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Episode 41 - Winter has arrived and so has our holiday Christmas list for your beekeeping needs!

Release Date: 12/11/2025

Episode 45 - Come Hang Out with Our Beekeeping Buddies 628 Dirt Rooster Randy McCaffery and His Brother Tommy McCaffery

Beekeeping Buddies

Episode 45 of Beekeeping Buddies has us visited by some of our own Beekeeping Buddies! Randy McCaffrey (628 Dirt Rooster) and Tommy McCaffrey come by and explain how Hobby Beekeeping is a Way Of Life... and how that changes in Illinois vs Mississippi. 628 Dirt Rooster Website: 628 Dirt Rooster Facebook: 628 Dirt Rooster YouTube: Discord Server: Randy Oliver Mite Calculator Calendar: How RRA Makes Fondant: The American Bee Journal: Project Apis m. Bee Survey Video 2025: Project Apis m. Website: Riverview Road Apiary Nucs: Heart of...

Episode 44 - Beekeeping in Arizona with Honey Hives Farm, Package Queen Swapping, Hive Body Types and more!

Beekeeping Buddies

Episode 44 of Beekeeping Buddies takes us out west as we talk about beekeeping in Arizona and how conditions there compare to what many of us see in the Midwest. We also dig into swapping queens in package bees, including why a beekeeper might choose to do it. In this episode’s Honeybee Hotline, we answer listener questions and work through practical beekeeping issues from the field. Lastly on our droning on, we talk about what we will be doing as we reach warmer temperatures and longer days! Honey Hives Farm: Discord Server: Randy Oliver Mite Calculator Calendar: How RRA...

Episode 43 - Is Spring Here? Accident in the Yard! Luke Goes to the Midwest Honeybee Expo!

Beekeeping Buddies

We’re enjoying a stretch of beautiful weather here in the Peoria area, and that can only mean one thing for beekeepers: false spring temptation. This week, Steve and Luke talk through what you should (and shouldn’t) be doing during these warm February days. When is it smart to crack a lid? When should you leave well enough alone? And how do you avoid setting your colonies back before maples even think about blooming? Luke also shares a hard lesson from the yard an accident that resulted in a grass fire. What happened, what caused it, and what you can do to avoid the same mistake around...

Episode 42 - 2025 Statistics, Season Wrap Up, Plans for the New Year!

Beekeeping Buddies

Welcome to episode 42 where we talk about our statistics for the last year and our plans in the new one. We talk about our aparies, what we will be doing, and how we plan to tackle some of these new challenges. Thank you for season 2 and we look forward to seeing you season 3! Randy Oliver 2025 Research Roundup: North American Honeybee Expo: Discord Server: Randy Oliver Mite Calculator Calendar: How RRA Makes Fondant: The American Bee Journal: Project Apis m. Bee Survey Video 2025: Project Apis m. Website: Riverview Road Apiary...

Episode 41 - Winter has arrived and so has our holiday Christmas list for your beekeeping needs!

Beekeeping Buddies

Welcome to episode 41 where we talk a bit about the weather, but because we don't have a lot going on in the yard, we are going to run down our gift buying guide for 2026! We hope everyone has an excellent holiday season. Randy Oliver 2025 Research Roundup: North American Honeybee Expo: Discord Server: Randy Oliver Mite Calculator Calendar: How RRA Makes Fondant: The American Bee Journal: Project Apis m. Bee Survey Video 2025: Project Apis m. Website: Riverview Road Apiary Nucs: Heart of Illinois Beekeeping Club: Dalan Animal Health...

Episode 40 - We talk to Dr. Jeff Pettis about the Tropilaelaps mite and what to know about this threat

Beekeeping Buddies

I know, two episodes in two weeks? Well, episode 40 is here, and this one is big. We sat down with Dr. Jeff Pettis, former President of Apimondia and one of the world’s leading honey bee researchers, for an in-depth conversation about the Tropilaelaps mite—the parasitic threat looming over global beekeeping. In this episode: • What Tropilaelaps mites are and how they differ from Varroa • Why they spread so rapidly and how countries currently battling them (like South Korea) are coping • What would happen if Tropilaelaps arrived in the United States—the realistic short- and...

Episode 39 - Fall preparation, late fall cutouts, how to price and install an observation hive

Beekeeping Buddies

This week we dig into some of the most important tasks heading into the colder months. We cover practical fall preparation, what to expect with late-season cutouts, and how to price and install an observation hive for schools, businesses, and homeowners. Whether you’re tightening up your hives for winter or planning new educational opportunities for next year, this episode offers clear, experience-based guidance you can put to work right away. Listen now and stay ahead of the season. North American Honeybee Expo: Discord Server: Randy Oliver Mite Calculator Calendar: ...

Episode 38 - Fall has crept in, spooky Halloween Beekeeping Stories, Chunk Comb and our Honeybee Hotline!

Beekeeping Buddies

It’s the Beekeeping Buddies Halloween Special! Luke and Steve dive into the spookier side of beekeeping from bees starting WW3, to the mornful swarm, frakenbees and more! We’ll talk about our fall preparations and some interesting chunk comb we were able to sample, and answer some Honeybee Hotline questions. We hope you'll tune in as our buddy this episode! North American Honeybee Expo: Discord Server: Randy Oliver Mite Calculator Calendar: How RRA Makes Fondant: The American Bee Journal: Project Apis m. Bee Survey Video 2025: Project Apis m....

Episode 37 - Beekeeping Buddies Finds a Buddy With 628 Dirt Rooster!

Beekeeping Buddies

We have broken 4,000 listens and want to thank everyone for taking some time to listen to us talk about our passion, honey bees. For this episode we take a break from the normal format of the show to interview a Beekeeping Buddy of our own, Randy McCaffrey better known as the 628 Dirt Rooster! We talk about beekeeping, how different areas do things, and learn the important lesson of how hobby beekeeping is a way... of... life! We hope you all enjoy this special episode and thanks again for being a buddy! 628 Dirt Rooster Youtube: North American Honeybee Expo: Discord Server: Randy...

Episode 36 - Feeding for winter, details on fall feeding, measuring hives, nucs 2026, new varroa treatment, managing robbing, fall festivals, and cutouts

Beekeeping Buddies

Around the Yard: Dry Midwest Fall: Fall is here, the hot and dry have not gone away. Details on Fall Feeding: Recipe for Luke's fall feed is: 4.5 lbs sugar, 0.5 lbs pollen sub, 7 oz water mixed together with a mixer of some sort and put into ziplock baggie. How to Know if to Feed: Steve and Luke talk about how we measure hives to know if they need feed. Start Thinking of Nucs: Luke and Steve suggest you start thinking about nucs for 2026. In the News Vandescona Mite Treatment: dsRNA treatment for mites?! Honeybee Hotline: Stick Up Your Hands!: How to manage robbing. Again?: How long to...

More Episodes

Randy Oliver 2025 Research Roundup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DT2HTyF2-k

North American Honeybee Expo: https://www.nahbexpo.com/

Discord Server: https://discord.gg/Jk6hyZAY

Randy Oliver Mite Calculator Calendar: https://scientificbeekeeping.com/randys-varroa-model/

How RRA Makes Fondant: https://youtu.be/CAiOF3onmBQ

The American Bee Journal: https://americanbeejournal.com/

Project Apis m. Bee Survey Video 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOCis4ZPfp8

Project Apis m. Website: https://www.projectapism.org/events/i8yr94doxarjvh453lchfhr0xf3bvq

Riverview Road Apiary Nucs: https://riverviewroadapiary.com/products/spring-2025-nuc

Heart of Illinois Beekeeping Club: https://hoibees.org/

Dalan Animal Health Queens: https://bluetoad.com/publication/?m=5417&i=830245&p=38&ver=html5