Beekeeping For Newbees®

In this Bee Buzz episode I tackle common late-season questions about treating Varroa mites before winter, dealing with moisture and ventilation, replacing old comb, wrapping hives, and whether it’s safe to move colonies near a windbreak this time of year. We also look at what “too much insulation” really means, how to manage condensation safely, and why mite counts in early spring matter more than any single fall treatment.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• How late you can safely treat for Varroa before winter
• Why most mite treatments don’t work well during clustering
• Whether to treat for Nosema or other diseases in fall
• How to tell if mite levels are low enough to survive winter
• When and how to replace dark, old comb safely
• Whether tilting the hive helps manage condensation
• How much ventilation is too much in cold climates
• When to wrap hives, move colonies, or open them midwinter

Why Listen to This Episode?

It’s a straight-talking Bee Buzz focused on the realities of overwintering, from managing mites and moisture to balancing insulation and airflow for stronger colonies next 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 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 Bee Buzz episode I answer listener questions about using drone comb to reduce Varroa without chemicals, getting bees to accept plastic foundation, managing weak colonies before winter, handling late season queen loss, and how to think about brood frames, pollen patties, and uncapped nectar as the season winds down.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• How drone comb helps pull Varroa mites out of the colony
• Ways to coat or prep plastic foundation for better acceptance
• When to combine weak colonies before winter hits
• What to do if your colony goes queenless late in the year
• Why removing unused brood boxes saves energy and stress
• When pollen patties hurt more than they help
• How to move honey frames safely between colonies
• Why genetics beat feeding when it comes to overwintering success

Why Listen to This Episode?

It’s a practical Bee Buzz packed with seasonal advice, field experience, and honest talk about what really works when prepping hives for winter.

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 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 part two of my conversation with Minnesota beekeeper Peg DeSanto, we continue unpacking the science of overwintering and explore the research behind condensation, CO₂ balance, and hive insulation. Peg explains why matching hive size to colony strength matters, how smaller overwintering spaces improve survival, and how her Hive Hugger project was born from frustration, science, and a little bit of love.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• Why bees can freeze even with honey inches away
• The real cause behind “starvation” deaths in winter
• How matching hive space to colony size improves survival
• What Seely’s natural cavity research reveals about hive volume
• How CO₂ and humidity help bees regulate metabolism
• How the Hive Hugger insulation system was developed and tested
• Why insulation values (R30 top, R10 sides) are critical for cold regions

Why Listen to This Episode?

You will hear the rest of Peg’s story and learn how modern insulation research and natural bee behavior combine to create a more effective, science-based approach to overwintering.

Limited offer at https://hivehugger.com , use code: BK4N for 11% off.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

About the Podcast:

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 I talk with Minnesota beekeeper Peg DeSanto about one of the biggest challenges in beekeeping, getting colonies through winter. Peg explains how she became determined to stop winter losses and what she learned about insulation, moisture control, and the science behind the condensing hive approach.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• Why 50 to 60 percent winter losses are not inevitable
• How moisture and cold both threaten hive survival
• What R values actually mean for top and side insulation
• How bees manage condensation and why wet bees die fast
• What condensing hive design solves and how to build one
• Real data from researchers like Tom Seeley and Etienne Tardif
• How proper insulation reduces honey use and stress

Why Listen to This Episode?

You will learn how modern data and natural behavior work together to redefine overwintering success, with practical steps any beekeeper can apply before the cold sets in.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

About the Podcast:

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.

Bees In The News is back with a fresh format and more commentary. Instead of just reading headlines, I dive into what these stories really mean for beekeepers. In this episode, we explore the surprising discovery of natural bacteria in pollen that may protect bees, the growing concerns about native bee loss in Missouri and Kansas, and a Penn State study showing that organic beekeeping might actually improve honey yields and beekeeper safety. We wrap up with Alaska’s first small hive beetle detection and what it really means for northern beekeepers.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• How natural endophytes in pollen could help fight hive pathogens
• The reality of native bee decline and what beekeepers can do about it
• Why honey bees can act like an invasive species in certain ecosystems
• Breaking down “organic” beekeeping and why it does not mean “hands off”
• How organic acids and essential oils can rival conventional mite treatments
• Why true “organic honey” is nearly impossible to label in the U.S.
• The Alaska small hive beetle detection and why it is not cause for panic
• Practical steps to reduce beetle pressure in your hives year-round

Why Listen to This Episode?

This episode ties together science, practicality, and opinion. You will walk away with insight into the latest research, how it applies to your beekeeping, and why understanding natural and organic approaches can help protect both managed and wild bee populations.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

Referenced Articles:

🔬 Natural bacteria in pollen may protect bees (ScienceDaily)

🌾 Native bees struggle in Missouri and Kansas (KCUR)

🍯 Organic beekeeping benefits bees and keepers (Earth.com)

❄️ Alaska confirms first small hive beetle detection (Your Alaska Link)

About the Podcast:

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.

Every beekeeper wonders how their colonies are doing in the middle of winter. Are they clustered? Do they have enough food? Is it safe to open the hive? In this episode, I walk through the new project I have been teasing for months, a hive monitoring system that uses temperature probes, humidity sensors, and data collectors to create real-time heat maps of the winter cluster. This is a non-invasive way to track your bees and generate actionable data for better overwintering decisions.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• Why traditional “knock tests” and quick hive peeks fall short
• Using 18–20 temperature probes per hive to locate the cluster
• ESP32 boards, Raspberry Pi collectors, and open source tools
• How heat maps and playback show cluster movement over time
• Testing phases: hardware build, power integration, garage trials, full yard deployment
• Adding heat strips to simulate cluster movement for controlled experiments
• Integrating insulation tests and measuring power to honey conversion
• Future expansions like weight sensors and even drone based data retrieval

Why Listen to This Episode?

This project combines beekeeping with technology, giving you a way to see what really happens inside your hives during the cold months. Whether you want to build your own system or just follow along, you will come away with new insights into how bees survive winter.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

About the Podcast:

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.

It is Bee Buzz time again, and in this Q&A session I answer listener questions on winter prep, feeding, and hive management. We talk about whether to reduce colonies from two brood boxes to one, how to handle screened bottom boards, what to know about moisture boards, and when to stop feeding syrup. I also cover queen excluders in winter, protecting against mice, and why upper entrances may cause more problems than they solve.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• Best times and methods for moving a hive stand without stressing bees
• What moisture boards do and whether they are worth using
• When and why to reduce from double deeps to a single brood box
• The truth about queen excluders in winter setups
• Entrance reducers, mouse guards, and facing hives away from cold winds
• Screened bottom boards and whether to close them for cold weather
• How much honey a colony needs by region and climate
• Feeding decisions: syrup, sugar bricks, fondant, and candy boards

Why Listen to This Episode?

Winter prep is full of conflicting advice. This episode cuts through the noise with straightforward answers to common questions so you can focus on keeping your bees alive and strong until spring.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

About the Podcast:

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.

When temperatures drop, bees form the winter cluster to stay alive. In this episode, we dig into what triggers clustering, how bees rotate between the mantle and the core, and the muscle power that generates heat without flight. We also look at how the cluster moves as a unit to consume honey, why frame arrangement matters, and what not to do when preparing colonies for the cold months. Whether you are a first-year beekeeper or have decades of experience, this is a foundational topic you cannot overlook.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• What the winter cluster is and why bees form it
• Mantle bees vs core bees and how they rotate to stay alive
• The role of flight muscles in heat generation
• How brood rearing changes cluster temperature demands
• Why colonies move together through honey stores instead of breaking cluster
• Common myths about bees starving “inches away” from food
• Frame arrangement mistakes that can hurt winter survival
• Ventilation, insulation, and protecting hives from pests like mice

Why Listen to This Episode?

Understanding the winter cluster is key to successful overwintering. This episode explains how bees regulate heat, manage resources, and act as a superorganism when survival is on the line.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

About the Podcast:

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.

When bees overwinter in a tree cavity, they enjoy thick insulation, controlled airflow, and condensation that actually helps them survive. In a Langstroth hive, things look very different, and without adjustments, those differences can cost colonies dearly.

In this episode, I break down what happens inside a natural cavity and compare it to the equipment most of us use today. You will hear how bees manage heat, water, and carbon dioxide in winter, why condensation is not always the enemy, and what steps you can take to make your hives perform more like nature intended.

• Why tree cavities give bees a head start on winter survival
• How clustering really works, from core temps to the outer mantle
• The surprising role of carbon dioxide in calming bees and slowing consumption
• Why water and condensation are vital, but only when they drip below the cluster
• The insulation gap: tree walls vs. Langstroth boxes
• How entrance size and placement change survival odds
• Practical takeaways to prep your colonies for colder months

If you have ever wondered why colonies thrive in trees but struggle in wooden boxes, this episode connects the dots. You will leave with actionable ways to improve your overwintering setup, from insulation strategies to smarter entrance management.

🌐 beekeepingfornewbees.com

📘 bestbeekeepinggear.com

🎥 youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

☕ buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

🌱 thehealinghiveproject.org

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.

Winter is coming, and the way you prepare your hives now will determine how strong your colonies are in the spring. In this episode, we go step by step through assessing colony strength, when to combine hives, and what kind of feeding really works. We also break down insulation and ventilation, weighing your hives, and why candy boards and sugar bricks are not the magic fix some people think they are. This is the practical, no-nonsense guide you need before the cold weather sets in.

What’s Inside This Episode:

• How to evaluate colony strength before winter
• When and how to merge weak hives without the newspaper method
• Feeding options: 1:1, 2:1, and 3:2 sugar syrup, plus what to avoid in cold temps
• Why candy boards, sugar bricks, and fondant usually fail
• Using pollen patties wisely without triggering brood too late
• Weighing hives to judge food stores and survival chances
• Insulation, ventilation, and preventing condensation problems
• Cheap and simple gear for securing hives against wind and snow

Why Listen to This Episode?

This episode clears away bad advice and simplifies what works. You will leave with a clear plan to get your bees through winter without wasting money or losing colonies to preventable mistakes.

More Info:

🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com

🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com

📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees

💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org

About the Podcast:

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.