{"podcast":{"title":"Beekeeping Today Podcast","slug":"beekeeping-today-podcast-512758","podcast_index_feed_id":512758,"rss_url":"https://beekeepingtodaypodcast.libsyn.com/rss2","website_url":"https://www.beekeepingtodaypodcast.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/0/4/0/6/0406615616d1cfb2d959afa2a1bf1c87/BTPNewLogowithOutline-3000-20251231-dqbuga5w1y.png","author":"Jeff Ott","episode_count":436,"summary":"The weekly podcast bringing beekeepers the latest news, research, and insights on honey bees. Hosted by Jeff Ott and Dr. Becky Masterman, each episode features conversations with beekeepers, scientists, authors, and industry leaders. Whether you're just starting your first hive or managing hundreds, you'll find practical tips, fresh perspectives, and engaging stories to inspire your beekeeping journey.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-08T22:20:27.932171+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/beekeeping-today-podcast-512758"},"episode":{"title":"Queen Series: Ang Roell on Queen Breeding and Hygienic Genetics (385)","slug":"queen-series-ang-roell-on-queen-breeding-and-hygienic-genetics-385","published_at":"2026-05-18T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/beekeeping-today-podcast-512758/queen-series-ang-roell-on-queen-breeding-and-hygienic-genetics-385","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/beekeeping-today-podcast-512758","url":"https://www.beekeepingtodaypodcast.com/385-queen-breeding-genetics","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/beekeepingtodaypodcast/385-Ang-Roell.mp3?dest-id=2537132","summary":"Ang Roell of They Keep Bees joins Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman for another installment of the Beekeeping Today Podcast Queen Series. Ang shares the story behind building a migratory queen breeding operation and explains how years of working with Carniolan, Russian, and hygienic stock shaped the breeding philosophy behind their Massachusetts-based apiary. The conversation explores the realities of raising queens professionally, including drone saturation, mating yards, queen cells, virgins, instrumental insemination, and the challenges of selecting for Varroa-sensitive hygienic behavior while maintaining strong overwintering performance in northern climates. Ang discusses how They Keep Bees evaluates breeder queens using hygienic testing, mite washes, and Harbo assays, while also participating in collaborative research projects examining the heritability of hygienic traits. Jeff and Becky also discuss the growing interest in queen cells and virgin queens among smaller-scale beekeepers and why understanding these systems can improve overall beekeeping management. Ang explains practical approaches to walkaway splits, late-season nucleus production, and why there is no \"silver bullet\" queen when it comes to Varroa management. Throughout the episode, Ang emphasizes the importance of curiosity, experimentation, collaboration between scientists and working beekeepers, and building locally adapted stock that thrives within regional nectar flows and winter conditions. It is an insightful conversation for beekeepers interested in genetics, queen production, sustainable stock selection, and the future of honey bee breeding. Websites from the episode and others we recommend: They Keep Bees: https://theykeepbees.com SARE (Sustianable Agricultural Research and Education): https://ww…","meta_description":"Ang Roell of They Keep Bees joins Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman for another installment of the Beekeeping Today Podcast Queen Series. Ang shares the story…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3088,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/beekeeping-today-podcast-512758/episodes/queen-series-ang-roell-on-queen-breeding-and-hygienic-genetics-385/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/beekeeping-today-podcast-512758/queen-series-ang-roell-on-queen-breeding-and-hygienic-genetics-385.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}