Episode 102: Hum of the Hive Retrospective (Part 1)

With this episode, we are introducing the first of our retrospective series. These periodic episodes compile previously aired short segments on a specific topic. This one, features Master Beekeeper and podcast co-founder, Linda Aydlett and is all about honeybees.

This episode starts with some fascinating insights into how honeybees survive in winter. Their secret? They form winter clusters and shiver to keep each other nice and warm. Then stay tuned for the next segment to learn about the roles honeybees must fulfill within the hive. Linda describes the life of a Queen Bee, which turns out not to be as glamorous as the name might imply. As the only fertile egg layer, the queen bee is focused solely on perpetuating the colony. Learn about the importance of nutrient-rich royal jelly that helps the queen successfully perform her role.

But there’s even more! This episode concludes with a description of the worker caste of honeybees. They represent the largest number of bees in the hive. The role of the worker bees is to perform all the other functions required for the hive to thrive. Unlike the queen bee, the worker bee’s role evolves over her relatively short lifespan from a nurse bee to a house bee, and finally to a field bee. This segment focuses mostly on the house bee as it transitions to a field bee. Fascinating indeed!

Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas

Guest: Linda Aydlett

Photo by: Damien TUPINIER on Unsplash

Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, and Annie Scibienski

Resources

Winter Bees

• Beekeeping calendar for the Northeast
• Honeybee Democracy
• Honeybee Colony Thermoregulation – Regulatory Mechanisms and Contribution of Individuals in Dependence on Age, Location and Thermal Stress

Queen Bee

• Beekeeping Calendar for the Northeast | CALS (cornell.edu)
• Honey Bee Queens:Evaluating the Most Important Colony Member
• Buddha Bee Apiary

The House Bee

• The Colony and Its Organization (MAREC)
• INFO SHEET 27: The Life of the Bee
• The Buzz about Bees: Biology of a Superorganism, Jürgen Tautz (Springer; 2008)
• ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture , Amos 

Last updated January 4, 2024