We are excited to share our "Two Bees in a Podcast". Have questions or comments? Please contact us at honeybee@ifas.ufl.edu

• Episode 1: Introduction to the UF/IFAS Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab

  Meet your “Two Bees in a Podcast” hosts, learn about their positions and experiences, find out more about what to expect from this podcast, and how you can be more involved!

  Q&A

  1. What do you think about the Flow Hive? 
  2. Can you use Oxalic acid treatment on the frames?
  3. What is parasitic mite syndrome?
  4. How effective are beetle blasters and dryer sheets?
  5. How often should check beetle traps or blasters?
• Episode 2: The UF/IFAS Honey Bee Research and Extension Laboratory

  Learn about the HBREL, UF Instructional Programs, and what it means to have a Healthy Colony.

  Q&A

  1. What about ants?
  2. What’s with worker bees laying eggs?
  3. Do we have African bees here?
  4. Should we be scared of having them?

  Notes and additional resources

  Instruction: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/instruction/ 

  Cameron Jack: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/about-us/people/cameron-jack/ 

  William Kern: https://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/faculty/william-kern/ 

  EDIS Ant Control in the Apiary: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1181 

• Episode 3: The Mite Is Free to Move About the Cabin

  A general overview of Varroa, honey bee pollen and nutrition, Master Beekeepers Programs, and Q&As. 

  Q&A

  1. Why might you see bees in your landscape one year, but suddenly the next year they are gone?
  2. What’s really going on when bees do the waggle dance?
  3. What happens if the queen dies during swarming?
  4. When do bees swarm?

  Notes and additional resources

  Varroa, Varroa destructor Anderson and Trueman: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in855 

  Nutrition and Bee Plants: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/beekeeper-resources/nutrition-and-bee-plants/ 

  UF IFAS Master Beekeeper Program: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/extension/events-and-activities/master-beekeeper-program/ 

   

• Episode 4: What It Takes to Provide Purposeful Education

  A summary of Extension and Research, and an interview with Dr. Meghan Milbrath from Michigan State University discussing her 50/50 Research/Extension appointment.

  Q&A

  1. How did you (Dr. Jamie Ellis) get into entomology?
  2. What are the best ingredients to put into a smoker to calm bees?

  Notes and additional resources

  Land-Grant University Website Directory: https://nifa.usda.gov/land-grant-colleges-and-universities-partner-website-directory

  HBREL Extension: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/extension/

  UF/IFAS Extension: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/

  HBREL Research: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/research/

  HBREL Research Publications: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/research/honey-bee-husbandry/publications-by-topic/

  Dr. Meghan Milbrath: https://www.canr.msu.edu/people/meghan_milbrath

  The Sand Hill: http://www.sandhillbees.com/

   

• Episode 5: Species Without Natural Enemies

  What to do about honey bee dead-outs with Dr. Humberto Boncristiani, a discussion on invasive species with Dr. Jim Cuda, and Q&A.  

  Q&A

  1. We are trying to save the bees, but what about wasps and yellow jackets?
  2. Is it appropriate to include frames of wax in a bait hive when trying to attract a swarm?
  3. Should you destroy queen cells in thriving colonies?

  Notes and additional resources 

  HBREL Honey Bee Husbandry Research: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/research/honey-bee-husbandry/ 

  HBREL Beekeeping Equipment: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/beekeeper-resources/beekeeping-equipment/ 

  James P. Cuda:http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/people-directory/james-cuda/ 

  Carey Minteer: https://irrec.ifas.ufl.edu/minteer-/

  What is happening with the Brazilian Peppertree: http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/entnemdept/2019/09/11/what-is-happening-with-the-brazilian-peppertree-schinus-terebinthifolia-insect-release/ 

  Brazilian peppertree thrips: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/BENEFICIAL/Pseudophilothrips_ichini.html  

  Yellow Brazilian peppertree leaf-galler: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/Calophya_latiforceps.htm  

  Classical Biological Control of Brazilian Peppertree in Florida: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN11400.pdf  

  How Scientists Obtain Approval to Release Organisms for Classical Biological Control of Invasive Weeds: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN60700.pdf  

  Brazilian Peppertree Seed Chalcid, Megastigmus transvaalensis: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN45300.pdf  

  Brazilian Peppertree Control: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/AA/AA21900.pdf  

• Episode 6: If Your Goal Is to Keep Your Bees Alive

  An interview with Randy Oliver about monitoring Varroa destructor, a discussion about the Bee Informed Partnership with Anne Marie Fauvel and Nathalie Steinhauer, and Q&A. 

  Q&A

  1. What do you do if you want to keep bees but your HOA doesn’t allow it?
  2. What do you recommend about buying bees online?
  3. What’s the proper balance of reading and researching versus hands-on experience and learning as you go?

  Notes and additional resources 

  Randy Oliver: http://scientificbeekeeping.com/ 

  Varroa Information: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/beekeeper-resources/pest-and-disease-resources/varroa/ 

  Bee Informed Partnership: https://beeinformed.org/ 

  Honey Bee Biology: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/beekeeper-resources/honey-bee-biology/ 

  Honey Bee Management: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/beekeeper-resources/management/ 

   

• Episode 7: Risk Is Simply the Product of Multiplying Toxicity and Exposure

  An interview with Dr. Judy Wu-Smart, Extension & Research Entomologist University of Nebraska-Lincoln, on her pesticide research, Jamie and Amy discuss pesticide risk and what that really means, and Q&A.

  Q&A

  1. Is there anything interesting about the bees’ knees?
  2. Do commercial beekeepers do preventative treatments for AFB, and should backyard beekeepers be doing it?
  3. Are heat treatments for mites effective?
  4. What methods do you recommend to prevent and recover from heavy colony losses, such as winter losses?

  Notes and additional resources 

  Judy Wu-Smart: https://entomology.unl.edu/faculty/dr-judy-wu-smart

  UF HBREL Pesticides: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/beekeeper-resources/pesticides/

  Environmental Protection Agency: https://www.epa.gov/pesticides

   

• Episode 8: Commercial Beekeeping… One Day at a Time, One Issue at a Time

  An interview with Dr. Josette Lewis with the Almond Board of California, a discussion with Sarah Stern, a commercial beekeeper/co-owner of Concord Farms about her life as a commercial beekeeper, and Q&A.  

  Q&A

  1. Do commercial beekeepers do preventative treatments for AFB?
  2. What government programs are available to help commercial beekeepers in the event of heavy colony losses?
  3. Is theft a problem in your operation?
  4. Are you concerned about pests and pathogens when transporting bees?

  Notes and additional resources 

  Almond Board of California: https://www.almonds.com/ 

  Concord Farms Bees: https://www.concordfarmsbees.com/ 

  Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/ 

  Honey Bee Protection in Florida: https://www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Industry/Bees-Apiary/Honey-Bee-Protection-in-Florida 

  Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP): https://www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/disaster-assistance-program/emergency-assist-for-livestock-honey-bees-fish/index 

  Beekeepers hit hard by thefts of hives: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/05/bee-thieves-cost-beekeepers-thousands/ 

  Catch the Buzz- Almond Pollination Colonies: https://www.beeculture.com/catch-the-buzz-almond-pollination-colonies-being-stolen-again-know-your-beekeeper-mark-your-hives-hide-your-hives/ 

  Identification and Treatment of European Foulbrood in Honey Bee Colonies: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1272 

   

• Episode 9: The First Responders in Bee Health Issues

  A discussion with the Florida Assistant Bureau Chief of Apiary Inspection, Brandi Stanford, an interview with pollination ecology expert, Dr. Rachel Mallinger, and Q&A.

  Q&A

  1. Logan Cutts wants to know, how many retweets until you will let him do a bee-beard at Bee College?
  2. How long can mites survive after the colony dies?
  3. How many mites can be eliminated with a brood break?
  4. Do some people still consider honey bees an invasive species?

  Notes and additional resources 

  Rules and Regulations: https://www.fdacs.gov/Agriculture-Industry/Bees-Apiary/Apiary-Inspection 

  Mallinger Lab:  http://www.rachelmallinger.com/ 

   

• Episode 10: Honey Bees Are Animals and They Deserve to Be in Good Health

  An interview with Dr. Meghan Milbrath about European foulbrood, followed by a discussion with Dr. Milbrath about Honey Bee Treatments, Dr. Bill Kern talks about Africanized Honey Bees, and we finish with Q&A. 

  Q&A

  1. I treated my colonies for Varroa, and about two months afterward, I started seeing Varroa again and my bees had deformed wing virus. What happened?
  2. Do honey bees dislike bananas?
  3. Why do you have to pay for bee removal?

  Notes and additional resources 

  European Foul Brood
  Milbrath: https://www.canr.msu.edu/people/meghan_milbrath 
  EFB Bee Informed Partnership: https://beeinformed.org/2013/04/05/european-foulbrood-efb-identification/ 
  European Foulbrood: A Bacterial Disease Affecting Honey Bee Brood: https://impact.extension.org/extension-articles/ 

  Treatment
  Diagnosis of Honey Bee Diseases: https://www.beelab.umn.edu/sites/beelab.umn.edu/files/_2016_disease_pdf_version_s.pdf 

  Africanized Honey Bees
  Kern: https://flrec.ifas.ufl.edu/faculty/william-kern/
  African Honey Bee, Africanized Honey Bee, Killer Bee, Apis mellifera scutellata Lepeletier: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in790 
  Differences Between European and African Honey Bees: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in784 

   

• Episode 11: Even Though I'm an Entomologist, I'm Not an “Ant”omologist

  An interview with 2020 American Honey Princess, Sydnie Paulsrud, about the American Beekeeping Federation and the Honey Queen Program, followed by Bill Kern beginning our “Pests in the Apiary” series with a discussion about ants, and Q&A.

  Q&A

  1. How many hives are needed per acre in almond pollination?
  2. Are top bar hives a better choice for bee health?
  3. When should a beekeeper be worried about hive beetles?

  Notes and additional resources 

  American Honey Princess

  Honey Queen Program and Brochures 

  Dr. Bill Kern

  Ants in the Apiary

  Almond Pollination

  Top Bar Hives

  Small Hive Beetle

   

• Episode 12: Scientifically Rigorous Information

  Interviews with key members of the International Bee Research Association, including Professor Dr. William Kirk, discussing the history of IBRA, Dr. Robert Brodschneider, the editor of the journal Bee World, and Dr. Maria Bouga, the editor of the Journal of Apicultural Research. Jamie and Cameron include a synopsis of what it means to publish academic research.

  Q&A

  1. Why should we care about the honey bee gut?
  2. What are super sisters?
  3. What is the difference between orientation flights, swarming, and robbing?

  Notes and additional resources 

  Dr. William Kirk 

  International Bee Research Association

  IBRA Introductory Leaflet

  COLOSS

  Dr. Robert Brodschneider

  Bee World

  Dr. Maria Bouga

  Journal of Apicultural Research

• Episode 13: Top 10 Tips for Beekeepers

  In this episode, Dave Westervelt discusses the history of beekeeping, we continue our pest series with Dr. Kern discussing wasps, and Dr. Ellis lists his top ten tips for beekeepers.

  Q&A

  1. Can you smoke bees too much?
  2. How does the hive keep a balance between drones and workers?
  3. Can the queen lay different types of eggs?

  Notes and additional resources 

  David Westervelt

  Dr. Bill Kern

  Wasps and Bees

  Dr. Jamie Ellis

  Jamie's Top 10 Tips (Page '34')

• Episode 14: Once a Bear Finds an Apiary, It Will Keep Going Back

  We are accompanied by Sarah Red-Laird, the founder and executive director of The Bee Girl Organization, to talk about bee nutrition, forage, and regenerative agriculture, we will be continuing our Apiary Pest discussion with Bill Kern talking about bears, and Q&A.

  Q&A

  1. Should you bottom super or top super? If you bottom super, what’s the order to do that?
  2. Is there any information on Azaleas and honey bees?
  3. I have honey bees in my tree. What can I do to remove them?

  Notes and additional resources 

  Sarah Red-Laird

  Bee Girl

  Ted Talk

  Habitat installation Guide

  Dr. William Kern

  Florida Bears and Beekeepers

  Florida Black Bear Management

• Episode 15: Popular Beekeeping Journals

  In this episode we discuss available resources and beekeeping journals by editors around the country: Eugene Makovec, the editor of American Bee Journal, and Jerry Hayes, the editor of Bee Culture (who has a little surprise for our podcast listeners!).

  Q&A

  1. Why doesn’t the Africanized honey bee gene pool get watered down?
  2. Is checking a hive once a week (or more) bad for the colony?
  3. What to do about swarms?

  Notes and additional resources 

  Eugene Makovec: American Bee Journal

  Jerry Hayes: Bee Culture

  Differences Between European and African Honey Bees

  Time Commitment Associated with Keeping Bees

  Swarms

• COVID-19 Special: Updates on the Beekeeping Industry

  In this very special episode, we discuss the effects of COVID-19 on beekeepers and how it connects with our food system. We are joined by Jason Mathis from Florida Farm Bureau, and Tony Hogg who is a beekeeper and the chair of the Apiary Advisory committee for the Florida Farm Bureau.

  Notes and additional resources 

  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  Tony Hogg

  Jason Mathis

  Florida Farm to You

• Episode 16: When You Have Competition, It Raises the Quality of a Product

  In this episode we are joined by Michael Young, who discusses Honey Judging, and we wrap up Bill Kern's pest series with a conversation about miscellaneous pests.

  Q&A

  1. What are books and resources for beekeepers?
  2. Can you combine frames from two hives to make one walkaway split?

  Notes and additional resources 

  Michael Young

  UF/IFAS Honey Judge Program

  Dr. Bill Kern

  Bee Pests

  Jamie's References

  Honey Bees and Beekeeping: A Year in the Life of an Apiary

  Storey's Guide to Keeping Bees

  The Beekeeper's Handbook

  Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping

  The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden

  The Hive and the Honey Bee

  ABC & Xyz of Bee Culture: An Encyclopedia of Beekeeping

• Episode 17: Beekeeping in Barbados and a Look into the Use of Oxalic Acid

  In this episode we are joined by David Small, who discusses his experiences and knowledge of beekeeping in the Caribbean and how Varroa have affected the industry. We wrap up this episode with Dr. Cameron Jack, who’s segment focuses on the use of oxalic acid as a pest management tool.  

  Q&A

  1. Should you select and remove drones? 
  2. Do drones take resources away from the larvae? 
  3. Can you get different sizes of drone within your colony? 

  Notes and additional resources 

  David Smalls

  Varroa

  http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/honey-bee/beekeeper-resources/pest-and-disease-resources/varroa/

  https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in855 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5vVrAy6CEU 

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6HyBbs9454&feature=youtu.be 

  https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/varroa/ 

  Dr. Cameron Jack

  Efficacy of Oxalic Acid Vaporization

• Asian Giant Hornet Special: Truths and Myths about Vespa mandarinia

  In this episode we are joined by Chris Looney, Entomologist for the Washington State Department of Agriculture, who discusses the current situation surrounding the Asian giant hornet. 

  Notes and additional resources 

  Washington State Department of Agriculture

  Asian Giant Hornet Information

  FAQ

  Vespa mandarinia Featured Creatures

  Asian Giant Hornet EDIS

  Other resources

  Vespa velutina