Bee Love Beekeeping... presented by Mann Lake

What happens when bees ignore your perfectly prepared swarm trap and instead move into a beat-up, broken-lidded box on a woodshed floor? Pure beekeeping magic, apparently.
Host Eric Bennett, kicks off this episode with exactly that delightful chaos before welcoming guest Michael Scott from Indiana, Pennsylvania — a town whose name exists solely to confuse people.
The two dive deep into sustainable beekeeping, covering everything from honey colors (light and citrusy tulip poplar vs. dark, rich knotweed) to the idea that the best beekeeper might just be the one who gets out of the bees' way and lets them do their thing.
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Michael drops some serious wisdom: real sustainable beekeeping isn't just about you not buying bees — it's about making life better for every bee in your area, including the feral population buzzing around that nobody's counting.
He makes a compelling case for ethical beekeeping, warns against importing bees from out of state, and introduces his clever Renaissance Hive, inspired by Anasazi cliff dwellings.
He also shares a wild first-removal story involving a very angry colony, a lot of running, and what can only be described as full-body flailing.
The takeaway? Beekeepers who listen to their bees — rather than just lecture them — are the ones who thrive.
Video Version of This Episode

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/
Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your next order.
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https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/
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Michael Scott: https://thethrivinghive.com/index.html

Heroic news for a bee truck traveling the mountains of Utah... Bees on the loose at the White House... And building a beautiful long lang hive!
This episode of Bee Love Beekeeping features host Eric Bennett in conversation with Curtis "Jack Lumber" Nielsen, a first-year beekeeper from British Columbia, Canada, who dove headfirst into beekeeping by building his own custom hive from scratch.
Rather than purchasing a standard setup, Jack designed and milled an impressive 80-inch long langstroth hive almost entirely from a single log harvested on his own property. Thick two-inch walls, spring-loaded recycled freezer hinges on the hefty lid, and a screened bottom complete this beautiful hive.
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• Discount Code: MLBEELOVE10
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A central theme in Jack's beekeeping philosophy is the "condensing hive method." This approach runs counter to conventional beekeeping wisdom about ventilation, which made for a lively discussion.
Jack is currently setting swarm traps baited with lemongrass oil and old brood frames, hoping to catch his first colony from the wild.
The host wrapped up by praising Jack's DIY craftsmanship and open-minded approach, inviting him back in five years to report on how his unique long langstroth performs — and whether every one of his thoughtful design choices paid off.
Video Version of This Episode

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/
Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your next order.
Follow Us: https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/follow/
https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/
[email protected]
Jack Lumber: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1082090891829171/user/61575394157709

Buckle up, honey lovers — this episode is a wild ride through the wonderfully chaotic world of beekeeping with Connecticut backyard beekeeper Lauren Doninger!
Before diving into the conversation, host Eric drops ten mind-blowing facts about honey bees (spoiler: they might understand the concept of zero and play soccer). Then Lauren takes us through her approach to swarm catching, the vertical split technique, condensing hives, her biggest beekeeping mistakes and a ton more!
She also gives us a peek into her utterly charming self-service honey stand, where neighbors stop by, grab a jar, and leave cash or Venmo on the honor system. Because that's just the kind of beekeeper Lauren is.
Lauren doesn't shy away from the messy parts of beekeeping either. She shares cringe-worthy (and relatable) rookie mistakes, and — the crown jewel of disaster stories — leaving her slider door open with 20+ frames of honey on the porch, only to come home to a full-scale robbing frenzy with thousands of honey bees in her house.
Through it all, Lauren's message is clear: make mistakes, learn from them, treat your mites, and lean on your beekeeping community — because beekeepers, she says, are simply the best people.
Video Version of This Episode
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Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/
Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.
Follow Us: https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/follow/
https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/
[email protected]
Lauren: https://yellowhousehoney.com/

What do a Massachusetts eviction standoff, a forklift disaster, and the secret to a thriving bee yard have in common? They all made an appearance in this week's absolutely buzzing episode of Bee Love Beekeeping!
Host Eric Bennett kicked things off with a wild news story about a beekeeper who showed up to a $1.9 million home eviction with a truck full of hives — and yes, things went exactly as chaotically as you'd imagine.
Then Eric welcomed Utah commercial beekeeper Seth Homer, whose family operation grew from his dad overhearing a gardening class conversation about honey bees to running nearly 950 colonies. Talk about catching the bug.
The meat of the episode dove deep into the art of splitting beehives, and Seth delivered the goods. He also walked through the classic five-frame nuc split, preaching the gospel of capped brood, nurse bees, and for the love of all things honeyed, keeping a calendar.
Seth wrapped up with his wild beekeeping story: toppling three pallets of hives off a skid steer in the middle of the night, armed with nothing but a jacket and jeans. He got stung senseless, but — miraculously — didn't lose a single queen. A true beekeeper's baptism by fire.
Video Version of This Episode
________________
10% Discount on Color Collection hive kits. https://www.mannlakeltd.com/
• Discount Code: SHOWMETHECOLOR
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Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/
Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.
Follow Us: https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/follow/
https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/
[email protected]
Seth Homer: https://homershoneybee.com/ instagram.com/homershoneybee

Bob Ford of Sticky Bee Honey Farm in southern Minnesota is living proof that beekeepers never do anything halfway. What started as two hives quickly ballooned to 65–80 before his back had other ideas.
Now running 40–45 hives, Bob shares the joys and heartbreaks of Minnesota beekeeping — where you can survive a brutal winter only to watch colonies mysteriously collapse during a "false spring" a few weeks later.
He also gets real about varroa mite management, wind exposure, and the sad reality of neighboring beekeepers who just let their bees die every year and buy new packages in the spring.
But the real fun is in Bob's beekeeping business side hustles. Not content to just sell jars of honey at farmers markets, he designed a centrifugal honey straw filler (which once redecorated his entire open-concept kitchen in a fine mist of honey), built a food trailer selling honey lemonade and honey kettle corn, and 3D printed custom honey dippers with his logo on top.
Oh, and during nine months of post-surgery bed rest, he wrote 25–30 children's books starring a little bee named Sticky. Because apparently when Bob can't work, he still can't stop working.
Video Version of This Episode
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10% Discount on Color Collection hive kits. https://www.mannlakeltd.com/
• Discount Code: SHOWMETHECOLOR
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10% Discount Primal Bee Hives: PrimalBee.com/BEELOVE
Discount Code: BEELOVE
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Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/
Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.
Follow Us: https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/follow/
https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/
[email protected]
Bob Ford/Sticky Bee Honey Farms: https://sites.google.com/ibinc.us/sticky-bee-honey-farms/home http://amazon.com/author/stickybeehoneyfarms