Beekeeping Today Podcast
Hosted by Beekeeping Today
A weekly news and interview show for beekeepers, featuring practical, science-based conversations with researchers, authors, and industry leaders.
A practical, science-driven audio resource for active beekeepers. Hosts Jeff Ott and Dr. Becky Masterman use their own deep expertise to interview a mix of researchers, commercial operators, and hobbyists on topics from mite management to queen genetics. Episodes are framed by the hosts' own seasonal beekeeping experiences, creating a relatable, peer-to-peer dynamic that goes beyond surface-level Q&A.
“The hosts' credentials are its key differentiator. Unlike generalist hosts, Ott's and Masterman's own extensive experience in beekeeping and entomology allows them to engage guests in detailed, practical conversations, ask informed follow-up questions, and translate complex science for a practitioner audience.”
Who hosts this show
Beekeeping Today is a weekly podcast hosted by Jeff Ott and Dr. Becky Masterman that provides news, information, and entertainment for beekeepers. Jeff is a Washington State Master Beekeeper and has written for Bee Culture magazine since the early 1990s. Dr. Masterman holds a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Minnesota, where she studied under Dr. Marla Spivak and later led the UMN Bee Squad. Together, they interview a range of experts, from academic researchers to commercial operators, to discuss topics relevant to modern beekeeping.
Credentials & credits
- Jeff Ott: Washington State Master Beekeeper
- Jeff Ott: Columnist for Bee Culture magazine
- Becky Masterman: Ph.D. in Entomology, University of Minnesota
- Becky Masterman: Former Associate Program Director, UMN Bee Squad
- Becky Masterman: Monthly writer for Bee Culture Magazine
- Co-authors of the book "Beekeeping Today"
Other ventures
- Jeff Ott: Host of Honey Bee Obscura podcast
- Becky Masterman: Manages ~50-75 honey bee colonies
- Becky Masterman: Freelance writer, editor, and consultant
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Instrumental Insemination of Honey Bee Queens with Dr. Jack Rath (391)Jun 29, 2026 · 58 min
- 02Varroa Management Guide Update: What Beekeepers Need to KnowJun 22, 2026 · 5 min
- 03Moving Wax Around the Hive with Dave Wade (390)Jun 22, 2026 · 54 min
- 04Bonus Short: NAHBE 2027 - Call for Speakers & New Educational OpportunitiesJun 18, 2026 · 25 min
- 05Chris Hansen on the Business of Hauling Package Bees (389)Jun 15, 2026 · 51 min
- 06"Bitter Honey" Author Jennie Durant (388)Jun 8, 2026 · 44 min
- 07Regional Beekeepers Spring 2026: Honey Flows, Varroa, and What’s Working (387)Jun 1, 2026 · 53 min
- 08AEEA and the Power of Extension Education (386)May 25, 2026 · 40 min
Notable episodes
- 01Varroa Management Guide Update: What Beekeepers Need to Know
A timely, actionable news short explaining crucial updates to the industry-standard guide for mite management, a top concern for all beekeepers.
- 02Instrumental Insemination of Honey Bee Queens with Dr. Jack Rath (391)
Exemplifies the show's deep-dive format, taking a highly technical topic and making it accessible through an expert interview led by knowledgeable hosts.
- 03Regional Beekeepers Spring 2026: Honey Flows, Varroa, and What’s Working (387)
Showcases the podcast's panel discussion format, providing a valuable snapshot of beekeeping conditions and challenges across different North American regions.
What you'll be asked on this show
The hosts begin interviews by establishing the guest's background with a broad origin story question like, "Tell us about yourself and how you got started with bees." They guide the conversation from the guest's personal history into the technical details of their expertise. Leveraging their own knowledge, they ask clarifying questions to define key terms (e.g., distinguishing "instrumental" from "artificial" insemination) and probe the methodology of a guest's work (e.g., "What form are you giving them the wax?"). The style is conversational and peer-to-peer, with the hosts often sharing their own related experiences, which fosters a collaborative exploration of the topic rather than a rigid Q&A.
Episodes typically open with casual, seasonal banter between the hosts about their own hives before introducing the guest. The format includes a listener-submitted opening and a "Hive IQ" segment for listener questions. The feed also includes shorter, non-interview "Shorts" episodes that focus on timely news, such as updates to management guides.
Questions Beekeeping Today keeps coming back to
8 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Beekeeping Today reaches for it.
origin
1- Q.01
“Tell us about yourself and how you got interested in bees.”
This is the standard opening question to establish the guest's background and origin story.
process
3- Q.01
“What problem were you trying to solve when you started this work?”
This question is used to understand the core motivation behind a guest's research or experiments.
- Q.02
“What led you from general beekeeping into your specific area of focus?”
The hosts ask this to trace the guest's professional journey and the evolution of their expertise.
- Q.03
“When selecting for traits, are you looking at both drones and queens?”
This question probes deeper into the genetic and breeding process being discussed.
advice
2- Q.01
“Can you define [key concept] for our listeners?”
When a technical term is introduced, the hosts pause to ensure the audience understands it.
- Q.02
“What's the minimum scale needed to get started with [guest's method]?”
The hosts ask this to get practical advice on the investment and scale required for a new technique.
technique
2- Q.01
“What specific form does [the material/method] take?”
This is a clarifying question to get concrete details about a guest's process or technique.
- Q.02
“Where in the hive do you place [the item you're testing]?”
This question seeks to understand the specific methodology of a guest's experiment or practice.
Signature segments
- · Listener-submitted openings
- · Hive IQ (listener question segment)
- · Co-host seasonal banter
- · Beekeeping Today Podcast Shorts
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are leaders and practitioners in the beekeeping world, including academic researchers, veterinarians, authors, commercial bee haulers, and dedicated hobbyist beekeepers who are experimenting with new techniques.
- Dr. Jack Rathon Instrumental Insemination of Honey Bee Queens with Dr. Jack Rath (391)
- David Wadeon Moving Wax Around the Hive with Dave Wade (390)
- Chris Hansenon Chris Hansen on the Business of Hauling Package Bees (389)
- Jennie Duranton "Bitter Honey" Author Jennie Durant (388)
- Ang Roellon Regional Beekeepers Spring 2026: Honey Flows, Varroa, and What’s Working (387)
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The podcast is sponsored by major beekeeping supply companies like Betterbee and Global Patties, indicating an audience of active, purchasing beekeepers who invest in their hives.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Beekeeping Today
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Beekeeping Today?
- The hosts are Jeff Ott, a Washington State Master Beekeeper, and Dr. Becky Masterman, who holds a Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Minnesota.
- What is the format of the show?
- Most episodes are long-form interviews with experts in beekeeping. The show also features shorter news-focused episodes and panel discussions with beekeepers from different regions.
- Is this podcast for beginners?
- While beginners can learn from it, the content is geared more towards intermediate and advanced beekeepers who are familiar with basic hive management.
- How often do new episodes come out?
- New episodes are released weekly, typically on Mondays.
- Where can I listen to the podcast?
- The podcast is available on its official website, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and other major podcast platforms.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]Beekeeping Today Podcast Official Websitebeekeepingtodaypodcast.com
- [02]University of Minnesota Bee Lab - Bee Squad & Extension Teambeelab.umn.edu
- [03]MN Hobby Beekeepers Newsletter featuring Becky Mastermanmnbeekeepers.com
- [04]Two Bees in a Podcast: Episode 243 with Jeff Ott and Dr. Becky Mastermanyoutube.com
- [05]The Gardening with Joey and Holly Radio Show: Guest Bee expert Jeff Ottyoutube.com
- [06]Bee Culture Magazine - Becky Mastermanbeeculture.com
- [07]Beekeeping Today Podcast - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [08]Beekeeping Today | Book by Jeff Ott, Rebecca Mastermansimonandschuster.com
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