{"podcast":{"title":"Honey Bee Obscura Podcast","slug":"honey-bee-obscura-podcast-1371774","podcast_index_feed_id":1371774,"rss_url":"https://honeybeeobscura.libsyn.com/rss","website_url":"https://www.honeybeeobscura.com","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/d/9/3/0/d9303f977fe958ca88c4a68c3ddbc4f2/2023_HBO_Logo_square.jpg","author":"Growing Planet Media, LLC","episode_count":290,"summary":"The weekly podcast exploring the joys, challenges, and curiosities of keeping honey bees. Hosted by Dr. Jim Tew and produced by Jeff Ott, Honey Bee Obscura delivers short, focused conversations that dive into the details of beekeeping—from practical how-tos to quirky observations. Perfect for learning something new on the way to the apiary, at home, or wherever your bees take you.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-09T20:22:42.677935+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/honey-bee-obscura-podcast-1371774"},"episode":{"title":"Plain Talk: Hot Bees, Ants and Weeds (291)","slug":"plain-talk-hot-bees-ants-and-weeds-291","published_at":"2026-07-09T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/honey-bee-obscura-podcast-1371774/plain-talk-hot-bees-ants-and-weeds-291","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/honey-bee-obscura-podcast-1371774","url":"https://honeybeeobscura.com/291-plain-talk-hot-bees-ants-weeds","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/honeybeeobscura/291_-_Hot_Bees_Ants_and_Weeds.mp3?dest-id=2550263","summary":"As summer temperatures climb across much of North America, Dr. Jim Tew reflects on what extreme heat means for both honey bees and the people who care for them. Speaking from his Ohio bee yard during an intense July heat wave, Jim shares why years of experience—and a healthy respect for aging—have changed how he approaches midsummer beekeeping. Rather than opening colonies simply to satisfy curiosity, Jim explains why strong colonies should often be left alone during periods of excessive heat, allowing the bees to maintain the carefully regulated temperatures they need inside the hive. He also discusses practical ways beekeepers can adjust their own work schedules by borrowing lessons from earlier generations who routinely worked outdoors before the day's highest temperatures. The conversation then shifts to an often-overlooked subject: ants. Drawing from decades of beekeeping in both Alabama and Ohio, Jim explores the surprisingly complex relationship between ants and honey bee colonies. While ants are commonly viewed as pests, Jim describes situations where they may actually provide ecological benefits by cleaning hive debris and helping suppress wax moth infestations in dead colonies. Finally, Jim reflects on adapting both his beekeeping and his bee yard to changing physical abilities. Rather than striving for perfectly manicured apiaries, he shares his evolving philosophy of working with nature, maintaining accessible pathways through a more natural landscape while continuing to enjoy the bees that have shaped so much of his life. _____________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative ca…","meta_description":"As summer temperatures climb across much of North America, Dr. Jim Tew reflects on what extreme heat means for both honey bees and the people who care for…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1766,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/honey-bee-obscura-podcast-1371774/episodes/plain-talk-hot-bees-ants-and-weeds-291/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/honey-bee-obscura-podcast-1371774/plain-talk-hot-bees-ants-and-weeds-291.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}