"My Biggest Beekeeping Mistakes" - Lauren Doninger

About this episode

Lauren Doninger shares her biggest beekeeping mistakes and insights into the chaotic world of beekeeping.

Buckle up, honey lovers — this episode is a wild ride through the wonderfully chaotic world of beekeeping with Connecticut backyard beekeeper Lauren Doninger! Before diving into the conversation, host Eric drops ten mind-blowing facts about honey bees (spoiler: they might understand the concept of zero and play soccer). Then Lauren takes us through her approach to swarm catching, the vertical split technique, condensing hives, her biggest beekeeping mistakes and a ton more! She also gives us a peek into her utterly charming self-service honey stand, where neighbors stop by, grab a jar, and leave cash or Venmo on the honor system. Because that's just the kind of beekeeper Lauren is. Lauren doesn't shy away from the messy parts of beekeeping either. She shares cringe-worthy (and relatable) rookie mistakes, and — the crown jewel of disaster stories — leaving her slider door open with 20+ frames of honey on the porch, only to come home to a full-scale robbing frenzy with thousands of honey bees in her house. Through it all, Lauren's message is clear: make mistakes, learn from them, treat your mites, and lean on your beekeeping community — because beekeepers, she says, are simply the…

People in this episode

Host: Eric Bennett

Guest: Lauren Doninger

Topics covered

• beekeeping
• mistakes
• honey
• swarm catching
• community

Keywords

• beekeeping mistakes
• honey bees
• swarm catching
• self-service honey stand
• beekeeping community

Sponsors

Mann Lake

More episodes of Bee Love Beekeeping... presented by Mann Lake

• Naked & Afraid Beekeeping · June 11, 2026 · 38 min
• Bee Venom Therapy • Drone Races • Making Queens · June 4, 2026 · 35 min
• Secrets of Sustainable Beekeeping - With Beekeeper Michael Scott · May 28, 2026 · 38 min
• Long Langstroth Hive - Custom Designed, Hand Built, Hand Milled · May 21, 2026 · 29 min
• Two Best Ways to Split a Beehive - With Commercial Beekeeper Seth Homer · May 7, 2026 · 36 min
• Honey Lemonade, Honey Kettle Corn, Honey Straws • Sticky Bee Honey Farms · April 30, 2026 · 41 min