In this week's episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim Tew invites listeners into an apiary winter wonderland, where a fresh blanket of snow becomes one of the beekeeper's most revealing diagnostic tools. While the bee yard is silent on the surface, the snow tells its own story—tracks from deer and other wildlife, drifts shaped by wind, and the scattered bodies of a few dead bees shed light on how colonies are coping with single-digit temperatures.

Jim reflects on the unmistakable signs of winter stress, including the loss of one colony and the resilience shown by others. With a characteristic blend of curiosity and humor, he brings along a stethoscope to listen for the faint hum of winter clusters—an experiment rooted in both science and playfulness. Even without opening the hives, he gathers clues about colony strength, cluster placement, and the harsh realities of overwintering bees.

As he contrasts the vibrancy of summer with the quiet austerity of winter, Jim shares a thoughtful perspective on what it means to simply visit the apiary during the cold months. Sometimes the best beekeeping involves observing rather than intervening—letting the season speak and learning from what it reveals.

Join Jim for this meditative walk among resting colonies in the heart of 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

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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 week on Honey Bee Obscura, Jim reflects on a familiar challenge in the beekeeping world: How do we find new beekeepers? A winter snowstorm derailed his plans to record with his grandson and two of his college friends, but the experience sparked a larger, thoughtful conversation about what draws people to bees—and why most people never pick up the craft.

Jim revisits his own journey into beekeeping, remembering how early exposures didn't quite "stick" until years later, when something finally clicked. This becomes the focus keyphrase fishing for beekeepers: the idea that only a small percentage of people have the spark, and it may take multiple encounters before a future beekeeper recognizes it in themselves.

Through stories about his grandson Will—who clearly has the spark—and Will's uninterested friends who don't, Jim explores the unpredictable mix of timing, curiosity, personality, and life circumstances that shape whether someone might take up beekeeping. He also explains why recruiting new beekeepers matters: supporting equipment manufacturers, keeping clubs and associations healthy, sustaining university and regulatory programs, and ensuring beekeeping remains visible and valued.

From observation hives at farmers markets to the ways beekeepers unintentionally evangelize the craft, Jim reminds listeners that encouraging new beekeepers isn't a requirement—but it's something that helps preserve a 5,000-year-old tradition for future generations.

Snow or no snow, Jim's message lands clearly: keep planting seeds. The next beekeeper might just be waiting for the right moment.

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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

Sometimes beekeeping doesn't look polished, tidy, or picture-perfect—and in this week's episode, Jim leans right into that truth with a candid look at what he calls slipshod beekeeping. After visiting beekeepers and listeners at the Kentucky State Beekeepers Assn, he returns home to a bee yard that reflects the realities of taking several years off to care for family. With winter approaching and the colonies not quite where he wants them, Jim takes listeners along as he makes quick, imperfect, but meaningful adjustments to help his bees get through the cold season.

Armed with nothing more than duct tape, scissors, and a hive tool, Jim walks through the small but necessary tasks he's tackling: closing oversized entrances, managing upper and lower exits, checking bottom trays, reducing drafts, and working around equipment that isn't ideally arranged. The episode's title, slipshod beekeeping, becomes a reminder that sometimes the best you can do is what you're able to do in the moment—and that doing something often matters more than doing nothing.

Along the way, Jim shares observations about winter flight, hive debris, scavenger activity in bottom boards, and even the surprising calm of cool-weather stings. This episode is an honest acknowledgment that not every season goes as planned, and that many beekeepers will see themselves in Jim's mix of improvisation, practicality, and hope for a more organized spring.

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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

Jim Tew returns with a reflective look at artistry in beekeeping—a part of the craft that may not appear in manuals but lives vividly in the memories and creative expressions of beekeepers everywhere. In this week's episode, Jim shares the story of a remarkable young artist he taught during his early years at the University of Maryland. Her detailed drawings of honey bees—rendered in graphite, colored pencil, and ink—left a lasting impression that still hangs on his office wall decades later.

Using those early illustrations as a springboard, Jim explores how creativity intertwines with beekeeping, from sketches and carvings to wax craft and historical printing plates. He reflects on the visual language that shapes our understanding of honey bees and the sentimental power that old artwork can hold, long after its creator has moved on. Whether you're a beekeeper who sketches, carves, photographs, or simply enjoys the artistry of others, this episode offers a warm reminder of the creative spirit that has always surrounded the keeping of bees.

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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 Plain Talk episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim Tew heads out to the bee yard for a quiet, reflective fall inspection. As the days shorten and the goldenrod fades, Jim shares what he looks for when evaluating his colonies' readiness for winter.

He discusses the telltale signs of healthy late-season activity, how to spot the early warning flags of robbing, and when it's best to step back and simply observe. Jim talks through practical steps such as checking hive weight, watching for moisture issues, and balancing the fine line between helpful intervention and unnecessary disruption.

Through his plain-spoken observations, Jim reminds listeners that sometimes the best management choice this time of year is to do nothing at all — letting strong colonies finish their own preparations while keeping an eye on the ones that may still need support.

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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

Winter may have a firm grip on the landscape, but beekeepers can still get ready for the season ahead. In this Honey Bee Obscura episode, Jim Tew sits down with Anne Frey of Betterbee to talk about how to make the most of cold months by planning for spring.

Anne and Jim share practical ideas to ensure you're not scrambling once the weather breaks — from repairing and assembling hive equipment to mapping out management tasks on your beekeeping calendar. Anne suggests using past notes or calendars to anticipate bloom times and colony milestones, helping beekeepers predict when to add supers or prepare for swarm season.

The conversation also touches on refreshing equipment, creating swarm traps from worn-out boxes, planning new projects such as pollen trapping or comb-honey production, and using local bee meetings to learn from others during the off-season. Both Jim and Anne emphasize that winter prep isn't busywork — it's the key to hitting the ground running when the bees and blossoms are ready.

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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

What does "efficiency" really mean in beekeeping—and can it go too far? In this Honey Bee Obscura episode, Jim Tew welcomes back Anne Frey of Betterbee for a lively, down-to-earth talk about working smarter in the bee yard without losing the joy of beekeeping.

Anne shares her insights from running a small commercial operation in upstate New York, where rainy days and heavy supers are a constant challenge. Together, she and Jim discuss practical ways to save time, reduce lifting, and improve workflow—whether through simple tools like dollies, trailers, and brad nailers or better planning of extracting spaces and bee yard layouts.

Listeners will pick up plenty of ideas for improving efficiency while keeping things fun—from using hand trucks and lift gates to rethinking equipment setups and honey house organization. Anne and Jim also touch on the limits of efficiency, reminding beekeepers that sometimes the best plan is to relax, experiment, and find what works for you.

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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

Jim Tew is back from a long drive through Michigan's autumn beauty—and while the leaves have changed, his thoughts haven't strayed far from bees or smoke. In this week's Honey Bee Obscura, Jim explores one of beekeeping's oldest tools—the smoker—and how this essential companion has become both a help and a health concern.

From his makeshift recording spot at his daughter's home to a chat with a firefighter friend, Jim dives into the effects of smoke on both beekeepers and bees. He reflects on his own lifelong asthma and how smoke exposure impacts his breathing, raising questions every beekeeper might consider but few discuss openly.

Listeners will learn how Jim has experimented with different fuels—pine needles, wheat straw, and his favorite cedar shavings—and the tradeoffs between convenience, toxicity, and effectiveness. He also shares his practical two-can smoker system that keeps fuel dry and ready while reducing waste and cleanup.

If you've ever wondered how something so simple could still be indispensable—or whether it's time to rethink the smoke in your beekeeping life—this episode is pure Jim Tew: reflective, honest, and unmistakably practical.

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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