{"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":"The Wayward Swarm, Part 3 (283)","slug":"the-wayward-swarm-part-3-283","published_at":"2026-05-14T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/honey-bee-obscura-podcast-1371774/the-wayward-swarm-part-3-283","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/honey-bee-obscura-podcast-1371774","url":"https://honeybeeobscura.com/283-the-wayward-swarm-part-3","audio_url":"https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/honeybeeobscura/Wayward_Swarm_Part_3_283.mp3?dest-id=2550263","summary":"In this third installment of The Wayward Swarm , Jim Tew returns to the now-infamous swarm hanging high in a tree after days of cold rain and falling temperatures. Joined by longtime beekeeper friend Jason Ferrell, Jim attempts one final rescue effort for what may be one of the largest — and most ill-fated — swarms either of them has encountered. What follows is raw, field-recorded beekeeping under miserable spring conditions. With temperatures hovering near 40°F, rain moving through, and the cluster weakening by the hour, Jim and Jason attempt an improvised bee vacuum recovery involving ladders, extension cords, slippery footing, failing equipment, and more determination than good judgment. Along the way, listeners hear the difficult reality of swarm survival, the limits of intervention, and the emotional pull that keeps beekeepers trying even when the odds are poor. This episode captures beekeeping exactly as it sometimes is: exhausting, frustrating, uncertain, and deeply human. Jim's candid narration and Jason's steady assistance make this one of the most memorable \"Plain Talk\" field episodes yet released on Honey Bee Obscura . Will the swarm survive? At the time of recording, even Jim doesn't know. But listeners will experience every step of the attempt. ______________________ 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 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'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controll…","meta_description":"In this third installment of The Wayward Swarm , Jim Tew returns to the now-infamous swarm hanging high in a tree after days of cold rain and falling temp…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1024,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/honey-bee-obscura-podcast-1371774/episodes/the-wayward-swarm-part-3-283/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/the-wayward-swarm-part-3-283.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}