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PODCAST · education

Hobby Beekeeping

by Henry J. Svec

Hobby Beekeeping is a podcast about learning from bees.Hosted by retired psychologist and beekeeper Hank Svec, each episode explores practical beekeeping, hive entrance observations, bee research, and the questions that arise from simply spending time with bees.Rather than focusing only on techniques, the podcast looks at what bees may be teaching us through careful observation. Topics include the Three-Hive Method, hive survival, swarming, AI-assisted entrance monitoring, equipment, research, and conversations with beekeepers from beginners to experienced professionals. If we watch the bees long enough without touching them, they tell us something.

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Episodes

  1. Bees and Winter

    Just watching and learning. Not much to do.

  2. What Winter Prep?

    So I don't do any winter prep as a hobby beekeeper. That's the bees' job, and likely, if I do what I'm told, I'll increase the chances of killing my bees. Go ahead if you think you need to do something; I just don't, and here's why.

  3. What Beekeepers can Learn from Successful Investors

    It may sound strange, but successful investing is a lot like successful beekeeping. Here are the two key characteristics of successful investing and can you do this with your bees?

  4. Why All the Bees?

    This time of the year the hives seem to be exploding with bees. As a hobby beekeeper what could this mean and is there anything I should do?

  5. My Two Biggest Beekeeping Mistakes and Stinging Nettle for Mite Prevention

    What were the two biggest mistakes I made when I started beekeeping? In this episode, I share two lessons that changed the way I manage my hives. The first is why I now believe an inner cover is essential for managing winter moisture. The second is less about equipment and more about thinking—why...

  6. Hive and Mite Treatment Updates and Last Day for the Free Class

    Looking at combining a hive opening with perhaps two tasks and updates on today's last day to sign up for the free class.

  7. I've Never Done This Before... My Beekeeping Class Is Free for One Week

    For one week, I'm making my complete $99 Beekeeping Class available free. If you've ever wanted to keep honeybees—or simply understand them better—this is a great opportunity to get started. Register at: https://TheThreeHiveMethod.com Use coupon code: FreePodcastClass You only need to enroll…

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  8. Re-Discovering the Joy of Beekeeping and a New Hive Survival Predictor?

    The Hive Entrance Monitoring has revealed a stunning discovery. At night, some hives narrow or shut down their entrances while others do not. The second finding is that as soon as there is light, some hives break it up and return to normal quickly, while others take more time. Is this a sign of...

  9. Coping with Heat can We Help Them?

    Thoughts on the heat, missed treatment because of it as well as thoughts on perhaps missing a survivor hive?

  10. First Mite Treatment

    Placed the first treatment on the swarm hive today. Took about a minute to do. Nope, didn't do any alcohol wash to kill some bees, just looking for ways to help them. The idea of 3 hives as a hobby beekeeper is a lot of fun.

  11. Hobby Beekeeping with 3 Hives

    This year's project is to see if I can be sustainable with just 3 hives. I have one swarm that moved in, as well as two nucs. Here's the story and the challenges. Will this work?

  12. Why would a Swarm Pick this Home?

    As a hobby beekeeper we often have swarms move into our empty hives. This one on the farm is strange to say the least. How do they choose the home and what should I do next?

  13. Swarms Arriving

    Swarms are arriving and it's getting to be that time to make decisions on how to work with them. Some ideas and challenges as I move forward with my hobby beekeeping.

  14. Could this Oxalic Acid treatment be the fix?

    In looking at helping the bees I realized that the ApiLiveVar is open to heat issues. So what about this new oxalic acid treatment? Is it helpful for hobbybeekeeping?

  15. This One Thing could have Saved my Bees

    This Science has been around for over 30 years, but this way to help honeybees with natural organic compounds wasn't something I talked about. I simply didn't know. I feel pretty stupid, but I am going to change what I do in this one important way. You may think about doing it too.

  16. Did this Hive actually Make it?

    Back from the Edge? After I opened it up about a month ago and saw it was only two frames of bees, with no later activity, I gave it up. Didn't open it up again, but now the camera caught this. Orientation flight? Queen survived? At first thought it was just scouts, but now thinking I got lucky....

  17. Waiting for Swarms

    Farm updates with thoughts on survival. Planning strategies for 2026 and more insight into hive loss. Is hobby beekeeping even possible without treating?

  18. Tractor Thoughts and Planning

    Cutting the dried wildflowers gives me a chance to think about how I want to keep bees as a hobby beekeeper. The 95% loss has been amazing for research, but not so great for hobby beekeeping. Here are some thoughts on forward planning, and some preliminary ideas on what killed the hives.

  19. Hive Autopsy

    I go through the painful task of opening and cleaning out the dead hives. It's likely the worst part of hobby beekeeping. What did I find and what did I learn?

  20. 95% of the Hives have Died

    At first, it is tough to see that all but one of our hives on the farm have died, but it's actually an incredible opportunity. Here's the story and some ideas on how likely, when your hives fail it's not what you think that killed them.

  21. Coping with Hive Loss

    As hobby beekeepers, we all face the losses from the winter this time of year. Here are some ways to get through it with practical strategies, and the dangers of listening to a single solution.

  22. Hive Swarm Risk is Launched

    Pleased to announce that our new tool, which helps with understanding Hive Swarm Risk, is now available. How to use it and how it helps is the focus of this podcast. You can sign up for the free 30-day trial at aibeehealth.ca.

  23. We Usually don't Know What Killed our Bees

    The risk of listening to others or experts who seem to think they know what may have killed our bees is a mistake. In this podcast, I discuss why, in hobby beekeeping, knowing your microclimate and your bees is all that matters. How does this model likely better explain hive loss?

  24. I killed My Nova Scotia Bees

    Stupid is Stupid does. I totally messed up and killed my Nova Scotia Bees. Here is the story.

  25. To Treat or not to Treat?

    As hobby beekeepers, we consider the changing environment in which we introduce our bees to be important. Do we choose to treat or not? Finding a beekeeping philosophy that fits with our internal belief system is helpful. Here is part 2 of my interview.

  26. Keeping Bees in Ontario and New Brunswick

    Part one of a two-part interview with a hobby beekeeper who has bees in Ontario and New Brunswick, Canada. What are the challenges and what philosophy of beekeeping makes sense.

  27. A New Tool to Help with Swarm Prediction

    Knowing when a hive is starting the first steps in possible swarming can be very helpful to hobby beekeepers. It may also signal when it's time to consider splitting a hive. I explain a new statistic using our AI platform that may be helpful.

  28. If Bees Hate Each Other Why do We Put them Togehter?

    As a hobby beekeeper, I wonder about the scientific evidence that shows bees choose to live far apart in nature. We know that drifting, robbing, and general dislike of each other make hives choose to establish far apart. If we believe this, why do we put them together?

  29. How would I Start Beekeeping Today

    Someone asked me a few questions about starting beekeeping as a hobby today, so here is my short list. I also talk about the need to interact with bees that make sense to YOU.

  30. Hobby Beekeeper could go To Jail for Taking Bees Home

    Hard to believe but true. Here in Canada, if you take your bees from your home to a cottage that may be in another province, you could be fined $10,000 and serve up to 6 months in jail. The rules are based on faulty science that supports provincial tariffs and border fees in Canada. It…

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  31. Hands off Drones

    In a new study, Drones are reported to transmit gut microbes to queens during mating. It opens up a whole new world and appreciation in understanding why, likely, we hobby beekeepers need to leave drones alone.

  32. Green Goop on a Beekeeping Podcast?

    Hobby beekeeping is more than working with bees. It's a way to understand all of the things that can connect to our passion of bees and as well nature. In this unique interview, I sit down and talk with the founder of Green Goop, and how keeping or being around bees can lead to very different...

  33. Doing Less in 2026

    Beekeeping used to be a relaxing hobby where it was a safe place to off load some weight or pressure. Now keeping bees seems to add to that weight. I'm deciding to do less in 2026, not more and make sure I protect the sanctuary of my experience.

  34. Will you Become a Citizen Scientist in 2026?

    Your Hobby beekeeping can get to the next level if you are ready. We are upgrading aibeehealth.ca to include a way you can analyze your front entrance bee activity to help better understand hive health. Will you join me in 2026?

  35. Winter Time to do Nothing

    While the temptation is to keep helping our bees in the winter, this may be the wrong thing to do. here is why for me, it's a time to leave them alone.

  36. Why do You Keep Bees?

    I asked myself that question, and the answer has nothing to do with honey or general beekeeping. When three of my worlds collided this week, maybe I'm starting to get it. What about you?

  37. Deformed Wing Virus Spotted

    First time after viewing thousands of front entrance clips, we see this. It is in a 2-frame research hive spotted on October 26. The original hive is one of our 5-year survivors without chemical mite treatments. Could a certain strain of DWV actually help inoculate our bees?

  38. The Placebo Effect of Varroa Treatments

    With hobby beekeeping, I often wonder whether I should add a bit of thymol to help my bees. Treating for varroa seems to be something many of us think will help. But the science and the fact that tens of thousands of beekeepers no longer treat for Varroa tell us something else. Today, I discuss…

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  39. AI Update and Bee Lessons

    As we wind down the year a look at our failed and survivor hives with some Bee Lessons on life and money management.

  40. Yellow Jacket Attack

    I often think I can save them when I see the yellow jacket attacks, but it is really only a sign of a different problem. Here are my thoughts and Hive updates.

  41. Late Fall Hive Updates

    With just two hives failing so far, it's not enough to run the data. But some failed splits may help us better understand what may have happened to them. The other question is, if we open a hive now, what do we do with it if it still has bees?

  42. Why I'm Excited to have Finally Lost some Hives

    It's sad on one side, but exciting on the other to have finally lost some hives. The lost hive data when compared to those that survived may help us better understand what is happening with our bees. The work starts this week.

  43. Some Thoughts on the Year and Next Steps

    As the bees wind down, so do I. Here are some updates as we move into late fall.

  44. The Fraud of Nature Based and Treatment Free Beekeeping

    What a week. My eyes were opened wide as I learned of this fraud. Not surprisingly, I was a part of it. Here's the story.

  45. This Scientist explains why Treatment Free is the Only Way

    In this rare interview on my podcast, I bring on Dr. Gary Brook whose article I recently discussed on the ability to have bees treatment-free. It's a fascinating look at the evidence and clearly begs the question, Why aren't we all doing this?

  46. Science Says Stop Treating for Mites

    The evidence is pretty clear now that beekeepers need not treat for mites. In this podcast, I discuss the recently published article that says using these two strategies can get you treatment-free.

  47. Stupid Beekeeping Researcher Tricks

    While the USDA wants us to believe mites and viruses killed our bees this year, it's not true. Listen while I explain some common researcher tricks and also some common beekeeping mistakes to avoid. Yes, I loved the Dave Letterman "stupid human pet tricks" segments.

  48. From the Nova Scotia Bee House

    I record this podcast from the Bee House and discuss the benefits of this approach plus hive updates.

  49. AI Does Help Orientation Flights and the good of Honey Bound Hives

    A bit of this and that, plus special thanks for sending me your comments.

  50. Nature Based Beekeeping and Dog Days of August

    In this podcast, I discuss a presentation made by Dr. Thomas Seeley 11 months ago, and how it is an important and valuable training tool for hobby beekeepers.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Hobby Beekeeping is a podcast about learning from bees.Hosted by retired psychologist and beekeeper Hank Svec, each episode explores practical beekeeping, hive entrance observations, bee research, and the questions that arise from simply spending time with bees.Rather than focusing only on techniques, the podcast looks at what bees may be teaching us through careful observation. Topics include the Three-Hive Method, hive survival, swarming, AI-assisted entrance monitoring, equipment, research, and conversations with beekeepers from beginners to experienced professionals. If we watch the bees long enough without touching them, they tell us something.

HOSTED BY

Henry J. Svec

CATEGORIES

education

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Hobby Beekeeping have?

Hobby Beekeeping currently has 278 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Hobby Beekeeping about?

Hobby Beekeeping is a podcast about learning from bees.Hosted by retired psychologist and beekeeper Hank Svec, each episode explores practical beekeeping, hive entrance observations, bee research, and the questions that arise from simply spending time with bees.Rather than focusing only on...

How often does Hobby Beekeeping release new episodes?

Hobby Beekeeping publishes regularly with 278 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to Hobby Beekeeping?

You can listen to Hobby Beekeeping on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Hobby Beekeeping?

Hobby Beekeeping is created and hosted by Henry J. Svec.
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