Beekeeping For Newbees®

In this episode of The Bee Buzz, we’re diving into more listener questions from the beekeeping community. As the season slows down, it’s a great time to reflect on the challenges and successes of the year while preparing for what’s next. 🐝💭

What’s Inside This Episode:

• Listener Q&A: Answers to recent questions from the beekeeping community.
• Seasonal reflections: Thoughts on wrapping up the beekeeping season and getting ready for the year ahead.

Join the Conversation:

Have questions, insights, or stories to share? Connect with the Beekeeping for Newbees community:

• 🌐 Visit our website: https://BeekeepingForNewbees.com
• 💬 Join the Discord community: https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ
• ☕ Support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

About the Podcast:

Beekeeping for Newbees is your ultimate guide to starting and thriving in the world of beekeeping. Packed with practical advice and personal stories, this podcast is here to help you make the most of your beekeeping journey.

This week we answer a new round of listener questions in another Bee Buzz episode. We talk through several real-world situations that beekeepers run into, including questions about feeding, hive management, queen behavior, and general troubleshooting in the apiary. These listener-driven discussions are always a great way to explore practical problems that many beekeepers are facing at the same time.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• Listener questions about feeding bees and how different feeder styles can affect colony management

• Tips for evaluating colony strength and deciding when a hive needs additional support

• Questions about queen behavior and signs that a colony may be struggling

• Practical hive management considerations that help new beekeepers avoid common mistakes

• General troubleshooting advice based on real listener situations and experiences

Why Listen to This Episode?

Bee Buzz episodes focus on real questions from beekeepers just like you. If you enjoy practical advice and learning from real-world scenarios, this episode covers several useful situations that many beekeepers eventually encounter.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

Additional Resources:

All Season Inner Cover: https://youtu.be/qJ0q3plIL1I

Screened Entrance Reducer: https://youtu.be/SyIcnkIwKig

About the Podcast:

Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 700,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

Intro paragraph

This week we talk about one of the most common questions beekeepers ask in the spring: should you split your hive or simply give the colony more space to grow? We walk through the difference between splitting and expanding, when each approach makes sense, and how these decisions affect swarm prevention, colony strength, and honey production. We also cover common mistakes new beekeepers make when trying to grow their apiary too quickly.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• What a hive split actually is and how dividing one colony creates multiple colonies

• How walk-away splits work and how to determine which colony has the queen afterward

• Why using a mated queen or queen cell can dramatically speed up recovery after a split

• The risks of splitting first-year package colonies that are still trying to build strength

• How expanding a hive with additional space can reduce swarming pressure

• Why large splits often require supplemental feeding to help new colonies survive

• Key planning factors including hardware, local regulations, and available forage

Why Listen to This Episode?

Splitting colonies can help you grow your apiary, but doing it at the wrong time can weaken or even destroy your hives. This episode explains when splitting makes sense, when expansion is the better choice, and how to avoid the most common mistakes.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

Additional Resources:

Top feeder: https://amzn.to/4tpJLhI

Frame feeder: https://amzn.to/3McAYyW

Bucket feeder: https://youtu.be/lTowIiSjTtg

About the Podcast:

Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 700,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

This week we talk about one of the most common worries new beekeepers face: opening a hive and thinking the queen has disappeared. We walk through the normal situations that can make it look like your queen is gone, including nectar dearths, swarming events, and mating flights. We also discuss practical ways to confirm whether the queen is still present and what steps you can take if she truly is missing.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• Why queens stop laying during nectar dearths and how this can look like a missing queen

• What capped brood without eggs or larvae can actually tell you about the colony

• How a shaker box can help you locate a queen that is difficult to find

• Signs that a colony may have swarmed and why the queen might truly be gone

• How long to wait for a virgin queen to return from a mating flight

• What to do if a queen fails to return and the colony needs to raise a new one

• Options for replacing a queen through mail order or help from other beekeepers

Why Listen to This Episode?

Every beekeeper eventually opens a hive and worries that the queen has disappeared. This episode explains the most common causes and shows how to evaluate the situation calmly before taking action.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

About the Podcast:

Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 700,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

This week we talk about one of the most exciting opportunities in beekeeping: catching free honey bees with swarm traps. We walk through how swarms form, how simple traps attract scout bees looking for a new home, and how this method can help you grow your apiary without buying packages. I also share a personal story about salvaging a massive swarm and discuss the advantages and risks of bringing unknown colonies into your apiary.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• How swarming works and why colonies naturally split when they run out of space

• What a swarm trap is and how it mimics a safe new home for scout bees

• A real story about a massive swarm cluster and how swarm lure helped bring them into a hive

• Practical swarm trap placement tips including height, visibility, and general location

• Why larger traps can help prevent newly captured swarms from leaving again

• The benefits of catching free colonies and the potential disease or genetics risks to consider

• What to do after capturing a swarm including feeding, giving space, and treating for varroa

Why Listen to This Episode?

If you want to grow your apiary without spending hundreds of dollars on new bees, swarm traps can be a powerful tool. In this episode we walk through the basics so you can start thinking about placing traps and possibly catching free colonies in your area.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

Additional Resources:

Jeff Horchoff YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JeffHorchoff

Swarm Trap in 60 Seconds: https://youtu.be/Wfy3ybL3PJM

Pill Bottle Swarm Trap: https://youtu.be/jtbc8OJpTs0

Full Swarm Trap Build: https://youtu.be/uksabwBuzlE

About the Podcast:

Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 700,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

In this Bee Buzz episode, Jeff shares a hard lesson from losing an entire round of early spring splits after an unexpected cold snap. The conversation then shifts into listener questions covering when to replace old comb, how to recognize when nectar flow is starting, what to do when a new colony rejects its queen, and when feeding sugar syrup actually makes sense.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• A real-world example of early spring splits failing after unexpected freezing temperatures

• Why drawn comb should be rotated out every few years and how old comb accumulates chemical history inside the hive

• When frames can be salvaged after wax moth damage and how freezing frames can help reset them

• Practical ways to recognize when nectar flow is beginning in your area

• A listener situation where a newly installed queen was rejected and emergency queen cells were mistakenly removed

• Why feeding decisions are often debated and when feeding splits, swarms, or package bees can help stabilize a colony

• A simple approach for mixing 2:1 sugar syrup and why some beekeepers prefer higher concentration feed

Why Listen to This Episode?

This episode walks through real mistakes, practical hive management decisions, and several listener scenarios that many beekeepers eventually encounter in their own apiaries.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

Referenced Resources:

5 Gallon Bucket Feeder: https://youtu.be/lTowIiSjTtg

About the Podcast:

Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 650,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

In this Bee Buzz episode, the Phoebeekeeper joins the conversation to discuss specialist native bees and why certain plant species matter for their survival. We also cover practical beekeeping topics including water sources, foundation color, mouse damage, requeening strategies, and early spring splits.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• What specialist bees are and why some rely on only one to three plant types

• How habitat loss and monoculture impact native bee populations

• Simple planting strategies that support specialist bees in your region

• Whether adding water inside the hive is a good idea

• Yellow versus black foundation in brood chambers and visibility of eggs

• What to do with honey frames after a mouse infestation

• Using a push-in cage to safely introduce a new queen

• Early season splits, temperature risks, and feeding considerations

Why Listen to This Episode?

This episode connects broader pollinator awareness with hands-on hive management, giving you practical guidance while highlighting small actions that can support bees beyond your apiary.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

Referenced Resources:

How To Provide Water for Your Bees: https://youtu.be/wXTMhxdLW_I

Homemade Mouse Guard: https://youtube.com/shorts/r9NdCI1fdyw

About the Podcast:

Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 650,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

In this episode, I sit down with Brian Peterson, co-founder of Bees in the D, to talk about urban beekeeping in Detroit and how a small idea grew into a large community-driven nonprofit. We cover education, pollinator advocacy, urban hive performance, and what it takes to scale beekeeping responsibly inside a major city.

This is a practical look at how bees intersect with schools, neighborhoods, and large-scale community outreach.

• How Bees in the D started and expanded across Detroit
• The realities of keeping bees in dense urban environments
• Urban forage diversity compared to rural settings
• Building partnerships with schools and community organizations
• The Michigan Pollinator Initiative and public education efforts
• Varroa management in city apiaries
• Rooftop hives and visibility in urban outreach
• Training educators and expanding pollinator literacy
• Scaling nonprofit beekeeping operations sustainably

This episode gives you insight into how urban beekeeping works at scale and how bees can become a tool for education, food awareness, and community engagement.

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 600,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

In this episode, we break down the mechanics and reasoning behind splitting hives in the spring. We look at what drives swarming behavior, how to identify different types of queen cells, and how to decide when and how to split without setting your colonies back.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• Why colonies swarm in the spring and how genetics and overcrowding factor in

• Differences between queen cups, swarm cells, emergency cells, and supersedure cells

• Swarming versus absconding and how to tell the difference in your hive

• Planning colony growth based on hardware, space, time, and feeding capacity

• One-to-one splits versus multiple splits and the impact on productivity

• Three approaches to requeening splits: mated queens, queen cells, and walk-away splits

• Timing considerations tied to nectar flows and regional conditions

Why Listen to This Episode?

This episode gives you a practical framework for making splits with confidence, reducing swarm pressure, and building colonies without compromising long-term strength.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

About the Podcast:

Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 650,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

In this Bee Buzz episode, we dig into hive space management and common layout challenges that show up in spring. I walk through practical ways to encourage comb drawing, move bees upward into new boxes, and think through hardware choices, queen cups, treatments, and super timing.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• Checkerboarding frames versus inserting foundation into the center of the brood nest

• A practical method for getting bees to draw comb in underused deep boxes

• Forcing upward expansion by moving brood into a new box

• Mixing deep and medium brood chambers and the management tradeoffs

• Queen cups versus queen cells and how to respond during swarm season

• Timing Apivar treatments around nectar flows and honey supers

• Using oxalic acid vaporization as an alternative mite treatment

• When to add honey supers and how to avoid becoming honey bound

Why Listen to This Episode?

This episode gives you practical, field-tested ways to manage space, prevent congestion, and make better timing decisions around treatments and supering in the spring.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

About the Podcast:

Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 650,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.