400 Episodes of Beekeeping Today: Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Four hundred episodes. What started with a conversation between Jeff Ott and the late Kim Flottum in Medina, Ohio, has grown into hundreds of conversations about honey bees, beekeeping, research, management, and the people who make up the beekeeping community.

For this special 400th episode, Jeff and Becky Masterman are joined around the virtual Beekeeping Today table by three familiar voices: Dr. Jim Tew, Dr. Dewey Caron, and Stephanie Slater. Together, they look back at how the podcast began, what they've learned from years of talking with beekeepers, and why those conversations continue to matter.

The discussion also tackles a Hive IQ listener question from a new beekeeper whose first nucleus colony produced more than ten gallons of honey—and who is already thinking about expanding. The group considers how quickly a new beekeeper should grow, the financial and management realities of expansion, and Becky's suggestion that growing by dividing your own successful colonies can provide a natural governor on expansion while skills develop.

From there, the conversation ranges from understanding local nectar flows and finding mentors to honey shows, marketing local honey, farmer's markets, and even matching different honeys with cocktails.

Most importantly, Episode 400 celebrates the listeners, guests, contributors, and sponsors who have helped Beekeeping Today Podcast reach this milestone.

Thank you for coming along for the first 400. On to 500!

Websites from the episode and others we recommend:

Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org Project Apis m. (PAm): https://www.projectapism.org The National Honey Board: https://honey.com Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com

Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC

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Betterbee is the presenting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com

This episode is brought to you by Global Patties! Global offers a variety of standard and custom patties. Visit them today at http://globalpatties.com and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode!