The Pollen Nation Podcast

Will commercial beekeeping survive the next 10 years? If you were starting a commercial operation from scratch today, would you still do it? In this episode of The Pollen Nation Podcast, we look at the business side of beekeeping: colony losses, almond pollination risk, scale, genetics and technology, and whether honey alone can pay the bills. The big idea is that having enough colonies isn’t the same as having enough financially sustainable beekeeping businesses to maintain them.

Sources mentioned:U.S. Beekeeping Survey, April 2025 to April 2026: https://www.apiaryinspectors.org/US-beekeeping-survey-25-26

Ecological Economics: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800924002489

USDA Honey Report, March 2026:https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/Todays_Reports/reports/hony0326.pdf

Join the conversation: If you were starting a commercial beekeeping operation from scratch today, would you still do it? Tell me why or why not in the comments. I’d especially like to hear from beekeepers at different scales and in different parts of the country. Subscribe to The Pollen Nation Podcast for science based beekeeping education with a commercial focus. New episodes cover the science, economics, and realities of running bees for a living.

#beekeeping #commercialbeekeeping #honeybees #pollination #almondpollination #varroa #agriculture

My website: https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com/

Check out my weekly beekeeping vlog: www.youtube.com/@walkinthewoodsapiaryvlog

You can also listen to the podcast on YouTube and all major podcast streaming platforms!

I share my thoughts on the U.S. and Canadian tariff war and how it impacts the beekeeping industry.

My website: https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com

Check out my beekeeping vlog: www.youtube.com/@walkinthewoodsapiaryvlog

Oxalic acid is sold at the hardware store as wood bleach. Beekeepers heat it into a gas and pump it directly into their hives to fight Varroa destructor. In this episode, we go deep on vaporized oxalic acid (OAV): where it came from, how it actually works at a biological level, and what the real research says.

My website: https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com/

Check out my beekeeping vlog: www.youtube.com/@walkinthewoodsapiaryvlog

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING

Links to the studies and extension resources referenced in this episode are at: https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com/2026/08/01/podcast-episode-show-notes-vaporized-oxalic-acid-for-varroa-mites-history-science-real-trade-offs/

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In my last episode, I argued AGAINST the subsidy programs I actually use in my commercial beekeeping operation. Now it's time for my real position.

This is the companion to my Devil's Advocate episode on ELAP, NAP, and rainfall index insurance. If you haven't watched that one yet, I'd recommend starting there to get the full context, but this episode stands on its own as my defense of why I use these programs and plan to continue using them.

My website: https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com/

Check out my weekly beekeeping vlog: www.youtube.com/@walkinthewoodsapiaryvlog

#beekeeping #commercialbeekeeping #agriculture #subsidies #usda #elap #farmsubsidies #agriculturalpolicy

Welcome to the first episode of my Devil's Advocate series, where I research and argue for positions I don't personally hold. Today, I'm making the strongest case I can AGAINST the very subsidy programs I use in my own commercial beekeeping operation.

In this episode, I argue against ELAP (Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program), NAP (Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program), and rainfall index insurance, the three major subsidy programs available to beekeepers.

My website: https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com/

Check out my weekly beekeeping vlog: www.youtube.com/@walkinthewoodsapiaryvlog

#beekeeping #commercialbeekeeping #agriculture #subsidies #devilsadvocate #usda #elap #farmsubsidies

Taktic. It’s one of the worst-kept secrets in commercial beekeeping… but almost nobody talks about it openly.

In this episode of The Pollen Nation Podcast, we dig into the real story behind Taktic and amitraz: why so many beekeepers use it, what makes it so effective, what the risks are, and how it compares to legal products like Apivar and Amiflex.

Disclaimer

This episode is for educational and discussion purposes only. Nothing in this video is advice or a recommendation to use any pesticide off label or in violation of local laws and regulations. Always follow the label. Always follow your country’s regulations. Work with your local extension service or bee inspector when designing your treatment plan. The goal of this conversation is to explain what’s happening in the real world, not to encourage unsafe or illegal practices.

My website: https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com/

Check out my weekly beekeeping vlog: www.youtube.com/@walkinthewoodsapiaryvlog

I give a presentation on the entire queen rearing process at the Wiregrass Beekeepers Association in Dothan, Alabama.

My website: https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com/

Check out my weekly beekeeping vlog: www.youtube.com/@walkinthewoodsapiaryvlog

If you’ve ever questioned why commercial beekeepers feed high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) instead of sugar syrup, or worried it might end up in the honey, this episode is for you. In this deep dive, I break down the science and economics behind HFCS feeding.

My website: https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com/

Check out my weekly beekeeping vlog: www.youtube.com/@walkinthewoodsapiaryvlog

Show notes: https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com/2025/11/18/hfcs-vs-sucrose/

#Beekeeping #HFCS #Sucrose #CommercialBeekeeping #BeeHealth #Pollination #HoneyBees #BeekeepingScience #BeeNutrition

How is the current government shutdown impacting the beekeeping industry?

My website:https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com/

Check out my weekly beekeeping vlog:www.youtube.com/@walkinthewoodsapiaryvlog

#Beekeeping #HoneyBees #BeekeepingPodcast #CommercialBeekeeping #WalkInTheWoodsApiary #governmentshutdown

Can probiotics really make your bees healthier or is it just clever marketing?

In this episode, we dig deep into the science behind bee probiotics like SuperDFM and others, breaking down what the peer-reviewed research actually says.

My website:https://walkinthewoodsapiary.com/

Check out my weekly beekeeping vlog:www.youtube.com/@walkinthewoodsapiaryvlog

#Beekeeping #HoneyBees #BeeHealth #Probiotics #BeekeepingPodcast #CommercialBeekeeping #BeeScience #SuperDFM #WalkInTheWoodsApiary