7 beekeeping podcasts to listen to in 2022 (rated by a beekeeper)
There are over ten times as many podcasts on the internet as there are bees in a single hive.
When you consider that a honeybee hive contains up to 60,000 bees, that number is pretty impressive.
With over 850,000 podcasts out there, the hard part isn’t finding a podcast about bees...it’s finding the ones worth listening to.
I listened to the top beekeeping podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, then selected my favorites below. Whether you’re a first-year beekeeper or have several seasons under your belt, there’s a show out there for you.
1. Behind the Veil
This is the podcast that I produce. The reason I started my own is that the other podcasts out there about bees didn’t have the style of storytelling I was yearning for. There are great options if you want to listen to interviews, but I was looking for a show that offered a little more than that. Plus, I wanted something people could listen to in the car with their friends—even if those friends weren’t beekeepers. Give it a listen and email me at alfredo@buddhabeeapiary.com to let me know what you think!
2. Beekeeper Confidential
Mandy Shaw’s interview skills are top-notch. Her show is lively and she brings in entertaining, informative beekeepers. I feel like I’m hanging out in the room with her and the guest when I listen to this podcast. Mandy describes the show as “a passport to connecting with a global community of like-minded individuals who share a similar passion for bees.” That hits the nail on the head. She hasn’t put out an episode since September 2020, but there’s a great backlog of episodes to listen to if you’re just getting into beekeeping podcasts.
3. Two Bees in a Podcast
The University of Florida Honeybee Research and Extension Lab produces a podcast to share research with the public—both their own and research from other institutions. The host, Jamie Ellis, has been keeping bees since he was 12 on his grandfather’s dairy farm. He is joined by sidekick Amy Vu. They do a great job getting scientific guests to put their research into plain English.
4. Beekeeping - Short and Sweet
It can be intimidating to look up a podcast only to see every episode is an hour long. That’s a big commitment! This podcast about bees is breath of fresh air as each episode is only 15 minutes. Based in Norfolk, England, host Stewark Spinks is a joy to listen to. Each episode contains a nugget of wisdom. I like listening to this on short commutes to the grocery store.
5. Barefoot Beekeeper
Phil Chanlder has strong opinions about the state of commercial beekeeping. He doesn’t believe in keeping bees for the sake of maximum honey production. Instead, he’s looking for a more natural approach to beekeeping. (He’s a top-bar hive kind of guy.) In his honeybee podcast, he asks big questions like, “Can genetically modified food really feed the world?” And, “Are stupid beekeepers the the real cause of bee decline?”
6. Beekeeping Today
This is one of the longest-running beekeeping podcasts. It’s produced by Bee Culture, the most popular beekeeping magazine. Designed for true bee geeks, each episode is about an hour long. I personally skip through the first 15 minutes or so—past the initial banter and ads—to get right into the interview.
7. The Beekeeper’s Corner
Kevin Inglin is a hobby beekeeper from central New Jersey. He has hosted this beekeeping podcast on the side since 2010 and usually puts out an episode every two weeks. Unlike other shows, Kevin doesn’t strictly do interviews. Most episodes are him sharing his insights into various topics like timing for treatments, queen rearing, washing bee suits, and more.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
There you have it. The top beekeeping podcasts of the year. Did I miss any? Send me a note with your favorite episode to alfredo@buddhabeeapiary.com.