Plain Talk: Hot Bees, Ants and Weeds (291)
About this episode
Dr. Jim Tew discusses the impact of extreme heat on honey bees and beekeeping practices, as well as the relationship between ants and bee colonies.
As summer temperatures climb across much of North America, Dr. Jim Tew reflects on what extreme heat means for both honey bees and the people who care for them. Speaking from his Ohio bee yard during an intense July heat wave, Jim shares why years of experience—and a healthy respect for aging—have changed how he approaches midsummer beekeeping. Rather than opening colonies simply to satisfy curiosity, Jim explains why strong colonies should often be left alone during periods of excessive heat, allowing the bees to maintain the carefully regulated temperatures they need inside the hive. He also discusses practical ways beekeepers can adjust their own work schedules by borrowing lessons from earlier generations who routinely worked outdoors before the day's highest temperatures. The conversation then shifts to an often-overlooked subject: ants. Drawing from decades of beekeeping in both Alabama and Ohio, Jim explores the surprisingly complex relationship between ants and honey bee colonies. While ants are commonly viewed as pests, Jim describes situations where they may actually provide ecological benefits by cleaning hive debris and helping suppress wax moth infestations in dead…
More episodes of Honey Bee Obscura Podcast
- Archive Special: Removing Honey (292)
- A Small Open Colony (290)
- Plain Talk: Hot Bees (289)
- Archive Special: Working Bees in the Heat (288)
- Plain Talk: Tall Grass In The Bee Yard (287)
- Plain Talk: Five Nice Hives (286)
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