration.

We wrap with stories from the field and a beginner’s primer on why Varroa control is non-negotiable for all beekeepers.

It's all about the love of honey bees and the beekeepers!

Video Version: https://youtu.be/l9LsBn6pXh0

______________________

Mann Lake's New Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mannlake

Norroa: https://norroa.com/

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/

Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.

https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/

[email protected]

Massachusetts beekeeper and entrepreneur Rick Reault (New England Beekeeping /The Colony) joins Eric for a deep, joyful dive into bees and business—from his first disastrous mead batch to an award-winning traditional made with Japanese knotweed honey and bourbon-barrel aging.

Rick demystifies the mead making process (must temps around 60–65°F, 6–8 weeks of ferment, a year of patient aging), then maps how he turned a backyard beekeeping hobby into a diversified honey operation: honey wholesale and retail, classes, apothecary goods, candles, and seasonal pollination.

You’ll hear a practical revenue framework (“five ways to make $20k”), the realities of transporting bee packages from Georgia with partner apiaries, and how Northeast nectar flows shape both honey and mead.

In our “Invention Mention,” we test a beekeeping smoker starter, the Speed King hot uncapping knife, and a game-changing J-hook hive tool.

Rick also offers a candid status report on colony health, early impressions of VarroxSan, and hard-won advice for beginners—plus a tender mentor story that captures why this craft keeps him coming back to the hives, year after year.

Video Version: https://youtu.be/kjaMPT8qIYc

Mann Lake's New Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mannlake

Rick's Website: https://thecolonyma.com/

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/

Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.

https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/

[email protected]

From a Varroa-free outpost off Australia’s southern coast, beekeeper Shawn Hinves of Kangaroo Island shares how a family operation running 350 hives of pure Ligurian honey bees navigates biosecurity, fire recovery, and the realities of modern beekeeping.

The episode opens with practical fall prep—feed heavy in cold climates, consider insulation, and always test and treat for mites—before diving into global news on the EPA’s approval of an RNA-based Varroa treatment.

Then we travel to Kangaroo Island, where strict ferry inspections, proposed wash-down stations, and community vigilance aim to keep Varroa off the island, reminding every beekeepers that compliance is as vital as any tool in beekeeping.

Shawn recounts how Ligurian honey bees, introduced in the 1880s and protected by a long-standing sanctuary designation, show exceptional hygienic behavior and thrive on native eucalypt and coastal flora that produce ambers, deep reds, and even mauve-tinged honeys.

After catastrophic 2020 bushfires slashed honey yields from 20–25 tonnes to 5–9, his business survived by diversifying into tours —proof that resilient beekeeping pairs craft with entrepreneurship. Listeners step inside his hands-on experiences: suiting up, holding frames, spotting queens, and watching honey bees emerge—moments that turn fear into fascination and often inspire future beekeepers.

Between small hive beetle scares, localized AFB management, and ongoing drought, Sean’s story shows how a beekeeper balances biosecurity, landscape, and community. Ultimately, it’s a love letter to honey bees, a testament to the lifestyle they enable, and a reminder that beyond honey and money, the heart of beekeeping is connection.

Video Version: https://youtu.be/2sfG2QBzXQI

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/

Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.

https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/

[email protected]

https://www.kilivinghoney.com.au/

Opening was recorded at Apimondia in Copenhagen. This episode blends field notes and a feel-good interview with Elsa Gallagher of the Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund.

Practical beekeeping takeaways: habitat is the foundation for bees, and forage diversity consistently outperforms monocultures.

Gallagher explains how her team equips landowners with locally adapted seed mixes: a native “picture” bordered by a clover-rich “bee mix,” free for 2–25 acre projects and cost-share above that. She outlines city and campus pathways, from park strips to roadside plantings, stressing the power of local champions.

For small yards, the advice is simple: mow less, overseed Dutch white clover, reduce pesticides, and plant bloom succession—willows in spring, clovers and phacelia in summer, sunflowers and asters in fall.

Monarch support is easy too: add common or swamp milkweed; the butterflies find it.

We also discuss pesticide realities, mosquito spraying, and why building habitat reduces chemical dependence over time.

Whether you run two hives or a commercial yard, this conversation centers love of bees, resilient beekeeping, and healthier landscapes for every honey bee. and beyond.

It's all about having fun while we learn about beekeeping and sharing the love of honey bees!

Video Version: https://youtu.be/yE7KGAFg6IE

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/

Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.

https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/

[email protected]

https://www.beeandbutterflyfund.org/

"It was sheer panic!" That's how Amber explains her wild & crazy beekeeping story.

In this episode of Bee Love Beekeeping, we open with a poetic ode to honeybees and a couple of “beekeeper bloopers,” then sit down with Amber Leach, North American Sales Manager at Veto-Pharma.

We dig into Varroa Integrated Pest Management (IPM): why testing before and after treating matters, how to avoid resistance through rotation and correct use, and what’s new in Apivar 2.0.

Amber breaks down Varroa EasyCheck (alcohol wash, sugar roll, CO₂), shares high-altitude lessons from 7,500 ft, and explains why commercial beekeepers treat mite management like a business decision.

We wrap with winter-prep priorities, a humbling bee sting story, and practical, step-by-step fall beekeeping checklists.

It's all about having fun while we learn about beekeeping and sharing the love of honey bees!

Chapters

• 00:00 – Cold open: a honeybee’s harmony
• 01:22 – Welcome + fall Varroa reality check
• 01:56 – Beekeeper bloopers: honey-soaked suit & the hose trap; “bees sense fear”
• 03:57 – Guest intro: Amber Leach
• 06:32 – Veto Pharma’s focus: testing → treatment for Varroa
• 07:48 – Varroa EasyCheck: alcohol, sugar, CO₂—how/why to use each
• 09:39 – Habits, misuse, and how resistance happens (human factors)
• 12:16 – Amitraz & Apivar: role, history, and resistance nuance
• 14:24 – Apivar 2.0: formulation changes, faster profile, handling, no withholding
• 15:46 – Storage & correct application basics
• 16:04 – Ad break: Mann Lake honey harvest essentials
• 17:09 – Packages/nucs: don’t assume mite-free; questions to ask
• 20:28 – High-altitude beekeeping & the power of journaling
• 22:02 – Winter prep priorities: mites first; food & windbreaks
• 24:24 – Amber’s “hot hive” sting story (panic isn’t a plan)
• 28:58 – What hobbyists can borrow from commercial keepers: treat it like a business
• 31:53 – Case study: high counts + slow-release treatment expectations
• 34:56 – Start early (July!), be consistent, and retest
• 35:49 – Wrap-up, contacts, and sponsor thanks

Video Version: https://youtu.be/dG35F1qUDDg

__________________

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/

Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.

https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/

[email protected]

Amber: [email protected] https://www.veto-pharma.com/

How many sources of income do your beehives produce? If it's just honey sales and a few wax products, you will want to listen to this episode!

In this week's Bee-Love Beekeeping, we explore the magic of honeybee navigation and take a trip to Hawaii’s North Shore to meet beekeeper Katie Metzger, founder of Hanai Hives.

We kick off with a look at groundbreaking research on honeybee eyesight, revealing how these incredible insects read the polarized sky to travel miles and return home without losing their way—even on cloudy days. Then, we dive into Katie’s inspiring beekeeping journey, from her start in California school gardens to leading apiaries in Hawaii.

She shares how she built Hanai Hives, a community-driven beekeeping venture that blends education, agritourism, and honey production.

Together we discuss:

• Beekeeping in Hawaii’s unique microclimates

• The challenges and opportunities of turning beekeeping into a business

• Her hive adoption and hosting programs

• Agritourism experiences like bee farm tours and honey tastings

• Pest management strategies for varroa mites, small hive beetles, and ants

The Hawaiian concepts of Hanai (adoption/nurturing) and Kuleana (deep responsibility), and how they guide her approach to bees and community.

Katie also shares a really unusual wild beekeeping story, her philosophy on mentoring, and how love and responsibility—not just honey or money—drive her work. It's all about having fun while we learn about beekeeping and sharing the love of honey bees!

Video Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woCzQlxypRU

__________________

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/ Mann

Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.

https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/

[email protected]

https://hanaihives.com/

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