Audio Library

How Fall management and weather have lead to current hive conditions and strategies for Spring.

The mirror of the hive. Organizational strategies of  bees based on genetics, windfalls and stresses.

Arm chair observations, confessions and insights of a non invasive beekeeper.

Beekeeping as a transcendent vehicle, Ray’s unique experience of what the bees have given him.

Thermodynamics of Beekeeping – Why beekeepers have it all wrong.

This seasons summary, let us praise not so famous beekeepers, the invisible earth energies, thoughts from a  dowser. Intuition as a beekeepers best friend. Is the missing component in our grace, or lack of.

Our call this month is with the good folks at Strong Microbials makers of Super DFM. Direct Fed Microbials or probiotics are making a very big difference in our hives, and those of you who have been hearing us speak know we always recommend this product.

This call will have the DFM team on board and we will discuss the development, implementation, research, and the benefits of using this product for healthier and stronger colonies.

Jay Evans (http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0036-4651) has served as Research Leader for the USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland since October, 2014. Since joining ARS in 1998, Dr. Evans’ research has focused on identifying and managing threats to honey bee health, from microbes and mites to chemical stress. Along with the other scientists at the BRL, his goal is to develop new ways for bees and beekeepers to reduce these threats. He was an early proponent of the Honey Bee Genome Project and has helped recruit and lead scientists interested in applied genomics for bees.  He has received the James Hambleton Bee Research Award from the Eastern Apicultural Society (2011), the BA Early Career Scientist Award (2002), and is on the Council of Fellows for the International Bee Research Association. He holds an AB in Biology from Princeton and a PhD in Biology from the University of Utah.

Tom discusses the principles of bee improvement, how we can improve our management, our stock and in depth look at our new programs for beekeeping education.

Ron is a fascinating individual, many of you might know him from  the documentary “Queen of the Sun” where his dodecahedron hives were brought into examination. He has been working with bees since 1973 and after 23 yrs of Langstroths, lost his hives to varroa. This event, caused by early varroa infestation, left him  devastated, and out of this experience the beginnings of the application of sacred geometry to hive design.
His thoughts and methodology as a beekeeper will cause you to ponder your relationship with your bees as well as life around the hives.  Ron is a visionary utilizing his intuition, art, and unique insight in an alignment with the bees and while not for everyone, I think all will appreciate his sense of direction and  his wisdom.

Grant is an ordained Presbyterian Pastor in Jackson, Missouri and author of “Sustainable Beekeeping: Surviving in an Age of CCD” & “Sustainable Beekeeping: Surviving in an Age of CCD”.  His true passion is beekeeping and has served as President of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association.
Along with his many speaking engagements, both locally and nationally, he has authored several books on beekeeping, with special emphasis on beginning beekeeping and the shift from the hobby level to the income-producing level.
He maintains around 200 beehives in southeast Missouri and markets his naturally-produced honey through the local farmer’s markets and heath food stores. He also raises his own queen honey bees from locally-adapted, survivor stock.

Paul discusses his role as head inspector of NYS, his monitoring of the commercial honey operations,  factors contributing to colony health including migratory exposure to agricultural toxins,  management as part of the remedy,  varroa and nosema, working with USDA in Beltsville,  and innovative virus treatments some of the large commercial are using.