Chuck Cook Podcast

🐝⚙️ Chuck's back in The Apiary with a HUGE update! After a short break (and battling some tech gremlins 🤦‍♂️), he's spilling all the beans on what's been buzzing in his bee yard.

🤔 Are you curious about the big switch to VSH (Varroa Sensitive Hygiene) queens and why it's a game-changer for mite management? Ever thought about how to prepare your apiary for the potential threat of Tropilaelaps mites? Want to know the secrets behind...

✈️👨‍✈️🐝 Back from the skies & into the hives! Your favorite airline pilot beekeeper is here with a HUGE Zone 9b update after a couple of weeks away. We're talking end of the flow, crazy weather, and queen dramas! You won't believe what the hive scales revealed!

🤔 How did a mid-flow drought bring honey production to a screeching halt, and what revived it? (Hint: 📊 + 🌧️)

🧐 What's the real success rate when introducing virgin ...

🤖⚡️ Cybertruck FSD 13.2.9 on the hot seat! Buckle up as Chuck puts Tesla's latest through REAL-WORLD chaos!

😬 That unprotected left turn... did it really leave its tail hanging out in traffic?!

🤯 Did the Cybertruck actually NAIL an emergency evasive maneuver, or was it just luck?

🤔 Still struggling with basic reversing? And what's the deal with those nerve-wracking tight turns around medians?

📍 Highlights in this episode:

✅ The nai...

👑🐝 Ever held your breath while handling a precious virgin queen? We're unboxing FIVE Missouri Mite Hunter virgins and taking you through the delicate installation process! 😬 It's a wild ride from mail carrier to mating nuc.

🤔 What's the riskiest part of marking a virgin queen, and how can you minimize disaster (hint: it involves a quick trip indoors!)?

🧐 How do you really know if a hive is ready to accept a new virgin, and what ...

🚗💨🤖 Tesla just dropped FSD Beta 13.2.9! Is this "small point release" a stealthy leap forward or just polishing the edges? We take the Model Y for an in-depth test drive to see if it brings us any closer to true self-driving! 🤯

🤔 How does the Model Y on this new FSD version handle challenging city streets, especially compared to the Cybertruck's known quirks?

😬 With the RoboTaxi event supposedly just weeks away, does this updat...

🚗💨🤖 Tesla just dropped FSD Beta 13.2.9! Is this "small point release" a stealthy leap forward or just polishing the edges? We take the Model Y for an in-depth test drive to see if it brings us any closer to true self-driving! 🤯

🤔 How does the Model Y on this new FSD version handle challenging city streets, especially compared to the Cybertruck's known quirks?

😬 With the RoboTaxi event supposedly just weeks away, does this updat...

👑🐝 Foundation frustrations & virgin queen mysteries UNLOCKED! Chuck's in the B Lab with game-changing tips that could save your hive (and your sanity!).

🤔 Tired of foundation warping and ruining your perfect comb? What's the REAL secret to successfully banking and introducing virgin queens? Could thicker foundation and VSH genetics be your hive's new best friends?

📍 Highlights in this episode:

✅ The #1 reason Chuck insists on ...

🐝🤔 Ever tried a TWO QUEEN hive setup? We're checking in on our wild experiments! Double the queens, double the... trouble? Or double the honey? 🍯 Let's dive in!

❓ Did starting these two-queen systems late in the season impact their success and honey production?

❓ What's the verdict on the stacked vs. side-by-side configurations - are the bees actually using the shared honey supers?

❓ Can virgin queens survive hatching in a queen ba...

🐝👑🧪 Ever tried banking queen cells OR used duct tape in your hive? 😅 Dive into Chuck's latest beekeeping adventures as he pushes the boundaries with queen rearing experiments!

🤔 Can a Demaree hive really work as a no-fuss starter AND finisher for queen cells?

🤷‍♂️ What are the secrets (and pitfalls!) of banking virgin queens as backups?

💡 And how do you handle unexpected hatches and escaped bees in mini mating nucs?

📍 Highlight...

🐝👑 Is the Demaree hive the ultimate queen cell starter AND finisher? ✨ Chuck reveals a game-changing experiment that could simplify your queen rearing process! Forget the complex starter/finisher shuffle – this might be the hack you need.

🤔 Can one hive setup really replace the traditional two-step process for raising queens?

🤔 How successful were the grafted cells after just 7 days in the Demaree top box?

🤔 What specific techniq...

🐝✈️ From the cockpit to the bee yard! Chuck's back and diving straight into some serious Demaree hive management.

🤔 Did the added caged queen successfully establish herself? Is scratching honey cappings really the key to creating brood space? And what exactly happens when you perform a "Second Demaree" on a towering colony? 🤷‍♂️

📍 Highlights in this episode:

✅ Watch a real-time Day 9 queen cell check & cut in a young Demaree h...

🐝🍯 Dive into the hive with Chuck as he checks on his Demaree colonies!

🤔 Are upper entrances helping or hindering? Should you crack honey caps to encourage brood? And is Chuck pushing his beekeeping limits by lifting 80lb supers?!

📍 Highlights from this episode:

✅ Witness a booming hive thriving with a Demaree system

✅ Discover how bees are using upper entrances for pollen collection

✅ Learn Chuck's method for equalizing honey stor...

🐝🤯 Four swarms, two potential queens, and one HUGE beekeeping experiment! 🤯🐝

🤔 Can you REALLY combine swarm trapping with two-queen hive setups? Will Chuck's vertical and horizontal approaches actually work? And what's the deal with that mystery queen situation?! 😬

🔥 Buzzworthy Highlights from this Episode: 🔥

✅ See Chuck's early morning swarm trap retrieval routine with red headlamps and spray bottles! 🔦💧

✅ Learn the telltale...

🐝👑 Queen cells, new queens, and a whole lot of beekeeping magic! ✨ Chuck's back with Part 2 of the Swarm Demaree, and this hive is buzzing with activity!

🤔 Did the new queen get accepted? What's the deal with cutting queen cells on foundation? And what's the plan for this booming experimental hive?

🔥 Highlights from this episode:

✅ Witness the successful introduction of a new queen!

✅ Learn Chuck's technique for cutting out queen c...

🐝🤯 Combining a swarm with a weak hive?! Is Chuck losing it?

🤔 Should you always replace a weak queen? Is a Demaree the best way to boost a struggling hive? And what do you do when you've caught TOO MANY swarms?!

🔥 Tune in to find out as Chuck attempts a daring Demaree-swarm combo! 🔥

Here's what you'll get:

✅ Chuck's method for safely collecting swarms before sunrise 😴

✅ Why pollen in a swarm trap is your cue to act ⚠️

✅ The surpris...

🐝🤯 Nuc boxes, failed queen introductions, and 3D printed solutions?! This episode is WILD! 🤯🐝

🤔 Is over-engineering a nuke box with 3D printed brackets genius or overkill? Will Chuck's newfangled queen introduction cage actually work this time? And what REALLY happened to that blue queen in the failed Demoree?

Dive into the beekeeping B-Lab with Chuck as he tackles these questions and more!

🔥 Highlights:

✅ Unveiling Chuck's 3D-pr...

🐝🔥 Ready to geek out on some serious beekeeping? This week, we're tackling beeswax crayons, swarm prevention, and monster hives! 🤯

🤔 Ever wondered how to make your own beeswax crayon for foundation repair? What's the secret to spotting a virgin queen? And can a hive EVER have too much brood? 🧐

📍 Highlights in this episode:

✅ DIY beeswax crayon mold tutorial (link in description!)

✅ Induction cooking tips for melting beeswax safel...

🐝💡 Level up your beekeeping game with Chuck!

🤔 UV paint for hives - does it really work? Are we inadvertently hurting our bees with mite treatments? And are you READY for the magic of the "scoop and score" swarm tool?!

📍 Highlights from this episode:

✅ The truth about UV paint and bee vision 🔦

✅ Varroa resistance: Harbo testing explained! 🔬

✅ Creamed honey tips and tricks 🍯

✅ DIY beeswax crayon for foundation repair! 🖍️

✅ Swarm ca...

🐝🚨 Queen Emergency! Did Chuck just lose a queen?! 😱 Tune in to this WILD episode and watch the drama unfold in real-time.

🤔 What happens when a newly introduced queen gets loose? How do you find a missing queen in the grass? And what's the secret to a successful double-screen board split?

🔥 Highlights in this episode:

✅ Witness the heart-stopping moment when a queen goes missing!

✅ Learn Chuck's search techniques for a lost queen ...