Beekeeping Buddies

By Luke Harvey

"Beekeeping Buddies" is your go-to podcast for all things buzzing in the world of beekeeping! Join Steve and Luke, two seasoned hobbyist beekeepers with over a decade of experience each, as they take ... more

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FAQs about Beekeeping Buddies:

How many episodes does Beekeeping Buddies have?

The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.

Beekeeping Buddies episodes:

November 20, 2024Episode 18 Episode 18 - Winter Tasks, Queen Bee 101, and Nucs vs Packages, and News on Our New Offering
Welcome to Episode 18 of Beekeeping Buddies. The podcast where Steve and Luke talk about beekeeping in the Central Illinois area.

Around the Yard:
- Final OA Treatment: One last OA treatment for the year!
- Suit Cleaning: Have an older suit? How do you clean it?
In the News:
- Beekeeping 101: Queen and how she works and what she does!
- Nucs vs Packages: What Steve and Luke think about bees vs packages. We also cover our new offering!
Honeybee Hotline:
- Pollen Bound: What is a pollen bound hive and what do you do with it?
Tune in to Episode 18 for all this and more as we delve into the world of beekeeping in Central Illinois, providing you with practical advice, the latest news, and answers to your buzzing questions.

Riverview Road Apiary Nucs: https://riverviewroadapiary.com/products/spring-2025-nuc

Heart of Illinois Beekeeping Club: https://hoibees.org/

Dalan Animal Health Queens: https://bluetoad.com/publication/?m=5417&i=830245&p=38&ver=html5

Dr. Jamie Ellis Podcast: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/podcast/

Bob Binnie Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bobbinnie9872

North American Honeybee Expo: https://www.nahbexpo.com/

Beekeeping Buddies Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/beekeepingbuddies/
...more
1h 12min
November 07, 2024Episode 17 - Honeybee Vaccines, Bee Biology, and Worker Bee 101
Welcome to Episode 17 of Beekeeping Buddies. The podcast where Steve and Luke talk about beekeeping in the Central Illinois area.

Around the Yard:
- Reading for Winter: Feeding hives, making fondant and candy boards for winter,
- How to Make Candy Board Video: https://youtu.be/3UI0BGBJs8M?si=eMji3lGv4ezXNaXy
In the News:
- Beekeeping 101: Workers and what they do in the hive.
- AFB Vaccine: AFB and how that is passed on to the queen bee.
Honeybee Hotline:
- Collapsed Hives: Luke and Steve talk about a collapsed hive, what was found and our thoughts on why it failed.
Honeybee Biology Deep Dive: How does the honeybee immune system actually work?

Tune in to Episode 17 for all this and more as we delve into the world of beekeeping in Central Illinois, providing you with practical advice, the latest news, and answers to your buzzing questions.

Heart of Illinois Beekeeping Club: https://hoibees.org/

Dalan Animal Health Queens: https://bluetoad.com/publication/?m=5417&i=830245&p=38&ver=html5

Beekeeping Buddies Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/beekeepingbuddies/
...more
1h 21min
October 24, 2024Episode 16 - October Deep Dive into Cutouts in Central Illinois
Welcome to Episode 16 of Beekeeping Buddies. The podcast where Steve and Luke talk about beekeeping in the Central Illinois area.

Around the Yard:
- Dry October: A dry hot October, still
In the News:
- DMZ Honey: NY Times article on a beekeeper in Korea
Droning On:
- Deep Dive Into Midwest Cutouts: Luke and Steve talk about what tools, time, and knowledge you need before attempting a cutout.
Tune in to Episode 16 for all this and more as we delve into the world of beekeeping in Central Illinois, providing you with practical advice, the latest news, and answers to your buzzing questions.

Heart of Illinois Beekeeping Club: https://hoibees.org/

American Bee Journal: https://bluetoad.com/publication/?m=5417&i=830245&p=38&ver=html5

Beekeeping Buddies Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/beekeepingbuddies/

Bumblebee Cutout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiuCkPap2V4
...more
1h 12min
October 16, 2024Episode 15 - Dry October, Fall Honey Stocks, Upcoming Cutouts, Bald Faced Hornets and a Legislative Update
Welcome to Episode 15 of Beekeeping Buddies. The podcast where Steve and Luke talk about beekeeping in the Central Illinois area.

Around the Yard:
- Dry October: A dry hot October. What do we do, anything we should not be doing?
- Fall Honey Stock: How do our hives look for winter? How are our flow hives doing? Is there anything we can do right now?
- Upcoming Cutouts: Looks like Luke and Steve will have some upcoming cutouts... will be covered extensively in episode 16.
In the News:
- Legislative Update: Check out October ABH for the Legislative Update in FIFRA. Laws are being passed that will impact our ability to treat hives.
Honeybee Hotline:
- Bald Faced Hornets: Good, bad, or ugly?
Droning On:
- Asters In Bloom: Should we be feeding still with Asters in bloom?
Tune in to Episode 14 for all this and more as we delve into the world of beekeeping in Central Illinois, providing you with practical advice, the latest news, and answers to your buzzing questions.

Heart of Illinois Beekeeping Club: https://hoibees.org/

American Bee Journal: https://bluetoad.com/publication/?m=5417&i=830245&p=38&ver=html5
...more
31min
September 27, 2024Episode 14 - Rainless in September, Fall Honey Stocks, To Insulate or Not, Starter Hive Setup, New Treatments and more!
Welcome to Episode 14 of Beekeeping Buddies. The podcast where Steve and Luke talk about beekeeping in the Central Illinois area.

Around the Yard:
- More Unusual Weather: A dry hot September. What do we do, anything we should not be doing?
- Fall Honey Stock: How do our hives look for winter? How are our flow hives doing? Is there anything we can do right now?
- To Insulate or Not to Insulate: Steve and Luke share what we do, and what we have seen in our hives.
- Starting Hive Setup: We share what we would use for a hive setup for a new beekeeper.
In the News:
- New voarra treatments: Great news in the beekeeping world as new treatments are being developed.
Honeybee Hotline:
- Taking Losses Now: What do I do with my weak hives?
Droning On:
- New Beekeeper Preparation: New beekeeper preparation.
Tune in to Episode 14 for all this and more as we delve into the world of beekeeping in Central Illinois, providing you with practical advice, the latest news, and answers to your buzzing questions.

Heart of Illinois Beekeeping Club: https://hoibees.org/

Formic Pro: https://nodglobal.com/formic-pro/

VarroxSan: https://www.dadant.com/catalog/varroxsan-60-pack?srsltid=AfmBOooTSfAsRCfkifSXTaadHyqugCQbyf6jUD1F3JED6VhLQ1F0p3mk

Terra Vera: https://terravera.com/resources#bee-colony-health
...more
57min
September 12, 2024Episode 13 - Winter Feeding, Winterizing, Hive Beetles, Fall Honey, Queen Transfer, Bald Faced Hornets, Crystalized Honey, Wax Processing, and Propolis
Welcome to Episode 13 of Beekeeping Buddies. The podcast where Steve and Luke talk about beekeeping in the Central Illinois area.

Around the Yard:
- Winter Feeding: Are we still feeding? Should you be?
- Winterizing: What do we do and why do we do it? What does the fat body actually do? How do we set up our hives?
- Hive Beetles... in Illinios?: Luke is seeeing a strange uptick in hive beetles. What is he doing for it?
- Taking Fall Honey: Are we taking fall honey? Problems we are seeing.
- Queen Transfer: Better queen acceptance with a newspaper combine?
- Bald Faced Hornets: What do you do with them? How to remove a hive.
Honeybee Hotline:
- Crystalized Honey: How do you solve this issue?
Droning On:
- Wax Processing: What do we do with our wax?
- Propolis Harvesting: Do you do it? What do you do with it?
Tune in to Episode 13 for all this and more as we delve into the world of beekeeping in Central Illinois, providing you with practical advice, the latest news, and answers to your burning questions.

Heart of Illinois Beekeeping Club: https://hoibees.org/

Nayborhood Farms: https://www.nayborhoodfarm.com/

Blackbeard Canning (Hot Honey): https://bbcanning.com/

Formic Pro: https://nodglobal.com/formic-pro/

Oxylic Acid Vaporizer: https://oxavap.com/

Other Oxylic Acid Vaporizer: https://lorobbees.com/products/instantvap-18v?srsltid=AfmBOor5vbx9wFihuPh1mSUXocUAlkJCMqfUADcONwm7YCXVanprA570

Bannanas In Beehives: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FrVf6_sIujaID-txJiUI33hlVV_pklpg/view

Cutout Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp-x2AOCEBc
...more
52min
August 28, 2024Episode 12 - Winter Feeding, Alaska Bees, Talking to Non-Beeks, Hot Honey, Fall Festivals
Welcome to Episode 12 of Beekeeping Buddies. The podcast where Steve and Luke talk about beekeeping in the Central Illinois area.

Around the Yard:
- Winter Feeding: When should feeding for your bees start? How much should the hive weigh?
- Alaska Beekeeping: What was Luke's trip like? How do the bees work during the summer? Do they survive winter?
In the News:
- Talking to Non-Beeks: Talking to non-beeks... is it a great idea?
- Talking to the Club: Steve speaks to the HOIBA beekeeping club about mites and how VSH works.
Honeybee Hotline:
- Know Your Mites!: How we treat for mites.
Droning On:
- Cutouts: Commercial property cutout adventure. Link below!
Tune in to Episode 12 for all this and more as we delve into the world of beekeeping in Central Illinois, providing you with practical advice, the latest news, and answers to your burning questions.

Heart of Illinois Beekeeping Club: https://hoibees.org/

Formic Pro: https://nodglobal.com/formic-pro/

Oxylic Acid Vaporizer: https://oxavap.com/

Other Oxylic Acid Vaporizer: https://lorobbees.com/products/instantvap-18v?srsltid=AfmBOor5vbx9wFihuPh1mSUXocUAlkJCMqfUADcONwm7YCXVanprA570

Bannanas In Beehives: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FrVf6_sIujaID-txJiUI33hlVV_pklpg/view

Cutout Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp-x2AOCEBc
...more
50min
August 07, 2024Episode 11 - Fancy Queens, Honey Tastings, Hiveorama updates, Bananas and more!
Welcome to Episode 11 of Beekeeping Buddies. The podcast where Steve and Luke talk about beekeeping in the Central Illinois area.

Around the Yard:
- Fancy Quees: Luke picked up some fancy queens from a local breeder. Come listen to what we have.
- Honey Tasting: A honey tasting was held in attemps to make apitourism more common. Listen to what we tried, our thoughts on what to taste and how to best run one.
- Queen Rearing: Two cutouts scheduled for the coming weeks!
In the News:
- Hiveorama: New on the conference located in St. Louis, Missouri.
- Bananas and the Hive: Bananas are... good for a beehive? Listen to the research we found on this twist.
Honeybee Hotline:
- Small Hive Beetle Slimed Frame Solutions: We revisit what to do about slimed frames.
Droning On:
- Bee Trips: Luke is headed to the Northern Frontier to see how Alaska beekeepers handle hives over winter.
- Mite Treatment Class: Steve volunteers to lead a course on how to treat your mites.
- Retirement Class: Steve gets voluntold to teach a 30 minute class on honey.
Tune in to Episode 11 for all this and more as we delve into the world of beekeeping in Central Illinois, providing you with practical advice, the latest news, and answers to your burning questions.

Hiveorama - https://hiveorama.square.site/

Eventbrite - www.eventbrite.com

Riverview Road Apiary - www.riverviewroadapiary.com

Honey Tasting and Farm Tour - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/honey-tasting-and-apiary-honeybee-farm-tour-tickets-926940553147?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
...more
1h 1min
July 25, 2024Episode 10 - End of July Bee Farm updates, hive-o-rama, and struggles with small hive beetle
Welcome to Episode 10 of Beekeeping Buddies. The podcast where Steve and Luke talk about beekeeping in the Central Illinois area.

Around the Yard:
- Harvesting Honey: We’ll discuss the best practices for harvesting honey in Central Illinois, including timing and techniques to ensure a successful yield, and how much we've gotten so far.
- Beekeeping Tours: Sharing our recent experiences and insights from our beekeeping tours.
- Queen Rearing: An update about our first real year of queen rearing in our apiaries.
- Hive Cutouts: Our thoughts and experiences on a cutout of a tree that a storm knocked down.
In the News:
- Hiveorama: Steve will plan on being at this small, but awesome conference located in St. Louis, Missouri.
Honeybee Hotline:
- Small Hive Beetle Problems: We answer viewer questions on how to deal with small hive beetles and slimed hives.
- How to Approach Apitourism: Want to teach people about bees? Maybe host a honey tasting? We cover how we set up our events!
- How to Store Frames: What we do to store our frames for winter.
Droning On:
- Mite Checks: As we prepare for winter, we'll discuss the importance of mite checks and the methods we use to keep our hives healthy.
- Winter Treatments: An overview of the treatments we recommend to ensure your bees are well-protected against the cold months ahead.
- Feeding Hives: Strategies and an experiment for feeding your hives to build up their strength and resources for the upcoming season.
Tune in to Episode 10 for all this and more as we delve into the world of beekeeping in Central Illinois, providing you with practical advice, the latest news, and answers to your burning questions.

Hiveorama - https://hiveorama.square.site/

Sustainable Beekeepers of Michigan - https://sbgmi.org/queenportal

Eventbrite - www.eventbrite.com

Riverview Road Apiary - www.riverviewroadapiary.com

Honey Tasting and Farm Tour - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/honey-tasting-and-apiary-honeybee-farm-tour-tickets-926940553147?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
...more
40min
July 10, 2024Episode 9 - Honey Harvest, Flow Hives, Grafting Queens, Beekeeping Tours and More
Welcome to Episode 9 of Beekeeping Buddies. The podcast where Steve and Luke talk about beekeeping in the Central Illinois area.

Around the Yard:
- Harvesting Honey: We’ll discuss the best practices for harvesting honey in Central Illinois, including timing and techniques to ensure a successful yield, and how much we've gotten so far.
- Flow Hives: An exploration of the advantages and disadvantages of using Flow Hives in our region.
- Grafting Queens: Tips and tricks for grafting queens, a crucial skill for managing and expanding your apiary.
- Beekeeping Tours: Sharing our recent experiences and insights from our beekeeping tours.
In the News:
- The Indoor Farmer Podcast: Luke recently guest-starred on The Indoor Farmer podcast, where he shared insights on urban beekeeping and his journey from engineering to beekeeping.
- Michigan State VSH Queens: Exciting developments from Michigan State University's research on Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) queens, which could revolutionize mite resistance in hives.
- UBeeO Test Kits: A look at the new UBeeO test kits designed to help beekeepers easily monitor hive health and detect issues early.
Honeybee Hotline:
- Queenless Hives in July: We answer viewer questions on how to determine if a hive has gone queenless in July, including signs to look for and steps to take to address the issue.
Droning On:
- Mite Checks: As we prepare for winter, we'll discuss the importance of mite checks and the methods we use to keep our hives healthy.
- Winter Treatments: An overview of the treatments we recommend to ensure your bees are well-protected against the cold months ahead.
- Feeding Hives: Strategies for feeding your hives to build up their strength and resources for the upcoming season.
Tune in to Episode 9 for all this and more as we delve into the world of beekeeping in Central Illinois, providing you with practical advice, the latest news, and answers to your burning questions.

Indoor Farmer Locals Channel - https://theindoorfarmer.locals.com/landing/video

Indoor Farmer Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Waylontheindoorfarmer/

Sustainable Beekeepers of Michigan - https://sbgmi.org/queenportal

UBeeO - https://opterabees.com/
...more
57min

FAQs about Beekeeping Buddies:

How many episodes does Beekeeping Buddies have?

The podcast currently has 19 episodes available.