WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:03.660 May I have your attention, please? The following 00:00:03.660 --> 00:00:10.300 is not the real Jeff Fox review. If you have 00:00:10.300 --> 00:00:14.179 ever uttered the words, I can't wait for the 00:00:14.179 --> 00:00:19.239 first sting of the year. You might be a beekeeper 00:00:19.239 --> 00:00:25.620 or a masochist. If you flunked high school algebra, 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:30.839 but you can do bee math in your sleep. You might 00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:37.600 be a beekeeper. If you have sting -proof gloves, 00:00:37.979 --> 00:00:43.539 but for some reason you never were, you might 00:00:43.539 --> 00:00:56.740 be a beekeeper. Welcome, welcome to Be Love Beekeeping 00:00:56.740 --> 00:00:59.439 presented by our great friends over at Man Lake. 00:00:59.770 --> 00:01:02.630 Now that we also have a video version of this 00:01:02.630 --> 00:01:06.030 podcast, we will regularly have a new product 00:01:06.030 --> 00:01:08.969 corner where we show and demonstrate great new 00:01:08.969 --> 00:01:12.689 beekeeping products, gadgets, inventions, maybe 00:01:12.689 --> 00:01:15.670 even techniques sometimes. So if you have something 00:01:15.670 --> 00:01:17.689 that you would like to see featured, shoot me 00:01:17.689 --> 00:01:21.540 an email eric at beelovebeekeeping .com Today 00:01:21.540 --> 00:01:23.959 we're headed to Florida to speak with beekeeper 00:01:23.959 --> 00:01:27.359 Joshua Diggins. Among other things he will explain 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:31.480 how bee hives and submarines have a lot of similarities. 00:01:32.159 --> 00:01:34.599 Bet you never thought of that one before. But 00:01:34.599 --> 00:01:37.900 first a brief look into the mental health aspects 00:01:37.900 --> 00:01:41.000 of working with honeybees. To me it's always 00:01:41.000 --> 00:01:44.200 been a calming time of my day. When I'm in a 00:01:44.200 --> 00:01:47.180 hive I'm completely present. There's no work 00:01:47.180 --> 00:01:51.680 stress, no politics or world conflict, just peace 00:01:51.680 --> 00:01:54.780 in a place that could otherwise be seen as frenetic 00:01:54.780 --> 00:01:57.519 energy. I'm going to quote from a few studies 00:01:57.519 --> 00:02:00.040 here and they have shown some of the following 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:04.159 benefits of beekeeping. First, stress reduction. 00:02:04.620 --> 00:02:07.819 The rhythmic hum of bees and the focused activity 00:02:07.819 --> 00:02:10.979 of beekeeping can induce a state of mindfulness 00:02:10.979 --> 00:02:14.719 helping individuals disconnect from daily stressors 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:18.780 and promote relaxation, increase self -esteem. 00:02:19.419 --> 00:02:22.360 Successfully managing a hive, harvesting honey 00:02:22.360 --> 00:02:25.300 and contributing to the well -being of the colony 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:29.000 can boost self -confidence and a sense of accomplishment. 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:34.189 Enhanced connection to nature. Beekeeping provides 00:02:34.189 --> 00:02:37.509 a direct link to the natural world, fostering 00:02:37.509 --> 00:02:40.530 an appreciation for the environment and a sense 00:02:40.530 --> 00:02:44.889 of interconnectedness with ecosystems. Social 00:02:44.889 --> 00:02:48.389 connection. Beekeeping can be a social activity, 00:02:48.770 --> 00:02:51.569 bringing people together through clubs, workshops, 00:02:52.110 --> 00:02:56.270 and shared experiences. Therapeutic application. 00:02:56.889 --> 00:02:59.310 Studies have shown beekeeping to be beneficial 00:02:59.310 --> 00:03:03.580 in treating conditions like PTSD and improving 00:03:03.580 --> 00:03:06.240 the quality of life for individuals with mental 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:09.819 illness. Now here's some examples of how these 00:03:09.819 --> 00:03:12.819 things are put into practice. Veterans mental 00:03:12.819 --> 00:03:15.919 health. Beekeeping programs have been implemented 00:03:15.919 --> 00:03:20.099 to help veterans with PTSD and anxiety transition 00:03:20.099 --> 00:03:23.199 to civilian life, providing a sense of purpose 00:03:23.199 --> 00:03:27.770 and community. Prison rehabilitation. Beekeeping 00:03:27.770 --> 00:03:30.509 has been used as a therapeutic intervention in 00:03:30.509 --> 00:03:34.650 prisons, reducing recidivism and promoting positive 00:03:34.650 --> 00:03:39.289 behavioral changes. Youth programs. So there 00:03:39.289 --> 00:03:41.870 have been many initiatives that utilize beekeeping 00:03:41.870 --> 00:03:45.349 to provide therapeutic support and community 00:03:45.349 --> 00:03:48.169 building for young people, particularly those 00:03:48.169 --> 00:03:51.969 from challenging backgrounds. Green prescribing. 00:03:52.460 --> 00:03:55.580 healthcare providers are increasingly prescribing 00:03:55.580 --> 00:03:59.340 time in nature, including beekeeping, to improve 00:03:59.340 --> 00:04:02.199 mental well -being and potentially reduce the 00:04:02.199 --> 00:04:05.319 need for traditional healthcare services. So 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:08.360 in conclusion, beekeeping offers a unique and 00:04:08.360 --> 00:04:11.740 multifaceted approach to mental health, providing 00:04:11.740 --> 00:04:15.319 opportunities for stress reduction, self -improvement 00:04:15.319 --> 00:04:18.639 and social connection with growing evidence supporting 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:22.449 its therapeutic potential. Other beneficial effects 00:04:22.449 --> 00:04:24.850 on mental health include reductions in feelings 00:04:24.850 --> 00:04:28.730 of anxiety and depression, as well as increases 00:04:28.730 --> 00:04:31.250 in positive feelings regarding overall health. 00:04:31.910 --> 00:04:34.449 Bees are a perfect example of what a community 00:04:34.449 --> 00:04:37.670 should look like, one researcher said. A bunch 00:04:37.670 --> 00:04:39.870 of people getting together to make something 00:04:39.870 --> 00:04:43.029 better and bigger than themselves that other 00:04:43.029 --> 00:04:46.540 people can keep building on. These benefits stem 00:04:46.540 --> 00:04:49.040 from the calming nature of working with bees, 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:52.579 the opportunities for mindfulness, and the social 00:04:52.579 --> 00:04:55.279 connections fostered through beekeeping activities. 00:04:56.180 --> 00:04:59.100 So if you haven't tried beekeeping yet, I would 00:04:59.100 --> 00:05:01.579 recommend give it a shot. If you're a seasoned 00:05:01.579 --> 00:05:05.019 beekeeper, you probably already enjoy these mental 00:05:05.019 --> 00:05:08.990 and physical health benefits. But if you've lost 00:05:08.990 --> 00:05:12.029 some of that connectedness, some of that passion 00:05:12.029 --> 00:05:14.550 for time with the bees, I would encourage you 00:05:14.550 --> 00:05:18.569 to look for it again. Slow down, enjoy the moment, 00:05:18.949 --> 00:05:22.449 the sounds, the aromas, the overall feeling of 00:05:22.449 --> 00:05:25.589 peace and connection. It's what the love of bees 00:05:25.589 --> 00:05:30.449 is all about. Alright, enough of my metaphysical, 00:05:30.470 --> 00:05:34.750 philosophical soapbox. Let's meet today's guest. 00:05:37.240 --> 00:05:40.139 Hey I'd like to welcome to the show today Joshua 00:05:40.139 --> 00:05:42.720 Diggins coming to us from Florida. How are you 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:45.920 Josh? I'm doing great Eric thanks for asking. 00:05:46.579 --> 00:05:49.319 Hey I appreciate you being on the show and you're 00:05:49.319 --> 00:05:51.779 one of those wonderful people that works for 00:05:51.779 --> 00:05:54.819 Man Lake. I want to hear all about your beekeeping. 00:05:54.899 --> 00:05:57.660 I want to hear about Florida. First I want you 00:05:57.660 --> 00:06:00.329 to tell me what do you do for Man Lake? So for 00:06:00.329 --> 00:06:02.910 Man Lake, I am currently the branch manager and 00:06:02.910 --> 00:06:06.009 commercial sales at the Florida location. So 00:06:06.009 --> 00:06:08.730 everything in our Florida location, from our 00:06:08.730 --> 00:06:11.689 shipping and receiving to our sales and our commercial 00:06:11.689 --> 00:06:14.449 customers, all falls on me. Sounds like a big 00:06:14.449 --> 00:06:17.569 job. Yeah, it definitely is important. You know, 00:06:17.629 --> 00:06:19.610 people need their products anywhere from hobbyists 00:06:19.610 --> 00:06:22.149 to commercial guys. So never a dull day for sure. 00:06:22.889 --> 00:06:25.970 For those of us who haven't been there, what 00:06:25.970 --> 00:06:29.439 part of Florida are you in? So the Man Lake location 00:06:29.439 --> 00:06:32.040 is located in Winter Haven, Florida. If you're 00:06:32.040 --> 00:06:34.800 not familiar with Florida at all, that's going 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:37.480 to fall right in between Orlando and Tampa. And 00:06:37.480 --> 00:06:39.720 if you are familiar with theme parks or have 00:06:39.720 --> 00:06:42.740 small kids, then Lego Land is about 10 or 15 00:06:42.740 --> 00:06:45.399 minutes away from our building. All right. How 00:06:45.399 --> 00:06:47.980 long have you been keeping bees yourself? So 00:06:47.980 --> 00:06:55.120 I started keeping bees in late 2022. Going on 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:59.920 four years now. Oh, okay. So you're sort of a 00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:03.019 newbie, but you've got experience enough that 00:07:03.019 --> 00:07:04.920 you can help people that come out to the store. 00:07:05.300 --> 00:07:08.740 Do you have hives at the store too? We do, yep. 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:12.439 So not only do we have a fully functioning nuke 00:07:12.439 --> 00:07:14.980 yard for our customers that come in and purchase 00:07:14.980 --> 00:07:17.639 bees from us, we also have a training yard that 00:07:17.639 --> 00:07:20.980 we use for new employees to learn bees and then 00:07:20.980 --> 00:07:23.600 also for our YouTube videos to be able to train 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:26.879 the YouTube audience. And you're on those. You're 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:29.339 the big star. Hey the thing I wanted to talk 00:07:29.339 --> 00:07:31.600 about first that I thought was so interesting 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:34.759 when we were talking about before was now you 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:38.160 were in the Navy on a submarine right? Correct, 00:07:38.300 --> 00:07:43.279 yeah. Okay you were making a comparison to how 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:48.660 a submarine works and how a beehive works. Now 00:07:48.660 --> 00:07:51.120 most people would say what they have nothing 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:53.860 to do with each other. Go ahead and explain that. 00:07:53.980 --> 00:07:56.579 I thought this was interesting. So really, it's 00:07:56.579 --> 00:07:59.199 really kind about the industry and then just 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:01.920 beekeeping as a whole. On a submarine, less than 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:05.139 1 % of active duty military members are on a 00:08:05.139 --> 00:08:08.040 submarine. So it's a very small niche segment 00:08:08.040 --> 00:08:11.180 of the military and they call us the silent service 00:08:11.180 --> 00:08:14.019 one because that's our job. We go down, we stay 00:08:14.019 --> 00:08:17.740 quiet and you only see us when we need us. So 00:08:17.740 --> 00:08:21.050 a lot of people think about submarines or maybe 00:08:21.050 --> 00:08:23.029 not even think about submarines and they don't 00:08:23.029 --> 00:08:25.149 really get the whole picture the whole concept 00:08:25.149 --> 00:08:27.490 and I relate that a lot to beekeeping whereas 00:08:27.490 --> 00:08:30.269 we call beekeepers the forgotten farmers because 00:08:30.269 --> 00:08:32.289 you know people see the honey they buy the honey 00:08:32.289 --> 00:08:35.600 but not too many people actually sit down to 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:37.919 think about where does that money actually come 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:41.299 from? So it's a very small niche part of the 00:08:41.299 --> 00:08:44.220 agricultural business. So much so that, you know, 00:08:44.379 --> 00:08:46.779 oftentimes beekeepers are forgotten about. And 00:08:46.779 --> 00:08:49.259 I relate that a lot to submarines as, you know, 00:08:49.259 --> 00:08:53.019 we were that 1 % silent service that people didn't 00:08:53.019 --> 00:08:55.559 really think about or didn't really know about 00:08:55.559 --> 00:08:58.500 too often. So that definitely has helped me and 00:08:58.500 --> 00:09:01.820 kind of put it all together and relate a little 00:09:01.820 --> 00:09:04.860 bit of beekeeping to my prior service. What about 00:09:04.860 --> 00:09:08.200 the community aspect of it? Because we think 00:09:08.200 --> 00:09:12.539 of a bee hive or a bee colony sort of as one 00:09:12.539 --> 00:09:15.059 mass but we know there's thousands and thousands 00:09:15.059 --> 00:09:18.320 of bees all making it happen and we think of 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:21.659 a submarine as one submarine but there's a bunch 00:09:21.659 --> 00:09:23.879 of guys in there making that happen too. Can 00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:26.500 you explain is there some kind of a correlation 00:09:26.500 --> 00:09:29.389 there as well? Yeah, so as far as like the community 00:09:29.389 --> 00:09:33.090 aspect goes on it, you have those 200, 300 guys 00:09:33.090 --> 00:09:35.809 on a submarine all working together to complete 00:09:35.809 --> 00:09:38.470 that mission or even just to operate the submarine 00:09:38.470 --> 00:09:42.210 successfully. So that way everyone can kind of 00:09:42.210 --> 00:09:44.389 get back alive, if you will. And then the bees 00:09:44.389 --> 00:09:47.370 are the same way. A submarine was an all -male 00:09:47.370 --> 00:09:49.690 force and beekeeping is kind of an all -female 00:09:49.690 --> 00:09:52.470 force with all those female bees in there. But 00:09:52.470 --> 00:09:54.909 all of them working together to accomplish that 00:09:54.909 --> 00:09:58.100 one goal, whether it be a pollination contract 00:09:58.100 --> 00:10:02.179 or even just a honey yield for the season. So 00:10:02.179 --> 00:10:04.019 all right, let's talk beekeeping in Florida. 00:10:05.039 --> 00:10:07.559 What kinds of challenges do you have there compared 00:10:07.559 --> 00:10:10.960 to other places in the world? So I would say 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:14.179 number one, small high beetles, especially during 00:10:14.179 --> 00:10:17.919 the rainy season, which is right now June into 00:10:17.919 --> 00:10:21.519 probably August timeframe is kind of our hurricane 00:10:21.519 --> 00:10:23.860 season. But before the hurricanes come, we get 00:10:23.860 --> 00:10:26.659 tons of rain, which just amplifies that small 00:10:26.659 --> 00:10:29.200 beetle, that small high beetle population. So 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:32.419 it's definitely a constant struggle to maintain 00:10:32.419 --> 00:10:35.000 that equilibrium between the small high beetles 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:37.559 and the actual colony itself, because there's 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:40.179 no real eradicating them all. together. It's 00:10:40.179 --> 00:10:43.399 definitely something you just monitor and just 00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:46.000 try to keep it kind of at acceptable levels so 00:10:46.000 --> 00:10:47.820 that way they're not in there taking over the 00:10:47.820 --> 00:10:49.940 hive. So I would say number one first and foremost 00:10:49.940 --> 00:10:53.000 would definitely be that small hive beetle situation. 00:10:53.279 --> 00:10:55.139 What are some of the things that you have found 00:10:55.139 --> 00:10:58.309 work best? So far, the things that I've seen 00:10:58.309 --> 00:11:01.769 work best is constant monitoring. That would 00:11:01.769 --> 00:11:05.090 be the number one. You can put the beetle traps 00:11:05.090 --> 00:11:07.629 in there. You can put your Swiffer pads or your 00:11:07.629 --> 00:11:11.110 beetle towels in there. You can use your CheckMite 00:11:11.110 --> 00:11:14.350 Plus in there. But at the end of the day, if 00:11:14.350 --> 00:11:18.009 you are not in that hive, I would say every week 00:11:18.009 --> 00:11:21.210 and a half to two weeks, just checking on them, 00:11:21.230 --> 00:11:24.009 making sure that those beetles haven't kind of 00:11:24.009 --> 00:11:28.149 take hold. So to me, the number one combat against 00:11:28.149 --> 00:11:30.929 small high beetles on top of, you know, your 00:11:30.929 --> 00:11:34.330 traps, your towels, your, uh, check my plus is 00:11:34.330 --> 00:11:36.769 definitely going to be just monitor. Just keep 00:11:36.769 --> 00:11:38.889 an eye on it, especially during the rainy seasons. 00:11:39.370 --> 00:11:41.629 And especially if you already have a situation 00:11:41.629 --> 00:11:45.259 in your VR, just monitor like crazy. Are there 00:11:45.259 --> 00:11:47.259 different things that you can do with where you 00:11:47.259 --> 00:11:50.620 actually place the hives that help? Some people 00:11:50.620 --> 00:11:53.559 have told me that they have gravel or concrete 00:11:53.559 --> 00:11:57.159 around the hive stands. Have you found things 00:11:57.159 --> 00:12:01.600 like that help? So, I would definitely say prepping 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:04.379 your yard if possible, especially for hobbyists, 00:12:04.519 --> 00:12:07.279 any kind of real thick tarp, maybe some gravel, 00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:09.860 concrete, anything to kind of keep them from 00:12:09.860 --> 00:12:13.000 burrowing down into that sandy soil that we have 00:12:13.000 --> 00:12:15.500 next to your hive and kind of completing that 00:12:15.500 --> 00:12:18.080 metamorphosis that goes on down there. And then 00:12:18.080 --> 00:12:21.559 also Permethrin, diatomaceous earth, just prep 00:12:21.559 --> 00:12:23.720 that ground before you get your bees in there. 00:12:23.799 --> 00:12:26.100 Or if you are having an issue, you know, it might 00:12:26.100 --> 00:12:28.259 be beneficial to kind of move those hives out 00:12:28.259 --> 00:12:30.779 so that way you can treat that ground and put 00:12:30.779 --> 00:12:33.620 them back. Also direct sunlight. Trees are nice. 00:12:33.860 --> 00:12:36.279 They're great for a beekeeper. You get the shade. 00:12:36.340 --> 00:12:38.299 You're not in there in a hundred degree heat, 00:12:38.460 --> 00:12:41.960 but small high beetles love shady areas. So as 00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:43.960 awesome as that hive is going to look tucked 00:12:43.960 --> 00:12:47.100 into some, some trees on your property, you're 00:12:47.100 --> 00:12:49.870 really just going to kind of. create the perfect 00:12:49.870 --> 00:12:52.049 environment for those small hot beetles to kind 00:12:52.049 --> 00:12:54.929 of come in and do what they do. Well, I appreciate 00:12:54.929 --> 00:12:57.889 that. I have to admit I'm no expert on them at 00:12:57.889 --> 00:13:01.950 all because we don't have them where I am. Thank 00:13:01.950 --> 00:13:04.970 goodness we have plenty of other problems, but 00:13:04.970 --> 00:13:07.970 that's not one of them. And so I don't have a 00:13:07.970 --> 00:13:10.950 ton of experience with it. So anything that you 00:13:10.950 --> 00:13:14.110 can share would be helpful because I know most 00:13:14.110 --> 00:13:16.360 people do have to deal with it. Yeah, for sure. 00:13:16.440 --> 00:13:18.379 So you're really lucky. Yeah. Not having that 00:13:18.379 --> 00:13:21.340 issue to deal with. Last fall, we had Andrew 00:13:21.340 --> 00:13:24.379 on the show from down there at your same location. 00:13:24.379 --> 00:13:27.220 And this was right after the hurricanes had blown 00:13:27.220 --> 00:13:29.139 through. And we were talking about some of the 00:13:29.139 --> 00:13:32.340 relief effort that Man Lake and a bunch of other 00:13:32.340 --> 00:13:34.840 groups had done. And again, we appreciate all 00:13:34.840 --> 00:13:37.960 of that and the beekeepers do. What kind of a 00:13:37.960 --> 00:13:41.700 bounce back have you seen? Has most of the beekeeping 00:13:41.700 --> 00:13:44.960 community come back pretty well from that? It 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:47.840 really kind of messed up the pepper crop last 00:13:47.840 --> 00:13:50.679 year, the Brazilian pepper. It kind of came in 00:13:50.679 --> 00:13:53.100 right as that was getting ready to bloom. I think 00:13:53.100 --> 00:13:55.399 it was Hurricane Milton, the second one that 00:13:55.399 --> 00:13:57.799 year, kind of came in right as that was getting 00:13:57.799 --> 00:14:01.120 ready to bloom. So it knocked out a lot of that 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:03.379 forage for those bees and a lot of the commercial 00:14:03.379 --> 00:14:05.919 guys kind of rely on that last crop of the season 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:08.860 to hold that feed over. So that way they're not 00:14:08.860 --> 00:14:10.960 spending the money on the syrup and unnecessary 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:14.450 things. So the hurricane definitely affects immediately, 00:14:14.570 --> 00:14:17.090 but then, you know, you have the months after 00:14:17.090 --> 00:14:20.009 that, that the plants and the trees are still 00:14:20.009 --> 00:14:23.470 trying to repair. So as of right now, just kind 00:14:23.470 --> 00:14:25.929 of scattered throughout Florida in general, I've 00:14:25.929 --> 00:14:28.389 heard not so good things about orange blossom. 00:14:28.850 --> 00:14:30.990 And now whether that was just due to the hurricane 00:14:30.990 --> 00:14:34.549 itself damaging some crops, or is it just because 00:14:34.549 --> 00:14:36.330 the development that's going on in Florida ripping 00:14:36.330 --> 00:14:38.970 out those crops? Goldberry was great this year. 00:14:38.990 --> 00:14:42.100 So I'm going to say that now that we're I would 00:14:42.100 --> 00:14:44.679 say about eight months after the hurricane. I 00:14:44.679 --> 00:14:47.100 think that it is definitely starting to rebound, 00:14:47.100 --> 00:14:50.100 but we'll definitely really be able to tell come 00:14:50.100 --> 00:14:53.500 pepper season in September to kind of see where 00:14:53.500 --> 00:14:56.879 that lands. And then we'll definitely see hopefully 00:14:56.879 --> 00:15:01.100 a big boost or at least back to normal levels 00:15:01.100 --> 00:15:03.879 of the Brazilian coming in. If I were moving 00:15:03.879 --> 00:15:07.139 to a place that was hurricane prone, whether 00:15:07.139 --> 00:15:13.379 it's Florida or Texas, New Orleans or someplace 00:15:13.379 --> 00:15:16.700 in the South Pacific for that matter and I was 00:15:16.700 --> 00:15:19.559 just setting up my apiary Do you have any advice 00:15:19.559 --> 00:15:22.659 as far as? You know, hopefully the hurricanes 00:15:22.659 --> 00:15:24.899 don't roll through but if they're going to what 00:15:24.899 --> 00:15:27.480 can I do to prepare for it? That's a great question 00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:30.440 Eric So I would definitely say a lot of people 00:15:30.440 --> 00:15:32.220 can't pick their property just based on their 00:15:32.220 --> 00:15:34.799 bees alone So it's gonna be beneficial to prep 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:37.500 those bees for success when when those hurricanes 00:15:37.500 --> 00:15:41.019 inevitably do come through so You want to keep 00:15:41.019 --> 00:15:43.820 them up off the ground. Cinder blocks, four by 00:15:43.820 --> 00:15:46.659 fours, just your general hive stand usually will 00:15:46.659 --> 00:15:48.840 give you enough clearance pending any kind of 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:51.440 catastrophic flooding or anything like that. 00:15:51.720 --> 00:15:54.360 But I would say anywhere between 16 to 24 inches 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:56.419 off the ground, you would definitely be in a 00:15:56.419 --> 00:15:58.980 safe zone. Again, really dependent on where exactly 00:15:58.980 --> 00:16:01.259 you're at and how big that hurricane is, but 00:16:01.259 --> 00:16:03.600 just your general inland areas, keeping it up 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:05.460 off the ground to prevent that flooding inside 00:16:05.460 --> 00:16:08.850 the hive. Ratchet straps to keep it down. Quick 00:16:08.850 --> 00:16:11.429 break here to thank our presenting sponsor, Man 00:16:11.429 --> 00:16:14.269 Lake. Whether you're a beekeeper or not, you 00:16:14.269 --> 00:16:16.750 know that nutrition is key for healthy honey 00:16:16.750 --> 00:16:20.250 bees, native bees, and other pollinators. The 00:16:20.250 --> 00:16:23.649 Man Lake app is a great resource for determining 00:16:23.649 --> 00:16:26.190 pollinator -friendly plants that thrive in your 00:16:26.190 --> 00:16:29.350 area, and its plant identification feature is 00:16:29.350 --> 00:16:32.190 super helpful and fun. When I see a plant covered 00:16:32.190 --> 00:16:35.250 in bees, I fire up the app, find out what it 00:16:35.250 --> 00:16:38.070 is, then plant them in my yard. If you haven't 00:16:38.070 --> 00:16:40.049 already downloaded the Man Lake app, give it 00:16:40.049 --> 00:16:42.889 a try today. Oh, and did I mention it's free? 00:16:43.710 --> 00:16:45.809 And if you're shopping for beekeeping supplies, 00:16:46.350 --> 00:16:49.470 don't forget your discount code MLBlove10. It's 00:16:49.470 --> 00:16:52.850 in the show notes for $10 off your first $100 00:16:52.850 --> 00:16:56.960 purchase. Last season when we had that hurricane 00:16:56.960 --> 00:16:59.539 roll through we had nukes sitting on four by 00:16:59.539 --> 00:17:02.460 fours So we just ended up throwing an extra four 00:17:02.460 --> 00:17:04.779 by four across the long way and then just kind 00:17:04.779 --> 00:17:06.859 of ratchet strapping them down just enough so 00:17:06.859 --> 00:17:08.859 that way that wind isn't gonna push them over 00:17:08.859 --> 00:17:11.779 and then after the hurricane kind of you you 00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:14.180 definitely want to assess resources in the hive 00:17:14.180 --> 00:17:17.079 and you definitely want to assess kind of the 00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:20.700 Forage around your area how bad did the plants 00:17:20.700 --> 00:17:23.619 and the trees get damaged to kind of really depend 00:17:23.619 --> 00:17:26.160 on? do we need to go ahead and supplement feeding 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:28.180 to kind of get them through this area and more 00:17:28.180 --> 00:17:30.099 times than not if you are in that path of that 00:17:30.099 --> 00:17:31.720 hurricane you would definitely need to supplement 00:17:31.720 --> 00:17:34.420 feeding for sure. So it sounds like really a 00:17:34.420 --> 00:17:37.099 two -part thing. One, keeping them safe from 00:17:37.099 --> 00:17:39.960 the elements and then two, being prepared to 00:17:39.960 --> 00:17:42.500 feed them afterwards. You know, maybe stocking 00:17:42.500 --> 00:17:45.279 up on some of that ahead of time. Yeah, that's 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:47.740 a great way to put it for sure. And I'd get those 00:17:47.740 --> 00:17:50.700 ratchet straps ahead of time too because when 00:17:50.700 --> 00:17:52.960 a hurricane is announced that it's coming through 00:17:52.960 --> 00:17:56.359 in three days You may be too late to find that 00:17:56.359 --> 00:17:59.200 kind of equipment. That's right. Yeah, and hurricanes 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:01.380 are very tricky You know one one day they're 00:18:01.380 --> 00:18:02.940 they're headed straight for you and the next 00:18:02.940 --> 00:18:05.460 day they're they're headed 50 miles north of 00:18:05.460 --> 00:18:07.880 you So just definitely want to be on your toes 00:18:07.880 --> 00:18:10.740 And then if if you get an indication that a hurricane 00:18:10.740 --> 00:18:12.839 is coming close to your area You might as well 00:18:12.839 --> 00:18:15.059 just go ahead and prep for it just to be safe. 00:18:15.180 --> 00:18:17.299 Tell me about your work with hives for heroes 00:18:17.549 --> 00:18:20.470 Okay, yeah, great. So, Hives for Heroes, I ended 00:18:20.470 --> 00:18:23.670 up kind of finding by accident. I was at a bee 00:18:23.670 --> 00:18:28.430 expo in Alabama and I saw their booth set up 00:18:28.430 --> 00:18:30.789 and I reached out to them and just let them know 00:18:30.789 --> 00:18:32.609 that I was a veteran and just really curious 00:18:32.609 --> 00:18:34.950 about the program. And their rep told me all 00:18:34.950 --> 00:18:37.190 about it, which is if you don't know about it, 00:18:37.210 --> 00:18:39.750 it's a great program and all they do is just 00:18:39.750 --> 00:18:43.039 a matching service, essentially. It's free to 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:46.019 sign up for veterans, first responders, I believe 00:18:46.019 --> 00:18:48.440 even teachers as well. And then what they do 00:18:48.440 --> 00:18:52.900 is they kind of locate a mentor or an experienced 00:18:52.900 --> 00:18:56.259 beekeeper within your area to match them up with 00:18:56.259 --> 00:18:58.900 you. So that way, if you want to learn beekeeping. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:01.440 They have someone that's experienced that will 00:19:01.440 --> 00:19:04.160 be able to kind of guide you and help you out. 00:19:04.460 --> 00:19:06.460 That was the gist of the program. And I got kind 00:19:06.460 --> 00:19:08.519 of really excited about it, especially after 00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:10.819 about two or three years of being in my role 00:19:10.819 --> 00:19:13.279 here and kind of really getting a deep dive into 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:17.180 beekeeping. So I took on a mentee, her and her 00:19:17.180 --> 00:19:19.559 granddaughter, and we spent, they ended up moving 00:19:19.559 --> 00:19:21.339 away about eight months into it, but we spent 00:19:21.339 --> 00:19:24.619 about eight months every weekend doing hive inspections, 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:27.160 going from the basics, teaching them how to light 00:19:27.160 --> 00:19:30.230 a starter. to teach them how to read frames and 00:19:30.230 --> 00:19:33.029 then key things to look for as the season kind 00:19:33.029 --> 00:19:36.690 of progressed. So it's a really great program, 00:19:37.049 --> 00:19:39.910 one for just community, being able to kind of 00:19:39.910 --> 00:19:42.150 link up with fellow veterans and first responders 00:19:42.150 --> 00:19:44.950 and just kind of have that, that mentor mentee 00:19:44.950 --> 00:19:47.990 relationship. And then also you kind of get away 00:19:47.990 --> 00:19:50.730 from the YouTube beekeeping, which I'm not against. 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:53.160 Um, everyone got to learn their own way, but 00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:55.440 to have actually someone there where you can 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:57.640 put hands on with them and they can kind of walk 00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:00.920 you through, um, and maybe identify things that, 00:20:00.920 --> 00:20:03.259 you know, are not covered in beekeeping videos, 00:20:03.259 --> 00:20:06.460 you know, where the swarm cells are located and 00:20:06.460 --> 00:20:08.599 hive beetles and what it looks like when hive 00:20:08.599 --> 00:20:11.500 beetles take over a hive and wax moths. And then 00:20:11.500 --> 00:20:13.460 the, just the treatments and things like that. 00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:16.220 So it's, it's a great program. I encourage anyone 00:20:16.220 --> 00:20:19.119 that wants to get into beekeeping that has. any 00:20:19.119 --> 00:20:21.359 kind of background in military or police or teaching 00:20:21.359 --> 00:20:24.059 to sign up for that program. And then I do know 00:20:24.059 --> 00:20:26.759 that they really need mentors as well. So you 00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:28.819 don't have to be a first responder or a veteran 00:20:28.819 --> 00:20:30.960 to sign up to be a mentor. Maybe you just kind 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:33.480 of want to pass on that knowledge to fellow people. 00:20:33.579 --> 00:20:36.279 So if you've got beekeeping experience, I definitely 00:20:36.279 --> 00:20:39.160 recommend reaching out and signing up to be a 00:20:39.160 --> 00:20:42.400 mentor as well. We had one of the head people 00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:45.519 of Hives for Heroes on the show back last December, 00:20:45.579 --> 00:20:49.019 so that was December 2024. And by the way, all 00:20:49.019 --> 00:20:53.440 of those past episodes can be found, well, wherever 00:20:53.440 --> 00:20:56.680 you're getting this podcast, but also on BeLoveBeKeeping 00:20:56.680 --> 00:20:59.839 .com. You can even go in and put in a search 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:02.180 term like Hives for Heroes or something like 00:21:02.180 --> 00:21:04.700 that, and it'll pull up that episode if you want 00:21:04.700 --> 00:21:06.980 to. If you want to know more, one of the things 00:21:06.980 --> 00:21:09.960 that he mentioned to me was the benefits of people 00:21:09.960 --> 00:21:14.519 with PTSD. and how this can be a really therapeutic 00:21:14.519 --> 00:21:17.039 thing for them. It's not just, hey, let's teach 00:21:17.039 --> 00:21:20.339 beekeeping to people. It can really change people's 00:21:20.339 --> 00:21:23.400 lives in very, very positive ways. For example, 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.259 the suicide rate among veterans is super high. 00:21:26.299 --> 00:21:29.519 And this is just one of so many things that we 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:32.579 can do to get involved and help with some of 00:21:32.579 --> 00:21:35.319 that kind of stuff. And you don't have to be 00:21:35.319 --> 00:21:38.500 a 50 year beekeeper or something like that if 00:21:38.500 --> 00:21:41.099 you're if you're experienced you can be a mentor 00:21:41.099 --> 00:21:44.619 if you need the help and are interested Yeah, 00:21:44.619 --> 00:21:47.579 reach out to them. Okay enough plugs for them 00:21:47.579 --> 00:21:49.960 But but hey, I think they're a great organization 00:21:49.960 --> 00:21:52.599 and I appreciate that you're someone that is 00:21:52.599 --> 00:21:56.859 willing to step up and help them All right. I 00:21:56.859 --> 00:22:00.339 want to hear With your beekeeping and it's only 00:22:00.339 --> 00:22:03.470 been four years but I know you've been deep into 00:22:03.470 --> 00:22:06.609 it all day every day pretty much. Can you give 00:22:06.609 --> 00:22:08.869 me an idea of a wild and crazy story that you've 00:22:08.869 --> 00:22:12.490 had beekeeping? Yeah, so wild and crazy, maybe 00:22:12.490 --> 00:22:15.410 not, but wild and painful for sure. Every beekeeper 00:22:15.410 --> 00:22:18.349 eventually is going to get stung. We always cross 00:22:18.349 --> 00:22:20.829 our fingers and hope it's at least through the 00:22:20.829 --> 00:22:23.809 suit so it takes kind of that away, but every 00:22:23.809 --> 00:22:25.430 now and again your bees just have a different 00:22:25.430 --> 00:22:28.930 idea for you. So I spent all day long. I was 00:22:28.930 --> 00:22:31.250 in a bee suit. It was probably middle of July 00:22:31.250 --> 00:22:33.789 in Florida. So it's pushing like a hundred something 00:22:33.789 --> 00:22:36.670 degrees all day long, prepping the bee yard, 00:22:36.869 --> 00:22:39.130 getting the permethrin laid out, getting your 00:22:39.130 --> 00:22:41.970 tarp down, getting the hive stands laid out and 00:22:41.970 --> 00:22:44.549 moving the bees. And I didn't have any issues 00:22:44.549 --> 00:22:47.630 all day long. So I finish up the bee yard. I 00:22:47.630 --> 00:22:49.750 get all the bees in place and everyone's doing 00:22:49.750 --> 00:22:52.309 well. So I go back inside. I change out of my 00:22:52.309 --> 00:22:55.279 beekeeping suit. And I think to myself, Man, 00:22:55.299 --> 00:22:57.079 I didn't get a picture. I would really like to 00:22:57.079 --> 00:22:59.640 get a picture of this, so that way I can show 00:22:59.640 --> 00:23:02.500 how beautiful my bee yard looks. So I walk back 00:23:02.500 --> 00:23:05.059 there, get a picture, nothing fancy, and then 00:23:05.059 --> 00:23:07.880 as I'm walking away, one of those bees comes 00:23:07.880 --> 00:23:10.980 and stings me right in the wrist. No suit, no 00:23:10.980 --> 00:23:14.440 gloves, and my hand was probably as big as a 00:23:14.440 --> 00:23:17.359 catcher's mitt for I would say every bit of three 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:20.750 or four days. And then trying to get to the office 00:23:20.750 --> 00:23:23.029 and do work on the computer and type and things 00:23:23.029 --> 00:23:25.569 like that was definitely hard one handed for 00:23:25.569 --> 00:23:28.670 sure. So that's just one instance. Another great 00:23:28.670 --> 00:23:30.990 story that I have is, I mean, I remember we talked 00:23:30.990 --> 00:23:33.769 about getting a bee in your veil and how that 00:23:33.769 --> 00:23:36.349 is pretty common for the most time, especially 00:23:36.349 --> 00:23:39.069 if you've been doing it, you know, longer than 00:23:39.069 --> 00:23:40.569 a couple of weeks, you're eventually going to 00:23:40.569 --> 00:23:43.390 get one of those bees in your veil somehow. We 00:23:43.390 --> 00:23:46.529 had a swarm in the back of our building, coming 00:23:46.529 --> 00:23:48.789 out of one of our nukes. And I did not know, 00:23:48.950 --> 00:23:50.910 as I'm walking through the bee yard, I just noticed 00:23:50.910 --> 00:23:54.589 kind of a funny shaped leaf, if you will, is 00:23:54.589 --> 00:23:56.910 what I thought it was as I was walking by. But 00:23:56.910 --> 00:24:00.180 closer look, it was probably about... a football 00:24:00.180 --> 00:24:03.859 size cluster of bees just on the ground. So I 00:24:03.859 --> 00:24:06.880 have my suit on and I get down on my hands and 00:24:06.880 --> 00:24:08.759 knees and I'm looking for this queen just wanting 00:24:08.759 --> 00:24:10.359 to catch her so that way I can get all these 00:24:10.359 --> 00:24:13.299 bees back into a box. In the meantime, the bees 00:24:13.299 --> 00:24:16.700 are just crawling all over my suit. I mean, I 00:24:16.700 --> 00:24:19.579 have probably this big of a cluster just right 00:24:19.579 --> 00:24:22.220 here on my pocket. They're all over my head. 00:24:22.500 --> 00:24:25.559 And then as I'm looking for this queen, I just 00:24:25.559 --> 00:24:29.569 feel the slightest tickle on my ear. and that 00:24:29.569 --> 00:24:32.109 just all too familiar buzzing sound right past 00:24:32.109 --> 00:24:35.269 your ear. I pause for a second and I'm like, 00:24:35.549 --> 00:24:37.670 okay, is one of these really in my veil or maybe 00:24:37.670 --> 00:24:40.309 just my mind's playing tricks on me? And then 00:24:40.309 --> 00:24:43.089 sure enough, right across my nose, it flies and 00:24:43.089 --> 00:24:47.289 I'm just, okay, don't panic. That's when you 00:24:47.289 --> 00:24:50.109 start causing crazy reactions is when you start 00:24:50.109 --> 00:24:54.150 slapping and knocking everything around. So I 00:24:54.150 --> 00:24:56.450 get up and I just start walking away from the 00:24:56.450 --> 00:25:00.250 bees. and just ever so gently brushing all the 00:25:00.250 --> 00:25:02.690 bees off of me just so I can get this one bee 00:25:02.690 --> 00:25:05.690 out of my suit. And I think it took me probably 00:25:05.690 --> 00:25:09.410 all of 50 yards to walk to be able to get all 00:25:09.410 --> 00:25:11.730 these bees off long enough to where I could get 00:25:11.730 --> 00:25:14.289 my veil off and get this one bee out. So I made 00:25:14.289 --> 00:25:17.069 it out without no issues. The bee didn't get 00:25:17.069 --> 00:25:19.230 me in my face. I didn't want that distinctive 00:25:19.230 --> 00:25:22.390 raccoon look that you get when you get stuck 00:25:22.390 --> 00:25:24.829 in the face. Definitely an experience for sure. 00:25:25.629 --> 00:25:28.009 Well, sounds like you still swell up quite a 00:25:28.009 --> 00:25:30.109 bit you probably haven't been stung enough yet 00:25:30.109 --> 00:25:33.089 No, yeah, I definitely I try not to get stung 00:25:33.089 --> 00:25:35.910 just because I do swell up quite a bit when uh 00:25:35.910 --> 00:25:38.470 when I do When I do get stung outside of the 00:25:38.470 --> 00:25:40.950 suit inside the suit, you know stung multiple 00:25:40.950 --> 00:25:43.849 times But at that point it's just kind of annoying 00:25:43.849 --> 00:25:47.069 little itch Definitely try try to avoid that 00:25:47.069 --> 00:25:49.829 direct skin contact for sure the full -on sting 00:25:49.829 --> 00:25:53.279 most of us find that The more you get stung, 00:25:53.480 --> 00:25:55.339 the less it affects you, the less you're going 00:25:55.339 --> 00:25:58.619 to blow up. Although I would love to see a picture 00:25:58.619 --> 00:26:01.680 of your hand looking like a pitcher. What'd you 00:26:01.680 --> 00:26:03.960 call it? A catcher's mitt? A catcher's mitt. 00:26:04.019 --> 00:26:05.539 Yeah, I think I might have a pitcher somewhere. 00:26:05.680 --> 00:26:07.619 I'll have to get that over to you for sure. Send 00:26:07.619 --> 00:26:10.000 that over to me. People are going to like that. 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:12.599 Anyway, yeah, that'd be in the veil the first 00:26:12.599 --> 00:26:16.299 time. That's an experience of self -control. 00:26:16.619 --> 00:26:20.609 Very true. Yes, very true. So working in a store 00:26:20.609 --> 00:26:24.309 and for a company like Man Lake who has gazillions 00:26:24.309 --> 00:26:27.690 of products for beekeepers Are there some that 00:26:27.690 --> 00:26:30.029 stand out or maybe some brand new things that 00:26:30.029 --> 00:26:32.349 you've seen that you think are pretty cool? So 00:26:32.349 --> 00:26:35.250 yeah, a couple of things that I love personally, 00:26:35.430 --> 00:26:39.829 and I try pretty much every new product, if it's 00:26:39.829 --> 00:26:42.329 applicable to my beekeeping setup, just to kind 00:26:42.329 --> 00:26:46.069 of experience it all and just to see what I like 00:26:46.069 --> 00:26:48.950 and what I do not like. And to me, a hive tool 00:26:48.950 --> 00:26:51.930 is just one of those things. A hive tool you're 00:26:51.930 --> 00:26:54.430 gonna need, whether it's an actual hive tool 00:26:54.430 --> 00:26:57.539 or a variation of that hive tool. At first I 00:26:57.539 --> 00:27:00.240 started with just your regular hive tool standard 00:27:00.240 --> 00:27:02.779 and then your j -hook but what I found and I 00:27:02.779 --> 00:27:04.819 actually brought one here so that way I could 00:27:04.819 --> 00:27:09.500 show you this is the easy pry and it has kind 00:27:09.500 --> 00:27:12.980 of a weird end on it with just your typical beveled 00:27:12.980 --> 00:27:14.940 end on the other side but what this allows you 00:27:14.940 --> 00:27:18.680 to do is get that frame and then as you kind 00:27:18.680 --> 00:27:22.339 of tilt it this is just long enough to sit on 00:27:22.339 --> 00:27:26.079 that other frame. So it's definitely very beneficial 00:27:26.079 --> 00:27:29.420 getting like that very first frame out Just because 00:27:29.420 --> 00:27:32.160 once it's propolized and it's kind of real snug 00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:34.759 inside there It kind of gets a little difficult 00:27:34.759 --> 00:27:37.539 to kind of dig in there and try it out whereas 00:27:37.539 --> 00:27:41.180 this just one end of it and you can kind of Pry 00:27:41.180 --> 00:27:43.279 it out one side and then pry it out the other 00:27:43.279 --> 00:27:45.500 side and just makes life a little bit easier 00:27:46.259 --> 00:27:49.140 So I really enjoy this hive tool I recommend 00:27:49.140 --> 00:27:51.420 it pretty much to everyone who asked me my opinion 00:27:51.420 --> 00:27:53.420 on it But your standard hive tool works just 00:27:53.420 --> 00:27:55.779 as great, but in my preference. This is the one 00:27:55.779 --> 00:27:59.039 right here I've never used one like that. That's 00:27:59.039 --> 00:28:00.960 cool. Hold that up again. There was also a little 00:28:00.960 --> 00:28:03.799 hole in there Turn it. Yeah, what's the purpose 00:28:03.799 --> 00:28:08.240 of that? So the hole really has no significant 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:10.299 purpose other than like storage. You got a hook 00:28:10.299 --> 00:28:12.980 on your truck or maybe next to your bee yard. 00:28:13.279 --> 00:28:15.799 My recommendation to new beekeepers as well is 00:28:15.799 --> 00:28:18.079 always keep a spare one out by your hive. Countless 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:20.539 of times I have definitely walked out to my bee 00:28:20.539 --> 00:28:23.960 yard and was like, I forgot my hive tool. And 00:28:23.960 --> 00:28:26.299 as anyone knows, if they're propylized and you 00:28:26.299 --> 00:28:27.779 have to sit there and try to use your fingers 00:28:27.779 --> 00:28:30.160 to kind of crack these open, it's not impossible, 00:28:30.180 --> 00:28:31.819 but it definitely makes your job a little bit 00:28:31.819 --> 00:28:34.430 harder. So, just for storage purposes, that little 00:28:34.430 --> 00:28:36.549 hole right there. Just so you can hang it up 00:28:36.549 --> 00:28:38.269 on a nail or something. Just so you can hang 00:28:38.269 --> 00:28:42.670 it up. Now, if you find it useful, great. But 00:28:42.670 --> 00:28:44.950 for the main part, it's just this little end 00:28:44.950 --> 00:28:47.869 that just makes it great to me. Just that ingenuity 00:28:47.869 --> 00:28:50.210 where they just bent it a little bit more so 00:28:50.210 --> 00:28:52.769 that way you can get it to rest on that one additional 00:28:52.769 --> 00:28:55.890 frame to prop it up. So, I love it. I'm going 00:28:55.890 --> 00:28:58.150 to order one of those. I love gadgets. I can't 00:28:58.150 --> 00:29:00.619 wait to give it a try. Awesome then I would say 00:29:00.619 --> 00:29:03.119 probably my second my second thing protective 00:29:03.119 --> 00:29:05.259 clothing is always a big issue for me because 00:29:05.259 --> 00:29:07.660 I do swell up So I just try to kind of be as 00:29:07.660 --> 00:29:10.359 safe as possible But I used to do the goatskin 00:29:10.359 --> 00:29:12.539 gloves, which I really liked because they were 00:29:12.539 --> 00:29:15.400 very thin Dexterity and the fingers were there 00:29:15.400 --> 00:29:17.839 You didn't kind of have that big bulky finger 00:29:17.839 --> 00:29:20.059 like you do and like your cowhide gloves and 00:29:20.059 --> 00:29:22.519 things like that So I use goatskin for a while 00:29:22.519 --> 00:29:24.700 but what I noticed with the goatskin is after 00:29:24.700 --> 00:29:26.980 you kind of sweating them a little bit that that 00:29:27.309 --> 00:29:29.470 that goat skin gets a little bit thinner and 00:29:29.470 --> 00:29:31.349 a little bit easier for those stingers to get 00:29:31.349 --> 00:29:34.990 through. So Man Lake came out with tactical gloves 00:29:34.990 --> 00:29:37.430 is what we call them and they offer them in this 00:29:37.430 --> 00:29:39.769 size and then I believe just kind of right up 00:29:39.769 --> 00:29:42.369 to your wrist as well. So you have different 00:29:42.369 --> 00:29:44.430 styles of them which I just use the ones that 00:29:44.430 --> 00:29:46.650 go up to my wrist but it's vented which makes 00:29:46.650 --> 00:29:50.089 it a lot cooler. Which I love there's a lot of 00:29:50.089 --> 00:29:52.950 space with some padding and some netting in between 00:29:52.950 --> 00:29:55.849 your actual skin So I would say probably about 00:29:55.849 --> 00:29:57.809 an eighth of an inch which makes it great So 00:29:57.809 --> 00:29:59.970 the bees don't get through it and then it also 00:29:59.970 --> 00:30:02.109 has that dexterity in the fingers that I like 00:30:02.109 --> 00:30:04.869 as well So I'm not I'm not stuck with that big 00:30:04.869 --> 00:30:07.569 bulky cowhide and so I have a little bit more 00:30:07.569 --> 00:30:09.549 Dexterity in my fingers to kind of manipulate 00:30:09.549 --> 00:30:12.509 the frames and and do just other things like 00:30:12.509 --> 00:30:15.700 my smoker things like that So you find the dexterity 00:30:15.700 --> 00:30:17.440 is good enough for all of that and you're not 00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:20.279 squishing a lot of bees and stuff. Right yeah 00:30:20.279 --> 00:30:22.480 it's kind of the best of all the world's adequate 00:30:22.480 --> 00:30:25.859 protection and then mobility for sure. Well Josh 00:30:25.859 --> 00:30:28.559 hey I appreciate you being with me today I've 00:30:28.559 --> 00:30:31.740 learned some things. I want to leave our listeners 00:30:31.740 --> 00:30:34.519 with this and that is Josh what do you love about 00:30:34.519 --> 00:30:38.950 bees so much? I just, I love how the colonies 00:30:38.950 --> 00:30:42.569 work really. I love the learning of the seasons. 00:30:42.970 --> 00:30:45.890 I definitely just looking out across just my 00:30:45.890 --> 00:30:48.890 landscape at home or just on my drive to work, 00:30:49.190 --> 00:30:51.410 learning the different plants and the different 00:30:51.410 --> 00:30:54.109 seasons to which they bloom and what's beneficial 00:30:54.109 --> 00:30:57.410 and what's not beneficial for honey making and 00:30:57.410 --> 00:31:01.990 pollen for the bees. So I really love that you 00:31:01.990 --> 00:31:04.150 take something like beekeeping where you're just 00:31:04.150 --> 00:31:08.269 learning how these bees operate and how you can 00:31:08.269 --> 00:31:12.569 kind of influence that operation to maybe increase 00:31:12.569 --> 00:31:15.250 a honey yield or pollination of your garden, 00:31:15.390 --> 00:31:18.589 but also just zoning out, zooming out away from 00:31:18.589 --> 00:31:22.049 that colony and just all the other things that 00:31:22.049 --> 00:31:25.009 kind of make you open your eyes and say, oh, 00:31:25.150 --> 00:31:27.410 look, my orange blossom is starting to bloom 00:31:27.410 --> 00:31:30.799 down the street. That happens in late February, 00:31:30.900 --> 00:31:34.519 early March. So it's really awesome that you 00:31:34.519 --> 00:31:37.579 start with beekeeping and then it just kind of 00:31:37.579 --> 00:31:39.660 expands out to where now you're keeping track 00:31:39.660 --> 00:31:42.539 of weather. Now you're looking at seasonal flowers 00:31:42.539 --> 00:31:45.099 and plants, and then you're keeping track on 00:31:45.099 --> 00:31:47.299 what's kind of around you and the forage that 00:31:47.299 --> 00:31:50.180 you're able to kind of get these bees to go and 00:31:50.180 --> 00:31:53.799 draw nectar from. So I just love the aspect that 00:31:53.799 --> 00:31:57.279 it starts with beekeeping and then zoom out. 00:31:57.609 --> 00:32:00.049 all of a sudden you're just in depth and a whole 00:32:00.049 --> 00:32:01.730 lot of other things that you never really would 00:32:01.730 --> 00:32:05.029 have thought of. That is so true. I think the 00:32:05.029 --> 00:32:08.750 bees are so fascinating and it's also made me 00:32:08.750 --> 00:32:11.509 so much more aware of everything else around. 00:32:11.529 --> 00:32:14.529 We have a lot of, you know, wild flowers in the 00:32:14.529 --> 00:32:17.109 hills by me and things like that that I didn't 00:32:17.109 --> 00:32:20.190 pay as much attention to before, but now I do 00:32:20.190 --> 00:32:22.630 and I appreciate all of those kinds of things. 00:32:22.809 --> 00:32:25.769 Anyway, Josh, appreciate your time. Any closing 00:32:25.769 --> 00:32:29.289 thoughts? My closing thoughts to anyone who is 00:32:29.289 --> 00:32:32.230 listening to this that maybe is not into beekeeping, 00:32:32.809 --> 00:32:35.569 highly recommend it. It's a community like no 00:32:35.569 --> 00:32:39.190 other. Just relating that back to some rainforests. 00:32:39.210 --> 00:32:41.670 You talk to someone about you being a beekeeper 00:32:41.670 --> 00:32:44.490 and it's definitely a conversation starter. It's 00:32:44.490 --> 00:32:46.210 something that not a lot of people hear about. 00:32:46.619 --> 00:32:49.599 And then also you talk to people about beekeeping 00:32:49.599 --> 00:32:51.700 and they are a beekeeper and all of a sudden 00:32:51.700 --> 00:32:54.539 you have so many things to talk about So it really 00:32:54.539 --> 00:32:58.220 kind of really brings people together So if you 00:32:58.220 --> 00:33:00.680 are in beekeeping and just starting out, I would 00:33:00.680 --> 00:33:03.019 definitely recommend joining your local bee club 00:33:03.019 --> 00:33:05.519 Just to kind of have that camaraderie and that 00:33:05.519 --> 00:33:07.980 that source of information there for you And 00:33:07.980 --> 00:33:10.400 if you haven't gotten to beekeeping and you're 00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:12.559 just kind of listening this as a passing through 00:33:12.559 --> 00:33:15.619 podcast I would definitely recommend just doing 00:33:15.619 --> 00:33:18.740 some doing some looking up and some education 00:33:18.740 --> 00:33:21.579 on it. So that way you can kind of, even if you 00:33:21.579 --> 00:33:24.079 don't get into beekeeping, at least learn where 00:33:24.079 --> 00:33:26.259 your local honey is coming from and just the 00:33:26.259 --> 00:33:28.980 amount of work that goes into producing that 00:33:28.980 --> 00:33:31.079 honey. So that way, hopefully it will encourage 00:33:31.079 --> 00:33:33.420 you to buy local, support those small mom and 00:33:33.420 --> 00:33:35.859 pop businesses that go out every day and work 00:33:35.859 --> 00:33:40.839 in this heat to make that happen for you. Thanks 00:33:40.839 --> 00:33:43.180 again for joining us here on Bee Love Beekeeping 00:33:43.180 --> 00:33:47.160 presented by Man Lake. Remember right now to 00:33:47.160 --> 00:33:50.759 follow or subscribe and share this podcast. Also 00:33:50.759 --> 00:33:53.460 a shout out to Vita Bee Health for their support 00:33:53.460 --> 00:33:57.119 of the show. Vita's Varroa Control range of products 00:33:57.119 --> 00:34:01.880 includes Apistan, Apigard, and now Varroxan Extended 00:34:01.880 --> 00:34:05.059 Release Oxalic Acids Trips. Hey thanks guys, 00:34:05.339 --> 00:34:08.199 we really appreciate it. Enjoy this beautiful 00:34:08.199 --> 00:34:11.170 summer, enjoy your bees, and remember... If you're 00:34:11.170 --> 00:34:14.110 not just in it for the honey or the money, you're 00:34:14.110 --> 00:34:16.090 in it for the love. See you next week.