As I am trying to recover from a crazy month of Holiday madness I find myself facing the feeling I am oftentimes overwhelmed. Divorce, moving things in and out of the home, work, animals, financial obligations, yada yada yada; all seem like so much yet the Honeybee can successfully accomplish all these same scenarios in her own little  world without blinking and eye.

I'm fascinated at their ability to be so structured and focused. It seems to be a feat that eludes us as humans so I reflect, observe, and try to resonate with the Honeybee hoping to gain some insight and wisdom on this journey of life.

What do they do differently? They implement structure and democracy.

Structure is oftentimes my nemesis. I know it is a foreign concept to many of us but without it we fail. The honeybee proves that over and over again. We do well in our work environment where structure is implemented then we go home to our chaos. We eat wrong, fail to exercise or properly or  rest and we wonder why we feel so frustrated and unfulfilled. It warrants paying closer attention to the honeybee and the hive itself. They succeed without us.

So what does that structure look like? We already know there is a Queen, workers, nurses or maidens, guardians, foragers and drones. We know they all have a role to play at certain stages of their existence, but what else do we know?

They're naturally democratic. They've been shaped that way by evolution.  Honeybees make decisions collectively and democratically. They stake everything on a process that uses collective fact finding, debate, and finally consensus building. For example: when the hive is overpopulated the Scout bees break off and start looking for relocation options. They are somewhat like a "Senate". They're older, more experienced bees searching for the best place for their colony preparing to split to make their new home.

Dancing is their announcement. The honeybee scouts use dancing to announce their discoveries. Using their "waggle dance", a figure that gives bee directions, the scouts will communicate how to fly to the other sites to  check for themselves before deciding which location will be their new home. If the first choice is mediocre a second wave of  bees will do a ho-hum dance. If the location is spectacular they bees will do a mega party dance so the other bees will know where to go. They use dancing to show their numbers in deciding on the perfect spot. They vote by dancing themselves into consensus. If a honeybee or a few honeybees don't like the location they protest but eventually reabsorb into the hive to function collectively with the group for the greater good of the hive.

Honeybees democracy has been studied for years by Tom Seeley, the author of Honeybee Democracy
and refers to the honeybees absorption into the hive without further protest as "forgetting" in bees. He doesn't necessarily care for this genetic "forgetting" but he does touch on it's obvious advantages. He compares the bee to eminent scientists who many times hang on to bad ideas till they die.

 He writes:

One difference between aged scientists and aged (bee) scouts, though, is that the people tend to drop out of the debate reluctantly, sometimes not until death, whereas the bees do so automatically.  I cannot help but wonder whether science would progress more rapidly if, in this regard, people behaved a bit more like bees.

I would love to see us behave a bit more like bees by working closer together but I also want to have our diversity of thought, our hero's, our pioneers in society and our freedoms to be a part of the community while standing for our individual beliefs.

So as I practice beekeeping I learn they are more complex than I ever thought and what seems to be such a simple community really isn't. They are a society, a super organism working off of group thought and that's how they get it done. They ALL concede to ensure the hive remains viable and take any action necessary to survive. I think I resonate with the "survival" aspect of them. I'm sure most of us do too. We need to focus on a healthier society of people in general. We need to discuss more, fight less and continue to work together for humanity. After all, we are supposed to be the superior species.

EP-007 Honey Bee My Teacher Podcast
Hosted by Patti Haines
Produced by Jay Fratt

Flexibility is the key as a beekeeper.  It's not your plan ultimately, it's your colony's plan.  A quick Fall season threw Patti's plans out the window, but quick reactions, a positive attitude, and confidence allowed a safe response.  Patti goes through her overwinter hive management plan, and learned words on the flexibility required to manage and nurture bees.

Enjoy the great information and Patti's charming personality.  Stick around for a question and answer session at the end of the pod:  Time Management.  Bee Advocacy.

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Intro and Outro Music Credit: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0"

This is the beginning of my second year of Beekeeping.  I am preparing to overwinter my bees this year, and have been forced to start early due to an unexpected cold snap. Bummer!

I feel a little shorted here. I was planning for a nice Fall season with temperatures going down in a nice sweater weather and bonfire kind of fashion. I don't know why I anticipated such a normal and predictable season, because Gaia, Mother Nature herself, dealt a different deck of cards. Just like the unpredictability of the Honeybee, so is the weather.

No nice Fall season this year. Not even a teaser. We had a few days of Fall and BOOM! Twenty seven degree mornings already.  I'm not complaining, I was caught a little off guard, which interrupted my beekeeping schedule a little. I wanted more time with them before they hunkered down for Winter's chill. I will be overwintering early, and waiting impatiently.  Patience is a trait I am working on.  My Queen along with her new maidens are great assets to this practice in patience. In the meantime I will take the opportunity to plan for Spring, loosely of course, and explore the lessons I learned this year. In the meantime, I have taken the steps to get the hives fed, both sugar syrup and pollen.

There are so many schools of thought out there regarding overwintering practices; I was a little overwhelmed this year so to be honest.  So I'm winging it! The principles are the same, and in place, but the rest I have to navigate using my knowledge of my landscape and weather.

Planning for Winter seems daunting at times.  If you anticipate every weather related possibility for your demographic area, you should feel fairly at ease until temperatures rise again bringing out a brand new colony of Honeybees. A new season of pollen, nectar and honey will be your reward; not to mention the fulfillment of advocating the pollinators.

I myself am hopeful. I have studied, talked to experienced beekeepers, and organized my equipment. My feeders are ready to go. Nature is ready too. The flowers have turned brown. The trees have begun to lose their leaves. The morning is greeted with early frost. It's time so here I go.

As a novice Beekeeper all I can say is check off your list, and hope for the best. If you treated for mites, and let the bees make enough honey, you should be set for Winter. Yes, there are other actions to take, but these two are the most critical to your colony's survival. You want to have all your winter  materials ready, and should be ensuring the bees have enough honey; or are being supplemented to make enough for winter.

This week I am putting on my mouse guards, insulating the top inner cover of the hive, and making moisture quilts. I will be pulling the sugar syrup from the hives once temperatures stay below 50 degrees.

Mice are famous for sneaking in to the bottom of the hive and using it for warmth. they will also feed off of the hive and destroy the wax on the frames. The bees have no resources to share with the mice. Using Mouse guards will block the entrance keeping the critters away.

Keeping the bees dry during winter is a huge challenge in the Pacific Northwest. The honeybees fan the inside of the hive to generate heat in a cluster creating condensation. Our weather is soggy. Moisture quilts and other tools are used by many to keep the moisture off of the bees.  If too much condensation occurs, it will virtually rain on the bees and kill them. I will be using moisture quilts to protect my hives.

To make my moisture quilts I used a shallow super which is the same compartment you would have your honey frames in during nectar flow.  I used hardware cloth and purchased wood shavings.  I stapled the hardware cloth to the bottom of my shallow super and poured my shavings inside to create a nice dry environment for the bees. I will check my shavings for excess moisture every couple of weeks and keep them dry. Shavings are great as long as you don't let them get too wet and moldy.

I will also be wrapping my hives this year along with setting some straw bales below them to minimize the amount of draft below the bench where they are set. This is not necessary here in the Pacific Northwest.  I live on the top of a ridge with prevailing winds coming up from the river.  This necessitates extra protection from those wet cold temperatures rolling up the hillside to my colonies.
If your bees are in a location where there is a windbreak you shouldn't have to wrap you hives.

I do have one hive that I am a little worried about due to it's very late start. This hive couldn't keep a Queen for some strange reason.  I had to put a frame with a queen cell in there to let her hatch and be accepted by the bees. Although successful she got a late start. That particular hive's honey production took a hit. Because they are a little behind a 3:1 ratio of sugar syrup will be fed to them, allowing them the opportunity to fill their honey frames before it gets too cold. This winter they will be getting dry sugar giving them a fighting chance.

The other two hives are fantastic and abundant with honey. I look forward to greeting them come Springtime. This years honey was different from last years. Due to purchasing my hives later in the season, the bees missed out on the Maple flow. My honey was different, but still quite delicious.  I will finish overwintering them and plan for Spring.  I want them to have the best opportunity for success.  I will plan my gardens, wildflowers and the trees I have researched.

I am increasing my flower gardens by around 40% next Spring, and will be planting some Bee friendly trees. I really like the Linden tree. The bees love it, so a few of those will be part of my landscaping plan. I read how this particular tree can also attract swarms!  This got me excited to catch a feral colony.  I haven't had any success catching a colony with my swarm traps, but I am determined to get one in 2020!

Of course the honey will change in flavor based on the new flowers and trees, which I find to be adventurous and exciting. Having these hives from the beginning of Spring will provide more than one nectar flow, creating a variety of honey flavors throughout the season. What an adventure for the taste buds. I can't wait!

While my ladies are cozy and warm inside, I will be reflecting on my lessons from the honeybees this year; and will naturally share them with you. They have so much to teach us.  Not to mention so much to give us. The learning never stops. We still have a lot to talk about.

I want the world to embrace their gifts to our lives and our futures. I owe them that much!

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EP-006 Honey Bee My Teacher Podcast
Hosted by Patti Haines
Produced by Jay Fratt

Patti is back in studio to share her passion and adventures in beekeeping.  From Varroa mites to cautionary tales of drift, Patti shares her do's and don'ts regarding the Fall season peparing her beehives for the coming winter.

Enjoy the great information and Patti's charming personality.  Stick around for a question and answer session at the end of the pod.

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Intro and Outro Music Credit: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0"

Beekeeping in an honest light is the realization that you never have the same situation with every hive.  If you try a cookie cutter approach to beekeeping, you will certainly will be schooled by your honeybees.

One thing I have learned is nothing is constant other than the fact that the hive is unpredictable. Anything else is an educated guess.  Attention, quality management, and care is always required to keep your colony or colonies successful. 
In the Pacific northwest, we are in a dearth.  Depending on where we live, we still have a few plants blooming; but sugar syrup has become a supplement to our honeybees, so we aren't harvesting honey. We are helping the bees build up their honey stores to overwinter. 
I have treated for Varroa mites this year and no bears! I call that a win so I am focusing on the next stage of bee care, and will be planning now for next Spring. It's the only way to really be prepared for a more successful year. 
July is when I treated for Varroa mites using Mite away Quick Strips. This is the general practice. You remove your honey supers and treat. Once treated you place your supers back on the hive, and check for hive beetles. I was fortunate and did not have any.  My colonies were complete with the exception of one unhealthy queen.  This resulted in combining with another hive. I am content with three strong hives, and will split them next year. 
Water is huge right now. I live on a river and a slough, so my bees have unlimited access to water.  However that is not always the case. It's very hot and dry right now here in the PNW.  Be sure to make sure your bees have plenty of water. Never let them go without. 
Don't over inspect. You can experience robbing if you over inspect your hives. Once every 14 days is sufficient.  You're simply monitoring your colonies making sure you have no pests or parasites, and they are disease free.  This combined with making sure they have plenty of water and food. 
September is a few days away. Once the weather turns cold, make sure to feed 2:1 sugar syrup for winter stores. 
Know what region you are in (see the chart below). I am in Region 7, which is the Western United States.  Our focus in July was generally doing splits, Mite checks, Supers on for honey flow, spot checking mite loads, feed, medication when necessary, and putting the bees in a location where ample food is available. 
I purchased my bees in late June this year so I already had a location ready. What I did not account for was drift, so I am re-configuring how my colonies will be set next year. Once wrapped for Winter, I will move them so they will get reoriented in the Spring (once the temperatures reach 50 degrees or higher). 
Each region is very different so know your region so you can offer your colonies the best chance for a successful season. I am happy to email you a list for your specific region. Refer to the map in order to email me with your request at [email protected] and I will get the information to you. We can never be too prepared. 

Take your free time and plan for winter and next spring. Ask the questions:
 - What should I plant? 
 - How can I educate others to protect and embrace pollinators? 
 - Where can I go to connect with others to be informed and inform others? 
I learned there are Nectar Flow gaps throughout the season by Region.  Thus I found out what I need to plant for mine. Region 7, where I live has occasional gaps starting in March and ending in September. This tells me I need to invest more into trees. They offer the nectar flow needed to keep the colonies thriving while they wait for flowering plants to bloom.
There is more to learn, for me and for you! It's never ending. Although thoroughly enjoyable and a  form of mental health, the education never stops. Literature, clubs, mentors, meetings, seminars and legislative issues are all a part of beekeeping. I doubt we will ever know more than the bees, but don't let that stop you from learning their secrets by any means. WE need them too much not to try!

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DIY Series - Episode #3

Patti is back in the Smokin Js podcast studio to continue her DIY series on beekeeping. Now you have the hive, what now?
There is so much more. Patti gives clear tips and tricks and dos and don't to help the young beekeeping apprentice become a thriving beekeeping steward.

This episode covers safety, sturdy and smart hive locating, responsible inspection, healthy bee nurturing, and continued educational networking.

The episode ends with great follow-up questions from producer Jay.

Press subscribe and let's get started learning, teaching, and buzzing together.

Email feedback to [email protected]

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Show Produced by Jay Fratt

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Intro and Outro Music Credit: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0"

You've prepared and waited to get your Bee Hive going. You've painted and prepped your hive boxes on the outside. Your suit is hanging and ready to wear.  You have your tools in your bucket waiting to work that beautiful first hive. Your Bees have arrived ...... Now what?

You may have ordered a package of Bees, or purchased a Nucleus (Nuc).  Your standing in front of your new hive ready to get started. You have already installed a sugar syrup feeder to get them started until they find their nectar flow while foraging. It's time.

If you ordered a package you are going to open the hive, lift the inner cover and shake the bees inside. If you have a Nuc you will be replacing five of your frames with the frames from the Nuc. You basically have installed a fully functioning mini hive ready to grow into a larger space.  ALWAYS wear protective gear. You will get stung, guaranteed so minimize the amount of stings by wearing your suit.

Once your Bees are placed in the hive and your frames are spaced evenly, you're going to close up your hive and let the Bees settle in. Place a level on top of the hive and make sure your hive is level. If you don't, you will have a very sticky mess on your hands once the nectar flow hits, and they are rapidly producing honey. Frames stuck together are no fun.  Shim your hive if you need to, but make sure it's level. The frames will need an inspection in about seven days to monitor their progress.  After the initial inspection, I inspect every 14 days. Do not over inspect. Your Bees may panic and abscond, leaving all Brood behind.

The first week in your hive's life is always an antsy time because your excited to manage your Bees. This is a great time to decide what management style you will be using. Short of neglect there is no wrong style. We all have Bees for different reasons. Just be consistent and always remember to put the Bees first.  The goal here is to perpetuate the species through proper management. This is a great time to connect with a local Beekeeping organization. Facebook also offers some great groups. They offer a lot of good feedback, occasional civil discourse, and great photos to use for reference. Bear in mind you're a newbie; you can customize the information to your local experience.

It is important to remember a few key points..
1. Not all Queens are created or Creating equally.
2. Inspection is the only way to keep your hive strong and healthy.
3. Be protected
4. Use the proper tools.
5. Parasite management is a must!
6. Educate your neighbors to prevent misunderstanding and false assumptions.

Awareness is critical.  As a Beekeeper you are in a position to make a positive impact in your local area, both in pollination and education. Take every opportunity to properly educate your neighbors and friends. People are starting to realize how important our pollinators are. Take advantage of it and grow.

Remember, every hive itself is different. Genetics do matter and will determine the level of aggression in your hive.  Respect other management styles, and ask lots of questions from seasoned Beekeepers. Enjoy your Bees!

Be a Beekeeper and not a Bee-Haver! Good Beekeepers continue to learn and grow. Expect to sweat, it's always worth it.

I will be expanding on these topics in the upcoming podcast so tune in and shoot me some questions. That's why Honey Bee My Teacher is here. For YOU!

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EP-005 Honey Bee My Teacher Podcast
Hosted by Patti Haines
Produced by Jay Fratt

On this special episode Patti ventures out of the studio to create a wonderful set of interviews.

What do our children know and think about bees.  This very special episode of the Honey Bee My Teacher podcast brings our future bee stewards to the microphone.  Two children ages 10 and 5 are interviewed about their thoughts on bees.

Finally at the heart of beekeeping and Patti's progression is a sit down interview with her mentor Kevin Mills.  He owns High 5 Bees.  The interview takes place at his other business Mills Diner in Rochester Washington.

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Intro and Outro Music Credit: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0"

Hi there!

When I talk about my Honeybees, I feel so happy.  I buzz around like my Bees do.

I don't know about you, but I use to be scared of Bees. I thought they flew around and stung people. So I was really afraid. Now I own my very own Honeybee hives and I am not afraid anymore!

Nobody told me about all the good things we have thanks to Bees.  Because of not knowing the truth about our Bees, I imagined them to be very different than what they really are. They are our very important friends, and we need them.

We want to talk about them to everybody we know, but we want to say the right things.

Just because you're a kid doesn't mean you can't help others know how much we need the bees.  Don't be afraid to tell people how much we need them. Be a little giant and save your Bee friends.

We are going to be talking to you on the next podcast and we want to make sure you can see what we are talking about. You don't have to know everything, but when you know really cool facts and share them, people start listening.

Here are some pictures with some explanations to help you talk about your Bee friends!


This is a picture of one of my honeybees at my own home. They live in my back yard.  


Those tiny little things that look like grains of rice are actually eggs. The Queen carefully lays one in each cell. 


That beautiful yummy stuff is honey. The Bees will cover it to keep it safe. 


The Honeybee travels to the same type of flower and puts the pollen in special baskets on their legs. 


This is Bee Bread. Each cell has only one type of pollen in it. Each flower is a different color so the cells are pretty and colorful. You can guess pretty accurately what flower the Bee traveled to by learning the Bread colors.


This is Pollen. Its great for allergies and many other things. Each little clump of pollen was collected by a Honeybee who put the pollen in their special baskets on their legs. 


This is one of my hives. I love my Bees so each hive has it's own painting on it.  


This is a bird bath one of our listeners had in her back yard. She found rocks in the waterer and asked her son Liam who is five years old  why he put the rocks there. She posted Liam's comment online. It is the comment below. Great job Liam!!!

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EP-004 Honey Bee My Teacher Podcast
Hosted by Patti Haines
Produced by Jay Fratt

Kids, family, and pollinators.  This episode of the Honey Bee My Teacher podcast dives into how great bees are as a learning tool for young children.  So many lessons can come from active teaching of the role our pollinators play in the food chain ecosystem.  It's not just about beekeeping!  From habitats to education, there are so many ways to participate and promote a healthy Gaia.

Host Patti Haines brings along show producer Jay Fratt on this wonderful discussion about legacy and education.  Any parent or grandparent will find wonderfully incentivizing lessons from this podcast.  Active teaching is important to promote sustainability and knowledge for future generations.  While you teach about our pollinators you may be spurring so many sustainable avenues of growth for the young person in your life.

Everyone Has Space for Bee Activities Sweet Alyssum - Lobularia Maritima - Easy Small Flower Calendula - Calendula Officinalis - Single Petal, Butterflies Love this Flower Borage - Borago Officinalis - Easy Medium Flower Four O Clocks - Mirabilis Jalapa - Large Flower  Hyssop - Agastache Rupestris - Lovely foliage with a Sweet Smell Cardinal Vine - Ipomoea x Multifida - Easy Starting Climbing Plant
Kids pollinator fun: https://kidsgrowingstrong.org/pollinator-works/
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/honeybee/#honeybee-pink-flower.jpg

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Intro and Outro Music Credit: Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0"

Photo by Taiana Martinez (Tai's Captures)
Our future without pollinators, and the negative impact it will have on all of us, is growing more obvious each day. While we are worrying about life events, our daily needs for our children will be much worse off if we don't do something to stop the decline of honey bees and other pollinators. So what do we do? Clearly our kids are our only hope. They are open to any information sparking their interest. If they find it fascinating and fun they are like sponges taking their experiences into their adult lives. That's the key to their survival.

I wonder, if you were to ask a child about the Honey Bee and other pollinators, what would they say?
Are they aware how important they all are to our future? Are they fearful? Do they even know pollinators exist? What do they know and where do they learn about them? Let's look back at how we see beekeeping ourselves.

Beekeeping is what I love most.  In the past, beekeeping was considered practice for "older folks." Most images were of an older man with his bee hat on next to a beehive getting honey to eat.  It didn't look at all like anything a younger person would do. I thought you grew old and decided to have bees to stay busy, sell and enjoy a little honey. WRONG!!!!

Maybe it's because of social media or the focus on climate change and our planet, or just heightened awareness thanks to the internet that has brought our pollinator's plight to light.  This has created a resurgence of interest across all demographics, or merely the fact that we are paying more attention to our planet. Either way, bees and other pollinators are our responsibility now so we need to teach our kids how important they are, and get them involved early to make a positive impact for their future.

Man, woman, boy or girl, beekeeping is totally accessible to many, and for those who cannot keep bees can contribute in many other ways. We can all play a part, no excuses, we got this!

Let's ask our kids some real questions. Give them credit for knowing what they want to do to save our planet. Some will want to have bees, others will want to have the plants and flowers that keep our pollinators thriving. Once we know what role they want, we can actively assist them in making our future brighter, something to be proud of.

Safety concerns are legitimate, and should never be discounted; but with the right mentors along with being well informed, the layman should not feel like this is an impossible task for their child. In this day and age we have access to beekeeping associations along with so many mentors waiting to gladly pass their knowledge down to the next generation.

Giving our kids an opportunity to make a real contribution to our planet's survival is the greatest gift we can ever give while creating a legacy to last generations to come.  The future holds so much for them. Kids are really good at knowing what they want to do to make a difference, and they deserve the benefits if we help them.

Some of the benefits for our kids are:
 - Being close to nature.
 - A science lesson.
 - A sense of responsibility and
 - Bonding time.
 - Pride in assisting mother Earth.

Taking on a project, whether it's keeping bees or growing their food, doesn't have to be a huge undertaking. Let your child decide, tailor it to their learning style, respect their fears, take small steps, and have fun. After all, that's the best part, having fun with your kids.

Let's grow together!