What's the difference between having bees and actually keeping bees?

In this first installment of Lessons from the Hive, a new Beekeeping Buddies series, Luke shares one of the hardest lessons he's learned as a beekeeper: losing all ten of his colonies in a single winter.

After hearing an experienced and respected beekeeper explain why he chose not to treat for Varroa mites, Luke decided to follow a similar approach. But when spring arrived, every colony was dead. What initially seemed like a failure to treat turned out to be a much bigger lesson about the importance of active hive management.

Luke reflects on how that experience changed his approach to beekeeping, from monitoring mite levels and keeping inspection records to developing treatment plans and questioning long-held assumptions. He also discusses how a presentation by Dr. Cameron Jack led him to investigate the research behind oxalic acid vaporization and discover problems with his own treatment practices.

Years later, with improved management and more consistent treatment practices, Luke achieved approximately 80% overwintering survival across the colonies he manages.

The lesson? Beekeeping isn't about blindly following advice, whether it comes from a book or an experienced beekeeper. It's about observing your colonies, understanding the science, making informed decisions, and continuing to learn.

Join Luke for this personal look at the mistakes, research, and experiences that helped shape him into the beekeeper he is today.

Lessons from the Hive is a Beekeeping Buddies series exploring the practical lessons learned through years of working with honey bees.

It's another episode of Beekeeping Buddies! Join Luke and Steve as they catch up on what's happening in their apiaries, discuss the latest beekeeping news, and share practical advice for managing colonies as the seasons change.

Around the Yard: We're talking about feeding colonies, moving hives, and getting bees ready for the colder months. From making sure colonies have enough winter stores to managing the logistics of relocating hives, there's plenty to keep beekeepers busy.

In the News: New research on Varroa mites is challenging what we thought we knew about these troublesome parasites. We discuss the latest discoveries and what they could mean for beekeeping and future mite management.

Honeybee Hotline: We're talking mite treatments, feeding strategies, and the decisions beekeepers face when preparing their colonies for winter.

Droning On: As always, we wrap things up with a little beekeeping conversation, observations from the yard, and whatever else happens to be buzzing around in our heads.

Whether you're managing your first colony or your hundredth, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and join us for another episode of Beekeeping Buddies!

Episode 51 of Beekeeping Buddies takes us from new honey bee research to the very practical work of preparing colonies for winter.

We dig into a recent study out of Korea and discuss what the findings could mean for beekeepers. We also look at fascinating research suggesting that queens may have a unique ability to shed or eliminate pesticide residues—and what that might tell us about queen biology, colony health, and pesticide exposure.

Then we head back into the bee yard. With fall approaching, Luke and Steve talk through what they're doing now to get colonies ready for winter: evaluating colony strength, managing mites, checking food stores, making decisions about weaker colonies, and setting hives up for the months ahead.

In Episode 51:

• New honey bee research from Korea
• Can queens shed pesticide residues?
• What the research could mean in the real world
• Late-summer colony assessments
• Mite control heading into fall
• Food stores and winter preparation
• What Luke and Steve are doing in their own bee yards

Research, practical beekeeping, and probably a little droning on along the way.