Beekeeping at FiveApple – Details, episodes & analysis

In the second part of the interview, Troy talks about his late summer/fall management strategy as well as how he manages to overwinter nucs (a core part of his operation as it is to mine) in New Hampshire winters. He also gives me some great tips on how to make winter feeding of those nucs easier in my apiary. Troy also talks about the benefits of raising and selling overwintered nucs as a premium type of nuc due to colony cohesion, something I've noticed as well. 

If you are enjoying Beekeeping at Five Apple, please share the podcast with your bee friends, bee clubs and your online networks! I appreciate it so much. :-) Leigh

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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 or messaging 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. 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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today's episode is part one of a rambling bee chat I had with full-time beekeeper Troy Hall of New Hampshire back in the Spring. At Hall Apiaries he produces honey, queens and nucs in a creative, stationary operation of 700ish hives primarily managed without treatments. What a delightful and inspiring person and beekeeper! Hope you enjoy it.

Show Note Links:

Hall Apiaries Website

https://nhbeekeeper.com

I got to hear Troy's presentation in the 2024 Winter Conference of SBGMI. I love it that they offer their conferences online so that folks from everywhere can partake! If you join for $20 you can watch their past conferences. They also offer discounts on bee magazine subs and much more. Please check them out:

Sustainable Beekeepers Guild of Michigan

https://sbgmi.org/

 

If you are enjoying Beekeeping at Five Apple, please share the podcast with your bee friends, bee clubs and your online networks! I appreciate it so much. :-) Leigh

 ----

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 or messaging 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. 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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greetings from a new homeplace! Bee yard goings on as Autumn rolls into a colder season. It is such a delight to be back with you.

Leigh

 

This podcast continues to be listener-powered and free of adverts and sponsorship messages. Thanks to the Patrons!! 

 

--   Please become a Friend of Five Apple on Patreon and join the folks who make the podcasts possible! In addition to huge gratitude, you get:   • BONUS podcasts and early access episodes • Access to Patreon blog posts including tips and videos • Special Q&A posts to ask me questions about YOUR bees • 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 Farm: Leigh keeps bees in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She cares for around a dozen-ish hives in a rural Appalachian forest climate. Colonies are managed for bee health with active selection for vigor, genetic diversity and disease resistance, but without chemical treatments thus far. The apiary is self-sustaining (not needing to buy/catch replacement bees since 2010) and produces honey and nucs most every year. 

Sorry about the poor sound quality on this one...   If you would rather just read this interesting article it's here: 

https://www.naturalbeekeepingtrust.org/darwinian-beekeeping

 

Seeley interviewed on Science Friday. This is great!

https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/beekeeping-tips-from-bees/

 

Show notes to come.

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Links mentioned in Episode 16: Mites. If you want live bees, you will need a plan to deal with mites. It does not have to be chemical if you are willing to develop other skills (and actually use them). But being aware and knowledgeable about the organic treatments may be what you need to know one day to save your hive (so that you can requeen with more disease resistant stock).

Say hello at the Facebook page — Five Apple Farm https://www.facebook.com/5applefarm/

I’m now a super-fan of Dr. Meghan Milbrath of Sand Hill Bees (Michigan). When I eventually figure out how to do recorded interviews on this podcast she is on my short list to interview. Read/Watch/Listen to her presentations for some of the most understandable, science-based rationale on moving toward treatment-free beekeeping out there — well seasoned with reality. That last part is what makes her work really stand out imo.

I probably could have skipped this whole podcast and just shared the links below with a bunch of exclamation points. ;-)

https://tinyurl.com/y6fbvwtd PDF of her article YOUR BEES DON’T HAVE TO DIE: HOW CAN WE BECOME TREATMENT-FREE WITHOUT KILLING OUR COLONIES?

http://www.sandhillbees.com/education Collection of Milbrath’s articles, presentations at her apiary website.

Keep Bees Alive

http://keepbeesalive.org ( https://pollinators.msu.edu/keep-bees-alive/ ) A treasure trove of information to keep your bees healthy. Really great resource.

THIS!!!! The best (imo) educational webinar in this collection. Please watch this! (also works well as audio-only). Making a plan for varroa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km541EtCjbY

The printed version of above is here: https://tinyurl.com/yxbms5pe

All three webinars by Milbrath are here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD7AYI-MRu_3mp3oRW1kWVw

(Episode numbering adjusted. Will call this episode 16-17 and next will be 18. This will correct a numbering error in an early episode.)  ———————————————————————————————————

This is a ‘radio reader’ episode of an online article “Requeening” by master beekeeper, queen breeder and author Larry Connor. More articles and his (excellent) books available at www.wicwas.com Link to this article: https://www.beeculture.com/requeening/ Clarification from last week (Thanks Chris!) This is the Bush bees I was referring to...link below. Tons of good info on his website and even though I’d read a lot of it there over the years, when I received his book “The Practical Beekeeper” as a Christmas gift I found myself reading it cover to cover and really enjoying it. http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm

Dealing with a hive that appears queenless / Figuring out if it is really queenless / Bush’s Panacea Cure / Queen cells from micro-breeders becoming more available. ( Mostly beginner but with intermediate bits too) About the podcast: Leigh started with bees in 2010 and keeps around a dozen hives at 3000' in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, fully chemical free and without buying replacement bees since starting. When I mention Michael Bush in this and other episodes, this is the website which is a treasure trove of bee reading: http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm (Thanks Chris!)

Preventing swarming after splits. Listener question: What advice would you now give your first year beekeeper self.