Honey Bee Obscura Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Plain Talk: Artistry in Beekeeping (258) Nov 20, 2025

Show notes

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

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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)

Plain Talk: A Fall Hive Check (257) Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

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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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)

Spring Prep Now with Anne Frey (256) Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

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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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)

Beekeeping Efficiency with Anne Frey (255) Oct 30, 2025

Show notes

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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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)

Plain Talk: The Smoked Beekeeper (254) Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

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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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)

Plain Talk: The Traveling Beekeeper (253) Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

In this reflective episode, Jim Tew takes listeners on a journey through his years as a traveling beekeeper, visiting apiaries and researchers around the world. From the early days of Africanized "killer" bees in Venezuela to disciplined Burmese military trainees in Myanmar, Jim recounts how these experiences shaped his understanding of honey bees and the people who care for them.

Jim describes the sobering reality of working with hyper-defensive bees in Venezuela and the evolution of those colonies over time, before shifting to stories of beekeepers in China, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand. Through it all, he highlights the universal spirit of beekeeping—a shared language spoken through the hum of the hive, no matter the country or culture.

Jim closes with a gentle reminder that every beekeeper, from backyard hobbyists to world travelers, shares the same curiosity and respect for the bees. His tales from the road remind us that while techniques and environments differ, the heart of beekeeping remains constant worldwide.

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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)

Plain Talk: Trusting Your Gut (252) Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

In this Plain Talk episode, Jim Tew reflects on one of beekeeping's most underrated tools—instinct. Beekeepers make hundreds of small decisions in the apiary, many of them guided by experience and that unspoken "gut feeling." But how do you know when to trust it?

Jim shares a story from helping his grandson's neglected hive in Michigan that appeared doomed by American foulbrood. Everything looked and smelled like the dreaded disease, and his first instinct was to destroy the colony. But something didn't feel quite right. After careful thought—and some hesitation—Jim trusted his gut and waited. It turned out not to be foulbrood after all, saving thousands of bees from destruction.

The episode moves through other examples of gut-driven choices: whether to replace a failing queen, when to combine colonies, or how to interpret subtle signs in the hive. Jim admits that intuition doesn't always get it right—sometimes it's "about fifty-fifty"—but it's still an indispensable part of good beekeeping.

Through humor, humility, and decades of experience, Jim reminds us that while science, records, and data are vital, listening to your gut can sometimes make the difference between a good decision and a painful mistake.

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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)

Archive Special: Preparing for Winter (251) Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

In this Archive Special from October 2021, we revisit a conversation with the late Kim Flottum and Jim Tew as they discuss the many ways beekeepers prepare colonies for the cold months ahead. From simple windbreaks to traditional tar paper wraps, insulated hive covers, and quilt boxes filled with wood shavings, Jim and Kim explore techniques both old and new.

The discussion highlights how winter prep has evolved, offering options for hobbyists with just a few colonies, sideliners with dozens, and commercial beekeepers managing thousands. They share practical advice on keeping colonies warm, ventilated, and dry, while considering different hive types—from 8- and 10-frame Langstroths to top bars and even polystyrene boxes.

Kim emphasized that there's no one-size-fits-all approach: the best method is the one that works for your bees and your climate. Jim recalls beekeeping practices from the past and wonders how modern materials might make things easier. Together, they remind listeners that preparation is essential—whether that means insulation, moisture management, or simply ensuring adequate food reserves.

This archive episode offers timeless reminders for beekeepers everywhere: have a plan, protect your bees, and adapt your strategies to your operation size and environment.

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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)

Plain Talk: Last Chance Winter Prep (250) Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

This milestone episode marks 250 installments of Honey Bee Obscura. Jim reflects on more than 5,000 minutes of plain talk beekeeping, the early days recording with the late Kim Flottum, and the ongoing joy of talking bees every Thursday morning.

With autumn closing in, Jim turns to a practical and urgent subject: your last chance winter prep for bees. He discusses how to evaluate queens in late September, when to combine weak colonies, and whether requeening makes sense this late in the year. Feeding thick syrup, ventilation debates, and insulation strategies also come into focus.

Jim emphasizes the importance of making tough choices now—taking losses in fall rather than in midwinter—so equipment, comb, and bees are better positioned for spring. Episode 250 offers both reflection and encouragement, helping beekeepers act decisively as they finish preparing their colonies for the cold months ahead.

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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)

Plain Talk: The Sting of Fall Honey (249) Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim Tew explores the challenges of fall honey and testy bees during the autumn flow. What begins as a calm reflection on goldenrod and fall asters quickly turns into an unexpectedly lively encounter with defensive bees. Jim describes multiple stings, determined pursuit by guard bees, and how hive temperament can shift overnight—even in colonies that had been calm the day before.

Moving beyond the sting drama, Jim turns his attention to the autumn landscape: 40 acres of goldenrod and asters, monarch butterflies drifting past, and the distinctive smell of fall honey. He reflects on why goldenrod doesn't always deliver the honey crop beekeepers hope for, how drought can limit nectar production, and how this season's flow may not produce much surplus honey.

Jim closes with lessons from letting his yard grow wild into a natural pollinator paradise—an unintended success after he stopped mowing—and wrestles with the balance between letting nature take over and maintaining clear access to the hives for safety. Whether you're heading into fall with booming colonies or just enjoying the last warm days of the season, this episode is a reminder that beekeeping always holds surprises.

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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)

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