Barncast 26 -- Bzzcast!

This is very timely. There has been a critical shortage of honeybees globally, and this could have devastating negative consequences for food production. It isn't just the mites, but it is also related to genetically modified foods, too.

Hi JohnG. Next time we have Tom on we'll have to talk about mites and other problems.

Thank you very much Charles! It was great having him on, and we'll have him in back in a couple of weeks. Maybe the first week of every month we'll try and have a guest. It was a lot of fun.

Hi Misty and Andrew. I listen to you from Tokyo, while walking my dog or cleaning my way-too-small apartment. I can almost smell the farm (good and bad!) when I hear the barncast. I'm always amazed at how much work you do with the animals and the garden, especially since it seems you also have full-time jobs. What's a typical day like for you?

I have often considered a move to the countryside, but wonder how I would adapt after years in a big city. Was it hard for the two of you to make the transition?

Please do have Tom on again to talk about bees. They are really fascinating creatures and honey has some amazing health benefits, too.

All the best to you and the farm crew!

Thanks all for the nice words! I was nervous about the interview, but Misty and Andrew calmed me down and it turned out pretty ok.

Huffenpuff,

Being in the big city may not rule out beekeeping for you. Urban beekeeping is catching on. You just have to be creative about site selection. Google "Paris Opera Honey" to get the idea.

And here's a great blog by a nice lady keeping bees on her roof.

You can even raise bees for fun and pleasure. You probably won't get much honey that way, but watching bees is a kick all by itself.

Thanks again. Talk to you later.

Best, Tom

Hey there Misty and Andrew!! I loved this episode! Oh I want to give you a link to a neat Picture my Dad took a few weeks ago at my request..the March of the Bee's I call it. http://billandruthinlove.blogspot.com/ I love to see it happen - its soo neat! Enjoyed the info! Look forward to this weeks! Huggs! Shell

Hi - really enjoy the podcasts. Nearly freaked me out the firat time I listened though - I listen on my iPod, and I nearly wet myself when I heard a goat, I think it was, in my house. How the heck did it get there? No kidding(!), it took me a few seconds to realise that because I had earbuds in, the sounds were completely like real life. Weird. Anyway, keep casting, India, Scotland

Thanks for the info about city bee-keeping, Tom. I'm really intrigued, and it would be great to have my own personal honey supply. But I'm wondering what to do if the bees swarmed or went into attack mode!

(Oh, and the link for the blog is missing. Would you mind posting that again, please?)

Looking forward to hearing more about the bees!

Hi Huffenpuff,

Think of the bees as cells and the hive as a complete animal. When bees swarm, the hive is giving birth. There's a new queen, and the swarm leaves with the old queen in search of a new home.

They can't carry luggage of course. Their honey stomachs are packed full. A bee with a full stomach hates to sting. She would die and waste that valuable honey! Swarms are gentle. They just look scary and Hollywood has had a ball with them. Don't worry :) When beeks hear about a swarm, we rush to it. Free bees!

The links that I posted got messed up. Here's me trying again. City bees blog: http://citybees.blogspot.com/

Indoor bee keeping: http://www.google.com/search?q=observation+hive&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:unofficial