Honey Bee Obscura Podcast

Growing Planet Media
Growing Planet Media
  • 4.8 (132)
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  • Weekly

The weekly podcast exploring the joys, challenges, and curiosities of keeping honey bees. Hosted by Dr. Jim Tew and produced by Jeff Ott, Honey Bee Obscura delivers short, focused conversations that dive into the details of beekeeping—from practical how-tos to quirky observations. Perfect for learning something new on the way to the apiary, at home, or wherever your bees take you.

  1. 2d ago

    Winter Prep with Anne Frey

    What exactly are honey bees doing inside the hive all winter? Following their recent discussion about condensing hives, Dr. Jim Tew and Anne Frey return to the fundamentals of wintering honey bees. They begin with the temptation to judge bee comfort by human standards. A cold wooden box may look miserable to us, but honey bees have evolved a remarkably effective system for surviving long periods of cold weather. Anne and Jim explore how the winter cluster expands, contracts, moves upward through stored honey, and circulates bees between its warmer interior and colder outer shell. They also discuss elevated CO2 levels, insulation, and why observing the cluster without disturbing it remains difficult. The conversation turns practical as they consider what beekeepers can still do once winter begins. Adding top insulation, supplying honey, and carefully timing oxalic acid treatments may still be possible, but opening a colony for major manipulation can cost bees and disrupt the cluster. Jim and Anne also look at winter moisture, how bees access thick stored honey, cleansing flights, and what snow around a hive can reveal about colony activity. Winter may look quiet from the outside, but inside the hive, the colony is anything but inactive. ______________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies. Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of Honey Bee Obscura. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com ______________________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, All We Know by Midway Music; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott Episode artwork created by Jeff Ott with ChatGPT by OpenAI. (Jim's regular cartoonist, John Martin, is on vacation and will be back!) Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

    Winter Prep with Anne Frey

  2. Nov 5

    Condensing Hives with Anne Frey

    For generations, many northern beekeepers have been taught that winter colonies need upper ventilation to allow warm, moisture-laden air to escape. But what if that familiar advice is working against the bees? In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Dr. Jim Tew welcomes Anne Frey to explain the condensing hive concept and why it has caused Jim to reconsider some long-held wintering practices. Anne explains that a condensing hive isn't a special piece of equipment. Instead, the concept relies on substantial insulation above the colony while allowing the hive walls to remain cooler. Moisture produced by the bees can then condense on those walls rather than on the ceiling, where water might drip back onto the cluster. They also discuss eliminating—or greatly reducing—the traditional upper entrance, the role of elevated CO2 in lowering winter metabolism, and why moisture inside the hive isn't automatically harmful. In fact, bees may use condensed water to help consume stored honey. Anne adds an important practical caution: without an upper exit, dead bees, snow, or ice can block the lower entrance. Her own approach leaves a very small upper opening as insurance. Jim and Anne close by considering insulating quilts, warmer climates, and whether top insulation might even help colonies during summer heat. ______________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies. Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of Honey Bee Obscura. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com ______________________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, All We Know by Midway Music; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott Episode artwork created by Jeff Ott with ChatGPT by OpenAI. (Jim's regular cartoonist, John Martin, is on vacation and will be back!) Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

    Condensing Hives with Anne Frey

  3. Oct 29

    Life in the Dark Bee Yard: A Halloween Encore

    The bee yard is a familiar place during daylight. After midnight on Halloween? That's a different story. For this special episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Dr. Jim Tew reaches back into the archives and invites Jeff Ott to join him once again for a few spooky—and very funny—stories about what happens when beekeepers find themselves working bees after dark. Jim begins with an encounter in the attic of an old Ohio State farm building. Armed with a questionable flashlight and surrounded by forgotten beekeeping equipment, he discovers that the mysterious shape waiting in the darkness is a fully grown raccoon backed into a corner. The raccoon wins. Then Jim recalls working alone late at night near an abandoned facility, preparing colonies for apple pollination. Nothing actually happens—which somehow makes the growing feeling that he isn't alone even worse. Eventually, Jim abandons the bee yard entirely, smoker and all. Finally, there are southern bee yards, rattlesnakes, black widow spiders, watermelon pollination, and Jim's brother mistaking a vibrating phone on his belt for a striking rattlesnake. No monsters. No ghosts. Just beekeepers, darkness, bad flashlights, overactive imaginations—and a reminder that a familiar bee yard can feel like an entirely different world after midnight. Happy Halloween! ______________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies. Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of Honey Bee Obscura. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com ______________________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, All We Know by Midway Music; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott Episode artwork created by Jeff Ott with ChatGPT by OpenAI. (Jim's regular cartoonist, John Martin, is on vacation and will be back!) Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

    Life in the Dark Bee Yard: A Halloween Encore

  4. Oct 22

    Plain Talk: Plastics in Beekeeping

    Plastic is now so common in beekeeping that it's easy to forget there was a time when virtually everything in the bee yard and honey house was made from wood, metal, glass, or cloth. In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Dr. Jim Tew looks back at that transition. He remembers glass honey jars, heavy 60-pound storage tins, wired foundation, handmade beeswax queen cups, metal-screen veils, and the equipment that defined beekeeping before plastic became commonplace. And Jim readily admits why plastic won. Five-gallon buckets were easier to handle and clean. Plastic honey containers didn't shatter on concrete floors. Plastic foundation reduced labor. Queen cell cups, protective clothing, hive components, and processing equipment all became more convenient.  But that history leads Jim to a more difficult question: what should beekeepers make of concerns about microplastics? Jim discusses reports of microplastics being detected in honey and considers several possible pathways—from environmental exposure in air and dust to processing and storage equipment. At the same time, he repeatedly stresses uncertainty: he isn't arguing that honey is unsafe, nor does he claim science has established what these findings mean for human or honey bee health. It's a thoughtful conversation about progress, tradeoffs, and a question that may deserve more attention as the science develops. ______________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies. Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of Honey Bee Obscura. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com ______________________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, All We Know by Midway Music; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott Cartoons by: John Martin (Beezwax Comics) Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

    Plain Talk: Plastics in Beekeeping

  5. Oct 15

    Plain Talk: A Flooded Smoker & Failed Queen

    A beautiful autumn day in the bee yard begins with an unexpected discovery for Dr. Jim Tew: his normally reliable smoker-storage system has failed spectacularly. A windblown lid and several rainstorms have left his smoker half submerged, his hive tools soaked, and his carefully organized system in need of drying out. But that isn't the only surprise waiting for Jim. A swarm colony he had collected earlier in the season has died, so Jim opens the hive for a late-season autopsy. Wax moths have already moved in, but the comb tells a larger story. Jim finds scattered drone brood, no queen cells, and no obvious signs of American foulbrood or a Varroa collapse. His conclusion: the colony likely declined after its queen failed. That leads to a harder question: even if Jim had caught the problem several weeks earlier, would requeening a small colony in September have made sense? Jim considers the cost of a queen, the time required for introduction, dwindling fall forage, and the risks of combining a weak colony with a stronger one. Then he turns his attention to another small nuc that may still deserve some extra care before winter. It's a thoughtful walk through the realities of fall beekeeping—where sometimes the most difficult management decision is deciding when not to intervene. ______________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies. Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of Honey Bee Obscura. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com ______________________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, All We Know by Midway Music; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott Cartoons by: John Martin (Beezwax Comics) Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

    Plain Talk: A Flooded Smoker & Failed Queen

  6. Oct 8

    A Beekeeper's Cookbook

    What happens when decades of beekeeping, family recipes, and curiosity about cooking with honey come together in one book? In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim Tew talks with Nona Hurst about The Dancing Bees of Rockhurst Farm, the cookbook she created with her husband, John Hurst, and their daughter, designer Courtney Wyndham. Nona recounts how the Hursts became beekeepers 43 years ago after she surprised John with two colonies for his birthday. The pickup did not go as planned: a rotten bottom board released bees inside the family's enclosed Jeep, turning their first trip home into a memorable introduction to moving colonies after dark. Beekeeping nevertheless became a lasting part of their lives. The cookbook grew from an eight-inch family binder filled with recipes collected over decades. Nona describes testing recipes repeatedly as she replaced sugar with honey, adjusted acidity and leavening, and learned how honey changes moisture and flavor. She and Jim discuss dishes ranging from fried okra with sassy honey sauce to an easy skillet salmon. The book is also a family collaboration. Courtney designed and photographed it, with additional photography by Hector Sanchez, while Jim contributed the foreword. Alongside 96 tested recipes, its 236 glossy pages include family stories, honey bee biology, and observations about bee behavior. Nona's project shows how a practical cookbook can also preserve family history, celebrate a long beekeeping partnership, and invite readers to understand honey as an ingredient rather than merely a substitute for sugar. Nona's Cookbook - https://www.foxhoundbeecompany.com/products/the-dancing-bees-of-rockhurst-farm-book-honey-cookbook ______________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies. Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of Honey Bee Obscura. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com ______________________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, All We Know by Midway Music; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott Cartoons by: John Martin (Beezwax Comics) Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

    A Beekeeper's Cookbook

  7. Oct 1

    Plain Talk: Autumn Walkabout

    Sometimes, the best beekeeping activity is simply taking a walk and watching the bees. In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Dr. Jim Tew heads into a nearby field for an informal autumn walkabout. His destination is a stand of goldenrod, where he hopes to observe honey bees and other insects taking advantage of the season's remaining flowers. Along the way, Jim encounters butterflies, bumblebees, wasps, and plenty of goldenrod. He wonders why some plants attract more insects than others, observes differences in goldenrod growth, and considers how the changing landscape influences the availability of fall forage. The walk also brings back memories of his early beekeeping days at Auburn University. Jim recalls encountering the distinctive smell of a strong autumn nectar flow for the first time—and mistakenly worrying that his colonies had developed American foulbrood! Returning to his bee yard, Jim reflects on observation hives, seasonal changes, and the unmistakable aroma associated with fall nectar production. But this episode is about more than honey bees and goldenrod. It's also about staying active, appreciating the outdoors, and finding satisfaction in simply observing the natural world. Join Jim for a relaxed autumn walk and a reminder that sometimes beekeeping is about enjoying the bees rather than managing them. ______________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies. Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of Honey Bee Obscura. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com   ______________________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, All We Know by Midway Music; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott Cartoons by: John Martin (Beezwax Comics) Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

    Plain Talk: Autumn Walkabout

  8. Sep 24

    Plain Talk: Other Stinging Insects

    Fall has arrived, and Dr. Jim Tew is taking listeners on another walk through his bee yard. But this week, the conversation wanders beyond honey bees. It begins at the county fair, where yellow jackets hovering around food and garbage cans are routinely called "bees." Jim reflects on how quickly a beekeeper becomes known as the neighborhood "bee person"—and how that inevitably leads to calls about insects that aren't honey bees at all. Along the way, Jim recalls helping a neighbor with a wasp nest in a mailbox and tells the memorable story of removing a large hornet nest from a tree while standing on a ladder, carefully holding the entire nest inside a garbage bag. The nest survived the adventure. Jim mostly did, too. He also looks back at growing up around paper wasps in Alabama and considers bumblebees, carpenter bees, yellow jackets, and the other stinging insects beekeepers are often expected to understand. The lesson isn't that every beekeeper needs to become an expert in wasps and hornets. But knowing enough to recognize what's actually causing a problem—and when simply leaving an insect alone may be the best choice—comes with being the person everyone knows keeps bees. ______________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies. Thanks to Bee Culture, the Magazine of American Beekeeping, for their support of Honey Bee Obscura. Available in print and digital at www.beeculture.com   ______________________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, All We Know by Midway Music; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott Cartoons by: John Martin (Beezwax Comics) Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

    Plain Talk: Other Stinging Insects
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The weekly podcast exploring the joys, challenges, and curiosities of keeping honey bees. Hosted by Dr. Jim Tew and produced by Jeff Ott, Honey Bee Obscura delivers short, focused conversations that dive into the details of beekeeping—from practical how-tos to quirky observations. Perfect for learning something new on the way to the apiary, at home, or wherever your bees take you.

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