On this episode of In The Bin, we sit down with Kiersten Ritchie, a honeybee expert from Washington State University who’s just about to earn her doctorate. Kiersten pulls back the curtain on the hidden world of honeybees — from how they help pollinate our orchards to the wild fact that they can actually overthrow their queen.

00:00 Start

00:38 We have a very special guest, Kiersten Richie.

02:40 Do Honeybees pollinate 99.9% of orchards?

05:01 What are the different roles of Honeybees?

08:20 Back up… They can overthrow the queen?

11:02 What is royal jelly?

13:11 What lab work are you doing specifically?

15:07 What is the origin of honeybees?

18:59 Have Pesticides become safer for bees?

20:20 New Lab project looking at enzymes and genetics to help mitigate the effects of pesticides.

23:12 How do the different food sources affect them as they make their way up the coast? 24:58 Summer and winter bees.

27:04 How many species of bees are there?

29:08 How is climate change impacting honeybees?

35:18 Have we commercialized bees?

36:37 Harvesting honey.

38:24 How is funding for honeybee research looking?

39:52 As commercial farmers, what more can we do to support the bees?

43:55 If a bee stings you.

45:15 The Northern giant hornet.

47:56 What is the most significant pressure and threat to honeybees right now? (varroa mites)

53:36 What do you think about backyard beekeepers? And is it good or bad for exposure to varroa mites?

56:27 Is WSU doing outreach to help educate hobbyists?