Bee Science: Colony Necropsy with Dewey (BSD-2)

In this episode of Bee Science with Dewey, Dewey Caron introduces the concept of a colony necropsy—the careful reading of hive debris to understand what is happening inside a honey bee colony without opening the hive. By examining wax particles, pollen fragments, brood remains, mite debris, and other material on the hive floor, beekeepers can diagnose colony health, seasonal progress, and potential stressors with minimal disturbance.

Dewey explains how debris patterns change through the year, what normal versus concerning signs look like, and how this simple observational practice can guide smarter management decisions. From overwinter survival clues to early warning signals of brood disease or Varroa pressure, colony necropsy offers a low-cost, low-impact tool available to every beekeeper.

This episode reinforces a central theme of the series: good beekeeping begins with careful observation. By learning to interpret what bees leave behind, beekeepers gain insight that supports healthier colonies and more confident seasonal management.

Links and references mentioned in this episode:

Caron, D.M. 2018 Dead Colony Forensics. Bee Culture
Apiary Inspectors of America: https://apiaryinspectors.org/US-beekeeping-survey
Pacific Northwest Honey Bee Survey: https://pnwhoneybeesurvey.com
Underwood, R and D. M. van Englesdorf. 2007. Colony Collapse Disorder: Have We Seen This Before? American Bee Journal.
Beekeeping Today Podcast, Episode 372 with Ray Baxter, "Bottom Up Beekeeping": https://beekeepingtodaypodcast.com/372-bottom-up-beekeeping

______________

Brought to you by Betterbee – your partners in better beekeeping.

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

_______________

We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments in the show notes of this episode or: questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com

Thank you for listening!

Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents; Epilogue by Musicalman; Faraday by BeGun; Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus; A Fresh New Start by Pete Morse; Wedding Day by Boomer; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; Red Jack Blues by Daniel Hart; Bolero de la Fontero by Rimsky Music; Perfect Sky by Graceful Movement; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott.

Beekeeping Today Podcast is an audio production of Growing Planet Media, LLC

** As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(464)

AI in the Bee Yard: Getting Started with AI for Beekeepers

Artificial intelligence is rapidly finding its way into everyday tools—but where does it fit in the bee yard? In this Beekeeping Today Podcast Short, Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman begin exploring how b...

23 Sep 19min

The U.S. Beekeeping Survey: Colony Losses, Varroa, and Better Data (403)

What can nearly two decades of beekeeper-reported data tell us about colony health—and what can it not tell us? In this episode, Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman welcome Dr. Geoff Williams, Dr. Nathalie S...

21 Sep 55min

Bee Science with Dewey Caron: Honey Bees and Smoke

Why do we smoke honey bees—and how much smoke do they really need? In this installment of his Bee Science mini-series on Beekeeping Today, Dr. Dewey Caron sends an audio postcard from Portland, Oregon...

16 Sep 24min

From Spacecraft to Beehives: Dan Seitz and ApisNode (402)

What happens when a spacecraft engineer becomes fascinated with honey bees? In this episode, Jeff and Becky welcome Dan Seitz, an engineer from Los Alamos, New Mexico, whose career designing instrumen...

14 Sep 53min

Varroa Treatment: Api-Bioxal RTU

The Varroa Treatment Series continues with another oxalic acid option: Api-Bioxal RTU, a ready-to-use liquid formulation designed for dribble application. Dr. David Peck of Betterbee joins Jeff and Be...

9 Sep 20min

A Conversation with Beekeepers Quarterly (401)

Beekeeping challenges rarely stop at national borders. This week, Jeff and Becky cross the Atlantic for a conversation with Dr. Andrea Quigley and Norman Carreck, co-editors of the UK-based Beekeepers...

7 Sep 51min

Inside Premier Bee Products: From Bee Yard Ideas to Manufacturing

What does it look like when beekeeping equipment moves from an idea in the bee yard to full-scale manufacturing? In this Beekeeping Today Podcast Short, Jeff Ott takes listeners onto the production fl...

3 Sep 17min

Winning at Honey with Stephanie: Preparing Pollen for Competition

This month on Winning at Honey with Stephanie, Stephanie Slater turns her attention to a honey show category that doesn't appear at every competition: pollen. Preparing pollen for competition requires...

2 Sep 12min