Bee Love Beekeeping... presented by Mann Lake

• Fire Engulfs Entire Beekeeping Business - What Now?

  In this deeply moving episode of Be Love Beekeeping, we meet Utah commercial beekeeper Prenten Frazier of Beehive State Honey, whose 5-generation family operation was recently devastated by a catastrophic warehouse fire. Prenten shares the gut-wrenching 4:30 a.m. phone call no beekeeper ever wants, the shock of watching 37,000 square feet of buildings, wax, equipment, and a year’s honey harvest go up in flames—and the incredible story of how firefighters, fellow beekeepers, and strangers stepped in to help save his bees and his business. Along the way, we hear about his passion for cold-extracted honey, bee-based wellness, and why he still loves Mondays, even while rebuilding from the ashes.Here's how you can help - https://gofund.me/ad1033394___________Discount on Live Bees & Beginner Essentials at Mann Lake: https://www.mannlakeltd.com/honey-bees/https://www.mannlakeltd.com/hives-components/beginner-essentials/Discount Code: GETSTARTEDINBEES__________Video Version: https://youtu.be/imoAT2Opvf8Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.Prenten Frazier: https://beehivestatehoney.com/https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/[email protected]

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• Cedar Anderson, Co-Inventor of Flow Hive & Super Lifter

  Learn How to Lift a Heavy Honey Super With ONE Hand.This episode of Be Love Beekeeping opens with a poetic reflection on honeybees and the sometimes-clumsy humans who care for them, then pivots into a very real problem most beekeepers know too well: heavy lifting and exhausting honey harvests. After a sobering Arizona news story about a tragic bee-transport accident and a look at emerging research on the mental health benefits of beekeeping, the conversation “heads down under” to Byron Bay, Australia.Host Eric Bennett sits down with Cedar Anderson, co-founder of Flow Hive, to talk about how he and his father spent a decade turning the dream of “honey on tap” into reality. Cedar explains how Flow Hive works, who it’s best suited for, why education is essential for new beekeepers, and how their global community has grown to over 150,000 hives in 130+ countries. They also dive into seasonal management with Flow Hives, the brand-new Superlifter that tackles heavy boxes, and a wild prototyping story involving a runaway hive rolling down a hill. Cedar closes by reflecting on the never-ending learning journey of beekeeping and the critical role honey bees play in global pollination and the “matrix of life” we all depend on.It's all about the love of honey bees and the humans who care for them!VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/ZLqNd9dIvqEMann Lake's New Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mannlakeSpecial thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.Cedar Anderson: https://www.honeyflow.com/https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/[email protected] Chapters00:00:00 – A World of Bees & Beekeepers 00:01:27 – The Heavy-Lifting Problem in Beekeeping 00:02:00 – Tragic Bee Transport Accident in Arizona 00:03:12 – Bees, Mental Health & Emotional Well-Being 00:05:02 – Welcome Cedar Anderson, Co-Founder of Flow Hive 00:08:12 – From Sticky Sheds to Honey on Tap: Inventing Flow Hive 00:11:11 – Flavor, Terroir & Single-Frame Honey 00:13:11 – Crowdfunding, Global Reach & Who Buys Flow Hives 00:16:26 – Flow Hive Doesn’t Do the Beekeeping for You 00:18:35 – Education, Community & TheBeekeeper.org 00:20:16 – The Hive: Man Lake’s Beekeeping Community 00:21:50 – Aesthetics & Seasonality with Flow Hives 00:24:01 – Introducing the Superlifter 00:26:34 – How the Superlifter Works 00:29:58 – Wild Story: The Runaway Hive 00:31:36 – Why Cedar Loves Honey Bees 00:32:20 – Closing & Sign-Off

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• Commercial Queen Bee Producer - Tips & Secrets to Success

  GENETICS MATTER! Host, Eric Bennett takes us from poetic honeybee musings straight into the practical world of queen bee production on Hawaiʻi Island. After a heartwarming news segment about 9-year-old beekeeper Nicholas Bard and the Santa Rosa community pushing back on an outdated city ordinance, Eric sits down with Rebeca Krones of Hawaiian Queen Company in Captain Cook. Rebecca explains why Hawaiʻi is one of the best places on the planet to raise queen bees, how controlled genetics (via Dr. Joe Latshaw) produce gentle but hard-working stock, what their year-round queen breeding business calendar looks like, and how to successfully introduce a new queen into your beehive so you don’t lose your investment. They also detour into Hawaiian honey flows (mac nut, lehua, and Christmas berry 😋) and shipping mishaps — including the time a carrier bagged 150 queens and…well…suffocated them. The episode closes with Rebecca’s best piece of beekeeping advice: don’t assume this year will be like last year. VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/UfIU0kzelKAMann Lake's New Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mannlakeRebeca Krones: https://hawaiianqueen.com/Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/[email protected]

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• Treatment-Free Beekeeping, Why & How?

  Host Eric welcomes Kevin O’Connor of Bee Boys Apiary from Waiohinu on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi to talk about what many consider one of the spiciest topics in beekeeping: treatment-free, regenerative beekeeping. Before the interview, Eric shares a fascinating new study on the waggle dance, showing that bees don’t just pass on direction and distance—they actually integrate dance information with their own cognitive map of the landscape to anticipate landmarks and fly more efficiently.Kevin walks us through the philosophy behind his 100% treatment-free beekeeping business: no plastic, no feeding, no foundation, no pollination services, bees allowed to swarm, and an 8-year closed line of genetics stemming from a single colony. He explains why this slow, sometimes painful path (you will lose colonies at first) can produce very resilient “landrace” honey bees when you pair it with abundant, diverse forage and a clean environment.They also tackle the big objections—“you’re sending me mite bombs,” “you can’t do that where winters are hard,” “I can’t do that with 2,000 colonies”—and Kevin gives the nuanced answer: you can move toward it, but it’s a multi-year, location-aware transition and you can’t shortcut the genetics of your bees. Finally, Kevin shares how farmers markets became his best business channel—because people will happily pay top dollar (yes, $45–$50/pint!) when they can look the beekeeper in the eye, hear how the bees are kept, and see all the value-added products (salves, balms, honey vinegars) that come from clean wax and honey. VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/TEvKZuO2d8kMann Lake's New Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mannlakeKevin O'Connor: https://beeboys.org/Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order.https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/[email protected]

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• How to Make Money Beekeeping - Wisdom from a 50 Year Commercial Beekeeper!

  What can you learn from a 50 year beekeeper? Chuck Kutik opens up about everything he has learned about beekeeping and making money in the business of bees, over the years. In this engaging episode, host Eric Bennett welcomes Chuck, a 50-year veteran commercial beekeeper from New York. Chuck opens up about the fascinating life of bees, the business side of beekeeping, and what it takes to balance passion, profit, and pollination. From moving thousands of hives for blueberry pollination to dealing with bears, yellow jasmine, and lightning strikes, Chuck’s stories blend humor, humility, and decades of hard-earned wisdom. Episode Highlights The Wonder of the Hive: Chuck shares how each beehive feels like divine creation in motion — a glimpse of harmony between bees, flowers, and nature itself. Pollination Journeys: His favorite job? Pollinating blueberries in North Carolina. Chuck describes hauling 3,000 hives south, working with farmers he now calls friends, and how blueberries, almonds, and even weather patterns shape the bees’ health. Toxic Blooms & Bee Hazards: Learn why yellow jasmine, South Carolina’s state flower, is poisonous to bees — and how even his workers once found out the hard way. Trucking Bees Across America: Chuck details the challenges of transporting bees across long distances — from ventilation hacks on semis to surviving long nights and a near-miss lightning storm in Maine. The Business of Bees: From selling nucs and queens to running retail stores and pollination contracts, Chuck explains which parts of beekeeping actually make money — and how new beekeepers can start smart. Honey Varieties & Flavor Talk: Explore the unique tastes of clover, blueberry, sourwood, locust, and the rare Tupelo honey — which Chuck confesses is his favorite. Lessons in Loss & Survival: How Chuck’s colonies fared through cold winters, why new comb and young queens make a difference, and the constant battle with Varroa mites. Beekeeping Humor & Humanity: Chuck recalls youthful misadventures, from overworking himself to bringing a spare truck transmission on the road — “because you never know.” Advice for Beginners: Chuck reminds new beekeepers that bees aren’t for saving money — they’re for joy. “If you just want cheap honey, buy it. But if you love nature and God’s creation, then you’ll love keeping bees.” VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/2OPwBJqBZ1s____________________Mann Lake's New Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mannlake Chuck Kutik: https://www.kutiks.com/ Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Mann Lake! https://www.mannlakeltd.com/ Mann Lake discount code: MLBEELOVE10 for $10 off your first $100 order. https://www.beelovebeekeeping.com/ [email protected]

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