Beekeeping at Five Apple Farm Podcast Leigh Knott

Ep 107: Coming out of Winter and HELLO AGAIN! 
(Recorded mid-March 2023) It's so exciting to see the new beekeeping season on the horizon....even if I had horrid overall winter survival due to things I failed do last season. I'll talk about late winter colony issues and care, how NOT to have a winter like I had, how to get the most out of bee mentors and your bee guild, and other random bee chat to start up the podcast for the year. 
The splits book will be delayed -- I'd hoped to have it ready for you by now! -- but I'll be sharing the pieces in progress with the Patrons here as well as sharing other tips and bonus content here every week. 
This podcast continues to be listener-powered so remains free of adverts and sponsorship messages. Thank you Patrons!! 
 
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Please become a Friend of Five Apple on Patreon and join the folks who make the podcasts possible! In addition to huge gratitude, you get:
 


• BONUS podcasts and early access episodes
• Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos
• Special Q&A posts to ask me questions about YOUR bees
• Input on the podcast topics
• Shout-outs on the show because I appreciate you! 
 


If you can support the show with $3 a month or more, please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple


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About Beekeeping at Five Apple Farm: Leigh keeps bees in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She cares for around a dozen-ish hives in a rural Appalachian forest climate. Colonies are managed for bee health with active selection for vigor, genetic diversity and disease resistance, but without chemical treatments thus far. The apiary is self-sustaining (not needing to buy/catch replacement bees since 2010) and produces honey and nucs most every year. 

In this episode: Announcement re pausing the podcast till around Valentine's Day 2023....so I can write you a handbook on splits! :-)
 


Patreon billing for the monthly pledges of supporters will be paused from now until February 2023 ...but I'm still available for messages from Patrons during the winter for any burning questions. Also feel free to write me about YOUR favorite kind of split and why!
 


**Correction from what I said in the episode: new memberships are paused till then too due to the Patreon system.
 


Patrons who have shared a total of $24 or more of support to the podcast will get a copy of the split handbook FREE as a thank you for that support!
 


Other listeners will have the chance to purchase a copy when it is available too.


 
The article I'm reading from about Optera:


https://researchmagazine.uncg.edu/spring-2023/part-of-the-hive/bee-business/


Optera website: https://opterabees.com/
 

 

 


Our local black jar honey contest has awarded the winners! Sadly, I'm not among them...but some great folks are. A foray into Fall weirdness at the home apiary with some robbing and (whut?!) bees building outside a tree. And a teaser about the potentially amazing product-to-come, Optera. Hope you enjoy! Leigh
 
--



 
Please become a "Friend of the Podcast" on Patreon and join the folks who make the podcasts possible! In addition to huge gratitude, you get:
 


• BONUS podcasts and early access episodes
• Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos
• Special Q&A posts to ask me questions about YOUR bees
• Input on the podcast topics
• Shout-outs on the show because I appreciate you! 
 


If you can support the show with $3 a month or more, please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple


--


About Beekeeping at Five Apple Farm: Leigh keeps bees in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She cares for around a dozen-ish hives in a rural Appalachian forest climate. Colonies are managed for bee health with active selection for vigor, genetic diversity and disease resistance, but without chemical treatments thus far. The apiary is self-sustaining (not needing to buy/catch replacement bees since 2010) and produces honey and nucs most every year. 


 

 

Hello wonderful Patrons and all listeners! FINALLY a new episode - catching up a bit on the farm bees, pre-winter prep progress and random bits. THANK YOU ALL for your support and patience with me. Leigh
 


ps. I mentioned a couple of videos I've enjoyed lately. Bee videos are my favorite way to make kitchen clean up more enjoyable! :-) I was letting bee videos play in the background and ended up learning a lot listening to some I might not have chosen to watch otherwise... I have links, descriptions and comments on this (public) Patreon post. Hope you enjoy!  https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-104-are-73001852 
 



--
Please become a "Friend of the Podcast" on Patreon and join the folks who make the podcasts possible! In addition to huge gratitude, you get:
 


• BONUS podcasts and early access episodes
• Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos
• Special Q&A posts to ask me questions about YOUR bees
• Input on the podcast topics
• Shout-outs on the show because I appreciate you! 
 


If you can support the show with $3 a month or more, please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple


--


About Beekeeping at Five Apple Farm: Leigh keeps bees in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She cares for around a dozen-ish hives in a rural Appalachian forest climate. Colonies are managed for bee health with active selection for vigor, genetic diversity and disease resistance, but without chemical treatments thus far. The apiary is self-sustaining (not needing to buy/catch replacement bees since 2010) and produces honey and nucs most every year. 


 

Bee Radio Reader: Combining Hives Early for Fall (103)
Reading from "Practical Mergers: Do It Soon" by Zachary Lamas, August 2020, by permission of Bee Culture Magazine. 
--
Please become a "Friend of the Podcast" on Patreon and join the folks who make the podcasts possible! In addition to huge gratitude, you get:
 


• BONUS podcasts and early access episodes
• Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos
• Special Q&A posts to ask me questions about YOUR bees
• Input on the podcast topics
• Shout-outs on the show because I appreciate you! 
 


If you can support the show with $3 a month or more, please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple


--


About Beekeeping at Five Apple Farm: Leigh keeps bees in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She cares for around a dozen-ish hives in a rural Appalachian forest climate. Colonies are managed for bee health with active selection for vigor, genetic diversity and disease resistance, but without chemical treatments. The apiary is self-sustaining (not needing to buy/catch replacement bees since 2010) and produces honey and nucs most every year. 


 

Episode 102: Summertime and the living is....hot. Tips on cooling off hives in summer; REVIEW of test-frame technique to detect queenlessness vs other reasons. WINNER of the Bee Culture magazine sub from episode 100!!!
Thank you all so much for listening! I invite everyone to join on Patreon below for more content --or if you just want to support the show. If that's not your thing -- please consider leaving a five-star review on Apple podcasts if you enjoy this podcast. I appreciate you all so much. Leigh
 
 


--
Please become a "Friend of the Podcast" on Patreon and join the folks who make the podcasts possible! In addition to huge gratitude, you get:


• BONUS podcasts and early access episodes
• Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos
• Special Q&A posts to ask me questions about YOUR bees
• Input on the podcast topics
• Shout-outs on the show because I appreciate you! 
 


If you can support the show with $3 a month or more, please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple


--


About Beekeeping at Five Apple Farm: Leigh keeps bees at 3000' in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She cares for around a 'beekeeper's dozen' of hives in a rural, high elevation Appalachian forest climate. Colonies are managed for bee health with active selection for vigor, genetic diversity and disease resistance, but without chemical treatments. The apiary is self-sustaining (not needing to buy/catch replacement bees since 2010) and produces honey and nucs most every year.