Beekeeping For Newbees®

Cold weather has a way of making even experienced beekeepers second guess everything. With unusually low temperatures showing up across large parts of the country, I wanted to take some time to walk through what cold actually means for overwintering colonies, how much additional honey they may consume, and when intervention does or does not make sense.
This episode is a general update covering several seasonal topics, including winter feeding philosophy, evaluating colony stores, progress on ongoing projects, and getting ready for spring.
What’s Inside This Episode:
Why extended cold spells increase honey consumption and how much more bees may actually use
Realistic weekly honey usage at different winter temperatures
Why panic inspections often cause more harm than good
How to assess colony weight and food stores without opening the hive
Different feeding strategies and why context and goals matter
Updates on the hive monitoring project and why it is temporarily paused
Progress on the Master Beekeeper Program and what is coming next
Swarm trap preparation and placement timing for the upcoming season

Why Listen to This Episode?
If cold weather has you worried about your bees or questioning your winter management decisions, this episode provides calm, experience-based perspective to help you evaluate what actually needs attention and what does not.
More Info:
🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com
🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com
📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees
💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ
🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org
☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees
About the Podcast:
Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 650,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/beekeeping-for-newbees/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Laying workers are one of those beekeeping problems that feel intimidating until you understand what is actually happening inside the hive. After a listener reached out asking where to find guidance on laying workers and realizing it deserved its own episode, I finally sat down to break the topic down from the ground up.
In this episode, we walk through the pheromonal mechanics behind laying workers, what causes the condition, how to recognize it early, and several proven ways to correct it depending on your resources and goals.
What’s Inside This Episode:
Why queen mandibular pheromone and brood pheromone are central to colony stability
How prolonged queenlessness leads to ovary development in worker bees
Clear visual signs that indicate a laying worker condition
Why laying workers can involve multiple workers, not just one
The role of brood pheromone, open brood frames, and synthetic QMP
Practical options for fixing a laying worker colony, including splits, shake-outs, and recombining
Common mistakes that cause queen introductions to fail in laying worker hives

Why Listen to This Episode?
This episode gives you the biological context and practical tools to diagnose and fix a laying worker situation with confidence.
Referenced Video About Hive Site Selection:
📺 https://youtu.be/UbJRAhoCD9Q
More Info:
🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com
🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com
📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees
💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ
🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org
☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees
About the Podcast:
Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 650,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/beekeeping-for-newbees/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Africanized honeybees are one of the most misunderstood topics in beekeeping. In this episode, I cut through the fear driven headlines and talk honestly about what Africanized bees are, where they actually pose a risk, and how much of what we hear is grounded in biology versus social media panic. We also dig into real behavior differences, why identification is not as simple as people think, and how beekeepers should realistically manage risk.
What’s Inside This Episode:
Where Africanized honeybees came from and how they spread through the Americas
Why Africanized bees are not a separate species and cannot be identified by looks alone
The real behavioral differences that matter, including defensiveness, pursuit distance, and response thresholds
Which parts of the United States have established populations and why cold climates limit their spread
Why most serious incidents involve unmanaged or feral colonies, not maintained apiaries
How Africanized colonies differ in defensive behavior compared to hot European stock
Usurpation behavior and how one colony can take over another in minutes

Why Listen to This Episode?
You will walk away with a realistic understanding of Africanized honeybees, how real the risk actually is, and how to protect yourself without letting fear dictate your beekeeping decisions.
Referenced Article:
🔬 Usurpation: When One Colony Takes Over Another (Honey Bee Suite)
https://www.honeybeesuite.com/usurpation-when-one-colony-takes-over-another/

More Info:
🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com
🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com
📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees
💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ
🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org
☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees

Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 600,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/beekeeping-for-newbees/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

American foulbrood gets a lot of attention in beekeeping circles, often accompanied by fear and worst-case scenarios. In this episode, I walk through what AFB and EFB actually are, how they differ, how they spread, and why severity does not always equal likelihood. We also talk about realistic risk, common misdiagnoses, used equipment, open feeding, and whether the new AFB vaccine makes sense for most beekeepers.
What’s Inside This Episode:
Why American foulbrood is high severity but low likelihood
How AFB and EFB differ in cause, symptoms, and outcomes
What sunken cappings, patchy brood, and larval death really indicate
How spores spread through honey, equipment, robbing, and drift
Why most beekeepers will never see a confirmed case of AFB
When fear-based messaging does more harm than good
The limits and realities of the new AFB vaccine for queens
Why mites, nutrition, and basic management still matter more

Why Listen to This Episode?
This episode helps cut through fear and misinformation so you can better understand foulbrood risks, recognize real warning signs, and focus your energy on the management practices that actually keep colonies healthy.
More Info:
🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com
🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com
📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees
💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ
🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org
☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees
About the Podcast:
Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 600,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/beekeeping-for-newbees/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

This Bees in the News edition covers four fascinating stories from around the world, from new species discoveries to the first honeybee vaccine. We look at how research and innovation continue to change our understanding of bees, their intelligence, and the threats they face.
What’s Inside This Episode:
Discovery of the horned “Lucifer” bee in Western Australia’s goldfields
How small hive beetle larvae convert excess pollen into usable food
New research showing that bees can perceive and measure time
The first successful vaccine for American foulbrood disease
A misleading viral post about queen bee insemination and why it’s wrong
How social media often distorts beekeeping practices for clicks
Final reflections on seasonal slowdown and winter beekeeping prep

Why Listen to This Episode?
It’s an engaging round-up of bee science, discovery, and controversy, highlighting what’s real, what’s hype, and what it all means for everyday beekeepers.
More Info:
🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com
🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com
📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees
💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ
🫶 https://thehealinghiveproject.org
☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees
Referenced Articles:
🌏 Horned “devil” bee found in remote Goldfields prompts call for further research (ABC News)
🍯 Circular Economics: Honey Bee Pest Turns Excess Pollen Into Food (Entomology Today)
🧠 Bees Can Tell Time: New Study Reveals Shockingly Advanced Insect Intelligence (The Debrief)
💉 Vaccine for Honeybees Successfully Completes Efficacy Trials (DVM 360)
About the Podcast:
Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5 % podcast with over 600,000 downloads, helping new and experienced beekeepers grow stronger colonies and make smarter decisions through every season. Listen weekly for practical guidance, swarm stories, and honest takes on what works and what does not in real-world beekeeping.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/beekeeping-for-newbees/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy