Beekeeping Buddies

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

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

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

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

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/

Join us in this episode of beekeeping buddies where we talk about the challenges of moving hives, our flow hive experience, what we do when we find EFB, Queen Grafting, upcoming events and more with Steve and Luke as we talk about beekeeping in the midwest!

Mann Lake QC100 - https://www.mannlakeltd.com/honey-bees/queen-rearing/complete-queen-rearing-kit/?sku=QC100&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw-O6zBhASEiwAOHeGxVxc1pSIr9FpaXF2iAwi2a4jqNpCHy5PyGYmNA6vk9a5vmgpc4XM8hoC2OkQAvD_BwE

HiveoRama - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089320765104

Want to support beekeeping buddies? Consider a contribution on our Patreon:

https://patreon.com/BeekeepingBuddies?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

Join us, Steve and Luke, your friendly neighborhood beekeeping enthusiasts, as we embark on an exciting journey into the world of honeybees, hives, and all things buzzing! We have our first beekeeping buddy Valerie Ross on our episode! We talk about what it is like to be a beginner beekeeper!

With over a decade of combined experience in beekeeping, we're no strangers to the sweet, sticky world of apiaries. From our humble beginnings as hobbyist beekeepers to our thriving bee yards nestled in the heart of Peoria, IL, we've seen it all – from swarms to honey harvests, and everything in between.

In this episode, we'll take you into our personal bee yards and remember what it was like being a beginner beekeeper, sharing the latest updates and insights from our buzzing colonies and our grafting. Whether it's the thrill of spotting a new queen or the challenges of managing hive health, or even the heartbreak of losing a hive, we'll give you an up-close look at the joys and responsibilities of beekeeping.

If you have beekeeping questions you might want answered, feel free to send us an email at [email protected]

AFB Vaccine - https://dalan.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw65-zBhBkEiwAjrqRMIYmpFDlPuKtm52L_gQXnm-ExoS4r_s2T_Yndv9Yknd-Dqa0yiMNiBoCsHcQAvD_BwE

Sunflower Pollen Benefits - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-32681-y#:~:text=We%20discovered%20that%20sunflower%20(Helianthus,the%20potential%20for%20broad%20anti

Frame Being Drawn Video - https://youtu.be/SZ339p8kXSw

In Episode 6 of Beekeeping Buddies, hosts Steven Schmidt and Luke Harvey take listeners on a comprehensive journey through several key aspects of beekeeping. The episode kicks off with an in-depth discussion on Queen Rearing, where Steven and Luke share their expertise on raising healthy queens and the critical role these queens play in hive health and productivity.

The duo then transitions into the topic of Nectar Flow, explaining its significance and offering strategies for beekeepers to maximize honey production during this crucial period as we transition to white clover. 

They also tackle Hive Swarming, providing valuable tips on managing and preventing swarms to maintain a stable and productive hive environment and what is going on in the midwest.

Listeners will also learn about best practices in Honey Collection, from the ideal timing to effective techniques for harvesting honey. A common issue, Queens Laying in Mediums, is addressed, with Steven and Luke offering practical solutions to manage and resolve this challenge.

The episode delves into Swarm Collection, where Steven and Luke share their experiences and methods for safely capturing swarms, turning potential problems into opportunities for hive expansion. They also evaluate Package Queen Quality, giving insights on how to assess and ensure the quality of queens received in bee packages.

For those interested in advanced beekeeping techniques, the hosts introduce Queen Grafting, providing a beginner-friendly overview of this method for raising new queens.

Finally, the episode wraps up with a fun segment on Apitourism, highlighting a local destination covered in the farm bureu magazine and how that might tie into your local small business.

Join Steven and Luke in Episode 6 for an hour of engaging and informative beekeeping conversation, perfect for both novice and experienced beekeepers.

Frame Queen Cells Removed From

Cells Stitched into a Frame

Final Cell Stitched into a Frame

Come join Steve and Luke and hear us talk about complications with our package installations, Luke's beekeeping trip to Japan, a busy swarm season (including a birthday swarm), and a recent cutout we completed.

Steve's Favorite Nuc Box - https://blueskybeesupply.com/polystyrene-medium-6-frame-nuc-kit-unassembled/

Luke's Favorite Nuc Box - https://www.betterbee.com/nuc-boxes/lyson-w1130-nuc-with-latches.asp

Queen Calculator - https://www.iowabees.com/gc

Ginza Honeybee Project - https://tokyogreenspace.wordpress.com/2009/08/06/ginza-honey-bee-project/

Book your own trip - https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g14129573-d9865132-Reviews-Ginza_Honey_Bee_Tour-Ginza_Chuo_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html

Steve's Farm Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@schmism

Riverview Road Apiary - https://riverviewroadapiary.com/

Riverview Road Apiary Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@riverviewroadapiary8486

Welcome to a bonus episode. While Luke is overseas looking at Apis Cerana, we needed to discuss some important legislation and some great articles by commercial beekeeper Charles Linder. Listen to is discuss beekeeping lobbiests, the why we need to be comcerned about the FDA becoming involved in our miticide treatment process. We also discuss splits, and how to split with medium frames.

American Bee Journal - https://americanbeejournal.com/

Illinois State Beekeeping Association - https://www.ilsba.com/

Heart of Illinois Beekeeping Association - https://hoibees.org/

Central Illinois Beekeepers Association - https://cibabees.org/cibawp/

Riverview Road Apiary - https://riverviewroadapiary.com/