In this episode, Jeff and Becky welcome back Dara Scott, founder and managing director of HiveAlive, to dive deeper into his unique beekeeping practices in Ireland. Building on his previous appearance, Dara shares insights into his queen management program, the benefits of working with Apis mellifera mellifera, and how Ireland’s challenging weather influences beekeeping strategies. Dara discusses his transition to using smaller hive boxes and foundationless frames, the impact of locally adapted queens, and his innovative approach to overwintering multiple queens in a single hive stack. He also highlights the challenges and advantages of working with native Irish honey bees, including their frugality and ability to thrive in less-than-ideal conditions. This episode also includes an audio postcard from Dr. Dewey Caron, who provides fascinating insights into Africanized honey bees and their management. Drawing from his experience in South America, Dr. Caron shares observations on the adaptations, challenges, and opportunities presented by these unique honey bees, offering valuable lessons for beekeepers everywhere. Join us as we explore the nuances of beekeeping across the Atlantic and gain inspiration from Dara’s approach to creating resilient and productive colonies. Listen Today! Websites we recommend: Hive Alive: https://usa.hivealivebees.com Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.orgThe National Honey Board: https://honey.com Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com2 Million Blossoms - The Podcast: https://2millionblossoms.com Copyright © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC ______________ 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 This episode is brought to you by Global Patties! Global offers a variety of standard and custom patties. Visit them today at http://globalpatties.com and let them know you appreciate them sponsoring this episode! Thanks to Bee Smart Designs as a sponsor of this podcast! Bee Smart Designs is the creator of innovative, modular and interchangeable hive systems made in the USA using recycled and American sourced materials. Bee Smart Designs - Simply better beekeeping for the modern beekeeper. Thanks to Strong Microbials for their support of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Find out more about their line of probiotics in our Season 3, Episode 12 episode and from their website: https://www.strongmicrobials.com Thanks for Northern Bee Books for their support. Northern Bee Books is the publisher of bee books available worldwide from their website or from Amazon and bookstores everywhere. They are also the publishers of The Beekeepers Quarterly and Natural Bee Husbandry. _______________ 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; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott. Beekeeping Today Podcast is an audio production of Growing Planet Media, LLC Copyright © 2025 by Growing Planet Media, LLC
