In this December Beekeeping Today Short, Dr. Dewey Caron offers a fascinating look at what our bees communicate through something we often ignore: hive debris. This episode continues Dewey's ongoing monthly exploration of honey bee communication—bridging bee science, beekeeper decisions, and the bees' own intricate signals.

Drawing from his upcoming American Bee Journal review and the new book Bottom-Up Beekeeping by Ray Baxter, Dewey explains how debris boards can reveal far more than mite counts. From colony size and cluster position to brood activity, queen events, moisture issues, pollen usage, and even pest signatures, hive "trash" becomes a rich source of insights. Dewey also highlights practical techniques taught by Christine Kurtz, the "Petaluma Bee Lady," whose debris-reading presentations have inspired many beekeepers to add this tool to their regular management.

The episode closes with a deep dive into undertaker bees—how they detect death inside the hive, the chemical cues involved, and the essential role these workers play in colony hygiene.

This Short offers a thoughtful preview of what listeners can expect when Dewey launches his new monthly mini-series Bee Science with Dr. Dewey Caron in January. It's practical, insightful, and rooted in research—perfect for beekeepers looking to understand their colonies from the bottom up.

Links and references mentioned in this episode:

Petaluma Bee Lady: https://www.alamedabees.org/event/april-2024-meeting/
Paul Seifert Hive Recordings: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0247323
Ray Baxte, Bottom-Up Beekeeping: Learning from the Debris on the Hive Floor, 2025 Northern Bee Books. https://amzn.to/3XNuCrT
Undertaker Bee Study: https://www.science.org/content/article/how-undertaker-bees-recognize-dead-comrades

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[Bonus] Short - Hive Debris Analysis with Dr. Dewey Caron

Beekeeping Today Podcast