Beekeeping videos all the buzz in 2024

Fast facts:

Beekeeping short-courses are seven of the top 10 most-watched videos on UADA
Pruning, soil testing round out top 10

LITTLE ROCK — Beekeeping videos occupied seven of 10 slots as the most-viewed videos of 2024 on the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture YouTube channel.
Extension's Jon Zawislak says talking about bees is easy. (U of A System Division of Agriculture file photo)
The videos are part of a 19-video series featuring Jon Zawislak, assistant professor of apiculture and urban entomology and extension specialist. They’ve been viewed by people around the world.
Rounding out the top 10 were videos on primocane blackberries, pruning crapemyrtles and soil testing. The “Pruning Crapemyrtles” video has been the reigning channel champion on views at more than 330,000 since it was posted in 2010.
The Division of Agriculture YouTube channel has nearly 14,000 subscribers and more than 900 videos on a variety of topics.
Here are the channel’s most-viewed videos of 2024:
Complete Beekeeping Short Course: Part 1, Intro to Beekeeping, 37,986 views.
Complete Beekeeping Short Course: Part 2, the Beehive, 28,155 views.
Complete Beekeeping Short Course: Part 4, Honey Bee Biology, 24,651 views.
Primer on Primocanes: A breakthrough in Blackberries, 17,253 views.
Complete Beekeeping Short Course: Part 7, First Year Bee Colony Management, 14,805 views.
Complete Beekeeping Short Course: Part 3, Essential Beekeeping Tools, 13,442 views.
Complete Beekeeping Short Course: Part 6, Starting New Bee Colonies, 13,271 views.
Complete Beekeeping Short Course: Part 11, Managing Parasitic Mites, 12,145 views.
Pruning Crapemyrtles, 12,138 views.

Soil testing: How to Collect Soil Samples, 12,074 views.
The introductory episode of the beekeeping series also made the all-time most viewed list for the UADA channel:
Pruning Crapemyrtles, 331,008 views.
Primer on Primocanes: A breakthrough in Blackberries, 157,072 views.
Fruit pruning – Thornless blackberries, 105,248 views.
How to Build a Rain Barrel to Protect Water Quality, 81,888 views.
Song Birds, 68,245 views.
Complete Beekeeping Short Course: Part 1, Intro to Beekeeping, 60,223 views.
Soil testing: How to Collect Soil Samples, 58,204 views.
Building Bluebird Nest Boxes, 58,040 views.
How to control Root Knot Nematode, 54,534 views.
Potassium vs Blood Pressure, 45,750 views.
Zawislak said he’s long had a passion for honey bees.
“They are such fascinating creatures, so talking about them is easy,” he said. “It's great to know that this video series has been so well received. I hope to be able to continue to update and expand this content in the future.
“People have kept honey bees for thousands of years, but only recently have we begun to really understand why they do some of the things they do,” Zawislak said. “My teaching style attempts to blend science with the practical how-to of managing bee colonies for honey and pollination.
Zawislak said, “my partner in this, Ben Aaron in communications, deserves a lot of credit for putting all the videos together so smoothly.”
Aaron said “I was very surprised at the reaction to the Beekeeping series.
“Jon has shared emails with me from people all over the globe, thanking him,” Aaron said. “There seems to be a real need for a comprehensive overview of home beekeeping.”