Videos

In this episode of Beekeeping Today Podcast, Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman welcome back Dr. Chip Taylor and Dr. Gard Otis for a deep dive into Africanized honey bee swarming behavior—and what it reveals about honey bee biology. The conversation begins with a listener question on comb rotation and foundation…

In this short episode, we introduce Stephanie Slater and preview a new recurring segment focused on honey shows and judging. Stephanie joins the Beekeeping Today Podcast to share her background in beekeeping, with particular experience in participating in and judging honey shows. This area of beekeeping—often overlooked by many—plays an…

In this episode of Beekeeping Today Podcast, Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman explore a topic that can divide beekeepers, almost immediately: spotted lanternfly honey. Today's conversation centers on spotted lanternflies, an invasive pest spreading across the eastern United States. Guests Dr. Robin Underwood (Penn State Extension) and Dr. Ferhat Ozturk…

Dr. Jamie Ellis joins Beekeeping Today Podcast to discuss improving honey bee health, colony management strategies, and how beekeepers can strengthen their colonies heading into spring. Jamie shares insights from his work in research, extension education, and beekeeper outreach, helping bridge the gap between academic science and real-world beekeeping practices.…

In this episode, Jeff and Becky welcome back Tara Dawn Chapman, founder of Two Hives Honey and author of For the Bees: A Handbook for Happy Beekeeping. Tara first joined the podcast during the series on building a bee business, and she returns to discuss her new book, her unconventional…

In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Priyadarshini “Priya” Basu of Washington State University to discuss two major topics shaping the future of beekeeping: the upcoming COLOSS North America meeting and the evolving science of honey bee nutrition. COLOSS (Prevention of Colony Losses) is an international nonprofit network of more…

At the 2026 Midwest Honey Bee Expo, Jeff and Becky briefly introduce a live business-focused panel before turning the conversation over to experienced beekeepers representing different scales of operation, including Kamon Reynolds, John Hill and MHBE Co-Founder, Doug Koltermann. The discussion centers on the realities of running a beekeeping operation…

In this episode of Bee Science with Dewey, Dewey Caron introduces the concept of a colony necropsy—the careful reading of hive debris to understand what is happening inside a honey bee colony without opening the hive. By examining wax particles, pollen fragments, brood remains, mite debris, and other material on…

It’s no accident that How to Get Started in Beekeeping remains one of the most listened-to episodes in the history of the Beekeeping Today Podcast. In this archive special, Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman are joined by Honey Bee Obscura podcast’s Jim Tew, to revisit the fundamentals every new beekeeper…

In this inaugural episode of Bee Science with Dewey Caron, PhD, Dewey takes a close look at one of the most fundamental — and often misunderstood — aspects of honey bee winter biology: clustering. Why do honey bees form a winter cluster, and what actually determines whether a colony survives…

In this episode of Beekeeping Today Podcast, Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman welcome back cold-climate beekeeper and data-driven researcher Etienne Tardif, joining the conversation from Canada’s far north. Etienne keeps bees in the Yukon—well above the 60th parallel—where winter temperatures routinely reach extremes few beekeepers ever experience. The discussion begins…

Join us for a special series of episodes recorded live from the floor of the North American Honey Bee Expo in Louisville, KY, January 8–10, 2026. Jeff and Becky bring you the latest beekeeping insights, trends, and innovations directly from one of the biggest beekeeping events of the year. Tune…

Join us for a special series of episodes recorded live from the floor of the North American Honey Bee Expo in Louisville, KY, January 8–10, 2026. Jeff and Becky bring you the latest beekeeping insights, trends, and innovations directly from one of the biggest beekeeping events of the year. Tune…

Join us for a special series of episodes recorded live from the floor of the North American Honey Bee Expo in Louisville, KY, January 8–10, 2026. Jeff and Becky bring you the latest beekeeping insights, trends, and innovations directly from one of the biggest beekeeping events of the year. Tune…

In this episode of Beekeeping Today Podcast, Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman welcome back one of the most influential voices in modern honey bee health research, Dr. Jeff Pettis. A longtime USDA-ARS scientist and former president of Apimondia, Jeff Pettis joins the show to reflect on decades of research while…

As the year comes to a close, Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman are joined by Dr. David Peck for a wide-ranging end-of-year conversation reflecting on the highs, lows, and lessons of beekeeping in 2025. From disruptive winter losses and evolving varroa pressures to promising new tools and treatments on the…

This Holiday Special episode of Beekeeping Today Podcast brings together Jeff Ott, Becky Masterman, and Dr. Jim Tew from Honey Bee Obscura, for a warm, thoughtful conversation about bees, beekeeping, and reflection during Christmas week. With a special Santa Claus opener returning for another year, the episode sets a festive…

This week on Beekeeping Today Podcast, Becky welcomes guest co-host Bridget Mendel as they sit down with virologist Dr. Declan Schroeder from the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Together, they explore the unseen world of honey bee viruses—how they evolve, how they spread, and why understanding them is…

Honey bees continue to face shifting pressures from pests, and few are as relentless as varroa mites. In this episode, Jeff and Becky talk with Washington State University graduate student Molly Quade, whose research into fighting varroa with fungi offers a promising biological alternative to traditional mite treatments. Molly studies…

In this Beekeeping Today Podcast Short, Jeff Ott sits down with Jamie Walters, President of the Ohio State Beekeepers Association (OSBA), during the organization’s annual conference in Wooster, Ohio. Jamie shares how OSBA continues to thrive after the challenges of recent years, including the rebound of volunteerism and mentorship following…

The Midwest Honey Bee Expo is back—and bigger than ever. Jeff and Becky talk with organizers Bill Werning and Doug Koltermann about what’s in store for the 2026 event, held February 6–7 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Following a sold-out debut in 2025, this year’s expo expands…

In this Varroa Treatment Short, Jeff and Becky are joined once again by Dr. David Peck of BetterBee to discuss two thymol-based mite control options: ApiLife Var and Apiguard . Both products rely on the essential oil thymol, but differ in formulation and delivery. ApiLife Var comes as wafers containing…

In this episode, Jeff and Becky welcome Dave Mullins of Bee Great, based in Churubusco, Indiana. Dave shares how a hobby with his father in 2014 grew into a dynamic beekeeping business now managing 150 hives, a thriving retail store, and a diverse line of honey and bee-inspired products. From…

In this Varroa Treatments short, Jeff Ott and co-host Dr. Becky Masterman welcome Dr. David Peck from Betterbee to discuss formic acid—a powerful tool in the fight against varroa mites. David explains how Formic Pro, the most common formic acid product now available in the U.S., is formulated to safely…