Beekeeping at FiveApple

Ep165: Bee Radio Reader "Reflections on the Past Seasons" by Richard Wahl (Off the Wahl Beekeeping Column, Nov 2025. Read by permission of Bee Culture magazine. )

Today it's a radio reader episode on learning to reflect on the past in a way that makes it useful for the future. As well as a bit of clarification on the last episode.

Link to the article: https://beeculture.com/off-the-wahl-beekeeping-46/

Link to another good on in the same issue: https://beeculture.com/minding-your-bees-and-cues-50/ Becky Masterman & Bridget Mendel on the fascinating Nasonov gland in "Come Hither."

Both full articles are available free online. And while you are there you can get access to the whole archive with a digital subscription for as low as $24. https://simplecirc.com/subscribe/bee-culture

Wishing you all a wonderful week and sure hope I'll get to meet a lot of you at the 2027 North American Honey Bee Expo (Louisville, Kentucky Jan 7-9) where I'm delighted to be a speaker for one of their smaller venue "Community Series" talks. I'll likely be talking about specialty splits (but of course!) ;-)

kind regards, Leigh

 

Not a patron yet? You are warmly invited to become a Friend of Five Apple on Patreon and join the folks who make the podcasts possible, who keep the archives available and who keep it all advertising-free.

https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple

In addition to huge gratitude, you get:

Detailed show notes with links, tips, comments

Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos

Occasional bonus podcasts and early access episodes

Commenting on posts (and DMs) allows me to answer questions

Input on the podcast topics

Shout-outs on the show because I appreciate you! 

If you can support the show  please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple

Beekeeping at Five Apple — talk, tips, and how-to on sustainable beekeeping from the Blue Ridge mountains of Southern Appalachia.

Host Leigh Wilkerson brings sixteen years of hands-on experience from her self-sustaining apiary since 2010. The podcast explores colony health, natural bee biology, and organic to chemical-free methods. Episodes go deep on seasonal management, swarm control, queen rearing, hive biology, nutrition, and sustainable genetics. Designed for beekeepers ready to go beyond the basics, with episodes for newer beekeepers too.

Leigh is a popular Zoom presenter for bee clubs and associations. Topics include specialty splits so you never buy a package again; requeening approaches; simple frame-based queen rearing; building VSH genetics in your yard; and topics by request.

[Last Thursday Apple podcasts had an outage and the episode didn't show up as a new one in your feed. Here it is again for the Apple folks -- just a duplicate of last weeks episode that was missing for many! --Leigh]

Listeners,

This has been a test year in my bee yards, to see if my old treatment-free methods that worked so well for 16 years in an isolated bee yard would hold up in areas with more beekeepers. Answer: Nope.

[Deep sigh and regroup. ]

I now feel so lucky to have learned a hybrid system that still allows me to work on my long term project of stock selection towards mite resistance–while also utilizing organic acids for mite clean up in colonies that don't make the cut, with a requeen afterwards with the better genetics. Back on track!

Thank you to queen breeders Ryan Williamson, Ang Roell, Troy Hall , James Lee and YouTube legend Bob Binnie for helping me understand a system that allows for both. Thank you all so much for pioneering a method that gave me resolve to farmer up! I'm happy to have a plan and have put it underway.

in gratitude, Leigh

Thank you to the supporting Patrons. You make this podcast possible as well as keeping all of us from needing to listen to adverts! Thank you to Lisa N the newest podcast angel and thank you to Bev M, Anderson M, Greg K, Dan G, Donald F, and Kerri A for joining this community this summer! Welcome to you all!

And a special shout out to podcast angels Michael C and Will C, plus Jeff T, Deborah P, Chuck J, Bruce H and Blaine N for being with the podcast since it started in 2019! What a huge amount of gratitude I have for your continued support. It's thanks to you this podcast still exists.

 

 

Not a patron yet? You are warmly invited to become a Friend of Five Apple on Patreon and join the folks who make the podcasts possible, who keep the archives available and who keep it all advertising-free.

https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple

In addition to huge gratitude, you get:

Detailed show notes with links, tips, comments

Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos

Occasional bonus podcasts and early access episodes

Commenting on posts (and DMs) allows me to answer questions

Input on the podcast topics

Shout-outs on the show because I appreciate you! 

If you can support the show  please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple

Beekeeping at Five Apple — talk, tips, and how-to on sustainable beekeeping from the Blue Ridge mountains of Southern Appalachia.

Host Leigh Wilkerson brings sixteen years of hands-on experience from her self-sustaining apiary since 2010. The podcast explores colony health, natural bee biology, and organic to chemical-free methods. Episodes go deep on seasonal management, swarm control, queen rearing, hive biology, nutrition, and sustainable genetics. Designed for beekeepers ready to go beyond the basics, with episodes for newer beekeepers too.

Leigh is a popular Zoom presenter for bee clubs and associations. Topics include specialty splits so you never buy a package again; requeening approaches; simple frame-based queen rearing; building VSH genetics in your yard; and topics by request.

This has been a test year in my bee yards, to see if my old treatment-free methods that worked so well for 16 years in an isolated bee yard would hold up in areas with more beekeepers. Answer: Nope.

[Deep sigh and regroup. ]

I now feel so lucky to have learned a hybrid system that still allows me to work on my long term project of stock selection towards mite resistance–while also utilizing organic acids for mite clean up in colonies that don't make the cut, with a requeen afterwards with the better genetics. Back on track!

Thank you to queen breeders Ryan Williamson, Ang Roell, Troy Hall , James Lee and YouTube legend Bob Binnie for helping me understand a system that allows for both. Thank you all so much for pioneering a method that gave me resolve to farmer up! I'm happy to have a plan and have put it underway.

in gratitude, Leigh

Thank you to the supporting Patrons. You make this podcast possible as well as keeping all of us from needing to listen to adverts! Thank you to Lisa N the newest podcast angel and thank you to Bev M, Anderson M, Greg K, Dan G, Donald F, and Kerri A for joining this community this summer! Welcome to you all!

And a special shout out to podcast angels Michael C and Will C, plus Jeff T, Deborah P, Chuck J, Bruce H and Blaine N for being with the podcast since it started in 2019! What a huge amount of gratitude I have for your continued support. It's thanks to you this podcast still exists.

 

 

Not a patron yet? You are warmly invited to become a Friend of Five Apple on Patreon and join the folks who make the podcasts possible, who keep the archives available and who keep it all advertising-free.

https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple

In addition to huge gratitude, you get:

Detailed show notes with links, tips, comments

Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos

Occasional bonus podcasts and early access episodes

Commenting on posts (and DMs) allows me to answer questions

Input on the podcast topics

Shout-outs on the show because I appreciate you! 

If you can support the show  please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple

Beekeeping at Five Apple — talk, tips, and how-to on sustainable beekeeping from the Blue Ridge mountains of Southern Appalachia.

Host Leigh Wilkerson brings sixteen years of hands-on experience from her self-sustaining apiary since 2010. The podcast explores colony health, natural bee biology, and organic to chemical-free methods. Episodes go deep on seasonal management, swarm control, queen rearing, hive biology, nutrition, and sustainable genetics. Designed for beekeepers ready to go beyond the basics, with episodes for newer beekeepers too.

Leigh is a popular Zoom presenter for bee clubs and associations. Topics include specialty splits so you never buy a package again; requeening approaches; simple frame-based queen rearing; building VSH genetics in your yard; and topics by request.

Today it's about the bee's most awful behavior: ROBBING. I found a tip on reducing robbing while doing inspections and it works great!!

The PerfectBee.com website I mentioned. The article was from their email newsletter but here's a link to an article on robbing on their blog.

BetterBee's article on robbing and prevention

Rusty of HoneyBeeSuite.com on robbing and another post on preventing it.

May your season be blessedly free of robbing among your bees! kind regards, Leigh

_________________________

You are warmly invited to become a Friend of Five Apple on Patreon and join the folks who make the podcasts possible, who keep the archives available and who keep it all advertising-free.

https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple

In addition to huge gratitude, you get:

Detailed show notes with links, tips, comments

Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos

Occasional bonus podcasts and early access episodes

Commenting on posts (and DMs) allows me to answer questions

Input on the podcast topics

Shout-outs on the show because I appreciate you! 

If you can support the show  please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple

Beekeeping at Five Apple — talk, tips, and how-to on sustainable beekeeping from the Blue Ridge mountains of Southern Appalachia.

Host Leigh Wilkerson brings sixteen years of hands-on experience from her self-sustaining apiary since 2010. The podcast explores colony health, natural bee biology, and organic to chemical-free approaches. Episodes go deep on seasonal management, swarm control, queen rearing, hive biology, nutrition, and sustainable genetics. Designed for beekeepers ready to go beyond the basics, with episodes for newer beekeepers too.

Leigh is a popular Zoom presenter for bee clubs and associations. Topics include specialty splits so you never buy a package again; requeening approaches; simple frame-based queen rearing; building VSH genetics in your yard; and topics by request.

Today Episode:

July bee yard update

William's tips on honey harvest (see Williams letter here)

Tip on making bee boxes last longer "painting with glue" — this whole presentation is well worth watching! ( YouTube Link)

Invitation to see Julia Mahood present on drones (see below for info)

Reminder to take care in the heat with electrolytes

Thoughts on "Chasing Sourwood" and the impacts on stationary beekeepers (AR apiary law. See section 3B for the provision I mention.)

See LINKS and a copy of Williams letter here! (free and available to everyone)

Thank you to the patrons who keep this podcast available to all (and they also get extra goodies as a thank you for the support). Not a patron yet? Please join us at https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple

July 28, 2026

July Monthly With Guest Speaker Julia Mahood / ToeCane Beekeepers

Julia Mahood is a Georgia Master Crafts Beekeeper who has been keeping bees since 2004. She is currently president of the Georgia Beekeepers Association.  She will discuss honey bee drone behavior, drone congregation areas, and why drones matter. Meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. with official business starting at 6:30. Meetings are held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 15 Hemlock Ave., Spruce Pine NC 28777.

Beekeeping at Five Apple — talk, tips, and how-to on sustainable beekeeping from the Blue Ridge mountains of Southern Appalachia.

Host Leigh Wilkerson brings sixteen years of hands-on experience from her self-sustaining apiary since 2010. The podcast explores colony health, natural bee biology, and organic to chemical-free approaches. Episodes go deep on seasonal management, swarm control, queen rearing, hive biology, nutrition, and sustainable genetics. Designed for beekeepers ready to go beyond the basics, with episodes for newer beekeepers too.

Leigh is a popular Zoom presenter for bee clubs and associations. Topics include specialty splits so you never buy a package again; requeening approaches; simple frame-based queen rearing; building VSH genetics in your yard; and topics by request.