In this Archive Special from October 2021, we revisit a conversation with the late Kim Flottum and Jim Tew as they discuss the many ways beekeepers prepare colonies for the cold months ahead. From simple windbreaks to traditional tar paper wraps, insulated hive covers, and quilt boxes filled with wood shavings, Jim and Kim explore techniques both old and new.

The discussion highlights how winter prep has evolved, offering options for hobbyists with just a few colonies, sideliners with dozens, and commercial beekeepers managing thousands. They share practical advice on keeping colonies warm, ventilated, and dry, while considering different hive types—from 8- and 10-frame Langstroths to top bars and even polystyrene boxes.

Kim emphasized that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach: the best method is the one that works for your bees and your climate. Jim recalls beekeeping practices from the past and wonders how modern materials might make things easier. Together, they remind listeners that preparation is essential—whether that means insulation, moisture management, or simply ensuring adequate food reserves.

This archive episode offers timeless reminders for beekeepers everywhere: have a plan, protect your bees, and adapt your strategies to your operation size and environment.

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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

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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 © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

This milestone episode marks 250 installments of Honey Bee Obscura. Jim reflects on more than 5,000 minutes of plain talk beekeeping, the early days recording with the late Kim Flottum, and the ongoing joy of talking bees every Thursday morning.

With autumn closing in, Jim turns to a practical and urgent subject: your last chance winter prep for bees. He discusses how to evaluate queens in late September, when to combine weak colonies, and whether requeening makes sense this late in the year. Feeding thick syrup, ventilation debates, and insulation strategies also come into focus.

Jim emphasizes the importance of making tough choices now—taking losses in fall rather than in midwinter—so equipment, comb, and bees are better positioned for spring. Episode 250 offers both reflection and encouragement, helping beekeepers act decisively as they finish preparing their colonies for the cold months ahead.

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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

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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 © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim Tew explores the challenges of fall honey and testy bees during the autumn flow. What begins as a calm reflection on goldenrod and fall asters quickly turns into an unexpectedly lively encounter with defensive bees. Jim describes multiple stings, determined pursuit by guard bees, and how hive temperament can shift overnight—even in colonies that had been calm the day before.

Moving beyond the sting drama, Jim turns his attention to the autumn landscape: 40 acres of goldenrod and asters, monarch butterflies drifting past, and the distinctive smell of fall honey. He reflects on why goldenrod doesn’t always deliver the honey crop beekeepers hope for, how drought can limit nectar production, and how this season’s flow may not produce much surplus honey.

Jim closes with lessons from letting his yard grow wild into a natural pollinator paradise—an unintended success after he stopped mowing—and wrestles with the balance between letting nature take over and maintaining clear access to the hives for safety. Whether you’re heading into fall with booming colonies or just enjoying the last warm days of the season, this episode is a reminder that beekeeping always holds surprises.

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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

______________________

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 © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim Tew shares his fascination with old beekeeping books, particularly a rare two-volume set titled Beekeeping, New and Old: Described with Pen and Camera by W. Herrod-Hempsall. Jim first found Volume 1 nearly 40 years ago in poor condition, but recently added the elusive Volume 2 to his collection. With nearly 2,600 pages combined, the books are a window into the forgotten history of beekeeping—covering skeps, hive designs, drumming, collateral hives, and hundreds of hive types now lost to time.

Jim explains why these texts matter: they remind us that beekeeping today is just a snapshot in a long continuum of human–bee interaction. He reflects on the sheer diversity of hive experiments before Langstroth’s design became standard, and how history shows both the ingenuity and the futility of trying to “perfect” beekeeping for humans rather than for bees.

To balance the nostalgia, Jim also highlights a modern favorite: Bees and Their Keepers by Swedish journalist Lotte Möller, a readable, thoughtful look at bees, culture, and human history. From ancient Roman complaints about bees to Brother Adam’s breeding work, Möller’s book provides an engaging counterpart to dusty tomes.

For Jim, these books—whether rare treasures or modern reflections—are not just curiosities. They are tools for writing, podcasting, and grounding today’s beekeeping in its rich and complicated past.

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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

______________________

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 © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim Tew is joined by Jeff Ott (from Beekeeping Today Podcast) wrestle with the idea of bare bones beekeeping. After a few false starts with recording equipment, the two dive into what it really means to keep bees with minimal effort, tools, and energy—especially as age, time, or physical limits change how one approaches the craft.

Jim reflects on his desire to simplify: watching the landing boards, reading seasonal cues, and conserving his energy while still staying actively engaged with his colonies. He emphasizes that bees remain “masters of their fate,” and that beekeepers must constantly ask: when are we helping, and when are we hurting? Jeff adds perspective, noting the balance between using technology like hive scales and sensors to reduce intrusion, and the need—especially for new beekeepers—to still open hives, make mistakes, and learn directly from the bees.

The conversation highlights the art of observation, the role of experience in cutting corners safely, and the tension between traditional management and modern minimalist approaches. Whether it’s relying on sensors, using observation hives for a quick “bee fix,” or simply lifting less by changing equipment choices, Jim and Jeff show that bare bones beekeeping isn’t about neglect—it’s about adaptation, efficiency, and finding joy in bees at every stage of life.

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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

______________________

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 © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim Tew recounts an unexpected August swarm that turned a normal day into a beekeeping puzzle. What began as a routine check for a groundhog problem quickly spiraled into a surprise discovery: a swarm squeezed into the narrow space beneath his barn.

Jim shares the challenges of coaxing the bees out of an impossible location, from using honey as bait to trying smoke and even recalling Tom Seeley’s research on swarm behavior. Along the way, he reflects on yellowjackets, skunks, and the odd timing of a late-summer swarm. Despite his best efforts, the bees had other plans—reminding us that beekeepers can suggest, but never require.

This candid story is full of practical lessons, humor, and humility, as Jim admits that sometimes bees simply do their own thing. It’s a reminder of the unpredictability of beekeeping and the patience it often demands.

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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

______________________

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 © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

As summer winds down, Jim Tew sits down with fellow beekeeper Anne Frey to talk through what August reveals about colonies heading into winter. Their conversation explores the signs that point to how well bees are prepared, from brood nest patterns and queen performance to food reserves and mite levels.

Anne and Jim discuss how local conditions shape management decisions and how preparation in late summer sets colonies up for survival and spring success. They also reflect on finding the balance between beekeeper intervention and letting bees adapt naturally. This candid exchange provides both practical steps and thoughtful reminders for anyone managing hives as the seasons turn.

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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

______________________

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 © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

Late season swarms can puzzle even experienced beekeepers. In this episode, Jim Tew welcomes Anne Frey of Betterbee to explore why colonies sometimes issue swarms in August—or even September—long after the spring swarming season has passed. Are these “suicidal swarms” driven by genetics, overcrowded brood nests, or something else entirely?

Jim and Anne share stories of catching these late swarms, debate the rhyme “A swarm in July is not worth a fly,” and discuss whether such colonies are doomed—or simply in need of the right help. They offer practical tips for giving these latecomers a fighting chance, from providing comb and honey to creative solutions like using double screen boards to share warmth with stronger colonies.

Whether you see them as an oddity or an opportunity, this conversation offers practical strategies and a bit of humor to help you decide if—and how—you should try to carry a late swarm through winter.

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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

______________________

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 © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC