Mind Your Hives Beekeeping

We're talking about the best time to be a beekeeper - the spring! Spring time is swarm time and swarm time is splittin' time. Amongst other things, we dive into bee math aka the bee life cycle and how it allows us to make decisions and prevent swarms. Herb corner is all about dandelion and we crack open a beautiful saison from our friends at The Seed: A Living Beer Project. Cheers!

This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. Check out our Bug Repellent and Natural Deodorant, they really do work!!

Kara and I hop over to the mics straight out of the apiary after the 2024 seasons first inspections. Our spring has been cold and rainy so far and we're definitely a few weeks behind previous seasons but we're feeling great!

This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. Check out our newly upgraded Bug Repellent! Proven to work in even the harshest environments and actually good for your skin.

First we talk how understanding bee biology can help in decision making with a deep dive on the effects of pollen feeding followed by whether we think you can stop your bees from swarming. Finishing up with an 'Herb Corner' about medicinal mushrooms for both bees and humans! All while sipping a lovely witbier from Referend Bier Blendery in Kutztown, PA.

This episode is brought to you by Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm. Check us out online at KaraJoSkinCare.com - your support means the world to us.

It is almost spring!! And for many that means starting their first year keeping bees. We're answering some common beginner questions including equipment, buying bees and bad teachers (luckily we know some good ones!), how we handle spring mites, and more. We finish up with Kara Jo's Herb Corner segment on Propolis!

This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. Check out all our skin care and honey bee products - we ship! Instagram: @MindYourHives, @KaraJoBeeFarm and @KaraJoSkinCare.

Bee Side Episode! We're hanging out with Chris Stoudt of Stout Lawn and Pest and host of The Root Zone Podcast. We talk winter lawn practices, spring prep and that middle ground where your lawn can be more than just a green desert!

This episode is brought to you by @KaraJoSkinCare (karajoskincare.com). Check out our winter skin care products!

We're talking about beekeeping with a purpose and how it can help in your decision making, why hive deaths aren't necessarily bad and how we developed our style of hive management...and of course all the tangents those topics took us on before ending with an 'herb corner' about Thyme!

This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, check out our line of skin care products utilizing the power of the bees!!

We're talking off-season prep, building our forest apiary, revisiting Bee Venom Therapy and answering your questions!

This episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com. New winter skin care is out now and available for shipping!

In this episode we're talking about building our new farm, moving bees unexpectedly and how crazy life has been the past few months. We're drinking a Little Did you Know (our collab with Threes Brewing and Forest & Main) and when you listen to the episode you'll understand why that beer name really hits home! Hope you enjoy!

Happy Spring! We're letting y'all know what we're seeing in our apiaries this time of year and how we approach the spring season. We finish up the episode with a little chat about what to expect if you're a beginner and you're just getting into beekeeping right now...Enjoy! As always, each episode is brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com, please go check out our line of skin care products using honey, beeswax, propolis and more! @KaraJoSkinCare @KaraJoBeeFarm @MindYourHives on social media.

It's the beekeeper's offseason and we're answering your questions!  Thanks for asking 'em.  All episodes are brought to you by KaraJoSkinCare.com and special shoutout to Plan Bee Farm Brewery (Poughkeepsie, NY) for the killer Barn Beer.  

Chickens have been a part of our little farm's ecosystem since before we even had bees.  On this Bee Side we're talking about our backyard chicken journey.  From the original scrap wood chicken tractor to now we've learned how to manage mites, bumblefoot, predators, sour crop, water belly, trauma eggs, blood crazed hens, chicken dances and so much more...hope you enjoy.  Shoutout Origin Beer Project for the beautiful saison.

On this episode of the Bee Side we're talking with Farmer Thom from Everwild Farm in Ambler, PA!  There's so much crossover to how Everwild approaches farming and how Kara Jo Bee Farm approaches beekeeping so we threw a suit on Thom, went into some hives then sat down for a chat!  We hope you get a glimpse into why we love knowing where our food is coming from and how you can take some regenerative practices into your home garden.  Cheers!

Preparing your bees for winter starts in the spring, but right now is CRUCIAL.  It's right now that winter bees aka FAT bees are being made.  We're talking all things preparing for that final winter prep.  Why are winter bees so important?  What are we doing to help them?  Do you know your flow? Tune in and find out.  Cheers y'all!  Check out our Kara Jo Skin Care & Bee Farm products online at KaraJoSkinCare.com and @KaraJoSkinCare.

We're talking about all things going on around the farm!  Our new baby chicks hang out in the background while we discuss an unfortunate cutout situation, getting to know our surroundings, and we dive into some follow-up questions from the previous episode.  (pssst: pay attention for a special offer from Kara Jo Skin Care and Bee Farm!)

Here's a little bonus episode that we recorded right after doing some hive autopsies like we discussed in Episode 13.  This one also has a special guest - spring peepers!  

We're talking about staying out of the hives until nature tells us its time to inspect.  Are beekeepers over-treating for mites?  And how we're preparing for the busy season! Any questions feel free to send 'em to mindyourhives@gmail.com.  Cheers!

Its cold out and we're answering questions.  Thanks for sending them in!  And shout out to Full Circle Everest Expedition Team who we talk about in the beginning.  Check them out on Instagram @fullcircleeverest and online at https://www.fullcircleeverest.com/about.  Show them some love! 

We're recapping some lessons we learned during the 2021 beekeeping season and finally discuss Kara Jo's Bee Sting Allergy along with a little follow-up on our winter prep.  Thanks for tuning in!  

September 1st 2021 changed everything for us - here is the story. 

We're day drinking booze made with honey while sitting next to the First Connecticut Lake in Pittsburg, NH!  We talk about a crazy (turned amazing) experience using HipCamp to book a campsite on our trip as well as our new obsession with Ravens (their smarts rival even bees).  Support independent breweries and farms! Enjoy.

We're talking hallucinogenic honey, why we let the bees work their magic and a fun encounter with the super talented Actor / Writer / Comedian Wil Sylvince!  Hope you enjoy!

Its been busy on the Kara Jo Bee Farm lately!  In Ep. 6 we laugh about the recent "bee influencer" drama before diving into the world of Queen Bees and finishing with a quick chat on Mindfulness in beekeeping.  Cheers!

Bee Swarms seemed so gnarly until we got to understand them better and like everything with bees - they are fascinating!  We talk swarm basics and recent catches after giving an update on whats going on around the farm.  Enjoy!  Be good to each other!  Plant natives!