Dr Cook joins Larry Meiller on WPR to discuss all things honeybees

Dr Chelsea Cook was a guest on WPR’s The Larry Meiller Show on Feb 23rd, 2026 to talk about the Cook labs research and honeybees more generally. They chat about the incredible work that female worker bees like foragers can do, cooperative behavior, division of labor, and the Cook Lab’s behavior of special interest: fanning! You can listen to the show here on the Wisconsin Public Radio website.

“There’s so many fascinating ways that animals divide labor, and this is kind of the question that a lot of scientists like myself who study social insects ask … like Larry how do you know you’re the radio host and how do I know I’m the scientist? How do we decide labor? We both do important jobs, how do we do it, how do we know?”

Have you ever wanted to ask an expert questions like: how you can support pollinators in your own yard? Are bees magnetic? Do other bees in Wisconsin have social societies? Can you tell what bee sounds mean? How do you catch a swarm? Is there an equivalent of tick-preventatives to keep my bees healthy? What should new beekeepers be doing? If you want to hear the answer to these questions and more, make sure you give the show a listen.

The interview closed with advice to avoid frustrations during beekeeping. “Find the folks around you, a good beekeeping community … [like] there’s tons of amazing bee clubs and courses around Wisconsin that can be a source of peace and knowledge that can help improve your chances as a beekeeper.”

Thanks Larry Meiller and WPR for connecting the community with experts like Dr. Cook to share about research and answer questions.