About The Hosts

Jeff Ott's journey with honey bees began in childhood with a fascination for flying and crawling creatures. He first kept an observation hive on his bedroom desk, sparking a lifelong passion for beekeeping. Over the years, Jeff grew from a hobbyist to a sideliner, managing honey bee colonies and providing local pollination services. His involvement with the Medina County and Ohio State Beekeepers Associations, along with his role as president of the Medina association, deepened his knowledge and network within the beekeeping community.

Today, Jeff lives in Olympia, Washington, and is a Master Beekeeper certified by the University of Montana and the Washington State Beekeepers Association. He founded the popular Beekeeping Today Podcast with the late Kim Flottum, reaching thousands of listeners each week. Jeff also produces two additional podcasts, Honey Bee Obscura and 2 Million Blossoms, under his media company, Growing Planet Media. His work continues to educate and inspire beekeepers worldwide.

Becky Masterman became a beekeeper when hired by the University of Minnesota Bee Lab as an undergraduate lab technician in 1992. She stayed on to earn a Ph.D. studying the neuroethology of honey bee hygienic behavior under the direction of Dr. Marla Spivak.

After a career detour in real estate, Becky returned to the Bee Lab in 2012 and led their Bee Squad program until 2019. Becky also served the Minnesota Honey Producers Association Board as a Director from 2016-2022 and currently heads their Habitat Committee and Habitat Hour webinar series. She has co-written the Minding Your Bees and Cues column with Bridget Mendel for Bee Culture Magazine since 2020.

Residing in Saint Paul with her husband and cat, Becky spends her free time managing her own bees and short-term rental properties across the Twin Cities metro area.

Kim Flottum attended the University Of Wisconsin, Madison, receiving a BS in Horticulture Production. While an undergrad he worked for the UW Entomology Department, researching insect control in green houses and gardens, and writing Extension Bulletins about those pests.

After graduation, he worked for the USDA Honey Bee Research Lab in Madison for four years, studying crop pollination, pesticide problems with honey bees and using honey plants in the home landscape. Later he moved to Connecticut where he was a farm manager, producing row crop vegetables and managing an apple orchard. While there he joined the CT Beekeepers Association, became President and then CT Director to Eastern Apicultural Society. John Root was also on the EAS Board at the time, and after a year offered the job of Publications Manager and Editor of Gleanings In Bee Culture, A.I. Root’s monthly beekeeping magazine.

During his tenure at A. I. Root, he created a new magazine, BEEKeeping, Your First Three Years, and also published several books, by multiple authors, along with editing three editions of The ABC and XYZ Of Bee Culture. He designed the first of Root’s beekeeping web pages, and started the daily email blast CATCH THE BUZZ.

Kim also served in leadership positions with The Ohio State Beekeeper's Assn and EAS.

During his 33 years as Bee Culture Editor, he produced five books of his own, including five editions of "The Backyard Beekeeper", plus In "Business With Bees", "The Honey Handbook", "First Time Beekeeping&quo… Read More