Beekeeping For Newbees®

Good record keeping sits right behind your IPM strategy as one of the most important things you can do as a beekeeper. In this episode, Jeff sits down with Kyle, a web developer and beekeeper from the far north, to talk about APiLOG, a hive inspection tracking app built by a beekeeper for beekeepers. The full interview including a live demo is available on YouTube -- link in the description.
What's Inside This Episode:
Why hive record keeping belongs right behind your IPM strategy in terms of importance
How pen and paper notes fall short as your apiary grows
The problem with bricks, wax markers, and other hive-top reminder systems
How APiLOG uses voice recording to capture inspection notes naturally
Swarm risk calculation and how weather patterns factor into the algorithm
Automated regional task suggestions for new beekeepers
Customizable inspection interval notifications by email
How the built-in AI assistant uses your inspection history and local forecast
Free tier available for up to two hives with full pro features
Works across all devices including as a home screen app for push notifications

Why Listen to This Episode?
If your notes are scattered across notebooks, hive lids, and memory, this episode introduces a purpose-built solution from someone who felt the same frustration and built his way out of it.
Links and Resources:
🌐 APiLOG website: https://apilog.app
💰 Coupon code: BK4N for 60% off
🎥 Full interview and demo: https://youtu.be/aZ6z7Lpvw0U
📹 Alternative hive inspection logging method: https://youtu.be/DWdKMG-Wl-w

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 700,000 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.

Beekeeping For Newbees mobile app: https://studio.com/beekeeper

Pre-Inspection Checklist: https://beekeepingfornewbees.com/pre-inspection-checklist/

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

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

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

Last week wrapped up Varroa Week, and two listeners took us up on the offer to submit topics for further elaboration. This episode honors both of them. We also have a hive report on Colony 61, a packed four-frame nuc that needed immediate expansion, plus a quick tip about prepping your gear before you actually need it. The new app is officially live: https://studio.com/beekeeper

What's Inside This Episode:
Colony 61 hive inspection and emergency expansion from a four-frame to a five-frame nuc
What happens when bees draw comb on your frame feeder and why you leave it alone
A hard lesson on prepping equipment before you get to the bee yard
Using masking tape as a temporary fix for misaligned hive body gaps
How bear fences work and what components you actually need
Why one joule or higher is the target for a food-motivated bear
Grounding rods, wire types, poly wire vs. solid wire, and jumping your strands
Fence charger mile ratings and how to account for multiple strands
Why reversing boxes every spring is not a biological requirement
How bees actually move through a hive from top to bottom and back again
Encouraging comb drawing with a nectar flow and proper foundation placement
The checkerboarding technique for honey supers and when not to use it

Why Listen to This Episode? If you are heading into swarm season and have questions about space management, protecting your apiary from bears, or which frames to grab when making a split, this episode covers all of it with real examples from the bee yard. Practical guidance, not theory.
More Info:
🌐 https://beekeepingfornewbees.com
🔗 https://bestbeekeepinggear.com
📺 https://youtube.com/@beekeepingfornewbees
💬 https://discord.gg/XzkqFKrjMJ
🐝 https://thehealinghiveproject.org
☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/beekeepingfornewbees
App link: https://studio.com/beekeeper

About the Podcast: Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 700,000 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.

Beekeeping For Newbees mobile app: https://studio.com/beekeeper

Pre-Inspection Checklist: https://beekeepingfornewbees.com/pre-inspection-checklist/

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

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

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

In this final episode of Varroa Week, we cover Norroa, a newer treatment approach designed to disrupt mite reproduction rather than kill mites directly. We also recap the week, talk through real-world cost and use considerations, and look ahead to the next round of spring episodes. 
The new app is officially live: https://studio.com/beekeeper

What’s Inside This Episode:
• Colony 69 inspection report and removing the feeder for added brood space
• How to locate queens by reading eggs, larvae, and brood patterns
• Why queens shrink before swarming and enlarge during peak laying
• What Norroa is and how RNA interference targets mite reproduction
• Why Norroa is more preventive than curative
• Honey supers, application timing, and brood box dosage needs
• Real-world treatment costs and where Norroa may fit strategically
• Full Varroa Week recap and what topics are coming next

Why Listen to This Episode?
If you have heard the buzz around Norroa and want a practical explanation, this episode breaks it down clearly. It also helps tie together everything covered during Varroa Week.

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 700,000 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.

Beekeeping For Newbees mobile app: https://studio.com/beekeeper

Pre-Inspection Checklist: https://beekeepingfornewbees.com/pre-inspection-checklist/

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

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

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

In this episode we continue Varroa Week by breaking down the most common mite treatment options on the market. We cover how they work, when they are used, key limitations, and how to think through building a treatment strategy that fits your own apiary. 
The new app is officially live: https://studio.com/beekeeper

What’s Inside This Episode:
• Colony 63 inspection report and a delayed queen now laying strong
• Why population growth can surge once a package queen gets released
• Oxalic acid treatments, timing, and why brood cycles matter
• Formic Pro, temperature limits, and why it can be highly effective
• Apivar, resistance concerns, and where it still may fit
• Apiguard and HopGuard as additional treatment options
• Why many beekeepers keep both a gentle and aggressive tool available
• How colony size and hive configuration affect treatment costs

Why Listen to This Episode?
Choosing the wrong treatment at the wrong time can cost you a colony. This episode gives you a practical overview so you can start building a smarter Varroa plan.

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

Additional Resources:
🔗 Bee Castle Products: https://www.beecastleltd.com/?ref=scfeyzjb
🎥 Vented Entrance Reducer: https://youtu.be/SyIcnkIwKig

About the Podcast:
Beekeeping For Newbees is a top 1.5% podcast with over 700,000 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.

Beekeeping For Newbees mobile app: https://studio.com/beekeeper

Pre-Inspection Checklist: https://beekeepingfornewbees.com/pre-inspection-checklist/

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

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

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

In this episode we continue Varroa Week by getting practical with mite testing. We cover alcohol washes, dish soap washes, sticky boards, sugar shakes, and how to build a monthly testing routine that helps you stay ahead of trouble before colonies begin to fail. 
The new app is officially live: https://studio.com/beekeeper

What’s Inside This Episode:
• Colony 67 inspection report and giving a crowded four-frame nuc more space
• Why expanding too early can risk brood chilling during cold nights
• The real question is not if you have mites, but how many
• How to do a proper alcohol wash using nurse bees for the best sample
• Why dish soap washes can be a lower-cost alternative to alcohol
• Sticky boards, what they can tell you, and where they fall short
• Why sugar shakes are less accurate and no longer preferred
• Building a monthly mite testing schedule and reacting to the numbers

Why Listen to This Episode?
Testing is where many beekeepers fall behind. This episode helps you choose a method, use it correctly, and turn numbers into better management decisions.

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 700,000 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.

Beekeeping For Newbees mobile app: https://studio.com/beekeeper

Pre-Inspection Checklist: https://beekeepingfornewbees.com/pre-inspection-checklist/

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

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

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