Episodes

Jim Tew and Anne Frey talk plainly about wintering bees—insulation, emergency feeding, ventilation myths, and what actually helps colonies survive deep winter cold as the new year begins.

On Christmas Day, Jim Tew steps away from technical beekeeping talk to share personal stories, reflections, and memories shaped by family, work, and a lifetime of making things by hand.

Why does beekeeping look so strange to people on the outside—and perfectly normal to those who do it? Jim Tew reflects on the habits, language, risks, and philosophies that make beekeeping one of the most unusual and rewarding pursuits around.

Jim Tew takes listeners on a quiet winter walk through his snowy bee yard, using tracks, hive debris, and even a stethoscope to understand how colonies are faring. A reflective, observant look at winter beekeeping and what a frozen apiary reveals.

Jim Tew explores the idea of fishing for beekeepers—why some people instantly feel the spark of beekeeping while others don’t. Through personal stories and reflection, he explains how new beekeepers discover their interest and why nurturing curiosity helps keep the craft thriving.

Sometimes beekeeping doesn’t look polished, tidy, or picture-perfect—and in this week’s episode, Jim leans right into that truth with a candid look at what he calls slipshod beekeeping . After visiting beekeepers and listener...

Jim Tew returns with a reflective look at artistry in beekeeping —a part of the craft that may not appear in manuals but lives vividly in the memories and creative expressions of beekeepers everywhere. In this week’s episode,...

In this Plain Talk episode of Honey Bee Obscura , Jim Tew heads out to the bee yard for a quiet, reflective fall inspection. As the days shorten and the goldenrod fades, Jim shares what he looks for when evaluating his coloni...

Winter may have a firm grip on the landscape, but beekeepers can still get ready for the season ahead. In this Honey Bee Obscura episode, Jim Tew sits down with Anne Frey of Betterbee to talk about how to make the most of col...

What does "efficiency" really mean in beekeeping—and can it go too far? In this Honey Bee Obscura episode, Jim Tew welcomes back Anne Frey of Betterbee for a lively, down-to-earth talk about working smarter in the bee yard wi...

Jim Tew is back from a long drive through Michigan’s autumn beauty—and while the leaves have changed, his thoughts haven’t strayed far from bees or smoke. In this week’s Honey Bee Obscura , Jim explores one of beekeeping’s ol...

In this reflective episode, Jim Tew takes listeners on a journey through his years as a traveling beekeeper , visiting apiaries and researchers around the world. From the early days of Africanized “killer” bees in Venezuela t...

In this Plain Talk episode, Jim Tew reflects on one of beekeeping’s most underrated tools— instinct . Beekeepers make hundreds of small decisions in the apiary, many of them guided by experience and that unspoken “gut feeling...

In this Archive Special from October 2021, we revisit a conversation with the late Kim Flottum and Jim Tew as they discuss the many ways beekeepers prepare colonies for the cold months ahead. From simple windbreaks to traditi...

This milestone episode marks 250 installments of Honey Bee Obscura . Jim reflects on more than 5,000 minutes of plain talk beekeeping, the early days recording with the late Kim Flottum, and the ongoing joy of talking bees ev...

In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura , Jim Tew explores the challenges of fall honey and testy bees during the autumn flow. What begins as a calm reflection on goldenrod and fall asters quickly turns into an unexpectedly live...

In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura , Jim Tew shares his fascination with old beekeeping books, particularly a rare two-volume set titled Beekeeping, New and Old: Described with Pen and Camera by W. Herrod-Hempsall. Jim firs...

In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura , Jim Tew is joined by Jeff Ott (from Beekeeping Today Podcast) wrestle with the idea of bare bones beekeeping . After a few false starts with recording equipment, the two dive into what i...

In this episode of Honey Bee Obscura , Jim Tew recounts an unexpected August swarm that turned a normal day into a beekeeping puzzle. What began as a routine check for a groundhog problem quickly spiraled into a surprise disc...

As summer winds down, Jim Tew sits down with fellow beekeeper Anne Frey to talk through what August reveals about colonies heading into winter. Their conversation explores the signs that point to how well bees are prepared, f...

Late season swarms can puzzle even experienced beekeepers. In this episode, Jim Tew welcomes Anne Frey of Betterbee to explore why colonies sometimes issue swarms in August—or even September—long after the spring swarming sea...

When it comes time to remove honey from your colonies, the job can feel like one of the most physically demanding tasks of the beekeeping season. In this Honey Bee Obscura archive special from September 2022, hosts Kim Flottu...

In this reflective episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim Tew explores what it really means to call ourselves “beekeepers.” After more than fifty years with bees, Jim questions whether we truly “keep” them—or if we’re simply borro...

In this week’s episode of Honey Bee Obscura, Jim Tew takes a thoughtful walk through history, sparked by a humble but enduring piece of equipment found in nearly every beekeeper’s supply box—the Boardman feeder. What begins a...