1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,500 May I have your attention, please? 2 00:00:02,540 --> 00:00:06,240 The following is not the real Jeff Vox really. 3 00:00:09,780 --> 00:00:13,880 If you have ever put on a B suit 4 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:18,760 with nothing but underwear underneath, 5 00:00:18,780 --> 00:00:25,560 you might be a beekeeper in Texas. 6 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:30,400 If you've ever noticed that KFC's honey sauce 7 00:00:30,420 --> 00:00:34,400 contains only a 7% real honey, 8 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:39,740 and wondered what the other 93% was, 9 00:00:39,780 --> 00:00:43,740 you might be a beekeeper. 10 00:00:43,780 --> 00:00:48,720 If your beehives have a fresh coat of paint, 11 00:00:48,740 --> 00:00:51,280 but your house doesn't, 12 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:55,620 you might be a beekeeper. 13 00:01:22,220 --> 00:01:24,520 At Bee Love, we're all about the honeybees 14 00:01:24,540 --> 00:01:26,420 and of course the beekeepers. 15 00:01:26,460 --> 00:01:28,520 Before we jump into our interview today 16 00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:31,160 with Jerry Hayes from Bee Culture Magazine, 17 00:01:31,180 --> 00:01:34,520 we have a bit of good news ripped from the headlines. 18 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:37,960 The world's largest hornet, an invasive breed 19 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,300 dubbed Murder Hornet, for its dangerous sting 20 00:01:41,340 --> 00:01:43,600 and ability to slaughter a honeybee hive 21 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,200 in a matter of hours, has been declared eradicated in the U.S. 22 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:51,540 Five years after being spotted for the first time in Washington, 23 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:53,540 state near the Canadian border. 24 00:01:53,580 --> 00:01:56,380 Now, I'm sure we all heard about this back then. 25 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,180 Murder Hornet is another name for the Asian giant hornet. 26 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,440 And this was a little spooky when these things arrived, 27 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,220 and they were up in the British Columbia area 28 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:07,720 of the state of Washington. 29 00:02:07,740 --> 00:02:11,680 And officials there have done just a great job 30 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:13,660 of getting rid of these things. 31 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:15,620 We hope they don't come back someday. 32 00:02:15,660 --> 00:02:17,960 It's almost inevitable, but for now, 33 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,920 hey, really good news, they are gone. 34 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:23,620 Here's a little bit more detail about this. 35 00:02:23,660 --> 00:02:26,120 The entomologist from Washington state 36 00:02:26,160 --> 00:02:28,160 that was working on this project, 37 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:30,760 he said, I've been doing this type of work 38 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,100 for over 25 years now, and it's a rare day 39 00:02:34,140 --> 00:02:38,240 when the humans actually get to win one against the insects. 40 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:41,680 The hornets, which can be five centimeters long 41 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:46,720 or around two inches, were formerly called Asian giant hornets. 42 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:50,960 So these hornets, which come from Eastern Asia, 43 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:53,840 China specifically, they are known to kill 44 00:02:53,860 --> 00:02:57,240 about 42 people in China each year. 45 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,840 And as far as honeybees, they can just wipe out a colony 46 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:02,580 in no time flat. 47 00:03:02,620 --> 00:03:05,380 They were first detected in North America, 48 00:03:05,420 --> 00:03:09,620 in British Columbia, in August of 2019, 49 00:03:09,660 --> 00:03:11,620 and confirmed in Washington state 50 00:03:11,660 --> 00:03:13,660 in December of the same year. 51 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:15,560 These hornets have been known to sting 52 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,820 through most beekeeper suits, 53 00:03:17,860 --> 00:03:20,860 and they delivered nearly seven times 54 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,120 the amount of venom as a honeybee, 55 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,160 and they can sting multiple times. 56 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:27,320 So I know I don't want to get close to one, 57 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,100 you don't want to either. 58 00:03:29,140 --> 00:03:32,340 Anyway, the good news is for now, they are gone. 59 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,940 So people down in the south now, 60 00:03:34,980 --> 00:03:38,040 just look out for those yellow-legged hornets, 61 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,540 and let's, oh man, let's just keep working on this stuff. 62 00:03:41,540 --> 00:03:45,700 Let's go. 63 00:03:45,740 --> 00:03:47,600 While I'm at it, one more thing in the headline 64 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:49,580 that grabbed my attention this week, 65 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:53,040 and this is something that just happened over in the UK. 66 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:57,420 They have now outlawed a neonicotinoids 67 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:00,380 in a quote bid to protect honeybees. 68 00:04:00,420 --> 00:04:02,380 Now, if you've been following this topic, 69 00:04:02,420 --> 00:04:04,160 and I know it's controversial, 70 00:04:04,180 --> 00:04:06,860 and by the way, I welcome your feedback, 71 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:11,120 go ahead, email me whether you're for or against all of this. 72 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,460 I've been outlawed in the EU for a few years now, 73 00:04:14,500 --> 00:04:17,200 but the UK has finally jumped on board. 74 00:04:17,220 --> 00:04:20,100 US is, who knows how far behind? 75 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,100 Here's a quote from that article. 76 00:04:22,140 --> 00:04:24,140 The move comes ahead of the publication 77 00:04:24,160 --> 00:04:28,600 of a new UK National Action Plan, NAP, 78 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,980 which will set how pesticides can be used sustainably. 79 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:35,340 DEFRA said bees and other pollinators 80 00:04:35,380 --> 00:04:38,480 are crucial to the agricultural economy 81 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,740 and the economic benefits of pollination to crop production 82 00:04:41,780 --> 00:04:47,780 in the UK estimated at 500 million pounds annually. 83 00:04:48,820 --> 00:04:51,420 Anyway, like I said, it's controversial. 84 00:04:51,460 --> 00:04:54,220 I know the sugar beet growers over in the UK 85 00:04:54,260 --> 00:04:56,660 are really worried about this ban. 86 00:04:56,700 --> 00:05:01,060 They're going to be filing for some emergency authorizations. 87 00:05:01,100 --> 00:05:03,140 I don't know if they're going to start turning more of those 88 00:05:03,160 --> 00:05:05,100 down than in the past. 89 00:05:05,140 --> 00:05:07,400 The article goes on to state, 90 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:11,060 proposals been welcomed by several wildlife charities. 91 00:05:11,100 --> 00:05:13,940 The government has signed an international pledge 92 00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,900 to have the risk from pesticides 93 00:05:16,940 --> 00:05:19,040 and highly hazardous chemicals. 94 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,740 So this positive step should be followed in short order 95 00:05:22,780 --> 00:05:24,680 with stronger regulation, 96 00:05:24,720 --> 00:05:28,080 alignment with the EU on chemicals, restrictions, 97 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,520 and generous incentives for farming systems 98 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,860 that do not rely on chemicals. 99 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,220 In the US, we're a long ways behind, 100 00:05:36,220 --> 00:05:38,960 but I think at least from everything I can see, 101 00:05:38,980 --> 00:05:41,820 again, I welcome your opinion on this topic. 102 00:05:44,660 --> 00:05:47,520 I would love to welcome our special guest today, 103 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:52,000 Jerry Hayes, who happens to be the big wig, the big cheese, 104 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,040 the editor of Bee Culture Magazine. 105 00:05:55,060 --> 00:05:56,900 Did I catch off guard there, Jerry? 106 00:05:56,940 --> 00:05:58,340 Well, you did. 107 00:05:58,380 --> 00:06:00,780 And you know, and when you said cheese, 108 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:03,140 the first thing came to mind when I was cut the cheese 109 00:06:03,180 --> 00:06:04,840 and the smell that comes along with that. 110 00:06:04,840 --> 00:06:06,800 Just let me know, okay? 111 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:08,940 Now, this is a classy show. 112 00:06:08,980 --> 00:06:10,380 Come on. 113 00:06:10,420 --> 00:06:13,480 It is a classy show, but yes, 114 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:15,080 I've been in the industry a long time 115 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:16,420 and I've learned a lot of things 116 00:06:16,460 --> 00:06:18,480 and I've done a lot of wrong things 117 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,720 and have been able to integrate with wonderful beekeepers. 118 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,600 But anybody who says there's a... 119 00:06:25,620 --> 00:06:27,760 that they're an expert is a liar. 120 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:31,840 Well, I know a lot of beekeepers that think they're experts. 121 00:06:31,860 --> 00:06:32,660 All of them. 122 00:06:32,700 --> 00:06:33,440 Yes. 123 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,180 And most of them are third-year beekeepers. 124 00:06:36,220 --> 00:06:38,420 They're now the global expert. 125 00:06:38,460 --> 00:06:42,860 I have a podcast and a website and TikTok 126 00:06:42,900 --> 00:06:46,620 and are telling their listeners to use green jello 127 00:06:46,660 --> 00:06:48,500 to control rural lights. 128 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:50,900 I have to admit, that's what I haven't heard yet, 129 00:06:50,940 --> 00:06:52,760 but it would probably work as good 130 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:54,940 as some of the other stuff out there. 131 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:58,000 As long as you brought that up, I got a... 132 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,000 I've really... I've asked other guests this too. 133 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,940 And I really think it's a topic that we need to mention now then. 134 00:07:03,980 --> 00:07:08,480 And that is, there is so much information out there, 135 00:07:08,500 --> 00:07:11,040 especially YouTube, TikTok, 136 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:14,840 on how you should do beekeeping, how you shouldn't, 137 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:18,820 and people wearing no protective clothing at all, 138 00:07:18,860 --> 00:07:20,880 doing swarm removals, 139 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:24,060 and things that I hate to encourage beginners to do, 140 00:07:24,100 --> 00:07:26,600 because it could actually be very dangerous. 141 00:07:26,620 --> 00:07:28,660 Could you give us a little bit of insight, 142 00:07:28,660 --> 00:07:33,500 right off the bat, here on, how do you know who you can trust? 143 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,100 And, no, that's a great question, Eric. 144 00:07:36,140 --> 00:07:39,800 And so I have been asked that question before, 145 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:42,340 and it's been in my writings and what had you. 146 00:07:42,380 --> 00:07:49,380 And I think you have to default to those vetted researchers 147 00:07:49,420 --> 00:07:53,180 at USDA, or AAPA Inspectors of America, 148 00:07:53,220 --> 00:07:55,420 or Pridar Dapis Malefra, 149 00:07:55,460 --> 00:07:57,520 or Honey Bee Health Coalition, 150 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:02,480 what have you, that they again have membership 151 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:07,520 that are in the industry and can review and help them 152 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:11,900 with their information that they're spreading around. 153 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,060 I would be really, as a new beekeeper, 154 00:08:14,100 --> 00:08:15,760 you're gonna want information 155 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,040 and you're gonna go to a podcast, what have you. 156 00:08:19,060 --> 00:08:21,140 But I would suggest you don't do that. 157 00:08:21,180 --> 00:08:22,940 It would be kind of like me. 158 00:08:22,980 --> 00:08:24,580 I want to learn about physics, 159 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:26,140 and I don't know anything about physics, 160 00:08:26,140 --> 00:08:29,100 so I'm gonna go on a physics podcast. 161 00:08:29,140 --> 00:08:32,240 But how do I know if that podcast and that information 162 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:33,380 is right or wrong? 163 00:08:33,420 --> 00:08:34,580 I don't. 164 00:08:34,620 --> 00:08:38,080 So you have to dive a little bit deeper in this, 165 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:42,920 because beekeeping is, managed honey beekeeping is, 166 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:44,460 it takes a lot. 167 00:08:44,500 --> 00:08:47,660 This is not like having a dog or a cat in the kitchen. 168 00:08:47,700 --> 00:08:49,700 This is a lot more difficult of a hobby 169 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:52,260 than people realize before they get into it. 170 00:08:52,300 --> 00:08:54,500 And we're just talking hobbyists now. 171 00:08:54,500 --> 00:08:57,160 If you're gonna do it right, yeah. 172 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,260 If we're talking commercial beekeepers, 173 00:08:59,300 --> 00:09:01,200 and that's amplified by a thousand. 174 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:03,540 Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. 175 00:09:03,580 --> 00:09:06,140 This is, you know, back in the day, 176 00:09:06,180 --> 00:09:09,580 when I was young and good-looking and started beekeeping, 177 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,820 we didn't have the pest predators and diseases 178 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,120 and other races of honey bees here. 179 00:09:15,140 --> 00:09:17,920 And you could go fishing for the rest of the year. 180 00:09:17,940 --> 00:09:22,360 But now you have to be a beekeeper manager 181 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,740 in order to keep your honey bees alive and successful, 182 00:09:25,760 --> 00:09:28,600 not only for you, but for the environment as well. 183 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:30,740 Okay, but back to my question. 184 00:09:30,780 --> 00:09:33,040 The fact is, a lot of beekeepers, 185 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:35,740 especially new ones, are gonna go to YouTube. 186 00:09:35,780 --> 00:09:39,620 So is there any guidance you can give them as to how, 187 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:41,580 and we're not naming any names, 188 00:09:41,620 --> 00:09:45,660 but how do they determine, gee, 189 00:09:45,680 --> 00:09:47,960 I think I can believe this person. 190 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,120 I don't think I can believe that person. 191 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:52,060 Yeah, I'm gonna give you a generality 192 00:09:52,060 --> 00:09:54,020 and all generalities are false. 193 00:09:54,060 --> 00:09:58,500 But if that person would go to their state 194 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:02,600 beekeeping association, which all states have one, 195 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,440 and simply ask them that question, 196 00:10:05,460 --> 00:10:08,340 and then participate in their meetings 197 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:10,300 and local and regional meetings, 198 00:10:10,340 --> 00:10:13,680 because the best way to learn about beekeeping 199 00:10:13,700 --> 00:10:17,520 is to actually do it, and you're going to make mistakes, 200 00:10:17,540 --> 00:10:19,780 and you're going to fail and everything else, 201 00:10:19,780 --> 00:10:23,940 but you're going to learn differently. 202 00:10:23,980 --> 00:10:25,920 Just because somebody gives you an answer 203 00:10:25,940 --> 00:10:28,880 doesn't mean that that's the right answer. 204 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:32,480 And so getting involved with the industry 205 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:35,860 and with the sociality and culture of it, 206 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,700 I think helps people progress more quickly. 207 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:41,160 And get a mentor. 208 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:43,860 And get a mentor, you know, 209 00:10:43,900 --> 00:10:46,740 and I didn't have a mentor when I started. 210 00:10:46,740 --> 00:10:49,780 I remember buying some packaged bees. 211 00:10:49,820 --> 00:10:52,180 And in the packaged bees, there's always a queen 212 00:10:52,220 --> 00:10:56,460 in her own little cage, and I had read 213 00:10:56,500 --> 00:11:00,220 that there's candy at the end of this box 214 00:11:00,260 --> 00:11:02,400 that is there to help feed the queen. 215 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:07,640 And you take a nail and press it through that candy 216 00:11:07,660 --> 00:11:10,900 in order to open it up so help the bees on the outside 217 00:11:10,940 --> 00:11:12,900 and the bees on the inside kind of eat through it 218 00:11:12,940 --> 00:11:14,840 and let them release the queen. 219 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:17,300 So I thought, okay, great. 220 00:11:17,340 --> 00:11:19,340 So I took a nail and for some reason, 221 00:11:19,380 --> 00:11:22,780 I thought that candy was going to be like hard crunchy candy. 222 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:23,940 And it wasn't really soft. 223 00:11:23,980 --> 00:11:25,380 So I pushed it all the way through 224 00:11:25,420 --> 00:11:29,220 and stabbed the queen and the other end and killed her. 225 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,020 So anyway, you can get answers. 226 00:11:32,060 --> 00:11:36,020 But as you just said, a mentor is going to help you a lot more. 227 00:11:36,060 --> 00:11:40,520 We are talking to a queen bee murderer right here. 228 00:11:40,560 --> 00:11:44,700 Okay, let's move out, talk about some other topics. 229 00:11:44,700 --> 00:11:46,040 And there are a hundred different things 230 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:47,420 that you could talk about. 231 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:50,020 And I wish I had a bunch of listeners right next to me 232 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,320 saying, here's what we're most interested in. 233 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,460 But since we don't, I want to bring up some things 234 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:58,360 that we haven't talked about much on this show yet. 235 00:11:58,380 --> 00:12:01,060 One would be pesticides. 236 00:12:01,100 --> 00:12:05,400 And you have some history with Monsanto and USDA. 237 00:12:05,420 --> 00:12:07,860 Give us a little background on where you come from, 238 00:12:07,900 --> 00:12:09,600 what your thoughts are. 239 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:14,440 Let me start off by saying that there was some research 240 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:22,200 done a few years ago that looked at pesticides and beehives. 241 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:25,200 And at the time, I was the chief of the apiary section 242 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,240 for the Florida Department of Agriculture. 243 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:32,080 And we had a research apiary that I had set up 244 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:36,120 and it had all new equipment, new wax, new frames, 245 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:38,080 new bees, new everything. 246 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:42,520 So I was pretty confident that when I was asked 247 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:46,220 to give samples of bees and wax and larvae and kupa, 248 00:12:46,260 --> 00:12:49,860 what have you, that, you know, I was feeling a little feisty 249 00:12:49,900 --> 00:12:51,720 here that I was going to be pretty clean 250 00:12:51,760 --> 00:12:54,500 and a lot better than everybody else. 251 00:12:54,540 --> 00:12:58,660 When I set those in, and these bees had been there 252 00:12:58,700 --> 00:13:01,800 for a few months and bees, you know, foraging that two, 253 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:06,280 two and a half mile radius, they found over 140 254 00:13:06,300 --> 00:13:11,680 different pesticides in those colony samples, 255 00:13:11,680 --> 00:13:15,580 three of which weren't even registered in the United States. 256 00:13:15,620 --> 00:13:20,480 So yes, there are a lot of things out there. 257 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:24,720 As honey bees, as environmental samplers can get into. 258 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:30,060 But beta from that also showed that about 40, 42% 259 00:13:30,100 --> 00:13:33,000 of all chemicals they found in a beehive 260 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:36,700 were the ones that we beekeepers put in there. 261 00:13:36,740 --> 00:13:41,340 But to, you know, control veromites or control other diseases 262 00:13:41,340 --> 00:13:43,300 or small high beetles or what have you. 263 00:13:43,340 --> 00:13:46,200 So there's this discrepancy here. 264 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:48,740 I've, you know, beekeepers are always pointing their fingers 265 00:13:48,780 --> 00:13:51,180 at farmers and others. 266 00:13:51,220 --> 00:13:53,240 But, you know, when you, what's that whole thing, 267 00:13:53,280 --> 00:13:56,480 you point a finger and the other fingers pointing back at you. 268 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:57,780 So you have to be careful. 269 00:13:57,820 --> 00:14:02,360 So Monsanto, yes, I work for Monsanto. 270 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:07,820 They had purchased a company that had a new biological method 271 00:14:07,860 --> 00:14:10,840 that they thought could be used to control veromites, 272 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:13,240 which is great because then we wouldn't have to use 273 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:17,080 as many chemicals that have collateral damage 274 00:14:17,120 --> 00:14:19,220 to the colony or what have you. 275 00:14:19,260 --> 00:14:21,760 So I took the job. 276 00:14:21,780 --> 00:14:24,660 Everybody hated Monsanto, but I figured that, 277 00:14:24,700 --> 00:14:29,300 Gully, you got this huge corporation that has lots of money 278 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:33,440 and on the lab and they have invited me to come 279 00:14:33,460 --> 00:14:35,840 to see if we could do this. 280 00:14:35,860 --> 00:14:38,580 They weren't going to make any money on this product, 281 00:14:38,580 --> 00:14:41,960 but it was going to hopefully give them some positive PR 282 00:14:41,980 --> 00:14:45,720 if they could show the industry that they were helping. 283 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,420 So I was there and over years we did our best, 284 00:14:49,460 --> 00:14:53,800 but we couldn't make it work consistently in a beehive. 285 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:58,840 So I moved on to this role actually right now. 286 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:01,040 Are there a lot of pesticides out there? 287 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:02,180 Yes. 288 00:15:02,220 --> 00:15:05,980 Farmers generally read the label directions, 289 00:15:06,020 --> 00:15:08,420 which would not impact honey bees, 290 00:15:08,420 --> 00:15:11,760 because you don't want to spray when something is blooming. 291 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:16,040 A big problem is suburban homeowners. 292 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:20,880 So we have approximately 50 million acres of suburban lawns 293 00:15:20,900 --> 00:15:26,120 in the United States taking 18,000 pounds, 294 00:15:26,140 --> 00:15:30,760 18 million pounds of chemicals and 10,000 gallons of water 295 00:15:30,780 --> 00:15:35,720 each above rainfall to keep them like the 18th holodigusta. 296 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:40,480 And so in my mind, grass lawns look beautiful, 297 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:41,880 but they're worthless. 298 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:45,320 And then they have flowers around the side of the house 299 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,820 that they find a bug on them. 300 00:15:48,860 --> 00:15:52,520 And so they go from Hub Depot and buy some chemical 301 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,800 and it says to put a tablespoon and a gallon of water 302 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:57,360 and they say, well, that bug is kind of big. 303 00:15:57,400 --> 00:15:59,360 Let's put two tablespoons in there. 304 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:03,140 And so we have this disconnect with people 305 00:16:03,140 --> 00:16:06,500 because these things are tested well and labeled 306 00:16:06,540 --> 00:16:10,200 and show you how to use them and not have batting act 307 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:12,940 on not only honey bees, but other native bees 308 00:16:12,980 --> 00:16:15,580 and butterflies and everything else. 309 00:16:15,620 --> 00:16:20,380 So we generally do a pretty poor job here. 310 00:16:20,420 --> 00:16:22,880 Well, how are we supposed to protect our bees? 311 00:16:22,920 --> 00:16:24,820 They're going to go where they're going to go. 312 00:16:24,860 --> 00:16:26,460 What do we do to help them out? 313 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,920 There's nothing much you can do if you figure out 314 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:34,760 the acreage of that 2.5 miles of where they're going 315 00:16:34,780 --> 00:16:38,560 and bringing back all sorts of stuff. 316 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,360 You know, there are beekeepers who sometimes put their 317 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,100 the bees if they're lucky enough in Arizona and New 318 00:16:44,140 --> 00:16:46,600 Mexico and the desert or up on a mountain 319 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:48,240 or something like that. 320 00:16:48,280 --> 00:16:50,600 Other than that, you can't do anything. 321 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:55,040 One of the one of the suggestions has been the last 322 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:59,580 few years is to rotate frames of call every three years 323 00:16:59,580 --> 00:17:01,080 or so out of a colony. 324 00:17:01,100 --> 00:17:03,380 Bees wax is a fatty acid. 325 00:17:03,420 --> 00:17:07,280 It's a lipid and fat loves to absorb chemicals. 326 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:10,680 And if you took a fast sample of me and looked at it, 327 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:13,120 you probably find all sorts of scary stuff in there. 328 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:17,960 But we want to single out and move out these combs 329 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:22,160 that may have accumulated some pesticides that the bees 330 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:25,040 would be exposed to 24-7, 365. 331 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:31,020 We place it with new frames and with a new call and cut down 332 00:17:31,060 --> 00:17:36,520 on that exposure to pest predator pests and pesticides. 333 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:37,960 Makes sense. 334 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:40,500 What do you see as some of the biggest? 335 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:44,000 Well, it's kind of obvious what the biggest diseases 336 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:47,840 out there are and the biggest pests, Varroa, obviously. 337 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:52,180 But as far as diseases, are there some things that we really, 338 00:17:52,180 --> 00:17:56,060 really should be looking for regularly? 339 00:17:56,100 --> 00:17:58,700 I mean, if we've got American fowl brood, 340 00:17:58,720 --> 00:18:00,660 we probably know it. 341 00:18:00,700 --> 00:18:03,360 It's not that hard to figure out. 342 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:04,560 I don't know. 343 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,040 Give me your take on some of the diseases and how much we 344 00:18:07,060 --> 00:18:10,300 should be concerned and how much we should really dig in 345 00:18:10,340 --> 00:18:11,740 and know our stuff. 346 00:18:11,780 --> 00:18:13,940 Yeah, but let me back up a little bit. 347 00:18:13,980 --> 00:18:15,480 Because you mentioned Varroa mite. 348 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:18,380 And if everybody out there would make a fist and put it 349 00:18:18,420 --> 00:18:21,020 someplace on you, proportionally, this is how large 350 00:18:21,020 --> 00:18:22,820 a Varroa mite is, or honeybee's body. 351 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:24,540 And they can have several on them. 352 00:18:24,580 --> 00:18:27,920 And they're in between the abdominal segments because this 353 00:18:27,940 --> 00:18:29,880 here is where it's easier to chew through. 354 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:32,420 They can chew through this cuticle, but they can chew 355 00:18:32,460 --> 00:18:38,060 through here and eat the fat bodies of the teleogenin, 356 00:18:38,100 --> 00:18:42,440 which creates hormones to help their very shallow immune 357 00:18:42,460 --> 00:18:46,840 system and vector viruses, vector diseases, lower immunity. 358 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:52,300 So controlling Varroa many times has a strong link to 359 00:18:52,340 --> 00:18:54,240 these other diseases. 360 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:57,980 And American fowl brood and European fowl brood, 361 00:18:58,020 --> 00:18:59,080 those kind of things. 362 00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:03,380 Yes, if a beekeeper is looking in his or her colonies, 363 00:19:03,420 --> 00:19:06,520 for those, they will be able to identify them. 364 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:11,660 But we also have new beekeepers who are concerned about 365 00:19:11,700 --> 00:19:16,160 looking in a colony, or they want to be natural beekeepers 366 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:20,360 and let that bees try to figure it out for themselves. 367 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:25,140 And that never works in the dynamics that we have now, 368 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:28,680 because beekeeping is a visual sport. 369 00:19:28,700 --> 00:19:32,400 You have to open up that colony, take it apart, look at it. 370 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:34,980 It's not like a cow in the field, we can walk up to that 371 00:19:35,020 --> 00:19:37,740 cow and it's got a big runny, juicy nose. 372 00:19:37,780 --> 00:19:39,780 You say, well, that cow's got something. 373 00:19:39,820 --> 00:19:43,480 Or your dog in the house is scratching all the time, 374 00:19:43,480 --> 00:19:46,220 and you're looking, is that a flea or what? 375 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:51,560 I mean, so we have to be more engaged in management 376 00:19:51,580 --> 00:19:52,920 of our colonies. 377 00:19:52,960 --> 00:19:56,920 You're in touch with the whole industry in the United States, 378 00:19:56,960 --> 00:20:00,260 probably outside the United States too, I would guess. 379 00:20:00,300 --> 00:20:03,800 Do you see anything new, promising, coming down the 380 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:05,500 pike for Varroa? 381 00:20:05,540 --> 00:20:07,200 No, not really. 382 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:09,600 We have a group with the Honey Bee Health Coalition now 383 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:13,180 that's actually working with some large corporations. 384 00:20:13,180 --> 00:20:19,220 There are a lot of chemical pesticides that are off patent 385 00:20:19,260 --> 00:20:21,400 that have been put on the shelf. 386 00:20:21,420 --> 00:20:26,000 And so there's a review going on about can some of these be 387 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:30,540 used, adapted for the use in a beekeeping colony, 388 00:20:30,580 --> 00:20:34,440 and control Varroa in various ways. 389 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,480 And one of the issues is we talked about collateral damage 390 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,380 to bees by putting chemicals in or out of the control Varroa. 391 00:20:41,380 --> 00:20:45,080 We have to, or the Varroa is going to kill that colony anyway. 392 00:20:45,120 --> 00:20:51,620 But what begets hit every time we put a chemical in there, 393 00:20:51,660 --> 00:20:52,920 it's the queen. 394 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,700 Those other bees will maybe in the summer rotate ever six, 395 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:00,700 eight weeks, morning, winter time, you know, every few months. 396 00:21:00,740 --> 00:21:03,200 But that queen gets whacked every time. 397 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:07,300 And if that's to your fertile female, who is the mother of 398 00:21:07,300 --> 00:21:11,840 everybody in that colony, we have to figure out a way to keep 399 00:21:11,880 --> 00:21:15,000 her more safe and more viable. 400 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:19,240 And I think that goes to maybe looking at 401 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:24,420 bioreational, biological controls more fully. 402 00:21:24,440 --> 00:21:30,720 But there again, we have a small industry that is incredibly 403 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:35,020 vital, not only to production agriculture, but to the environment 404 00:21:35,020 --> 00:21:38,760 and to the environment and how they can produce it and what 405 00:21:38,780 --> 00:21:39,620 had you. 406 00:21:39,660 --> 00:21:42,720 But to look at something like this, you know, that might cost 407 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:46,600 a couple of million dollars, you know, there's no big companies 408 00:21:46,620 --> 00:21:48,040 out there that want to do it. 409 00:21:48,060 --> 00:21:51,600 And because beekeepers and honeybees are so good, you know, 410 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:56,240 we're losing, I think numbers, oh, numbers are coming out no, 411 00:21:56,280 --> 00:22:02,740 tomorrow, Thursday, from Auburn University about the loss of 412 00:22:02,740 --> 00:22:05,540 because this is going to be on before Thursday, right? 413 00:22:05,540 --> 00:22:07,500 It's probably not going to be for a week or two. 414 00:22:07,500 --> 00:22:08,940 So go right ahead. 415 00:22:08,940 --> 00:22:15,180 They've documented a 55% loss of Honey Bee colonies in 2023. 416 00:22:15,180 --> 00:22:16,900 And that's incredible. 417 00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:18,660 If it wasn't for Honey Bee colonies, 418 00:22:18,660 --> 00:22:23,300 that you can take one colony artificially split it and make 419 00:22:23,300 --> 00:22:27,060 two, we wouldn't be having this discussion. 420 00:22:27,060 --> 00:22:30,860 Beekeeper has 1,000 colonies and loses 500 of them, 421 00:22:30,860 --> 00:22:34,700 let's say, can take those 500 and make up the loss. 422 00:22:34,700 --> 00:22:36,660 But then you have 1,000 week colonies 423 00:22:36,660 --> 00:22:41,620 and do they meet pollination contracts standards? 424 00:22:41,620 --> 00:22:44,900 And so this is crazy. 425 00:22:44,900 --> 00:22:50,380 And we need more support to do a better job in all of this. 426 00:22:50,380 --> 00:22:54,860 How different is that from, say, 2022 or 2021? 427 00:22:54,860 --> 00:22:57,660 That was in that 30% to 40% range. 428 00:22:57,660 --> 00:23:00,820 This is the second highest, if I'm not mistaken, 429 00:23:00,820 --> 00:23:04,900 loss numbers that have been collected. 430 00:23:04,900 --> 00:23:06,660 So it's way up. 431 00:23:06,660 --> 00:23:09,980 Do we have any explanation as to why yet? 432 00:23:09,980 --> 00:23:11,140 No, not really. 433 00:23:11,140 --> 00:23:12,380 Those are just losses. 434 00:23:12,380 --> 00:23:16,460 We probably know about these things. 435 00:23:16,460 --> 00:23:18,140 And it's multifactorial. 436 00:23:18,140 --> 00:23:20,260 You've heard that before. 437 00:23:20,260 --> 00:23:28,980 Varroa, virus legacy, weather changes, food management. 438 00:23:28,980 --> 00:23:31,260 Where else can you load an insect's nest 439 00:23:31,260 --> 00:23:33,580 with 800 of them on a semi and grab it 440 00:23:33,580 --> 00:23:37,780 across the United States to pollinate almonds, let's say? 441 00:23:37,780 --> 00:23:41,660 And you lose 10% of your queens every time you do that. 442 00:23:41,660 --> 00:23:45,580 And then you may have taken care of Varroa and it's there. 443 00:23:45,580 --> 00:23:49,820 But when there's 2 million colonies going to California, 444 00:23:49,820 --> 00:23:52,020 it's like the elementary school. 445 00:23:52,020 --> 00:23:53,740 All the bees are sharing everything 446 00:23:53,740 --> 00:23:57,020 because they're all kind of wadded up together. 447 00:23:57,020 --> 00:23:59,140 This is a tough industry, tough industry. 448 00:23:59,140 --> 00:24:01,940 I don't know how commercial beekeepers actually do it. 449 00:24:01,940 --> 00:24:05,460 These numbers, this 55% colony loss, 450 00:24:05,460 --> 00:24:08,380 is that specifically among commercial beekeepers 451 00:24:08,380 --> 00:24:13,260 or do they factor in any hobbyists or sidelineers? 452 00:24:13,260 --> 00:24:17,940 Yeah, it's those who have actually filled out the form 453 00:24:17,940 --> 00:24:20,180 to participate in the survey. 454 00:24:20,180 --> 00:24:21,620 So it's a whole variety. 455 00:24:21,620 --> 00:24:28,020 Let me just take a minute here to thank our presenting 456 00:24:28,020 --> 00:24:29,820 sponsor, Man Lake. 457 00:24:29,820 --> 00:24:32,300 I've been asked, does Man Lake provide equipment 458 00:24:32,300 --> 00:24:33,580 for commercial beekeepers? 459 00:24:33,580 --> 00:24:34,420 Yes. 460 00:24:34,420 --> 00:24:36,340 Do they provide equipment for sidelineers? 461 00:24:36,340 --> 00:24:36,900 Yes. 462 00:24:36,900 --> 00:24:38,420 How about beginners? 463 00:24:38,420 --> 00:24:39,580 Of course. 464 00:24:39,580 --> 00:24:40,820 Protective gear, yes. 465 00:24:40,820 --> 00:24:42,820 Queens, nukes, and packages, yes. 466 00:24:42,820 --> 00:24:45,980 Processing equipment, yes, yes, and yes. 467 00:24:45,980 --> 00:24:48,940 There is a reason that Man Lake is the number one supplier 468 00:24:48,940 --> 00:24:51,700 for thousands and thousands of beekeepers. 469 00:24:51,700 --> 00:24:54,660 In fact, I could give you 100 reasons to try them, 470 00:24:54,660 --> 00:24:56,580 but let's start with just 10. 471 00:24:56,580 --> 00:25:00,740 As in $10 off your first $100 purchase 472 00:25:00,740 --> 00:25:04,980 with the discount code MLBLOV10. 473 00:25:04,980 --> 00:25:07,020 Don't worry, it's all in the show notes. 474 00:25:07,020 --> 00:25:10,300 Seriously, you'll be happy you gave Man Lake a try. 475 00:25:10,300 --> 00:25:11,860 And now back to the guest. 476 00:25:11,860 --> 00:25:17,740 You mentioned Honey Bee Health Coalition a couple of minutes 477 00:25:17,740 --> 00:25:18,260 ago. 478 00:25:18,260 --> 00:25:20,060 For those that aren't familiar with it, 479 00:25:20,060 --> 00:25:22,580 tell us about their role. 480 00:25:22,580 --> 00:25:25,380 Honey Bee Health Coalition is unique. 481 00:25:25,380 --> 00:25:29,100 And I was involved in starting that back in the day. 482 00:25:29,100 --> 00:25:35,420 Put together this coalition of Big Ag and universities, 483 00:25:35,420 --> 00:25:40,300 and USDA, and beekeepers, and what 484 00:25:40,300 --> 00:25:43,660 can add you into this big group that we could sit around 485 00:25:43,660 --> 00:25:46,620 and figure out, talk to each other, 486 00:25:46,620 --> 00:25:50,540 and figure out how we can bring some more consistency 487 00:25:50,540 --> 00:25:53,180 or viability to our industry. 488 00:25:53,180 --> 00:25:57,660 And so they've been in going here for nine or 10 years. 489 00:25:57,660 --> 00:25:59,340 I've done a super job. 490 00:25:59,340 --> 00:26:05,340 They came up with the Tools for Rural Management Guide, 491 00:26:05,340 --> 00:26:08,140 which you probably, whoever reads it, 492 00:26:08,140 --> 00:26:09,620 you don't need to read anything else. 493 00:26:09,620 --> 00:26:11,260 It's all there. 494 00:26:11,260 --> 00:26:12,620 They have videos. 495 00:26:12,620 --> 00:26:14,940 And we have all sorts of stuff there in the Honey Bee 496 00:26:14,940 --> 00:26:18,620 Health Coalition that is a go-to place for information 497 00:26:18,620 --> 00:26:21,300 like we were talking about earlier, Eric. 498 00:26:21,300 --> 00:26:25,140 Well, and I can say that Vural Management Guide is a very 499 00:26:25,140 --> 00:26:27,780 simple, easy tool to use. 500 00:26:27,780 --> 00:26:32,500 It's not like you're reading 10 pages of six-point text. 501 00:26:32,500 --> 00:26:36,340 If I remember, I've spent a little while since I've used it. 502 00:26:36,340 --> 00:26:38,420 Where are you in the country? 503 00:26:38,420 --> 00:26:40,260 How hot is it? 504 00:26:40,260 --> 00:26:42,780 Some of those kinds of factors. 505 00:26:42,780 --> 00:26:45,140 Where's your brood cycle right now? 506 00:26:45,140 --> 00:26:46,220 Those kinds of things. 507 00:26:46,220 --> 00:26:50,540 And you put a little info in, and it gives you options 508 00:26:50,540 --> 00:26:53,060 on Vural Management, correct? 509 00:26:53,060 --> 00:26:54,740 Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. 510 00:26:54,740 --> 00:26:56,500 And it doesn't tell you what to do. 511 00:26:56,500 --> 00:26:58,260 It gives you choices. 512 00:26:58,260 --> 00:27:00,220 It's not the dictating to you. 513 00:27:00,220 --> 00:27:02,780 So if you have choices based on all that information 514 00:27:02,780 --> 00:27:08,020 that you just talked about, and it's a terrific product. 515 00:27:08,020 --> 00:27:11,380 So that's one of the reasons I immediately trusted it, 516 00:27:11,380 --> 00:27:14,860 is because it didn't say, here's your one and only answer. 517 00:27:14,860 --> 00:27:17,060 It's this product from this manufacturer. 518 00:27:17,060 --> 00:27:19,860 It was, here's a few options. 519 00:27:19,860 --> 00:27:22,180 If you want to be more organic, go this way. 520 00:27:22,180 --> 00:27:24,620 If you need to really hit it hard, kind of, 521 00:27:24,620 --> 00:27:25,900 you can go this way. 522 00:27:25,900 --> 00:27:29,340 Watch your temperatures, because as we know, 523 00:27:29,340 --> 00:27:33,300 some of these chemicals, if it's above 85 degrees, 524 00:27:33,300 --> 00:27:37,460 different things happen, and it can be more poisonous. 525 00:27:37,460 --> 00:27:39,660 What did you call it, collateral damage? 526 00:27:39,660 --> 00:27:41,420 There can be a whole lot more of that, 527 00:27:41,420 --> 00:27:43,340 if we're not careful with those things. 528 00:27:43,340 --> 00:27:47,420 It's not like we just buy one treatment, 529 00:27:47,420 --> 00:27:50,700 and buy a Costco box of them, 530 00:27:50,700 --> 00:27:55,340 and then use them forever and at all times of years. 531 00:27:55,340 --> 00:27:58,100 We need to put our own little research into that. 532 00:27:58,100 --> 00:28:00,380 Yeah, no, and then we have to rotate products 533 00:28:00,380 --> 00:28:02,860 because raw mites are like all mites. 534 00:28:02,860 --> 00:28:05,420 The best thing to do is develop resistance to things, 535 00:28:05,420 --> 00:28:08,380 and we've seen that over the years in our products. 536 00:28:08,380 --> 00:28:10,420 And so there's a lot of things going on there, 537 00:28:10,420 --> 00:28:13,580 but it is simple to use and it works. 538 00:28:13,580 --> 00:28:16,660 Now, you personally have done beekeeping. 539 00:28:16,660 --> 00:28:17,900 You've mentioned Florida. 540 00:28:17,900 --> 00:28:19,500 I know you're in Ohio now. 541 00:28:19,500 --> 00:28:23,180 Any other states or areas that you have been a beekeeper? 542 00:28:23,180 --> 00:28:26,620 Yeah, and this might sound like I can't keep a job. 543 00:28:26,620 --> 00:28:29,620 Yeah, no, I started out as a high school teacher, 544 00:28:29,620 --> 00:28:32,900 and then like, and so went into another business 545 00:28:32,900 --> 00:28:36,420 and had a guy working with me who was a beekeeper, 546 00:28:36,420 --> 00:28:38,140 and this was a long time ago, 547 00:28:38,140 --> 00:28:40,220 and I thought, well, this is pretty cool, 548 00:28:40,220 --> 00:28:42,220 and nobody actually knows a beekeeper. 549 00:28:42,220 --> 00:28:45,900 And so I picked this person's brain and asked questions 550 00:28:45,900 --> 00:28:48,580 and marked questions, and then started reading things 551 00:28:48,580 --> 00:28:51,820 and marked questions, and then I've turned into 552 00:28:51,820 --> 00:28:54,020 the Consummit Backyard Beekeeper. 553 00:28:54,020 --> 00:28:57,660 I did all the goofy things that big backyard beekeepers do, 554 00:28:57,660 --> 00:29:00,780 including killing queens in a cage. 555 00:29:00,780 --> 00:29:05,060 And then I thought that passion grew, 556 00:29:05,060 --> 00:29:08,020 and some psychologists ought to do a profile 557 00:29:08,020 --> 00:29:10,660 of a beekeeper's because we're different. 558 00:29:10,660 --> 00:29:11,780 That'd be scary. 559 00:29:11,780 --> 00:29:13,540 I know, I know, it would, 560 00:29:13,540 --> 00:29:16,740 but it would make a great Ken Burns documentary. 561 00:29:16,740 --> 00:29:21,100 And so I thought, well, could I go back to school 562 00:29:21,100 --> 00:29:25,460 and learn some more and take care of a family? 563 00:29:25,460 --> 00:29:30,180 So I did went back to Agricultural Technical Institute 564 00:29:30,180 --> 00:29:33,500 of Iowa State University, and then from there, 565 00:29:33,500 --> 00:29:36,380 I went to the USDA bee breeding and stock lab 566 00:29:36,380 --> 00:29:39,980 and back rooms where Africanized bees are just coming in. 567 00:29:39,980 --> 00:29:43,620 And so my job as a rookie lab technician, 568 00:29:43,620 --> 00:29:46,700 where we were pulling wings and legs off bees 569 00:29:46,700 --> 00:29:50,620 to see if we could see any morphological differences 570 00:29:50,620 --> 00:29:53,700 in these that we could use to identify bee samples 571 00:29:53,700 --> 00:29:55,340 that came in before. 572 00:29:55,340 --> 00:29:58,500 Then I was offered a job by Datant and Sons 573 00:29:58,500 --> 00:30:02,580 as a branch manager up in Michigan. 574 00:30:02,580 --> 00:30:04,380 And I did that for a year, 575 00:30:04,380 --> 00:30:07,340 and then I was offered another job by somebody else. 576 00:30:07,340 --> 00:30:09,100 And the people at Datant said, no, 577 00:30:09,100 --> 00:30:11,660 we're gonna move you down to Hamilton, Illinois, 578 00:30:11,660 --> 00:30:13,660 the home office at Datant. 579 00:30:13,660 --> 00:30:16,220 So I was there for a long time. 580 00:30:16,220 --> 00:30:18,900 It was great because I learned so much. 581 00:30:18,900 --> 00:30:23,060 It was a great experience learning about the business, 582 00:30:23,060 --> 00:30:24,340 about beekeeping. 583 00:30:24,340 --> 00:30:27,580 And I wrote the classroom question and answer section 584 00:30:27,580 --> 00:30:30,740 in the American Bee Journal for 40 years, I think, 585 00:30:30,740 --> 00:30:32,620 or so I think I have the world's record. 586 00:30:32,620 --> 00:30:37,620 And then from there to Monsanto in Missouri, 587 00:30:38,020 --> 00:30:42,700 and then I was gonna retire and Kim Flodham, 588 00:30:42,700 --> 00:30:45,180 the editor of Bee Culture Magazine, 589 00:30:45,180 --> 00:30:48,060 always got a retired and they asked me if I wanted to do it. 590 00:30:48,060 --> 00:30:51,300 And I'd never been an editor before, 591 00:30:51,300 --> 00:30:55,100 written papers and outright books and that kind of stuff. 592 00:30:55,100 --> 00:30:56,180 But I said, well, shoot, 593 00:30:56,180 --> 00:30:57,940 who gets to be offered this job? 594 00:30:57,940 --> 00:31:00,940 So I took it and this has been marvelous as well, 595 00:31:00,940 --> 00:31:03,700 to be engaged with the industry 596 00:31:03,700 --> 00:31:07,580 and a fun educational outreach, if you will. 597 00:31:07,580 --> 00:31:11,220 Has it been difficult to adjust your beekeeping technique, 598 00:31:11,220 --> 00:31:12,660 style, whatever it is, 599 00:31:12,660 --> 00:31:15,300 between the various different climates you've been 600 00:31:15,300 --> 00:31:16,860 from Michigan to Florida 601 00:31:16,860 --> 00:31:19,940 and nearly every place in between? 602 00:31:19,940 --> 00:31:21,700 Give me a little feel for that 603 00:31:21,700 --> 00:31:24,140 and where you enjoyed it the most, maybe. 604 00:31:24,140 --> 00:31:25,980 No, you're right, but it's all seasonal. 605 00:31:25,980 --> 00:31:27,900 It's all based on temperature. 606 00:31:27,900 --> 00:31:30,460 And so regardless of where you're at, 607 00:31:30,460 --> 00:31:34,460 you're looking at daylight length and temperatures 608 00:31:34,460 --> 00:31:37,020 and when spring officially may be coming, 609 00:31:37,020 --> 00:31:40,380 when the dandelions pop out of the ground and do that. 610 00:31:40,380 --> 00:31:43,300 So it's been, it hasn't been difficult 611 00:31:43,300 --> 00:31:45,660 in the different places. 612 00:31:45,660 --> 00:31:47,540 You just have to be paying attention 613 00:31:47,540 --> 00:31:49,580 and be on your game a little bit. 614 00:31:49,580 --> 00:31:51,740 No, you make that sound pretty easy. 615 00:31:51,740 --> 00:31:53,380 I got that from a podcast. 616 00:31:53,380 --> 00:31:56,300 Well, then it must be true. 617 00:31:56,300 --> 00:31:57,140 That's right. 618 00:31:58,180 --> 00:32:00,620 This podcast is really meant to be 619 00:32:00,620 --> 00:32:02,180 for people that love honeybees 620 00:32:02,180 --> 00:32:04,460 and that can be beekeepers 621 00:32:04,460 --> 00:32:07,700 or people that have no desire to be a beekeeper, 622 00:32:07,700 --> 00:32:11,780 but realize what an important resource honeybees are. 623 00:32:11,780 --> 00:32:13,300 Do you have any recommendations 624 00:32:13,300 --> 00:32:17,060 that you would give to people in all walks of life, 625 00:32:17,060 --> 00:32:19,820 no matter where they are on that spectrum? 626 00:32:19,820 --> 00:32:22,980 What can we all do to help honeybees? 627 00:32:22,980 --> 00:32:25,220 I know one of the things that we've tried to do 628 00:32:25,220 --> 00:32:29,020 in our family is different things that we've planted 629 00:32:29,020 --> 00:32:31,300 around our yard and garden. 630 00:32:31,300 --> 00:32:32,940 Give us some wisdom. 631 00:32:32,940 --> 00:32:35,580 I don't know if this is gonna be wisdom or not, 632 00:32:35,580 --> 00:32:40,580 but there are approximately 125,000 beekeepers 633 00:32:42,620 --> 00:32:47,620 in the United States according to the National Honey Board. 634 00:32:47,620 --> 00:32:50,380 Not all states register beekeepers 635 00:32:50,380 --> 00:32:53,620 and so those numbers are up and down and back and forth. 636 00:32:53,620 --> 00:32:57,100 Out of 330 million people in the United States, 637 00:32:57,100 --> 00:33:01,620 there's more people who do yoga or stamp collecting 638 00:33:01,620 --> 00:33:03,020 than beekeeping. 639 00:33:03,020 --> 00:33:08,020 And so I don't want us to focus so much on ourselves, 640 00:33:08,140 --> 00:33:13,140 but on ourselves as educational outreach teachers 641 00:33:13,620 --> 00:33:18,300 to our family, our friends, our community, our churches, 642 00:33:18,300 --> 00:33:19,540 what have you. 643 00:33:19,540 --> 00:33:23,860 Because we are aware of how valuable honeybees are 644 00:33:23,860 --> 00:33:26,740 for pollinating fruits, nuts and vegetables, 645 00:33:26,740 --> 00:33:31,220 how valuable they are as they forge in the environment 646 00:33:31,220 --> 00:33:35,500 to, you know, pollinate trees that produce seeds and nuts 647 00:33:35,500 --> 00:33:38,620 that they can reproduce on or squirrels or turkeys 648 00:33:38,620 --> 00:33:41,220 or deer, each and what have you. 649 00:33:41,220 --> 00:33:44,820 I want those people who walk into the grocery store. 650 00:33:44,820 --> 00:33:46,620 And when you walk into the grocery store, 651 00:33:46,620 --> 00:33:48,940 most of the time you walk into the produce section 652 00:33:48,940 --> 00:33:52,380 because that is where value is. 653 00:33:52,380 --> 00:33:55,700 And most of that value comes from honeybees going 654 00:33:55,700 --> 00:33:59,700 from one flower to another flower with this collaboration 655 00:33:59,700 --> 00:34:02,620 that these two different species have come up with 656 00:34:02,620 --> 00:34:06,820 over the millennia and be aware that that's there 657 00:34:06,820 --> 00:34:11,740 because of honeybees or agriculture and what have you. 658 00:34:11,740 --> 00:34:13,420 And then you go down all the other aisles 659 00:34:13,420 --> 00:34:15,860 and see the canned beans and the frozen fruit 660 00:34:15,860 --> 00:34:19,820 and everything else because of honeybees 661 00:34:19,820 --> 00:34:23,420 and growers who do this. 662 00:34:23,420 --> 00:34:26,140 And this is amazing. 663 00:34:26,140 --> 00:34:29,380 I think we're getting 30 to 40% of our fruit, nuts 664 00:34:29,380 --> 00:34:33,380 and vegetables from other countries, but nobody cares. 665 00:34:33,380 --> 00:34:35,740 Why would you care if you walk into the produce section 666 00:34:35,740 --> 00:34:38,580 and it's full of stuff that you can still box? 667 00:34:38,580 --> 00:34:41,660 I disagree with that 100% because what happens 668 00:34:41,660 --> 00:34:44,300 if those countries decide, well, you know, 669 00:34:44,300 --> 00:34:46,660 you're, you know, this has been great, 670 00:34:46,660 --> 00:34:49,860 but we're not doing this anymore, have a nice day. 671 00:34:49,860 --> 00:34:52,820 And we don't have food to eat. 672 00:34:52,820 --> 00:34:56,940 We're not as self-sufficient as we could be to eat. 673 00:34:56,940 --> 00:34:59,460 And if you're watching the six o'clock news now 674 00:34:59,460 --> 00:35:02,700 and seeing those struggles that others are having 675 00:35:02,700 --> 00:35:06,340 because their food supply change has been disrupted, 676 00:35:06,340 --> 00:35:11,340 I don't want hours to and have that negative influence. 677 00:35:11,340 --> 00:35:14,580 One of the things that we've done at our house 678 00:35:14,580 --> 00:35:17,300 is to plant a pussy willow tree. 679 00:35:17,300 --> 00:35:19,660 And the reason for that is because it seems 680 00:35:19,660 --> 00:35:22,940 to be the very first thing, at least where I am, 681 00:35:22,940 --> 00:35:27,620 even before the dandelions that the bees absolutely love 682 00:35:27,620 --> 00:35:29,300 and can feed off of. 683 00:35:29,300 --> 00:35:31,980 You have any other recommendations? 684 00:35:31,980 --> 00:35:34,460 No, but you're to go back once you said, 685 00:35:34,460 --> 00:35:37,460 pussy willows of course, but I always wait for 686 00:35:37,460 --> 00:35:41,780 the dandelions, that's my, that's one, 687 00:35:41,780 --> 00:35:46,780 that's when I really get excited about a spray time. 688 00:35:46,780 --> 00:35:50,340 Because dandelions, the neat thing about dandelions 689 00:35:50,340 --> 00:35:53,660 is not only they produce pollen, which bees can use, 690 00:35:53,660 --> 00:35:55,980 you know, as their protein bottom on mineral source, 691 00:35:55,980 --> 00:36:00,300 but the sugar in their nectar is very high. 692 00:36:00,300 --> 00:36:02,900 It can be a high as 30%. 693 00:36:02,900 --> 00:36:05,580 And so bees, when they're trying to build up, 694 00:36:05,580 --> 00:36:10,580 raise new bees in their colony and get ready, 695 00:36:10,900 --> 00:36:12,500 you know, bees are always preparing for winter. 696 00:36:12,500 --> 00:36:14,500 They want a big colony that they can prepare 697 00:36:14,500 --> 00:36:15,660 for the next winter. 698 00:36:15,660 --> 00:36:18,820 So that resource is tremendous. 699 00:36:18,820 --> 00:36:21,700 And we beekeepers, you know, one of the things we do 700 00:36:21,700 --> 00:36:24,940 is feed honeybees with sugar share. 701 00:36:24,940 --> 00:36:27,580 This is one of those things where this is a natural product 702 00:36:27,580 --> 00:36:30,380 that the bees like and that really helps them. 703 00:36:30,380 --> 00:36:32,740 So what if your neighbors give you a hard time 704 00:36:32,740 --> 00:36:35,260 for not killing all the dandelions in your yard? 705 00:36:35,260 --> 00:36:38,700 Yeah, when I moved here, bought a house 706 00:36:38,700 --> 00:36:43,700 in kind of the semi-country, we have eight acres. 707 00:36:43,820 --> 00:36:47,940 And the person who owned the home before us, 708 00:36:47,940 --> 00:36:52,220 talking to the people who live on either side of us, 709 00:36:52,220 --> 00:36:56,500 said that he would mow three to four times a week. 710 00:36:56,500 --> 00:36:59,940 And I said, I'm not doing that 711 00:36:59,940 --> 00:37:03,500 because grass is a waste of time and money. 712 00:37:03,500 --> 00:37:06,460 And they just kind of looked at me. 713 00:37:06,460 --> 00:37:07,700 Welcome to the neighborhood. 714 00:37:07,700 --> 00:37:10,180 Right, and so now we have, 715 00:37:11,940 --> 00:37:14,100 we experiment in growing things 716 00:37:14,100 --> 00:37:16,300 and we have some fruit trees 717 00:37:16,300 --> 00:37:19,420 and we have like 30 apple trees, actually, 718 00:37:19,420 --> 00:37:20,980 fruit trees and what have you. 719 00:37:20,980 --> 00:37:24,900 And it's different than it was before, 720 00:37:24,900 --> 00:37:28,500 but I always take our neighbors jars of honey over the year 721 00:37:28,500 --> 00:37:31,020 just so that they don't get too bulky with me. 722 00:37:31,020 --> 00:37:33,860 Well, I know we're replacing a lot of our grass, 723 00:37:33,860 --> 00:37:36,700 our turf with clover. 724 00:37:36,700 --> 00:37:38,060 Ooh, nice. 725 00:37:38,060 --> 00:37:43,060 And I let it grow, I let it bloom, I mow it every once in a while 726 00:37:43,180 --> 00:37:44,740 when I absolutely have to, 727 00:37:44,740 --> 00:37:48,180 but actually the deer do most of the mowing for me. 728 00:37:48,180 --> 00:37:51,340 So I don't have to mow it very much. 729 00:37:51,340 --> 00:37:53,780 But yeah, I'm like you, I'm semi-country, 730 00:37:53,780 --> 00:37:56,540 I'm on five acres and we can do that. 731 00:37:56,540 --> 00:37:58,940 My neighbors don't complain too terribly much 732 00:37:58,940 --> 00:38:00,340 about dandelions. 733 00:38:00,340 --> 00:38:02,060 Yeah, and clover is amazing. 734 00:38:02,060 --> 00:38:04,460 You know, it's a legume and put some roots, you know, 735 00:38:04,460 --> 00:38:09,100 10 to 12 feet, breaks up the soil, adds nitrogen. 736 00:38:09,100 --> 00:38:11,100 It's just a great plant. 737 00:38:11,100 --> 00:38:13,140 And you can, you know, as you said, 738 00:38:13,140 --> 00:38:14,380 you don't have to mow it that often 739 00:38:14,380 --> 00:38:16,260 because generally it doesn't grow more than three 740 00:38:16,260 --> 00:38:19,180 to six inches high and it looks okay. 741 00:38:19,180 --> 00:38:20,660 And it uses less water, 742 00:38:20,660 --> 00:38:23,060 which here in the desert is a big deal. 743 00:38:23,060 --> 00:38:24,300 Oh, growling, yeah. 744 00:38:24,300 --> 00:38:27,340 Well, when you're putting down roots 10 to 12 feet, 745 00:38:27,340 --> 00:38:31,380 generally, but you guys have certainly had a lot of issues 746 00:38:31,380 --> 00:38:35,740 with less rainfall, it generally can survive pretty well. 747 00:38:35,740 --> 00:38:39,300 Okay, last thing, this is the fun part. 748 00:38:39,300 --> 00:38:41,420 I wanna hear some kind of wild and crazy 749 00:38:41,420 --> 00:38:43,260 beekeeping story from you. 750 00:38:43,260 --> 00:38:44,660 Something that stands out, 751 00:38:44,660 --> 00:38:48,620 it might have been fun, embarrassing, painful. 752 00:38:48,620 --> 00:38:51,700 Well, it's all been painful sometimes. 753 00:38:51,700 --> 00:38:55,100 Valley, no, I really, I mean, it's all been fun 754 00:38:55,100 --> 00:38:59,260 and in a learning situation for me, 755 00:38:59,260 --> 00:39:04,260 I guess the worst thing that's happened to me 756 00:39:04,660 --> 00:39:07,380 is we had a few years ago, 757 00:39:07,380 --> 00:39:11,260 a guy with, I think he had a couple acres of pumpkins 758 00:39:11,260 --> 00:39:13,500 around us and he wanted some bee hives. 759 00:39:13,500 --> 00:39:16,380 So I loaded bee hives on this little trailer. 760 00:39:16,380 --> 00:39:18,820 I had used only a couple of miles away. 761 00:39:18,820 --> 00:39:22,820 And using my exquisite expert brain, 762 00:39:22,820 --> 00:39:26,260 I did not tie them down because I thought two miles, 763 00:39:26,260 --> 00:39:29,460 I can go slow and it'll be okay, I won't have you. 764 00:39:30,300 --> 00:39:35,300 And yes, I did slow and went around a curve 765 00:39:35,540 --> 00:39:39,660 into his drive and they both turned over 766 00:39:39,660 --> 00:39:41,740 and I had bees everywhere 767 00:39:41,740 --> 00:39:44,700 and he was really unimpressed with me. 768 00:39:44,700 --> 00:39:46,300 That's a good one. 769 00:39:46,300 --> 00:39:50,500 How about something in beekeeping that just brings you joy? 770 00:39:50,500 --> 00:39:55,500 I like it when beekeepers get together and don't argue. 771 00:39:57,780 --> 00:40:02,540 They share, they socialize, share information. 772 00:40:02,540 --> 00:40:03,740 I have a few weeks ago, 773 00:40:03,740 --> 00:40:08,540 I was up in Saskatchewan, Canada, Saskatoon, 774 00:40:08,540 --> 00:40:10,180 where they were having a meeting 775 00:40:10,180 --> 00:40:13,100 and they had asked me to come and speak. 776 00:40:13,100 --> 00:40:17,020 And this was mostly a commercial group 777 00:40:17,020 --> 00:40:22,020 and they were wonderful in talking 778 00:40:22,020 --> 00:40:27,020 and you could challenge them with some ideas or things 779 00:40:27,540 --> 00:40:28,860 or what they needed to do 780 00:40:28,860 --> 00:40:31,660 or what you needed them to do for you. 781 00:40:31,660 --> 00:40:35,700 And it was a family event. 782 00:40:35,700 --> 00:40:38,900 And I really loved that feeling 783 00:40:38,900 --> 00:40:41,300 that everybody was on the same page. 784 00:40:41,300 --> 00:40:42,540 Maybe they didn't agree 785 00:40:42,540 --> 00:40:44,060 or maybe they had different opinions, 786 00:40:44,060 --> 00:40:45,620 but they would listen 787 00:40:45,620 --> 00:40:47,540 and you can all of a sudden see some of them 788 00:40:47,540 --> 00:40:49,020 had that aha moment 789 00:40:49,020 --> 00:40:50,900 and the light bulb went over their head 790 00:40:50,900 --> 00:40:52,460 and I just love that. 791 00:40:52,460 --> 00:40:54,540 Last thing, I'm gonna let you give a little pitch 792 00:40:54,540 --> 00:40:56,100 for your magazine. 793 00:40:56,100 --> 00:40:58,740 So I'm holding up Bee Culture Magazine. 794 00:40:58,740 --> 00:41:03,740 We're coming up on our 152nd year of this magazine 795 00:41:05,300 --> 00:41:08,380 that was started by AI Root, who was an amazing guy. 796 00:41:08,380 --> 00:41:10,780 There should be a whole podcast on AI Root 797 00:41:10,780 --> 00:41:13,700 about honey bees and beekeeping 798 00:41:13,700 --> 00:41:16,020 and how we can be better 799 00:41:16,020 --> 00:41:18,140 and how we can join together, 800 00:41:18,140 --> 00:41:22,500 how you can see new information, research. 801 00:41:22,500 --> 00:41:23,820 The last couple of years, 802 00:41:23,820 --> 00:41:26,020 I've had series in there 803 00:41:26,020 --> 00:41:31,020 by a well-known beekeeping research agents, universities. 804 00:41:31,740 --> 00:41:35,540 I had the University of Florida and Dr. Jamie Ellis. 805 00:41:35,540 --> 00:41:38,620 And then last year we had the University of California, 806 00:41:38,620 --> 00:41:41,940 Davis and this year we're having Auburn University. 807 00:41:41,940 --> 00:41:45,020 And so it's not about telling you what to do, 808 00:41:45,020 --> 00:41:50,020 it's sharing many things about researchers, universities, 809 00:41:50,460 --> 00:41:52,980 beekeepers, what they do, how they do it, 810 00:41:52,980 --> 00:41:57,660 how they nest up and organizations and meetings 811 00:41:57,660 --> 00:42:01,740 and all these things which I think need to be brought together 812 00:42:01,740 --> 00:42:03,860 so that we can be better beekeepers 813 00:42:03,860 --> 00:42:06,580 because bee culture is, 814 00:42:06,580 --> 00:42:09,780 it's the best beekeeping magazine around. 815 00:42:09,780 --> 00:42:12,900 And when Eugene hears me from ABJ say that, 816 00:42:12,900 --> 00:42:15,260 probably his eyes will roll back in his head. 817 00:42:15,260 --> 00:42:19,540 But, and I worked for ABJ for years, great magazine, 818 00:42:19,540 --> 00:42:23,980 but I have to be selfish now and say bee culture is amazing. 819 00:42:23,980 --> 00:42:27,900 All right, Jerry, thanks so much for being with me today. 820 00:42:27,900 --> 00:42:31,220 Thank you, this has been fun, I sure appreciate it. 821 00:42:33,060 --> 00:42:36,020 Thank you so much for joining us here on Bee Love Beekeeping 822 00:42:36,020 --> 00:42:37,620 presented by Man Lake. 823 00:42:37,620 --> 00:42:40,420 Please, right now before you forget, hit that follower, 824 00:42:40,420 --> 00:42:43,340 subscribe button and be sure to share this podcast 825 00:42:43,340 --> 00:42:44,660 with a friend. 826 00:42:44,660 --> 00:42:47,220 Remember, if you're not just in it for the honey 827 00:42:47,220 --> 00:42:49,620 or the money, you're in it for the love. 828 00:42:49,620 --> 00:42:50,780 See you next week. 829 00:42:50,780 --> 00:43:16,660 [♪ Music Playleri plays.♪?]