Hello hello! This week, I'll be covering the first half of 'The Thinking Beekeeper' by Christy Hemenway, which is an excellent how-to guide on getting started with top bar hives. I also announce the winner of my giveaway!

As always, please see my website for a rundown of everything discussed as well as photos from the book. 

Additional resources:

Scientific Beekeeping (Trial of HoneySuperCell Small Cell Combs)

Honey Bee Suite (Monday Morning Myth: small-cell foundation discourages varroa mites)

Mann Lake Ltd. Unassembled Top Bar Hive

Etsy

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This week, I’m sharing my thoughts and experiences with the Gold Star Honeybees top bar hive (complete kit); the quality of the materials, ease of putting it together, and how it is working out. I’m also hosting a giveaway for the book ‘The Thinking Beekeeper - Natural Beekeeping in Top Bar Hives’ by the owner of Gold Star Honeybees, Christy Hemenway. Details at the end of the episode!

You can find the Gold Star website here.

Click here for the construction guide, and here for the hive kit. 

Episode 16 can be found here, and this is the corresponding blog post. 

As always, I have a full rundown of everything discussed plus photos over on my website. 

Thank you for listening, and please join me again in two weeks!

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Welcome to episode 45! This episode is all about the adventures of Ginny, the guinea fowl hen. I also cover some facts about guinea fowl so that you can decide whether they might be a good fit for your homestead or farm. 

Links of interest:

Episode 101 of the Hive Jive Podcast (Telling the Bees)

Female Guinea Keet call from Youtube

Good Sprout Rescue

Fowl Play Rescue

My website (with photos and a rundown of everything discussed)

Thank you so much for listening, and stay safe out there!

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Hello hello! This week, I finish up my book review of 'Honeybee Democracy' by Thomas Seeley with chapter 10 and the epilogue. Chapter 10 is all about how we can apply the 'swarm smarts' of honeybee swarms to our human forms of governing and decision-making. The Epilogue is a succinct summary of everything covered in the book.  I hope you enjoy it!

A few handy-dandy links: My website for a rundown of everything discussed, as well as photos from my homestead. 

And the queen marking disc I mention. 

Thanks for listening!

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Hello hello! This week, we move on to Chapter 9 of Honeybee Democracy by Thomas Seeley. This chapter looks at how the decision making process of honey bee swarms is comparable to the decision making process of primate brains. Yes, really!

Quick correction: at the end, I say my next episode will cover chapter 10 and the Prologue. I meant chapter 10 and the epilogue. Whoops! 

Please see my website for a rundown of everything discussed today, including some handy-dandy graphics from the book, and pictures from around my homestead. 

I hope you'll join me again in 2 weeks to finish the book! 

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Hello hello! This week, I push on with my book review of Honeybee Democracy by Thomas Seeley, and cover Chapter 8. This chapter is all about the dynamics of swarm flight. How do the bees make their way to their chosen nest site? Which bees lead the way? How many bees of the 10k+ within a swarm have visited the nest before? These questions and more will be answered!

Please see my website for a rundown of everything discussed as well as some useful graphics from the book. 

I also recommend checking out this beautiful bee themed tarot deck and the supporting oracle deck. As well as the charity, The Bee Conservancy. 

Thanks for listening, and stay safe out there!

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Hello hello! This week, I am covering Chapter 7 of Honeybee Democracy, which is all about the swarm's final flight home. Have you ever wondered how a honeybee swarm manages to take flight all at once, as one great cloud of bees? What allows 10 thousand plus bees to take off as one cohesive unit? What signals to them to prepare for flight? You're about to find out!

Please see my website for a rundown of everything discussed, as well as some nifty photos.

And please check out Mid-Ohio Waterfowl Rescue; a wonderful organisation that saves domestic and wild waterfowl in Ohio, and who took in the two abandoned ducklings that I found by a canal last week. 

Thanks for listening!

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This week, I cover chapter 6 of Honeybee Democracy by Thomas Seeley. This chapter is all about how the scout bees of a swarm come to a consensus on their new nest site. We will learn about how nest site quality relates to waggle dance enthusiasm; how the discoverer scouts recruit other bees to support their site; and whether scout bees compare various nest sites to assess quality, or whether they have an innate knowledge of what makes a nest site good or bad. 

Visit my website for a full rundown of everything discussed plus some nifty photos. 

And if you're interested in helping the folks of Texas as they come through their recent freeze, you can donate via The Red Cross, or support a pet charity that is helping Texans and their pets during this difficult time. 

Thanks for listening, and stay safe out there!

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Hello from snowy Ohio! This episode, we are tackling Chapter 5 of Honeybee Democracy by Thomas Seeley. This chapter focuses on the studies Seeley created to ascertain what sort of nest cavity is considered acceptable but not ideal by honeybees, in an attempt to deepen his understanding of how scout bees make decisions when assessing nest site options.

I also talk about a sick hen who is cozy and warm in the house during her treatment period, a naughty whippet who is eating gross things, the loss of some of my bee colonies, and the fun that is Chip Drop. 

Head on over to my website for photos and a rundown of everything discussed in this episode.

Stay warm and cozy out there! 

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Hello hello! On to Chapter 4 of Honeybee Democracy by Thomas Seeley today. This chapter answers such questions as: how does a forager know when to start looking for potential nest sites? How is a nest site chosen if multiple options are found by scout bees? Is there a genetic component to which foragers become scouts when the need arises? Listen in and learn all about the fascinating dance-off of the scout bees!

Learn more about Brood X cicadas, set to emerge this spring at this website.

Check out the treats and layer feed available at Grubbly Farms.

Or head on over to my website for all links, photos, and a run down of everything covered in this episode. 

Thanks for listening!

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