Telling the recent story of how my apiary was saved by bee friends after a tree fell right over the middle of it. Ed and Jim, you saved the day. Plus a reminder to keep an eye on your hive's stores as we start getting more warm days.
Photos of the rescue (open to everyone) at: https://www.patreon.com/posts/123119994
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About Beekeeping at Five Apple:
Leigh keeps bees in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina (gardening zone 6b). She cares for around a dozen hives in a rural Appalachian highland climate. Colonies are managed for bee health with active selection for vigor, genetic diversity and disease resistance, but without chemical treatments for over a decade. The apiary is self-sustaining (not needing to buy/catch replacement bees since 2010) and produces honey and nucs most every year.
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32:23
Ep126 Propolis!
A couple things the bees do with propolis I forgot to mention in the episode: embalming hive intruders, fencing in hive beetles! Bee caulk is amazing. Links collected over at Patreon on the post:
The first video I watched on the unexpected winter losses among commercial beekeepers in the US by Dr Humberto Boncristiani of Inside the Hive TV.
More on the losses from The Bee Supply channel.
GA Master Craftsman Beekeeper Cindy Hodges' excellent presentation on Propolis.
Dr. Marla Spivak's presentation on her research on propolis. An interview with her on propolis in general.
Ian Steppler on selecting for high propolis bees.
Do you have any favorite uses for propolis?
Wishing you a wonderful week Patrons and Listeners! I sure appreciate all of you!
You are warmly invited to become a Friend of Five Apple on Patreon to join the folks who make the podcasts possible and keep it advertising-free. In addition to huge gratitude, you get:
• BONUS podcasts and early access episodes
• Detailed show notes with links, tips, comments
• Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos
• 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 with $3 a month or more, please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple
--
About Beekeeping at Five Apple:
Leigh keeps bees in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina (gardening zone 6b). She cares for around a dozen hives in a rural Appalachian highland climate. Colonies are managed for bee health with active selection for vigor, genetic diversity and disease resistance, but without chemical treatments for over a decade. The apiary is self-sustaining (not needing to buy/catch replacement bees since 2010) and produces honey and nucs most every year.
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36:13
Ep 125 Starting with packages
Tips and thoughts on starting with packages for the first time, or starting again after winter loss. Patron exclusive links over at patreon.com/fiveapple
Kamon Reynolds showing both ways to install on YouTube. I thought this was an excellent overview.
A non-video tutorial from NC extension -- showing the "shake them out" method...the one you will need to use if the weather is poor or chilly.
Rusty Ballew showing the walk-out install method. Her site is always a reliable source of info!
Dadant's How-to tutorial on installing.
Michael Bush's list of installation mistakes to avoid. He recommends direct queen release..somewhat more risky, use at your own risk tho clearly many people do this.
The synthetic comb I mentioned
You are warmly invited to become a Friend of Five Apple on Patreon to join the folks who make the podcasts possible and keep it advertising-free. In addition to huge gratitude, you get:
• BONUS podcasts and early access episodes
• Detailed show notes with links, tips, comments
• Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos
• 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 with $3 a month or more, please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple
--
About Beekeeping at Five Apple:
Leigh keeps bees in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina (gardening zone 6b). She cares for around a dozen hives in a rural Appalachian highland climate. Colonies are managed for bee health with active selection for vigor, genetic diversity and disease resistance, but without chemical treatments for over a decade. The apiary is self-sustaining (not needing to buy/catch replacement bees since 2010) and produces honey and nucs most every year.
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49:03
Ep 124 Better (than caging) Brood Breaks
Ep 124 Better (than caging) Brood Breaks
Diving into why there are better options (imo) than caging a queen to create a brood break for mite reduction. Exclusive show notes and links to the things mentioned in this episode are available for patrons over at Patreon.
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You are warmly invited to become a Friend of Five Apple on Patreon to join the folks who make the podcasts possible and keep it advertising-free. In addition to huge gratitude, you get:
• BONUS podcasts and early access episodes
• Detailed show notes with links, tips, comments
• Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos
• 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 with $3 a month or more, please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple
--
About Beekeeping at Five Apple:
Leigh keeps bees in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina (gardening zone 6b). She cares for around a dozen hives in a rural Appalachian highland climate. Colonies are managed for bee health with active selection for vigor, genetic diversity and disease resistance, but without chemical treatments for over a decade. The apiary is self-sustaining (not needing to buy/catch replacement bees since 2010) and produces honey and nucs most every year.
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37:37
Ep 123 Welcome to 2025!
Some reflection on the past year's bee season and things I'd like to continue with (and get better at) in the new season to come. Show notes for patrons with links for stuff mentioned in this episode are over in the Patreon post for this episode: Layens hives, Queen Castles, Long Langs, fave beekeeper YouTubers.
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You are warmly invited to become a Friend of Five Apple on Patreon to join the folks who make the podcasts possible and keep it advertising-free. In addition to huge gratitude, you get:
• BONUS podcasts and early access episodes
• Detailed show notes with links, tips, comments
• Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos
• 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 with $3 a month or more, please sign up today: https://www.patreon.com/fiveapple
--
About Beekeeping at Five Apple:
Leigh keeps bees in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina (gardening zone 6b). She cares for around a dozen hives in a rural Appalachian highland climate. Colonies are managed for bee health with active selection for vigor, genetic diversity and disease resistance, but without chemical treatments for over a decade. The apiary is self-sustaining (not needing to buy/catch replacement bees since 2010) and produces honey and nucs most every year.
New Zealand