Bees With Ben (Ben)

Its been 3 months since the last Bees With Ben Podcast! 

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we have some incredible guests lined up!

PODCAST EPISODE 46: John Winkles from Pure Peninsula Honey, Victoria, Australia

Like many Melbournites, I love to escape to the Mornington Peninsula when I have time to spare. I love the winding roads that meander between deep set willowy gum trees. I love the small communities hidden in the bush. I love the skies filled with the sounds of galahs and cockatoos. A day spent visiting the Peninsulas glorious beaches, wineries, and farms is a true delight. I am therefore a little jealous of our guest for episode 46 on the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast – John Winkles of Pure Peninsula Honey, whose fantastic honey farm is situated in Moorooduc, amidst local delights such as the Moonlit Sanctuary, Peninsula Hot Springs, Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm and the glorious Cape Schanck National Park.

John was born in Germany and came to Australia when he was in his early twenties. A fourth-generation butcher by trade, John started his beekeeping venture as a hobby, when he found and adopted two feral hives some years ago. John nurtured them until they were healthy and happy colonies.  These days, he is one of the beekeepers with the most hives in the state!

Now running for some 30 years, Pure Peninsula Honey is renowned for its wide range of delicious honey, with something to suit every taste and need. The company offers close to 30 different honey, wax, honeycomb and cosmetic products that you can purchase; some of my favourites are their delicious Lemon Honey – perfect mixed into drinks when you have a cold or need some TLC – and the Local Flora Squeeze Bottle of honey is a must for every pantry. Pure Peninsula Honey also transports bees to pollinate fruit, vegetable and seed crops, and offers bee and wasp control services.

So, if you are heading down to the Peninsula, make sure you stop in at Pure Peninsula Honey farm, open every day of the year except Christmas Day. I would also wholeheartedly recommend John’s delicious ice-cream, not to mention his mead, that just won best mead at show at the Red Hill show! Tune in to hear John and I talk about his transition to beekeeping and life as a keeper on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula.

https://purepeninsulahoney.com.au

Its been over 3 months since the last Bees With Ben Podcast!

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as we have some incredible guests lined up!

PODCAST EPISODE 23: Sarah Hamilton, Native Beekeeper and founder of BeeYourself, Brisbane, Australia

These days the honeybee is well-known and well-loved. Of course, I completely understand why – these little darlings pollinate 70% of the world’s food crops, so what’s not to love! In comparison, native bees don’t get nearly as much press as they deserve. Hugely diverse across the globe and each with their characters and unique abilities, native bees are the unsung heroes of the bee world. With smaller populations and less understood needs, their food supplies and homes can be threatened, with some species even facing extinction.

Australia is also home to a number of very special, unusual and useful native bees, that are an important part of the bushland. Before the introduction of honeybees in 1823, there were, and still are, some 1600 species of indigenous bee in Australia! They come in all shapes, sizes and colours, be that black, yellow, red, metallic green, blue polka dotted and striped! Some are fat and furry, while others are sleek and shiny. At their extremes, Australia’s tiniest native bee of just 2mm comes from Cape York and is known as the Quasihesma bee; on the other end of the spectrum, Australia's largest native bee, the 24mm long Great Carpenter Bee, can be found in the tropical north and northern NSW. Due to their general small size, some native bees can be confused for flies. To my knowledge, of the ten major groups of native bees in Australia, stingless bees prefer warm climates (and not residing in Victoria) and is the only bee currently available for sale in Australia.

And with that introduction, I would like to make a second introduction, and welcome the wonderful Sarah Hamilton to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast for episode 23. Sarah is an Australian native beekeeper based in Brisbane, who sells her hives down the east coast of Australia and runs the website and venture BeeYourself. According to Sarah, “Australian native bees help pollinate your gardens and or crops, helping them bloom to their greatest potential, they produce a unique honey and they are stingless. The good news is that it is very simple to install and maintain a hive of your own”; with that in mind, I would highly recommend anyone interested in native bees gets in touch with Sarah to discuss how they can come to own and nurture some native colonies – a fantastic and worthwhile addition to the local fauna-scape. Listen in to hear Sarah and I chat about threats to native bees, the huge price tag attached to stingless bee honey ($250-$500 per kilo!), honey production levels, and the benefits of keeping stingless bees in schools, kindergartens and hospitals. Let’s learn about and from native bees in Australia, with the help of Sarah Hamilton. Tune in! 

 http://www.beeyourself.com.au/

https://www.bensbees.com.au

This week’s podcast is something quite different. Bees with Ben episode 86 consists of a candid chat with commercial beekeeper Tommy Daniels, from Melbourne’s Yarra Valley. Candid because Tommy had no idea that he was being recorded, as Ben called him under the guise of merely having a friendly chat. Ben explains that sometimes beekeepers are quite reticent, and he wanted to make their conversation raw and natural. Of course, immediately after the phone call, Ben called Tommy back to ask for permission to use the recording, which was duly granted - after a few short edits!

Given the fact that Tommy was unaware he was to be the subject of a podcast, one thing that this episode does demonstrate quite clearly is that beekeepers can certainly talk! Tommy reckons he’s a bit burnt out at the moment. He has over 1000 hives to look after, and says his bees are happy and there is a bit of nectar around, but not much honey coming through.

Ben wonders whether Tommy has seen any of the effects of climate change; Tommy says that 20 years ago honey flows were completely different and much more significant than today. The accepted average earn per hive for pollination and honey combined used to be $500, but now it’s more like $300.

It is obviously apparent that Ben and Tommy could talk all night. Ben gets a text that dinner is ready, so he signs off, but not before Tommy makes that berage that most beekeepers love, a hot cup of tea! 

PODCAST EPISODE 13: Adam Barassi, Tax Accountant from Barassi and Co. Chartered Accountants and Future Beekeeper

As we are all starting to learn that we need to slow down and smell the roses … but THEN we learn that in order for flowers (like roses) and other plants to grow and be smelt, pollination has to occur. Which brings us to bees, of course! Bees are the world’s number one, most-loved pollinator. Part of the process of humans slowing down involves realising what is truly important, which comes back, each and every time, to the environment. To realising that we are not bigger than this planet – in fact, it is a force far greater than us – and that if we don’t get in sync with it, if we don’t nurture it in every way possible, we are, well… doomed. Where is this going you might ask? Well, episode 13 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast is a special one, because it is the aspect of my job that I love the most. It’s the moment when someone reaches out to me, someone who has no or very little experience with bees, and says: “Ben, I want to be a beekeeper!”

In this episode, Adam Barassi – tax accountant and director of Barassi and Co. Chartered Accountants – and I chat about how he can start keeping bees. Adam got in touch just a week or so ago to express that he wanted some tips and tools and bees to help him get started; he knows nothing about bees whatsoever and has never kept any of his own. You see, this doesn’t matter! What matters is a love for the planet, and a passion for learning about these ingenious creatures. I have taught innumerable people how to look after their first colonies, and I can assure you that none of them have ever looked back – bees are a passion that teach you about the ecosystem and make you appreciate our place within it. That makes this podcast an extra special one for any person looking to keep bees for the first time, as I run through the steps with Adam.

Adam, however, is definitely a good match for beekeeping! A keen gardener, he wanted to keep bees on his property so that they could help pollinate his fruit trees and vegetable garden plus get a little honey on the side. In this episode, we chat about: the best place to set up your hive; what's involved in looking after bees; the genetics of bees and choosing which bee is best for you; basic information on pests and diseases bees are prone to catching; beekeeping clubs and mentoring; registering with the Department of Primary Industries; and last but not least, the importance of bees making honey for themselves first and foremost (but thankfully they are often happy to share!). A big thank you to Adam for getting in touch, and for the amazing opportunity to answer some common questions that new beekeepers have when they first start out. Tune in!

https://www.bensbees.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 43: Anika Molesworth, farmer, scientist, storyteller, Wilyakali Country and Melbourne, Australia

Anika Molesworth – farmer, scientist, storyteller, soon to be author – is a truly inspirational force. With an agricultural science career in that has taken her around the globe, and many awards, degrees and accolades under her belt, Anika is fighting the good fight against climate change. Her motivation is personal, and stems from her life experience growing up on a farm in rural Australia; she now speaks and writes on resilient agro-ecological systems and helps farmers around the world respond to climate change in a way that builds their capacity while looking after the environment. For these reasons and more, I am thrilled to welcome Anika to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast for episode 43.

Anika recalls the transition she experienced as a child from living in the city of Melbourne – where food arrived in the kitchen via grocery bags from the supermarket – to moving with her family to a farm 1000 kms away on Wilyakali Country in far west New South Wales. Here, life was completely different to what she had experienced before, as was the source of the family’s daily meals: “City buildings and cars were replaced with open skies and paddocks with kangaroos. Food suddenly became something that did not originate from a supermarket, but from the farm that surrounded me.”

Falling in love with the landscape, she understood the privilege and benefit of having a connection to growing food that would nourish people. On the farm, her family learnt the ways of the land, an intimate experience that involved unravelling secrets and knowledge about the soil, the local flora and fauna. The very genuine, hands-on education developed a sense of belonging for Anika and her family in their new home and community. Touched by a ten-year drought, Anika, her family and the local community waited and waited for the rains to arrive between 2000 and 2010. This inspired Anika to research climate change, and to find out what was behind this devastating and extreme weather condition that was wreaking havoc on the farming community and natural environment.

Anika Molesworth is a wildly positive force in Australian and international agriculture. She is widely recognised as a “Future Shaper”, a warrior of sustainability, a community leader, and a game changer for agricultural science. Tune in to hear Anika and I discuss life on the farm, her incredible vision, and how we can all do our part to fight the war on climate change.

https://www.anikamolesworth.com

PODCAST EPISODE 1: Simeon Valkenburg from Valkenburg Apiaries

It doesn’t happen every day, so when you meet someone that you know will be both a friend and mentor, it’s a glorious moment. That was the exact feeling I had when I first met Simeon Valkenburgback in 2016, making Episode One of the BEES WITH BEN podcast super special.

It was early springtime in Townsville, and Simeon and his brother Paul were part of a group of us – six beekeepers in total – who got together and volunteered to help with the Asian Honeybee varroa mite incursion that happened there at that time. I soon realised I was amongst very incredible company, and our experience working together in the far north was eye-opening, bonding and inspiring. The Valkenburg brothers are beekeepers based in South Australia. Together they run Valkenburg Apiaries, as well as invaluable initiatives such as the Beekeepers Field Day in Renmark, which educates about the vital connection between bees and almond production. Incredibly passionate, dedicated, politically engaged, and hardworking, Simeon and Paul are easily some, if not the, best commercial beekeepers I know in Australia.

As Simeon describes, a commercial beekeeping venture needs to be built on both passion and integrity, no matter how your business grows: “Together with my brother Paul, I have been working for a number of years building our beekeeping business. We manage over a thousand hives, which is generally considered a medium sized operation by South Australian standards. We derive most of our turnover from bulk honey production. When it comes to managing an apiary business, it is the bee husbandry part which particularly captures my interest. In our opinion, the keynote to commercial success in the beekeeping industry is contained in the old adage, ‘If you look after your bees, they will look after you’.” With a focus on positive communication and reciprocated benefits with land holders in their area, the brothers honey production and pollination services have earnt them a stellar reputation – they understand the importance of a mutually beneficial relationship with other farmers and community members, and this integrity shines through in their work on so many levels.

Since we first met in far north Queensland, I have had a great deal to do with Simeon at conventions and events around the country.  For this reason, it is a total pleasure to be able to introduce you, the Ben’s Bees community, to Simeon himself, as we chat about Valkenburg Apiaries, bee nutrition, and the highlights and challenges of running a commercial beekeeping business in Australia. Tune in!

Earlier this year NSW DPI detected Varroa mite in surveillance hives at the Port of Newcastle, and then subsequent areas following more hive inspections. NSW DPI then released the Biosecurity (Varroa mite) Emergency Order 2022 in an attempt to eradicate this parasite that has the potential to seriously impact the Australian Honeybee Industry. This week we chat to Ben Moore from Ben's Bees (our resident bee guru) to get the latest updates on the Varroa Mite outbreak status, we chat about the biology of this parasite, the lead up to where we are now, the future of our honey bee industry but more importantly what our obligations as pest managers are. What can and should we be doing to prevent the spread of Varroa Mite. This episode is a must listen for any pest manager that deals with bees and especially if you are based in NSW! Familiarise yourself with the Varroa mite emergency zone map and get the latest updates here- https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/emergencies/biosecurity/current-situation/varroa-mite-emergency-response

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/pestie-profiles/id1586241937

After a break for a couple of weeks, Bee’s with Ben is back with episode 93 of the podcast. In the

interim, Ben attended the Australian Bee Congress in Sydney. This was just the fourth event of its

kind, despite the inaugural one being held way back in 1972, but bee enthusiasts will only have to

wait four years for the next congress, and Ben encourages anyone with an interest to take part.

There were some fascinating speakers along with innovative trade shows. A couple of things that

stood out for Ben were plastic ‘nuc’ boxes and research into a pheromone lure for African small hive

beetle. A revolutionary refrigerated method of moving hives, complete with misting systems, will be

the subject of a future podcast! One big talking point surrounded the price of honey on a wholesale

level, as there is plenty of surplus around at the moment; another was the glut of inferior imported

product which is damaging local markets. The congress also represented a great opportunity to

network and meet new people - or to simply put a face to a name. Alex Mazur is a young Ukrainian

who has already enjoyed an extraordinary career with bees, and we were thrilled when he agreed to

participate in this episode of the podcast. Upholding the family tradition, Alex is a fourth-generation beekeeper. After moving to Australia

about three years ago, he spent a year with Warren Taylor’s company, Australian Queen Bee

Exporters, the largest beekeeping business in Australia, with 15 employees managing close to 10,000

hives and producing an incredible 120,000 queens per season. For the last two years he has worked

with another veteran Australian beekeeper, Terry Brown of Browns Bees Australia Beekeeping

Supplies.

Alex says that sunflower honey is the most common variant produced in Ukraine (predictably, given

the widespread cultivation of sunflowers); it is bright yellow in colour and good for creaming as it

crystallises fast. Sunflower honey does not have a strong taste, and apparently is not popular in

Ukraine, with the locals preferring something ‘special’ like manuka or jarrah; Alex explains that often

people don’t understand that quality is more important than variety or brand.

Of course, Australian beekeepers do not have to deal with the ravages of the varroa mite, but one of

the major differences that Alex has experienced is the need to wear protective clothing, which he

usually never did at home, as our bees are somewhat more aggressive.

And his favourite part of the conference? Alex was particularly interested in the honey

‘fingerprinting’ project initiated in WA and thinks that laboratory analysis could potentially be of

great benefit in proving origin and quality and therefore could have a big influence on price.

As a professional beekeeper who is a relative newcomer to our shores, Alex has a unique perspective

on Australian bees and beekeeping, and this makes for an intriguing and informative podcast.

PODCAST EPISODE 22: Matthew Waltner-Toews, Unspun Honey, Mount Gambier, Australia

I love imperfections in nature, especially honey. As a natural beekeeper, I take my hat off to businesses that privilege the wellbeing of the bee over all else. That’s what makes Unspun Honey one of my favourite ventures. Located in the Mount Gambier region, Unspun Honey is owned and operated by Matthew Waltner-Toews and his family – a lovely pack of first-generation, self-taught beekeepers who started in 2014 and now have themselves an ethical business that honours bees, sustainability and the environment. I am inspired by people who don’t come from the world of beekeeping, yet take it on with such gusto and warm-hearted passion that everything they do touch seems to turn to gold (or honey, which is the same thing really): “No-one in our family has, to the best of our knowledge, ever kept bees before”. What gems. And it’s for these reasons I am so thrilled to welcome Matthew to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast for episode

For anyone that isn’t certain, natural beekeeping aims to replicate, or mimic, the nest structure that would usually be found in the wild. By doing this, the colony is made to feel as comfortable as possible, and the intricate and sophisticated processes carried out by bees can continue. This encourages the superorganism to communicate as effectively as possible and adapt to external conditions as they arise, from a disease to an environmental shift. Therefore, we see that natural beekeeping allows the bees to do all their everyday tasks and activities as naturally as possible – be that reproduce, build honeycomb, make honey or source food. Anti-chemical and pro-nature, this approach knows that bee health and happiness is always central to a good beekeeping practice. As Matthew explains, “Our business is one of only a few at the forefront of natural beekeeping and true, local artisan honey production. We strongly believe that the high quality of our product is a direct result of our unconventional philosophy: compassion and ethical treatment of our bees.”

Listen in to episode 22 to hear Mathew and I speak about Unspun Honey, the remarkable Warre beehive, the characteristics and charm of raw honey, and the beauty of simple beekeeping method.

https://unspunhoney.com/

https://www.bensbees.com.au/

Episode 82 of the Bees with Ben podcast focusses on the transition from hobbyist to full-time commercial beekeeper, with the aid of Ben’s special guest, Matthew Petersen from Dividing Creek Farm. Matt says he grew up on a dairy farm with a large orchard, and his dad always had five or six hives, so he was bitten by the bee bug very early in life.

However, Matt’s father passed away when he was still quite young, and Matt moved to Melbourne to make money to buy the farm. He tells Ben he started an epoxy flooring business installing hygienic flooring systems in food processing plants, abattoirs, and fast-food businesses. His main customer base came from the food industry, and it gave him some insight into food production. He realized how much he missed the bees and raised nucs to fill in time and to maintain the connection between bees and the farm.

For Matt, the whole reason for raising capital through his business was to enable him to purchase the beef farm near Wilsons Promontory in south Gippsland, where he raises Angus, grass-fed beef - bees were always on the side. But when the bug really kicked in in his mid-20s, Matt found himself juggling a flooring business, a farm, and the bees, and he was simply wearing himself out. He reckons the transition to full-time beekeeper took about seven years and says that any hobbyist wanting to go full-time will experience a similar situation, in that you need capital, a job, or some form of back up until you get yourself established. Ben agrees. Interestingly, Matt reveals that for him, Covid was the final trigger, since lockdowns and the inability to travel interstate meant that he lost much of his flooring clientele overnight.

Ben asks Matt to tell us his biggest highs and lows with bees, and Matt says the biggest high is seeing people consume your product and really enjoy it. His biggest low came this season when he lost 40% of his hives in a flash flood. He had 120 hives set up to go onto red gum on an old, dry creek bed near Bendigo when a freak storm cell dumped 70ml of rain in twenty minutes about 20km upstream. Matthew says there was no warning, and it didn’t even rain where the bees were, but they were struck by a four-metre flood, and he is still finding boxes 15km downstream. Matt says it was heartbreaking, but you only get a sore neck looking backwards!

https://www.facebook.com/dividing.creekfarm

As Ben observes, there are so many ways in which beekeepers can no learn about the hobby: books,

clubs, mentoring, and of course the internet. And a good source of online information for

beekeepers in this country is the Facebook group ‘Backyard Beekeeping Australia’. Barry Roberts,

the founder of the group, is the special guest on episode 99 of the Bees with Ben podcast.

The group was founded in 2018 and now boasts more than 19,500 members, making it the largest

Australian Facebook group supporting backyard beekeepers. It is focussed upon educating

beekeepers and assisting them to improve their beekeeping techniques. Barry says that he originally

created the group because the existing local Facebook pages were dominated by commercial

apiarists and he wanted to provide a hobbyist perspective. Initially, he spent a lot of time putting

together a library of resources and materials. Membership is open to anyone; currently about 90%

are local beekeepers, but overseas members are also encouraged, particularly since they are able to

provide valuable insights into the management of pests and diseases with which we have

comparatively little experience.

Barry believes the identification and control of pests and diseases is something that many hobbyists

struggle with. He details the effectiveness of ripe bananas (which give off the gas ethylene) in

eliminating European foul brood and chalkbrood, and the lack of clear direction provided by the

authorities. Ben brings up the bee vaccine developed in the US - this will be the subject of a

forthcoming article.

Ben and Barry discuss a range of topics, from the upcoming honey season to the divide between

commercial and hobbyist beekeepers, and the decline of honey on the supermarket shelves. But the

current varroa outbreak in NSW is never far from the surface, and this is the basis of a fascinating

discourse.

Comparisons to Covid have become commonplace, and Barry tells Ben that living with varroa will be

similar to living with Covid, in that if it is not quickly eradicated, it is here for good and you will never

get rid of it. If that happens, then beekeepers will be forced to absorb additional workload to

implement a range of ongoing control methods.

Barry’s best guess, based upon the limited information supplied by officials, is that they have

‘already thrown in the towel’ given the removal of the standstill order in NSW. He notes that the

impending almond pollination could well be a ‘super spreader’ event, and that the almond industry

is putting a lot of pressure on Victoria to open up to the importation of bees from NSW. Barry says

that varroa may be contained, due to an ‘absolute fluke’, but that he is concerned that there are

queen breeders in the contaminated zones, and that queens are routinely posted hundreds of

kilometres away. Given the lack of real compensation available, he finds it highly doubtful that a

commercial apiarist with hundreds or perhaps thousands of hives, is going to admit to purchasing

queens from someone in the ‘red’ zones.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BackyardBeekeepingAustralia/

This week’s episode of the Bees with Ben podcast features a question-and-answer session between Ben and his special studio guest, Brent Nixon, who has driven down from Ballarat South for the occasion.

Naturally, Ben’s first question for Brent is how he started out with bees? Brent explains that he grew up in a family of cattle breeders and wanted to breed something for himself. He studied genetics at university, including the pioneering work of Gregor Mendel, the father of modern genetics. Many people don’t realize that Mendel, who was a monk, also conducted research with bees, which were often kept at monasteries to produce beeswax candles, in addition to honey. Mendel was attempting to breed bees using a cage, which wasn’t really effective, but his early work was taken up by Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey in the UK - the creator of the ‘Buckfast bee’. Brent became fascinated with breeding bees, but although he had the theoretical knowledge, he had never been inside a hive.

Then about 8 years ago, his wife’s uncle, who was a beekeeper, found him a swarm - located about 10 metres up a tree. Brent was given a half suit and positioned under the swarm, with instructions to catch the bees in a box, while the uncle clambered up the tree to dislodge the insects. Somehow, Brent managed to catch the queen, and the beekeeper told him to put the box down, and that the rest of the swarm would soon follow, which they did.

Today, Brent has his own podcast called ‘Breeding the Honey Bee’, which is named after the famous book written by Brother Adam. He has recorded 11 episodes to date, including an interview with the head beekeeper at Buckfast Abbey.

Ben is quizzed about the development of his business and the transition from part-time to his main source of income. He says he started off slowly and built his business on diversification; he vividly remembers making beeswax candles in his kitchen and struggling to clean the wax off the lino floor (Brent interjects that he thinks he ruined the plumbing in his first house as some beeswax went down the sink). Ben goes on to say that one of the main problems is that the business is so seasonal, and that he struggled to get through the winter in the early years. He cautions that he has seen beekeeping businesses go too hard and too quick, and ultimately fall over.

https://nixonqueenbees.com.au/?fbclid=IwAR3LekNglAfD_R-psKhjH102qzkBorcgBHJqcJ6D8e5NAqiyKgroh9sFL1k

https://nixonqueenbees.com.au/pages/podcast?fbclid=IwAR0vDUhGW0Axip2VCqp4TEi7tK6rQa06rWOAC-XQINwri6qXuSUUdeXn3G8

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1150361712418055

PODCAST EPSIODE 71: Bron Barton, President of the South Gippsland Beekeeper Club, Korumburra

With the rise of bees in the consciousness of the public as people come to realise their role as the world’s most vital pollinators, beekeeping clubs have also risen in popularity. Beekeeping clubs offer a range of amazing resources for new and professional beekeepers, but they are especially useful for those just starting out or traversing the early stages of their hobby or career. With COVID-19 bringing a halt to some face-to-face activities and club sessions, beekeeping clubs are finding new ways to connect with their members while we wait patiently for life in much of Australia to open back up. It’s important for the bees, but also for our mental health, to keep connecting with others about things you love, and I have seen how beekeeping clubs have brought incredible joy and belonging to so many people over the years. For this love of beekeeping clubs, I am delighted to bring Bron Barton, President of the South Gippsland Beekeeper Club to you for episode 71 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

Reflecting on a fantastic piece of writing by Bron from 2016, the third season of the South Gippsland Beekeeper Club is a “tale of sadness, excitement, thrills and eventual triumph”. Bron is candid about the ups and downs of the season, describing it as “quite a mixed bag” of experiences. There were huge swarms that would “surprise and shock even the most experienced and hardened beekeepers”. Bron’s incredible sense of humour shines through as she describes the Italian bees, who had been feasting on Chianti and Bolognese, that took off in droves with “Squeals of laughter and loud rambunctious raspberries were blown as they flew away again and again and again!” As Bron and Mr B – the two “Grand Poobahs of Ineptitude” – check in on two apiaries to see how their colonies are faring, readers are taken on a wild ride. There is much learning that happens along the way (not to mention a sting or two) – a delightful and hilarious account of the everyday experience of learning to keep bees.

Tune in to hear Bron and I chat about the importance of beekeeping clubs, her role as the President of the South Gippsland Beekeeper Club, how she started keeping bees, and why bee education is so vital to the health of the planet and the joy of humans.

http://www.southgippslandbeekeepers.org.au

PODCAST EPISODE 3: Nicholas Bishop from the London Honey Company

I love to travel. And with lockdown restrictions meaning many of us have very itchy feet right now, I have been thinking that the perfect antidote to cabin fever is the BEES WITH BEN podcast! What a better way to keep meeting beekeepers, honey slurpers, nature lovers, and apiarists from all over the world than a virtual hang out with yours truly! And episode three is a real cracker!

As many of you know, I spent a month or two travelling in Europe a couple of years ago now, and it was a divine experience. With the purpose of seeking out small honey producers in a number of beautiful locations across the European continent, I was lucky enough to bask in the northern sun, sip wine, eat delicious homemade meals, get dirty in the fields with some amazing keepers, buy and try local honey from farmers markets, and met many cute Euro-bees as they buzzed around in lavender fields. It was some kind of heaven, that’s for sure.  And it was on this trip that I was lucky enough to meet the passionate Nicholas Bishop from the London Honey Company, who I am delighted to introduce to the Ben’s Bees community in Episode Three of the BEES WITH BEN podcast.

Nicholas Bishop is the Commercial Director of the London Honey Company, who are purveyors of the finest honey, honeycomb, handmade 100% beeswax candles and 100% British mead based in Voyager Business Park, Spa Road, London. With over 20 years of beekeeping experience, the London Honey Company stocks their delicious and high-quality produce in shops, food halls, restaurants and hotels across the UK, as well as selling from their gorgeous online store. A much-loved company, chefs and foodies are head over heels with their produce, as are some of the finest institutions in Britian – in fact, the London Honey Company are the proud beekeepers of the Tate Galleries in London and the Victoria and Albert Museum! Incredible stuff!

When I met Nicholas in Europe a few years ago, I was struck by his passion and work ethic, yet despite being super busy, he generously gave up his time to give me a wonderful tour of the London Honey Company facility. This space was new then, as they had recently moved in due to a huge growth in their business; things haven’t changed, and the London Honey Company has forged ahead due to their sophisticated and dedicated beekeeping work and honey production skills. It wasn’t until last year that we met again, as we were both giving talks at the Apimondia conference in Montreal, Canada. A wealth of knowledge and a lovely bloke, I was thrilled when Nicholas said he’d be more than happy to chat with me about honey types in London and the UK, in particular heather honey varieties. Tune in!

Ben likens his special guest for episode 84 of the Bees with Ben podcast to ‘The Jackal’ - everyone has heard of him, but no one has ever seen him! As well as being hard to track down, and something of a character, Joe Horner has developed a reputation amongst Australian beekeepers that approaches legendary status. In particular, the Joe Horner line of queen bees are considered by many to be second to none. When Ben finally does manage to nail Joe down for a chat, he admits to being a bit sketchy about the nature of podcasts, and that computers are, ‘Out of my league!’

But why are his queens arguably the best in the country? Joe puts it down to his selection process. Incredibly, he says that he hasn’t added any new blood in thirty or forty years. All of his breeding stock is contained in hives involved in the commercial production of honey, and honey production (measured per bee) together with brood viability and quietness are important criteria. In fact, Joe’s bees are so docile that he never wears a veil; when he recently harvested honey, he left his smoker on the truck!

Only 10-15% of Joe’s income comes from rearing queens, so selective breeding for improved honey production is doubly important. Inbred lines have been especially productive of late, and this season Joe collected no less than 60 IBCs full of honey from his 700 hives. He also runs a 4,000-acre cattle property and works a seven-day week - or more! Nevertheless, Joe says he never done it for the money, and that he remains passionate about the bees.

Interestingly, some of Joe’s hives have not been shifted for nearly three years, and he imposes a travel limit of around a hundred kilometres. He says beekeeping requires an in-depth knowledge of the landscape and of eucalypt species, together with a real understanding of bees and their characteristics. The demands of maintenance in addition to queen bee breeding means that he is often working 14-15 hours a day just to keep up. Every box of bees that passes through Joe’s extraction plant is weighed to determine exactly how much honey has been produced, and this is instrumental in selection for breeding.

Now 72, Joe followed his father into beekeeping on the family property when he was a teenager in the min-sixties - Joe’s son has since carried on the tradition. In fact, they all live and work on the same property, along with Joe’s daughter and son-in-law. The only other employee is a woman who has been with them for 27 years. ‘She’s family too,’ declares Joe.

What has changed in five decades of beekeeping? Joe reckons production per hive has increased dramatically, especially over the last 10-15 years. He says that selective breeding has also resulting in significant modifications in the characteristics and behaviour of his bees. He has some sage advice for any hobbyist considering making the switch to commercial honey producer - don’t get too big too fast. Joe says you can make a living from 300 hives, and it is best to concentrate on keeping the bees healthy. His apiaries are subject to six extractions per year, with an annual yield of 20-30 kilograms of honey per hive. He uses no chemicals whatsoever and does not have to contend with hive beetles or nosema. He reiterates that he attributes much of this – along with diminished swarming activity - to his work in breeding queens.

Ben asks Joe what he would change, and where he sees the beekeeping industry in ten years? Joe reveals that despite his daunting schedule, he has been battling cancer and is currently receiving chemotherapy. He is looking forward to some downtime so he can paddle down a remote river and says he has always done his own thing, but has no secrets and is happy to share the knowledge borne out of a lifetime of experience.

This episode we continue our chat with Ben Moore all about bees. Ben actually hosts his own podcast https://www.bensbees.com.au/category/podcasts/ and literally lives and breathes everything bee related. This episode is the second installment of a series of episodes Ben and I will produce all about stinging insects. So we will touch on social wasps, solitary wasps, our native bees and of course European Honey Bees. We talk about their ecology, lifecycles, and tips on working with stinging insects. Part 2 sees us really getting into the biology of European Honey Bees and in particular swarming behavior. So if you deal with bees and want to know more this is the podcast for you!

https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/pestie-profiles/id1586241937

PODCAST EPISODE 32: Summer Catch Up with Ben Moore (Me!), Ben’s Bees, Australia

The hangover of months of isolation and curfews and mask wearing and zooming still hasn’t subsided for me. Like any decent hangover, it’s lingering – part headache, part fuzzy recollection, part low mood. Like many extroverts with a need for other people and chats and yarning and faces and real interaction, I am STILL feeling a bit odd, unsettled, and even de-socialised from all that alone time! Has anyone else had similar thoughts? Anyway, I have been missing talking to all my favourite bee lovers and thought, why not drop in for a catch up with my beautiful bee community for episode 32 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast! So here we are, it’s just you and me.

As many of you know, I do love summer. If the bees are happy, Ben is happy, and when the sun is out, our dear friends buzz about! Some poetry for you all on this sparkly day! So, in this episode I want to chat about how this year’s weather cycle has affected beekeeping in Australia; the oddness and humidity and relative coolness of the La Niña weather pattern has been a blessing after the tragedy of last summer’s fires, but it looks that some heat is on the way. It’s important that we all know how to look after the bees when those rays hit – I recommend keeping them protected from radiant direct sun with a piece of shade cloth or umbrella. And like all animals, bees NEED water, so make sure you set up a beaut like oasis with fresh cool water and something to land on, like bark or rocks, in your bee-friendly garden.

I also chat about how European wasps are starting to become active again. It’s so vital that we know how to distinguish these pests from other wasps, as these little suckers are dangerous to both humans and bees. Scarily, European wasp nests can grow to be mammoth here in Australia – the Launceston museum has a preserved nest that weighs 96 kilos and is almost half the size of a small car!

I also yarn about the fantastic launch of my book that happened before Christmas, and “recommend” a disastrous but marvellous horror movie directed by Irwin Allen, made in 1978 (the year I was born! How serendipitous!), called The Swarm. Check it out when you need a break from the heat!

Also, make sure you SUBSCRIBE to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast, and why not leave me a lovely REVIEW! With almost 20,000 plays so far, I know that these bee tales are reaching you and I would love more than anything to hear what you are loving about the podcast so far. I am always open to feedback from my community, so if you would like to get in touch, shoot me a text on +61437077792.

https://www.bensbees.com.au/

Much love, Ben x

Welcome to Bees with Ben podcast episode 81. Randy Oliver is a commercial beekeeper in California who currently runs around 1,000-1,500 hives with his two sons. He started keeping bees as a hobby back in about 1966, and later obtained science degrees specialising in entomology. In 1993, the varroa mite arrived in California, and after having his apiary wiped out for the second time in 1999, Randy decided to fight back, devouring every scrap of data he could, in order to learn more about beekeeping and provide beekeepers the world over with a resource that is evidence-based and scientifically verified, so that they are better able to make sound, practical management decisions.

Randy is a regular contributor to the American Bee Journal, and his website, www.scientificbeekeeping.com contains a wealth of information, in the form of blogs and articles. He has authored books on beekeeping, and is a popular keynote speaker at beekeeping conventions, as well as having visited beekeepers all over North America and several other continents.

Due to the time difference, Ben had to get up at 2:30 a.m. to record this podcast! Ben describes Randy as a ‘guru of gurus’ and is really pumped for this episode despite the early start. Randy says it’s now almond season in California; premium almond pollination forms a substantial part of his business. He says Californian beekeepers are a bit different to their colleagues in other parts of the US. California is not a very good honey producer but has an advantage due to the early build up and is an important supplier of queens and packaged bees.

Randy tells Ben he had a pretty simple business model that used to work well. The almonds start to bloom in February, and immediately after almond pollination had finished, he retrieved his colonies and split them. He works on selling 1,000 nucleus colonies a year, and they would all be sold by the end of April, resulting in the vast majority of his income being derived from a three-month period. Any honey was a bonus! Randy also used to take his bees to Nevada for the irrigated lucerne crop, but they pretty much looked after themselves for the rest of the year.

The varroa mite changed all that, as it was impossible to leave bees alone for any length of time without management. There was simply not enough food for the bees in the Californian foothills where Randy resides, so he was forced to experiment with pollen subs, and found that in this way he could successfully keep the bees at home.

Randy informs us that he is currently running an experiment using oxalic acid dissolved in glycerine on cellulose sponges in order to combat varroa mites. He says it is organic, cost effective and efficacious. He has also been running a very strong selective breeding programme for varroa resistant colonies, and says he now has 14% of colonies that require absolutely no treatment to stay free from varroa, although varroa-resistance is not yet a reliable heritable trait. He is confident there are no negative traits associated with varroa resistance.

Ben is back, with a new edition of the Bees with Ben podcast! A scheduled break of around 2 weeks

quickly turned into over 3 months, with a hectic season that really finished with a bang. In fact, Ben has

just pulled the last boxes of honey from his hives, with a fantastic season of mealy stringybark

(Eucalyptus cephalocarpa) in the Yarra Valley. Stringybark honey is relatively slow to crystallize, and

Ben has a good income stream selling honeycomb. Much of the demand is in late winter and early

spring (when people start to get hay fever), so to avoid crystallization during storage (crystallized

honey has a sandy texture and is not as attractive on the shelf), Ben freezes the honeycomb, which

does not denature the product and results in perfect honeycomb once thawed.

Ben has also recently been busy controlling European wasps around Melbourne. These pests not

only have a painful sting but can give the local honey bees a hard time. Fortunately, they have a very

limited foraging radius - only about 150 metres - so it is not usually too difficult to locate their nest

sites. European wasps are extremely invasive, and a colony is capable of producing around 50

queens. Plus, they love warm weather, and with Australia heading into a new phase of el nino, it’s

likely to be a very busy season ahead.

After 3 years of wet and windy la nina weather patterns, Australian beekeepers are all too familiar

with the need to provide supplementary food to bees, so it is particularly appropriate that Ben’s

guest in this episode is George from Mineral Bee (www.mineralbee.com.au). Although now a

resident of Sydney’s northern beaches, George originally hails from Limerick in Ireland; he

remembers being fascinated by his neighbour’s beekeeping activities, and acquired his first hive at

the age of 8. He explains that in Ireland, honey bees hibernate during winter, and the hives are

constructed somewhat differently to cope with the colder environment. Irish bees are adapted to

the climate and are quite black and a little more aggressive than Australian honey bees. In Ireland it

is impossible to avoid supplementary feeding, but sugar syrup alone has none of the minerals and

trace elements present in honey or pollen; Mineral Bee was born out of a desire to create an

additive which would make sugar syrup equivalent to honey. Rather than use synthetic ingredients,

an entirely natural and organic product was developed using minerals and trace elements sourced

from seawater. These are carefully extracted by a process which avoids denaturing or degrading

these essential substances. The result is a product which, when added to sugar syrup or drinking

water at the rate of 10ml per litre, mirrors the mineral and trace element content of pollen and

honey. And the bees love it!

PODCAST EPSIODE 72: Crispin Boxhall, Beekeeper and Beekeeping Educator, Petwood, South Australia

As some of you know, the Almond Pollination and Beekeeping Field Day held annually (pre-COVID) at Renmark in South Australia is a real love of mine – it’s kind of a bee-nerd fest, if I am honest. Coming together with a group of passionate, dedicated beekeepers is an absolute delight; I find myself getting into deep and meaningful bee chats and coming home with incredible new information about bees and apiary practices. It was at this incredible field day, three years ago, that I met Crispin Boxhall, a passionate beekeeper and beekeeping educator located in Petwood, South Australia, and I am delighted to introduce him to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast for episode 72.

This fascinating chat goes in-depth about entomovectoring – a new method being tried out by researchers from the University of Adelaide that, according to an article published on Entomology Today, “uses bees to deliver spores of a parasitic fungus to prevent the fungus that causes the brown rot from colonizing the flower”. What is brown rot you ask? It’s a fungus that attacks cherry trees, ruining the fruit (a simple Google image search on the issue will bring tears to your eyes!), and costing the cherry industry $150 million per year! As Dr. Katja Hogendoorn explains in the article, bees can be used to deliver a separate parasitic fungus to the cherry trees which prevent the brown rot fungus from colonising the flower. It is this process that is known as entomovectoring, and if the method is proven successful, it could be used instead if spraying insecticides. Incredible news!

It turns out that Crispin has great insight into this fascinating new method of controlling brown rot, and it was a total joy to learn more about this process through our chat! Tune in to hear Crispin and I chat about the fantastic Renmark Almond Pollination and Beekeeping Field Day, his beekeeping and bee education business in Petwood, and to learn more about the fascinating process of entomovectoring.

https://crispinsbeekeeping.com/author/crispin/ 

https://entomologytoday.org/2014/09/25/entomovectoring-uses-bees-to-fight-fungus-with-fungus/

PODCAST EPISODE 63: Ronnie Voigt, natural beekeeper and educator, Natural Beekeeping Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania

One form of heaven involves two of my greatest loves: natural beekeeping and Tasmania. Most of you would know that Tasmania is an exquisite island situated off the mainland of Australia, home to diverse and pristine landscapes, and unique flora and fauna; also, from my experience, it is also home to many environmentally conscious humans, with huge hearts, doing what they can to spread the word about the vitality of bees. However, for those new to beekeeping, natural beekeeping may be a fresh concept. This form of keeping respects the needs of the colony over those of the beekeeper. This holistic approach comes from an environmentalist perspective that honours these miraculous insects and seeks to provide the most positive domesticated life cycle. In turn, this “api-centric” approach should be encouraged for all beekeepers who want to keep bees for reasons other than intensive honey production. This is often done through the replication of the nest structure that would usually be found in the wild. By doing this, the colony is made to feel as comfortable as possible, and the intricate and sophisticated processes carried out by bees can continue. This encourages the superorganism to communicate as effectively and adapt to external conditions as they arise. For my love of Tasmania, natural beekeeping and the passion of my next guest, I am delighted to introduce you to Ronnie Voigt— natural beekeeper extraordinaire and founder of Natural Beekeeping Tasmania.

Ronnie has been beekeeping using natural methods for almost 15 years, and she does so through the use of some specifical hives and processes. Favouring the Layens Hive—an uncommon choice of hive that originated from France, horizontal in orientation, with extra deep frames— and the Warre hive—a vertical top-bar hive that uses bars instead of frames, also originating from France—Ronnie has honed a unique skill set that keeps bees at the forefront of her practice. She is also interested in Housel positioning—a method of positioning comb in the hive that works with the direction of the hive floor and seeks to approximate the order that comb is arranged in the wild. For me, meeting keepers like Ronnie is an utter treat; I love nothing more than yarning about the intricacies of natural beekeeping— it fills my heart with joy and inspires me to keep finding new ways and means, thrilled to know that there are beekeepers tucked away in the most gorgeous pockets of the planet doing what they can to marry their passion for beekeeping with their genuine love for bees as creatures. I also know that their ethics transfers over to their businesses, which is what we need in the fight of mass and blind consumerism. Through Natural Beekeeping Australia, Ronnie provides beekeeping classes, honey and bee-related products, and hives for keepers–a true Tasmanian gem.

Tune in to hear Ronnie and I unpack the intricacies of the Layens and Warre Hives, what it’s like to live and keep bees in spectacular Tasmania, and the motivation behind her business, Natural Beekeeping Tasmania.

http://www.naturalbeekeepingtasmania.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 8: John Edmonds from Edmonds Honey, Geelong, Victoria

John Edmonds is a chatty, enthusiastic, warm-hearted bee bloke and business owner. With a wealth of experience that goes back into his family history, John is noted for saying, "keeping bees is like a jigsaw, get all the little parts of the puzzle together and you will get the finished puzzle.” Owner of Edmonds Honey based in Geelong, John is the only commercial beekeeper I know of in Australia that uses jumbo-sized beehives (similar to the ones used in Europe), and he does mighty well with his set up. For these reasons, I am beyond delighted to welcome John to the BEES WITH BEN podcast for Episode 8!

John’s business, Edmonds Honey, is a family affair that began with John’s father, Murray. Murray Edmonds began beekeeping after the Second World War, when he received his first hive from his uncle. Having spent his holidays around familial bee lovers who kept their own colonies near Tallangatta, he learnt some of the tricks of the trade. John’s father kept bees at Ruby in Gippsland before moving to Geelong where he then kept hives at the You Yangs, Brisbane Ranges, Bannockburn and Balliang. John followed his father’s lead, accompanying him to the hives, and helping out his dad where he could. As the years progressed, and due to some tough circumstances, Murray and John would spend their evenings making bee boxes and frames for money – the silver lining being John starting to keep his own bees! As time rolled along, John purchased beehives, a honey extracting caravan, and the tools he needed; soon after, in 1982, Murray suggested they partner up, and Edmonds Honey was born!

As the business grew, Edmonds Honey began selling to markets, supply distributors and stores. The Edmonds started to rear queen bees for sale, finding the best race of bee for the Southern Victoria region to be the Carniolan – as John described, “They proved to be thrifty, docile, still on comb, productive, disease resistant and excellent wintering.” In 2001, Murray retired. Sadly, soon after, John’s dear friend Leon became ill, and John took over his beekeeping equipment sales. Nowadays, Edmonds Honey has around 500 beehives in the Western half of Victoria for honey production, mainly on forest and farm sites. Edmonds Honey, as described by John, is “produced without chemicals and is a as natural as possible and we endeavour to have straight-line varieties.”

So, tune in to hear John and I chat about John’s journey, his family business, and some incredible anecdotes such as the remarkable ways bees wax was used in the 1940s to lubricate bombs and bullets in World War II! Don’t miss it!

www.bensbees.com.au

 In this episode, I chat with Sam and Nicholas, the dynamic father-son duo behind Meli Honey. Their journey is a testament to passion, family, and the pursuit of quality. We dive into their fascinating story of importing premium Greek honey to Australia, and how their love for this golden elixir has translated into a thriving business. Just after we wrapped up recording, Sam and Nicholas received the incredible news that Meli Honey had won gold at the London Honey Awards! This accolade is a significant milestone for them and a testament to the exceptional quality of their honey.  

https://www.melihoney.com.au

https://www.instagram.com/melihoney1/

PODCAST EPISODE 65: Natalie Skovron, founder and CEO of DETOXDEN, Sydney and online

Being a beekeeper has opened my mind and life up to healthy living and expanded my awareness of using natural materials whenever possible. One of the things I have deeply enjoyed about selling bee-related products over the past ten or more years, is watching the way in which consumers in Australia have leaned into buying locally made, environmentally friendly, health-conscious products for their bodies, their homes, and as gifts for their families and friends. I have also seen the rise of great businesses, run by amazing people with huge hearts and creative visions. One of these fantastic individuals is Natalie Skovron from DETOXDEN, Sydney, and I am delighted to introduce her to my community for episode 65 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

DETOXDEN is an online home furnishing business based in Sydney that thoughtfully selects and sells homewares that are non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and locally made. This includes gorgeous cushions, draft stoppers, dinner sets, throws, wall stickers, tea towels, diffusers, bedding, shower curtains, and candles (including Bens Bees beeswax candles!), among many other fantastic items for the home. With a mission to “inspire a world of healthier homes and spaces,” Natalie supplies non-toxic and high-quality homewares that are made with safe materials and can be used day in day out in the home by ourselves and our loved ones. These products have passed Natalie’s “Dirty Den checklist”— they do not contain BPA, flame retardants, paraffins, harmful pesticides and insecticides, phthalates, PVC, toxic dyes and inks, toxic heavy metals, or volatile organic compounds.

Since COVID-19, we have all come to realise the necessity of a happy home — one that nourishes us and brings a sense of calm and respite from a world that has felt more than a little unstable for some time now. A home is not just a building, an architectural structure; it is a small part of the world where you can feel joyful and safe; somewhere to rejuvenate yourself; somewhere to curl up and relax at the end of a long day. And as our homes are somewhere we have needed to spend more and more time in what feels like never-ending (but necessary) lockdowns (we are currently experiencing Melbourne’s fifth lockdown to date), it is my hope that our homes have become places we have grown to love more than before. For that reason, fill your home only with good quality, safe, beautiful, healthy products so that you can settle in without a worry in the world.

Tune in to hear Natalie and I chat about DETOXDEN and why safe and non-toxic homewares are so important to fully enjoying life at home.

https://www.detoxden.com.au

Podcast Episode 76: Gruffydd Rees from Carmarthenshire, Wales UK

It is always inspiring to meet beekeepers from all parts of the globe who are passionate about caring for honey bees - and producing pure, raw, local honey - and Gruffydd Rees is a perfect example. Hailing from South Wales, Gruffydd was originally gifted a hive by a local farmer, and from humble beginnings at the bottom of his parent’s garden, this quickly multiplied into around a hundred hives dotted around the countryside of rural Carmarthenshire. In 2010, along with his wife Angharad, he founded Gwenyn Gruffydd, a small business bent on producing the highest quality, all natural, untreated, 100% raw, Welsh wildflower honey. Even his two young sons get involved! Gwenyn Gruffydd’s honey is single origin, never blended, and undergoes minimal filtration; numerous awards attest to the quality of the product!

After a small time away over spring its great to be back and I introduce you to Gruffydd from Wales to episode 76!

In addition to premium wildflower honey, Gruffydd produces a range of other items including hampers, beeswax candles, peat-free compost and bee-friendly wildflower seeds. He also offers beekeeping training, mentoring and experience days, as well as a full range of beekeeping supplies. Gwenyn Gruffydd has instituted an ‘Adopt a Beehive’ scheme to help arrest the decline of honey bees and is also active in promoting the benefits of sowing wildflower seeds to provide valuable food and shelter for pollinators.

Even better, Gruffydd is up for a chat, and I am delighted that he was able to feature in our latest podcast. We touched on the proud history of his native Wales, and I was surprised to learn that Welsh is still the first language taught to children - English comes later. We also discussed beekeeping issues peculiar to the region; one unusual problem that Welsh beekeepers have to contend with is woodpeckers making holes in the side of hives! I had not heard of this before and it’s pretty cool, although obviously bad for the bees. Some beekeepers apparently put bird wire around their hives to prevent this from happening. Occasionally, badgers (the closest European equivalent to wombats) can also become cause for concern, as they may knock hives over.

https://gwenyngruffydd.co.uk/

Ben Moore is one of the top bee keepers in Australia and has been on the podcast before on episode 16, discussing homelessness, prior careers, police raids and his passion for all things Bees.  Given the incredibly serious invasive pest new to Australian shores, the Varroa Mite, we chat what is being done to combat the pest and the impact on the food production if we don’t. Plus we talk why some people are risk adverse when it comes to following their passion.

Check Out The Podcast, One Moment Please 

We all have fear. Some are consumed by it, others overcome it. Our inspiring guests take a moment to share their stories of how they have overcome adversity and achieved success. We hope it motivates you to overcome your fears and achieve your full potential.

The guests are varied. Some of which include those leaving the corporate world to become entrepreneurs to ex-prison officers, army parachuting accident survivor turned YouTuber to ex-spies and a Victoria Cross awarded Army officer just to list a few.

Enjoy!

https://onemomentpleasepodcast.com

https://www.facebook.com/OneMomentPleasePodcast

https://www.instagram.com/onemomentpleasepodcast/?hl=en

Antony Adare from Natural Life is our featured guest on episode 103 of the Bees with Ben podcast.

Almost 30 years ago the chance discovery of a native beehive in a Sydney backyard developed into a

daily source of fascination for Antony, who soon established a hobby hive for himself. Then in 1994,

a Japanese scientist published a paper extolling the anticarcinogenic properties of propolis, which

resulted in booming sales in Japan, where a small bottle of propolis could sell for up to $800. Having

used propolis to treat cuts, abrasions and sore throats in his own family, Antony knew that it

worked. He began to talk to people in the industry, and eventually launched his first two products, a

propolis and manuka honey spray and a propolis tincture; so in 1996 the Natural Life brand was

born. Antony managed to get those first two products onto shelves in Sydney airport, which proved

a masterstroke, as a single Japanese tourist would often purchase all the stock, meaning there was

little need for marketing!

Over time, new products were added including royal jelly capsules, propolis candy and toothpaste

and Australian manuka honey. Natural Life now sells to Singapore, Malaysia, the UAE, Vietnam and

Kuwait, as well as to Japan, China and Korea. There is also a solid customer base in the Middle East,

and prior to the onset of Covid, Natural Life’s products were in all duty free stores and Asian markets

around Australia. Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) regulations are amongst the

toughest in the world, and Natural Life works continuously with manufacturers, suppliers and

regulators to ensure the products remain of premium quality and potent activity.

But it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Retail closures due to Covid resulted in a 40% drop in sales.

Antony recalls that the whole travel industry ‘evaporated’ meaning that he had to push the online

side of the business. And although the airports have reopened, we are yet to see a real influx of

Asian tourists, who traditionally drive sales. Furthermore, Antony says whereas propolis is big in

pharmacies across Europe, he is banging his head against a wall trying to get propolis products into

health food stores in this country. Consequently, he has taken it upon himself to educate Australians

about the benefits of propolis, in the hope of generating a significant domestic market. Antony says

he would love see propolis in more stores, as this would increase demand, which in turn would

provide extra income for beekeepers. Just before Covid struck, Natural Life released their ‘Wild Bee’

skin care range, which is 100% Australian produced, and combines royal jelly, propolis from native

stingless bees, Australian manuka honey and botanicals collected by Aboriginal communities in the

Northern Territory.

www.naturallife.com.au

Way back in episode 16 of the Bees with Ben podcast, Ben introduced Richard Noel as a

dear friend, a lovely English chap, an ex-paramedic, a landscape gardener, and now

passionate beekeeper with a full-time bee-oriented business. A few years back, Ben was

lucky enough to stay with Richard for a week at his home in Corseul, a town in Brittany,

northwest France, and during this period Ben was able to see the effects of varroa mites upon

Richard’s bees, and to gain some insight into Richard’s management regime. It was only

natural, therefore, that when varroa was discovered in Newcastle on the New South Wales

coast last week that Ben immediately called Richard for his thoughts on this incursion, and

out of that this extraordinary podcast episode was quickly organised (episode 95) which was

also live-streamed on Richards YouTube channel.

Ben starts by stating the current position with respect to the outbreak: two infested hives have

been discovered and as at 6:00 p.m. on Sunday 26 June the movement of hives is prohibited

throughout the state of NSW.

Referring to this as a ‘lockdown’ in one of several references that parallel Covid, Richard is

immediately concerned about unregistered and feral hives - and the fact that he has heard

there is a national park close to the site of the incursion. He also wants to know about winter

temperatures in the region, since in Europe there is a ‘brood break’ during which the mites

cannot reproduce. This seems unlikely in Newcastle’s climate.

Richard says that ironically because Australia has healthy bees, we may also have healthy

mites. He says there is no single correct answer, and if the outbreak spreads.

There are so many issues raised by the possibility of a widespread outbreak in Australia

including, for example, whether there is a list of approved mite treatments, and how these

should be administered. The almond pollination season is only weeks away, and with the

movement of hives in NSW prohibited, this billion-dollar industry is now in jeopardy.

Richard emphasises the need for an arsenal of mite control measures, but says brood breaks

are very valuable, and that oxalic acid is a ‘soft’ treatment that is cheap, organic and

effective. He says it is very difficult to produce queens able to reliably pass on VSH due

simply to the genetic variation in the field, but that if you maintain strong, prolific colonies,

you will go a long way towards keeping varroa at bay.

Both Ben and Richard are agreed that Australian authorities must throw everything possible

at this current incursion while they have the chance. Although Richard has never known life

without varroa, he acknowledges that life would be very much easier without it. 

Australian beekeepers pondering a future with varroa will find this podcast instructive.

YouTube link available here https://youtu.be/0KLsbeSTEL8

In this week’s episode of the Bees with Ben podcast, Ben is fortunate to have as his guest a man with a wealth of experience in all areas of the beekeeping industry, with a glittering array of credentials! Steve Fuller is an Executive Councillor of the NSW Apiarists’ Association Inc., President of the Northern Coast branch of NSWAA, an Advisory panel member for Agrifutures’ Australia (Honey Bee and Pollination), Secretary of the Crop Pollination Association of Australia, and a participant in the 5 BEES programme run by Wheen Bee. Phew! Along with his brother Wayne, he owns and operates Bee Services in northern NSW, which has been in business for more than 40 years producing organic honey and offering pollination services for a wide variety of crops. The company currently manages about 5,000 hives and has around 20 employees.

Steve outlines his fascinating journey in the beekeeping industry, and his absolute love for bees, but it is his unique perspective as an industry leader, and business owner, with respect to the varroa outbreak in NSW last year that dominates the podcast. Steve reveals that prior to the discovery of varroa in Australia on 22 June last year he was already prepping his business for the possibility of a varroa incursion, because he thought it was likely to happen sooner rather than later. Incredibly, although he was told of the outbreak as soon as it was discovered, he was not able to say anything about it for 3 days, until sufficient infrastructure was in place. On day 4, after attending a conference in Queensland, Steve drove to the Local Command Centre (LCC) in Maitland

The bee industry had plans in place for many years, but Steve stresses that a plan, no matter how detailed or effective, is not the same as the real thing. Plus, most of the people in bee organizations are volunteers with their own businesses to think about. Early on the DPI engaged the services of rural firefighters, who have considerable experience managing disasters. Steve was working 7 days straight before being forced to have 2 days off.

Steve says that inspecting hives in those early days wasn’t a problem; the problem was identifying where hives were, so that there was a real chance of encircling and eventually eliminating the outbreak. He tells Ben that feral hives are the hardest to control because they can be anywhere, and that baiting is not effective unless the bees have no other food source. By September 2022, Steve was already conceding that total elimination of the mites may not be possible. The stark reality is that just one mite on the back of a truck can spread the infestation anywhere in the country, as female mites are already pregnant when they leave the cells in brood comb.

Steve was still working at the LLC when he was told of the discovery of varroa in his own backyard - in the berry producing area around Coffs Harbour. For those who think life is easy as a beekeeper,

Steve lost 1,400 hives in the bushfires, then 200 more in the north coast floods the following year, and another 800 in further flooding. He had 300 hives euthanized in a red zone of the varroa outbreak and lost another 2-300 due to mismanagement associated with the outbreak. Although he was reimbursed for the hives that were euthanized, he was only paid what the hives were worth, and not recompensed for the income that they would have generated. He had another 600 hives in the purple zone, and reckons he lost about $1 million by having bees caught up in that area.

Welcome to episode 77 of the Bees with Ben podcast!

It has been said that age is of no importance unless you are a cheese, and that the only thing that comes automatically as a result of old age is wrinkles! Bill Vaughan once remarked that, ‘By the time you’re eighty years old you’ve learned everything - you only have to remember it!’ But, jokes aside, it has also been observed that life is about the accumulation of wisdom, love and experience, and of obstacles overcome. Those who improve with age are said to embrace the power of personal growth and to replace youth with wisdom and understanding. At the ripe old age of eighty-seven, Michelangelo declared that he was still learning.

This week’s episode is something of a departure from the norm, and is devoted to my dear friend Keith Johnson, a hobbyist beekeeper from south-east Melbourne. In his eighty-two years on this Earth, Keith has amassed a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that is often dispensed with a healthy dose of humour! For instance, when I asked him about the most important lessons he had learnt during his lifetime, his immediate reply was, ‘Don’t run barefoot in clover!’

Apparently, he had done just that when only four years’ old and had received a rather painful introduction to the amazing world of bees when he was stung on the feet. Keith also counselled that it was best not to meddle with electrical wiring, since he had once cut a lead that had almost sent him to God. He has broken quite a few bones over the years, and recently a ladder gave way underneath him, resulting in a crushed vertebra. His doctor had some sage advice, telling him that it is best that older people do not climb ladders!

Keith was born in Brisbane on January 1st, 1940 and can still remember food coupons and the sound of the air raid alarm that was trialled in his neighbourhood. His second encounter with bees occurred when he was six years of age and living in the Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo. Keith recalls watching Mr Fleet (a beekeeper from up the road) removing a swarm, but was particularly fascinated by the apiarist’s car, as there weren’t too many vehicles around back then.

Later, Keith moved to Melbourne where he established a couple of hives. He was a regular customer at Redpath's Beekeeping Supplies, which opened its doors in 1964 and is still in business today. At the time it was owned by Norman Redpath, and Keith purchased his book, A Guide to Keeping Bees in Australia; a publication that was to become his ‘bee bible’.

Fast forward a few years and Keith invested in two Flow Hives. He loves the Flow Hives due to the ease of extracting honey. In 2018 he harvested over 70 kilograms, but the weather has not been the best in the last couple of years so honey production has been a bit slower. Keith’s wife of fifty-eight years, Shirley, also loves the bees, but is yet to be persuaded to don Keith’s beekeeping suit.

I’ve known Keith for four years now and we have a fantastic friendship. I reckon he has aged a bit like a good bottle of red. Plus, Keith splits his hives to manage swarming, and after doing all the hard work, gifts me some big fat boxes of bees!

PODCAST EPISODE 14: Michael Kiem from Denmar Apiaries, Cloyna, Queensland

Due to the vastness of Australia, much business happens via road and air. This extends to apiary and beekeeping, and in one great example, I source my queen bees from a wonderful keeper and breeder, Michael Kiem from Denmar Apiaries, way up in Cloyna, Queensland. Michael runs his apiary with his wife Crystal and is one of the biggest queen breeders in Australia, breeding around 30,000 queen bees per year! And that is a very important job! These little gems and builders of the colony are shipped, via Australia Post would you believe, all across the country; in my case, they travel down to Victoria where I give them their second happy home. A keeper fit for a queen (bee), I am thrilled to introduce Michael to my community for episode 14 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

To begin, let’s have a quick chat about the queen bee. The highest-ranking position in the honeybee society, the queen bee is the dominant adult in the colony and is the mother of most, if not all, the bees in the group. She can be recognised by her characteristically large abdomen and is typically the only bee of her type in the hive. Mating with many drone bees until she is fertilised, the queen then lays up to 1500 eggs each day during spring and summer, creating the colony itself. Queens have been known to colonise a hive for up to five years; however, once she cannot produce enough eggs to sustain the group, a new queen bee must take her place. Future queen bee larvae are chosen carefully by the worker bees and then nourished with a protein-rich secretion called “royal jelly”. This superfood ensures that new queens will be sexually mature enough to start the cycle all over again. However, in a dramatic beginning to life, the newly hatched queen must not only destroy unhatched rivals but also kill any existing queens in the colony!

No one knows queens like Michael Kiem. He does a lot of driving around the countryside to areas where there are flowers for his bees. Denmar Apiaries is a small, family-run business and with two full-time employees – his 13-year-old son is keen on bees too and is great at catching queens! Michael brought the business just over ten years ago from the original owners, Dennis and Margaret Kidd (who he learnt so much from); however, he also worked in Canada with a big queen breeder – he is a definite oracle on the subject! Tune in to hear Michael and I chat about his business, his positive relationship with Australia Post (helped along with a few pots of delicious honey from time to time!), the Australian queen market, his hatred of paperwork, his love of plastic bee cages, and, of course, his beer can collection!

www.bensbees.com.au

This week’s guest on the Bees with Ben podcast is Helen Charles from friendswithhoney.com.au.

Helen is passionate about educating people about bees and has recently been working on a

community project to encourage bees in a permaculture garden. She even roped in the local men’s

shed in Brighton East to help construct the hives, and apparently the men had a ball!

Helen explains that she has always been interested in nature and was introduced to bees by family

members in Canada who run a commercial beekeeping enterprise. She was also into gardening and

noticed a lot of bees in her area; she joined a local beekeeping club, got some bees from Ben, and

hasn’t looked back! She says she loves the fact that she is always learning.

Helen’s website, friendswithhoney.com.au, extols the principals of biodiversity, sustainability,

pollination and citizen science, and is devoted to developing and delivering programs, experiences,

events and workshops that link these themes with beekeeping. She explains to Ben that citizen

science is all about offering the power of science to people and allowing members of the public to

make a contribution. She has been working on an app called inaturalist that allows the user to

upload data, which is then analyzed and added to the Atlas of Living Australia, an important tool for

scientists and land managers. New species have even been identified through this process.

Helen obviously loves sharing her knowledge of bees; she is also a certified permaculture designer

and the list of programs and events on the friendswithhoney website include a course on basic

beekeeping and a series of workshops entitled the ‘Powerful Pollinators Program’. A ‘Bee for

biodiversity workshop’ examines the differences between native bees and introduced bees, as well

as delving into the history of the honey bee in Australia and detailing how to support our hard-

working pollinators.

Along with her hives in suburbia, Helen also has an apiary in regional Victoria at Amphitheatre in the

Goldfields region, which is located on rural conservation land. Unlike urban Melbourne, where there

is a relatively constant supply of floral resources, Helen says this presents somewhat of a challenge

in rural Victoria, and she has been busy planting native species of vegetation that will create

resources for the bees to forage on throughout the year, her main goal being pollination rather than

honey production.

Finally, Helen and her partner Ben - who is an award-winning country singer and musician – have a

very special event planned for World Bee Day on May 20. They have been composing some cool

songs about bees and are performing a special kids’ show at the Arcobar at 10:00am (located at 8

Arco Lane, Heatherton). This free special event should be a blast, so get along and have a waggle

dance with Helen and Ben! Further details at the www.friendswithhoney.com.au website or at arcobar.com.au

With more than 10 years’ experience, developing, designing and delivering workplace mental health and wellbeing programs, Rae works with a broad range of organisations, industries and settings with a special skill in crisis and suicide response. A qualified counsellor trained in Rogerian theory – Rae draws on her authenticity, genuineness, and empathy to create environments of trust and safety. She has a focus on men and boy’s health, offering confidential in person and online sessions for individuals, couples and groups. For a decade, she’s been a volunteer Ambassador for Beyond Blue and also donates her time to community organisations and settings where the smallest acts of kindness and care can be lifechanging. She’s well known for her enthusiastic advocacy in the men’s health space, where she believes that a male friendly approach to support and resources could have a positive impact for everyone. The first female board member of the Australian Men’s Health Forum, she compliments this with a recent election to the board of Global Action on Men’s Health. You can also tune into Rae’s radio show on 94.1FM 3WBC, “What does it feel like, being you today”, where she interviews people from all over the world, asking that question.Rae Bonney's website at (https://www.raebonney.au), and join us in this ongoing conversation to bring about change and hope.

https://au.linkedin.com/in/raebonney

PODCAST EPISODE 12: Stephen Heatley, owner of Kangaroo Island Ligurian Queen Bees, Kangaroo Island

Artists are known to be eccentric people, but from my experience, some of the best and most interesting beekeepers are similarly colourful characters. To be so obsessed with one small, yet mighty, creature takes a certain personality, and a little wackiness and a lot of passion seem to be quite usual key ingredients in the recipe of a great beekeeper. That is why I am excited to introduce you to Stephen Heatley, owner of Kangaroo Island Ligurian Queen Bees, Kangaroo Island, for Episode 12 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

Any of you that have visited Kangaroo Island know is a truly magnificent place. Situated off the mainland of South Australia near Adelaide, this glorious part of the world captivates all who visit its shores. Did you know that over a third of Kangaroo Island is protected as nature reserves? This gem is home to an abundance of native wildlife like sea lions, koalas and a myriad of bird species. In the west, Flinders Chase National Park is famous for its penguin colonies and striking coastal rock formations, stalactite-strewn Admirals Arch and the sculpted Remarkable Rocks. Maybe it is being surrounded by this glorious nature that makes this passionate beekeeper from Kangaroo Island such a special and remarkable character.

Stephen grew up on the Australian mainland in New South Wales but moved to Kangaroo Island 13 years ago to pursue his passion for bees. There are only a small number of commercial beekeepers on the island, and while they focus predominantly on producing honey, Stephen has a passion for a special strain of queen bee – the Ligurian Queen Bee – which apparently can only be found in its pure form on the secluded Kangaroo Island, and is believed to have been introduced into Australia by the United States in 1885 from Italy. You will hear just how passionate Stephen is about these unique queens, and you will learn how he is working hard to keep them alive and well in one of Australia’s most spectacular and special nature locations.

Tune in to hear this eccentric and wonderful beekeeper, queen breeder, and honey producer talk about his business, Kangaroo Island Ligurian Queen Bees; about bouncing back from the fires that devastated the Island earlier in the year, including the time is takes for flora to rejuvenate to the stage where bees can get a good feed; about the Ligurian Bee Monument; and many other very niche aspects of beekeeping with the brilliant and quirky Stephen Heatley.

https://www.bensbees.com.au

This week’s episode of the Bees with Ben podcast features Michael Colvin of ‘High Meadow’.

Michael was born and bred in Guyra, on top of the Great Dividing Range in the New England region

of NSW. He was raised on a fine wool property near the small town of Wards Mistake, and has a

passion for regenerative agriculture, having managed organic beef and sheep enterprises. Michael

also loves his bees and is the President of the New England branch of the Amateur Beekeepers

Association. For the last 12 years, Michael has been employed in a full-time capacity as a fencer;

about 6 months ago he purchased a small excavator in order to diversify somewhat. About 3 or 4

years back, he also started up a small business selling local ‘cold country’ honey. High Meadow is

actually the family farm situated near Guyra at an altitude of 1300 m above sea level, which results

in mild summers and cool winters. The business produces raw, unfiltered honey from chemical free

hives located on selected sites across the Northern Tablelands from Dorrigo in the east to Inverell in

the west. The High Meadow website, highmeadow.com.au, explains that the bees are only kept on

sites where the land managers practice chemical free, regenerative agriculture. High Meadow honey

is harvested during a limited season and is said to have a truly local flavour and pollen profile. It is

cold extracted, raw and unfiltered to preserve the delicate aromas and enzymes, as well as the

natural yeasts and pollens.

Michael describes his location as being ‘a little north of halfway between Brisbane and Sydney and

about two-and-a-half hours’ inland from Coffs Harbour’. He says he currently maintains just under

50 hives and had an awesome season last spring and summer, with a yield of about 16 kg per 8

frames. Guyra is notable for having the highest caravan park in Australia, and routinely gets a couple

of inches of snow in winter. Michael says it’s not easy to keep bees in this area because there is such

a short warm season; from Christmas onwards this necessitates making sure the bees have enough

supplies to get them through to next spring. Once the queen starts laying in spring, the advent of a

cold snap can see a hive run through a full box of honey within 2-3 weeks. The bulk of Michael’s bees

are therefore now located at a site which is around 6 degrees warmer, where they cruise through

winter without a problem.

Michael tells us that he has not been directly impacted by the varroa mite incursion in northern

NSW; in the first couple of weeks after the mites were identified he travelled to Newcastle and spent

4 days working as a volunteer inspecting hives. He says he had a great time and met a lot of

interesting people. He also relays that to date it is estimated that just over 2,100 volunteers have

contributed the equivalent of 47 years of hours worked towards controlling the outbreak. Michael is

quietly confident that we will eventually eliminate the mites; he’s got a ‘good feeling that we will get

round it’.

When asked about his aspirations for the business, Michael replies that he would like to build it up

to the point where he no longer has to fence; he says that he doesn’t want to go too quick, as he

doesn’t want to sell bulk honey if possible. He and his partner Alison, a Research Fellow at the

University of New England, do everything themselves (Alison loves the business side of the

enterprise) and they are gaining some good traction locally. Last weekend they went to Moree to

attend a festival, where they had a great reception and picked up another stockist for their products.

In fact, the highmeadow.com.au website lists a dozen stockists across the New England region.

Runny honey, creamed honey, honeycomb and pure beeswax may also be purchased online from

the website.

https://www.highmeadow.com.au/

PODCAST EPISODE 56: Simon Mulvany, Founder of Save the Bees, Blairgowrie, Australia

As many of you know, Founder and CEO of Save the Bees Simon Mulvany and I go way back. Save the Bees is an outstanding Australian organisation that aims to galvanise a community of like-minded people who would put their energy into saving bees from unethical and damaging processes. This has included (but is not limited to) incredible feats of activism (most famously against honey giant, Capilano) and the development of a wildly unique and useful online “honey map”, where local honey producers and stockists are pinpointed so consumers can bypass mainstream, unethical companies and their bee-related products. I am blown away by the work achieved by Save the Bees, and it is therefore a great pleasure to welcome one of my absolute favourite people to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast — the passionate, gutsy and determined beekeeper, Simon Mulvany.

If I were to describe Simon to you, it might go something like this. He thinks outside the square. He seeks information from a wide range of sources. He is a philosopher, a father, an activist. He has the wellbeing of bees always in mind and is critical in his analysis of beekeeping practices. With a huge heart and a straight-down-the-line approach to helping the world’s bees, Simon has proved that fighting for what matters and what is right, no matter the cost, is key. Simon’s understanding that bees are central to so many important contemporary issues: organic farming, nutrition, pollution, the environment, education, wisdom, permaculture, and love. Through a strong media presence and unabashed approach, Simon is united people to fight the plight of the bee, one corporation or capitalist ideal at a time.

However, Simon’s personal life has also been complex, and this makes him even more compassionate.

There have been some tough times in Simon’s past, and he has dealt with these lows with his usual courage and integrity. Looking back, Simon recalls struggling with the regimentation of educational systems and workplaces (something I understand myself); regardless, he did quite well in his assignments and exams, but then rebelled, broke free from the system, and spent the next ten years travelling: “During that period I spent a lot of time surfing, diving and spear fishing. I worked on vineyards and as a pearl diver and dive assistant”. Eventually he made the choice to settle in Blairgowrie, Victoria, work as a park ranger and start a family—in turn, his wonderful son, Oscar, was born. However, very tragically, Oscar and Simon lost Oscar’s mum, Georgie, soon after. I can only imagine how completely devastating this must have been, and my heart goes out to Simon every time I think about this chapter of his life.

Simon once said to me, “Bees are medicine for humanity, not only through what they produce but how they live in harmony”. Surely there isn’t a better way to sum up just how passionate this beekeeper is about connecting, educating and building a community of people who care for bees, the environment and each other. Tune in to hear Simon and I— a little hungover albeit after a beautiful World Bee Day educational event held at the lovely Sparkke brewery in Adelaide — go deep into his personal and professional journey to beekeeping.

https://www.beethecure.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 4: Manuel Hempel of Vindfløy Bybigård in Bergen, Norway

As you will find out, the last time I saw Manuel Hempel was in a karaoke bar In Canada. Obviously, my stellar singing voice made a great impression on the young, 34-year-old beekeeper from Norway, as we have stayed in touch ever since. To be serious, I met this incredibly passionate fellow when we were both at the APIMONDIA beekeeping and honey production conference in Montreal, Canada, and was struck by his story. Passionate about all things bee-related, Manuel is a keeper in a part of the world where the climate and terrain is tough – the city of Bergen on the southwestern coast of Norway. Although Bergen is not as wild as the mountainous areas of Norway, and the sea makes the climate milder and therefore suitable for bees, I am in awe of this young beekeeper, his perspective and story.

Vindfløy Bybigård is a beekeeping project in downtown Bergen, named after the Vindfloy (wind transducer) on Mt. Floyen where Manuel’s first hives were situated in 2013. Manuel run beehives from backyards to rooftops in different neighbourhoods all around the town of Bergen, seeking to “engage with the public and local institutions to create awareness for the city as an urban ecosystem, promote biodiversity and support local bees and pollinators by contributing to a more insect friendly environment in town”. What a legend! He is also very passionate about education, running workshops and giving presentations on bees at different events. In turn, Manuel and his bees have been involved with amazing groups such as Spire Bergen, ALF (Integration Center), SLowfood Bergen and the Bergen International School.

I am thrilled to introduce Manuel to the Ben’s Bees Community in Episode 4 of the BEES WITH BEN podcast. Listen in to hear us chat about the honey cooperative called HONNINGCENTRALEN (which translates to Honey Centre) – an awesome initiative where the price of honey is fixed so that all beekeepers can sell their honey for a good price and maintain its high quality. Food for thought until I next meet up with Manuel at the 2021 APIMONDIA in Ufa, Russia, for more chats on bees and hopefully a little karaoke ;) Tune in!  https://anchor.fm/ben-the-beeman

PODCAST EPISODE 53: Luke De Laeter, qualified beekeeper and entrepreneur, Buzz Ed, Perth, Western Australia

I always knew I loved bees, right from the moment I found a wild bee nest down at the creek in the bush near my parents’ place. It was a fast realisation – yes, love at first sight. But, for me, it was a slow trajectory into beekeeping, first as a hobby and then a profession. Although I have no regrets about the various paths I took, and my time pursuing cheffing among other things before entering beekeeping fulltime, I am always kind of in awe of those people who find bees early on and then just wholeheartedly move into beekeeping as a career. That kind of knowing yourself enough to follow your heart is totally admirable to me. Perhaps it’s just realising that the more time spent with bees in one’s life, the better! For this reason, I am delighted to introduce Luke De Laeter from Buzz Ed Australia to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast for episode 53 – the youngest BWB podcast guest to date!

I met Luke just before COVID hit on a trip to Tasmania – he was part of the Tasmanian Junior Beekeeping Group. I knew at the time that I had met a special fellow – he is a bright and skilled young person with a fantastic attitude. Luke’s story is one of those passionate tales of following your heart when you find what makes you tick in life. His parents bought him a beehive when he was just 14, and he loved these new creatures so very much that he set up his first business, Luke’s Bees. A year later he started to do bee education and going into schools doing talks about the importance of bees, what they do and make, and how they help humans and the planet.

Today, he is almost (and only) 19 and works full time with a commercial beekeeper during the busy bee-happy months of the year; in the slower, cooler months, you will find Luke educating kids about the importance of bees – the world’s number 1 pollinator – through his very own business Buzz Ed, which launched this year. Despite his youth, he has been to over 100 schools and talked to over 10,000 students! What a total inspiration! I would recommend Luke and his services to any teacher, parent, community group or organisation who wants their kids to understand the important role bees play in the sustainability of the planet.

Tune in to hear Luke and I chat about his journey to beekeeping, finding your passion at a young age, and his fantastic business Buzz Ed 

https://www.buzzedaustralia.com

PODCAST EPISODE 44: Dara Scott from Hive Alive, Galway, Ireland

Since COVID hit, the world has been forced to look at health in a whole new way. For many of us, time in lockdown has provided some space to adopt some new healthy habits — be that eating, exercise, or practicing mindfulness. Personally, I have adopted a bunch of new recipes, learning what specific ingredients might help me feel better, lighter and more productive. Of course, this interest in healthy eating for general wellbeing isn’t a new phenomenon, and Australia is hugely lucky to be home to an abundance of delicious fresh produce. But did you know that bees are also taking time to think about new foods that can increase their health, happiness and productivity? Please welcome the fantastic and incredibly well-schooled Dara Scott all the way from Galway, Ireland, to chat with us about the benefits of Hive Alive’s miraculous seaweed supplements for your bee colony!

Every now and then a beekeeping product comes along that really blows my mind. Hive Alive is one of those products. As the number 1 feed supplement for honeybees worldwide, is the only feed supplement scientifically proven to deliver stronger colonies, increase honey production, keep disease levels low and improve over-winter success. It does so by ensuring intestinal wellbeing in your colony through a blend of unique seaweeds (yes, you heard right!), which have been scientifically selected for honeybee health due to their remarkable properties: anti-fungal, immune boosting, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, pre-biotic — what’s not to love! Interestingly, seaweeds are added to numerous animal (and human!) feeds as they have been shown to increase productivity, general heath, gut health, immune function and nutrition. Superfood, no doubt!

Dara and I spoke in-depth about Hive Alive, why bees thrive from healthy diets as much as humans do, and our special ancestral connection. 

 https://www.hivealivebees.com

PODCAST EPISODE 26: Adrian O’Hagan from The Bearded Bee, Melbourne

When I first came across natural beekeeping, I knew I had found my place in the world. I love technology (when used for good and not evil) and new ways of adapting and doing things; I also love small business and being fortunate enough to make a living via and as a result of bees; however, I believe that beekeeping should be done always with the best interests of these incredible insects in mind. With that said, I am delighted to share episode 26 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast with you, introducing a man who wholeheartedly stands for the animal-centric approach of natural beekeeping – Adrian O’Hagan of The Bearded Bee, a company that believes in “making a bee’s life as peaceful as possible. Minimal interventions, a lifetime in the same place, and lots of good plants to forage. We place our hives with avid gardeners who respect the contributions of the humble bee.” Adrian believes that bees need to be treated with respect, and, as a result of a happy and healthy life, bees are generous and remarkable enough to give us honey; but not at their own expense! For this reason, Adrian is interested in selling honey locally, not in mass production, which is often detrimental to the health and happiness of bees.

Adrian fell in love with beekeeping when he hosted a beehive in his backyard under the supervision of beekeeper and mentor Claire Pare. He watched on as Claire cared for the colony, keenly observing how she carried out her inspections. After that, Adrian continued his education through a beekeeping course with the Perm-Apiculture Group; his confidence grew, and he was soon helping Claire take care of her hives throughout the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. As time went by, Adrian’s hive collection grew, and – in a cycle of events – he started hosting his own hives in the gardens of other people. These gardens often belonged to avid gardeners and permaculture enthusiasts, which meant that Adrian could be confident that his bees were living in a chemical-free environment and would be respected by their hosts. As the business grew, the honey flowed freely, leading to his business, The Bearded Bee. These days, Adrian has almost 20 hosts, and his family get in on the action too, helping dad process honey from a bunch of very happy bees.

Tune in to episode 26 to hear Adrian and I chat about bee stings, mentoring, hosting hives, natural beekeeping and keeping honey pure, chemical-free and local.

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebeardedbee.com.au%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR1OAeUvkZL7sHzonJPgYeWb4ja8GmjRuICIt4NX6OpJnsGIOqaDSqHH_o4&h=AT3BMhKelj-ESGPuhHUQDl7SlRdxOkVElwkJEzNIGyVPh_jrWFgVDbRc7se2topMZ0gF4hE21eS-j1ArlTPTepIG6RrZtP6hP4jc-s4QPMzVxTHep1POm0abTS00GhSYChrAKEaN

PODCAST EPISODE 36: Pam Vroland from Silvan Estate Raspberry Farm, Victoria

What is bulbous like a bee, but any number of pinks or reds or blues? What tastes like heaven, or maybe makes your face squish up with exhilarating tartness? What stains your fingertips, your tongue, and sometimes your t-shirt? What makes the best edible summer treasure hunt? What turns your smoothies fluorescent, is packed with antioxidants, and makes your cakes/breakfasts/desserts the most delightful little bundles of joy? Berries of course! As a lover of B-related gifts of nature, I am very happy to introduce you to the one and only “berry queen” for episode 36 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast: Pam Vroland from Silvan Estate raspberry farm. For the past five years, some of my darling bees have called Pam’s glorious berry farm home; she loves them, and they love her and her brightly coloured morsels of deliciousness.

And my bees and I are not Pam’s only fans. In fact, Pam and her farm have garnered huge and deserved attention from celebrity chefs, locals and media alike. In an article in The Age, Master Chef’s Matt Preston declared that Silvan Estate produced “possibly the world's reigning raspberries”! And that’s a big call (but one I am willing to stand by). Preston goes on to describe the many (food) sites where Pam’s raspberries could be found, including a generous handful of sophisticated and delicious dishes from a number of highly acclaimed restaurants. It was he who brought attention to her reign as well-known and well-loved berry royalty.

Pam has earnt this reputation through her intimate knowledge of the environment at Silvan and of the methods needed to grow such perfect and glorious fruits. She understands the climate, the soil, the impact of local wildlife, the compost needed, the CARE needed. She knows which berries get eaten strait from the bush, and which ones are made into jam. Pam loves of raspberries, and she knows each type like a dear friend – the Bogong, the Chilliwack, the Tulameen, and Serpell’s Willamette (to name just a few).

Tune in to hear Pam and I talk about the intricacies of growing berries in the gorgeous Yarra Valley.

Hive Buddy is a new place for beekeepers to learn, contribute and grow together with their beekeeping. It has been put together by some Australian beekeepers with the hope to finally create a place where beekeepers can increase their confidence and competence in both an informal setting and through more organised mentorship groups.

Hive Buddy is a really relaxed (and free) experience sharing platform that creates a positive culture that supports all types of beekeeping and any stage of a beekeepers journey. Doesn’t matter if you’re just getting started or been around it for years, there’s something for you.

As we all know beekeeping can be daunting and confusing, especially when you just start out. The Hive Buddy online mentorships are meant to feel like you have a close friend near you when you need it. The mentors have been carefully selected for variety of personality combined with different experiences and areas of interest. No two mentors are the same but they all have the ability to bring competence and confidence to you and your beekeeping.

I’ve joined as a mentor on Hive Buddy and there are many other amazing mentors there also. We have an online catchup every two weeks where we discuss issues that have come up and discuss solutions and seasonal aspects of beekeeping. It doesn’t necessarily matter if you aren’t from the same place as your mentor, the discussions are always interesting and will be an opportunity for you to learn and share. It’s not meant to be a teacher and student approach but more a supportive group that solves problems together. I love being part of this and can see the confidence that this will bring to beekeepers from right across Australia.

General info - https://www.hivebuddy.com.au/

Hive Buddy platform - https://members.hivebuddy.com/

Mentors - https://www.hivebuddy.com.au/mentors

Mentorship programs - https://www.hivebuddy.com.au/programs

Email - hello@hivebuddy.com

HELLO, NAME IS SIMON MCEVEDY

I'M THE FATHER OF TWO GIRLS

I'M INFANTRY BY TRADE & NURSE BY PROFESSION

I'M ALSO A VETERAN

WHO HAS FINALLY FOUND A HOBBY @ THE RIPE OLD AGE 49

AND IM ALSO KNOWN AS A NEWBEE BEE KEEEPER

I HAVE NAMED BOTH OF THE HIVES

ONE IS A CONBINATION OF MY DAUGHTERS NAMES ELLE & LEAH

AND JOYBELL IS NAMED AFTER MY MOTHER

AS YOU CAN SEE, I HAVE BEEN A LITTLE CREATIVE WITH THE SPRAY PAINT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE HIVE

BEE CREATIVE I SAY

AT THE START OF LOCKDOWN

I STARTED SEEING POSTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ON FLOW HIVE AND GOT ME INTERESTED

BY CHANCE RSL ACTIVE PUT ON URBAN BEEKEEPING CSE AT BOX HILL RSL

WHERE KATRINA AND I FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO MEET BEN & CHRIS GRAY

I HAD GENERAL INTEREST IN BEES BEFORE BUT HALFWAY THROUGH PRESENTATION

BENS CHARISMATIC PERSONALITLY & PASSION FOR ALL THINGS BEES

GOT ME HOOKED & HE HAS ONLY A POSITIVE INFLUENCE SINCE THEN

BEN TEACHER IN THE TRUEST SENCE OF THE WORD

HE PASSES ON HIS KNOWLEDGE FREELY – CALMING MANOR – GIVES CONFIDENCE IN ALL AREAS OF EXPERTISE.

HIS PROFESSIONALISM IS SECOND TO NONE

THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS MY BEES HAVE GIVEN ME

IN AUG 2021 RECEIVED FIRST TWO NUCLEUS HIVES

REGISTERED AS AN OFFICIAL BEEKEEPER WITH AG VICTORIA

YOU CAN HAVE UP TO 5 HIVES ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY

FORTUNATELY, NEXTDOOR NEIGHBOUR IS A CARPENTER WITH VET CONSTRUCTIONS

AND HE SUPERCHARGED COFFEE TABLE – SIDE OF ROAD

TURNED INTO WORKABLE HIVE STAND

SO, WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MAIN BENEFITS

FIRSTLY, I FOUND A HOBBY

THIS HAS GIVEN ME PURPOSE

AND THIS PURPOSE GUIDED ME IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION OF LEARNING

LOTS OF YOUTUBE VIDEO, READING BOOKS, JOINING ONLINE BEEKEEPING GROUPS & ENABLED TO CONNECT WITH OTHER BEEKEEPERS

THESE CONNECTIONS ENABLED ME TO RE-ENGAGE WITH OTHERS

MAKING CONNECTIONS IS SOMETHING I HAVE FOUND VERY DIFFICULT.

AND ISOLATION IS SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS MANY VETERANS.

simonmcevedy1@hotmail.com

On Instagram veteran_bee_therapy

PODCAST EPSIODE 74: Michael Johnson, Co-founder of The Basin Backyard, Knoxfield, Victoria

The Melbourne suburb known as The Basin (of the City of Knox) is, as the name suggests, a basin-like area surrounded by the majestic Dandenong Ranges. A part of the world I know well, I was over the moon when I first stumbled upon a fantastic bee business aptly named The Basin Backyard – a garden paradise in the outer eastern suburbs with an abundance of edible plants, as well as bee mentoring and beekeeping classes, and a fantastic supply of local honey and delicacies. Heaven! For that reason, I am delighted to introduce Michael Johnson, co-founder of The Basin Backyard, to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast for episode 74.

Michael and Meredith Johnson have lived in The Basin for over 25 years, and purchased their current house as a renovators’ delight, which they quickly set about making their home. Their dream renovation included a garden, which at the time was merely lawn and pittosporums. With something more ambitious and complex in mind, the bee-loving couple set about making a native/edible garden that they could share with wildlife and humans alike. As their once-humble garden grew to house over 70 varieties of edible plants, they decided in 2009 to branch out further and turn their garden into what is now known as The Basin Backyard. A garden and bee-related business in Knowfield open to the public.

When asked about the vision behind The Basin Backyard, the couple share a humble but profound idea that has been at the core of the venture from the beginning: “The Basin Backyard was and still is about thinking about where your food comes from, and if you have land (no matter how small) what you can grow on it.” The couple have made this happen through the creation of the garden itself, but also through incredible workshops that teach the public about all kinds of edible processes, from honey production and beekeeping to workshops on building an edible garden, making salami, making cheese, and fermenting! The Basin Backyard is a garden, a store, an educational facility, and a warehouse – a fantastic resource and space for bee, food and garden lovers alike.

Tune in to hear Michael and I chat about how The Basin Backyard grew and grew (literally and as a business).

https://tbbyard.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 27: Michael Haddad from Sparkke Natural Brewery, Adelaide.

As the summer starts to slowly warm up in Melbourne, and Christmas bells are ringing after a very long year of challenges, people across Australia (and the world) are finding ways to celebrate the things that really matter in life. There have been many dark moments in 2020, and we understand the fight is not over yet. However, these moments have provided one thing – the space to think about the social, cultural, environmental and economic issues that really matter to us. It is my hope that the isolation we have endured has provided the time for us to reconsider how we live and act; how we treat one another and the planet; and to think about how we might make choices that are in line with what our hearts know to be right and true.

That is why, as Christmas is just days away, I am thrilled to introduce you to an amazing venture for episode 27 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast that will warm your heart and wet your whistle: Sparkke – a female-founded and -led brewery based in Adelaide that distributes delicious, ethical drinks across Australia. Sparkke calls for respect for all races and genders, reminds drinkers that climate change is indeed real, hammers home the absolute necessity of sexual consent, and honours sustainability. In fact, each of their cans bares a slogan to get drinkers thinking about an abundance of important issues that are close to the heart of the company and its founders – including bees! In the wake of the bushfires that devastated many local colonies earlier in the year, Sparkke brewery has partnered with Save the Bees to raise money to help Australian bees get back on their cute little feet. What gems!

Unfortunately, I was unable to speak to any of the amazing women that run Sparkke, as this time of year is complete madness for small businesses making delicious, natural, ethical beverages! However, the lovely Michael Haddad of Sparkke kindly spoke to me about the brewery, its ethos and fantastic range of drinks right in time for the silly season; he was even kind enough to send me some honey malt liqueur! As we reach the end of what has been a rollercoaster of a year, it’s time to raise a glass, to toast our endurance, our commitment to be better people each and every day, and to make choices that help our community. I am so happy that I can wish you a Merry Christmas with a drink from Sparkke in hand! Cheers and much love, Ben x

https://sparkke.com/

The 4th Australian Bee Congress: Celebrating Honey Bees at the Heart of a Healthy Australia.

Registration is now open for the 4th Australian Bee Congress, to be held at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney from 8-11 June 2022. Proudly hosted by the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, this year’s congress is particularly auspicious, as it coincides with the 200th anniversary of the successful introduction of the honey to Australia. The Congress Organising Committee has been working hard to make this a memorable event for professional and recreational beekeepers alike, as well as others from a broader agricultural background.

Since the last hugely successful Congress in 2018, we have had to contend with bushfires, floods and a pandemic, but beekeepers and the beekeeping industry - the very cornerstone of Australian agriculture - remains passionate and steadfast and continues to succeed despite mounting challenges. The 4th Australian Bee Congress represents an opportunity, not only to celebrate the historic arrival of honey bees in Australia, but also for the beekeeping community to come together and learn about the latest advances in beekeeping. The Congress will feature an extensive tradeshow, which will showcase the latest equipment, technologies and information. In addition, an array of special guest speakers will talk about cutting-edge approaches and the latest science on keeping bees healthy. The program is currently being finalised, but two guest speakers have already been confirmed.

Dr Nural Cokcetin is a Research Fellow at the ithree institute of the University of Technology, Sydney. Nural’s research focuses on understanding the relationship between bees, the environment and medicinal honey, and aims to support the apiary industry, pollination and human health. She is preeminent in the field of medicinal honey, having previously investigated the antibacterial effect of honey against ‘superbugs’ and demonstrated the prebiotic potential of Australian honeys. Nural is currently engaged in a variety of research projects concerned with the bioactive properties of honey and has attracted a high level of funding and industry engagement, as well as having received numerous awards for research impact and excellence.

The second speaker confirmed for the 4th Australian Bee Congress is Emeritus Professor Ben Oldroyd, of the University of Sydney. Having originally obtained a degree in Agriculture, Ben completed a PhD on bee behaviour in 1984. Since then, he has researched the genetics of honey bees and the evolution of social behaviour. He is intimately involved with the Australian beekeeping industry and is helping our beekeepers breed heathier strains of bees.   He has authored more than 300 scientific papers on bees, as well as the authoritative book Asian Honey Bees: Biology, Conservation and Human Interactions, and is currently Chair of the Honey Bee and Pollination advisory Committee of Agrifutures.

The 4th Australian Bee Congress will also feature social events including a reception, a beekeeper breakfast, a harbour cruise and the Congress Dinner. Naturally, a raft of COVID-19 policies is in place to minimize risk to all attendees. If you are passionate about Australian bees, or have anything to do with the beekeeping industry, don’t miss the 4th Australian Bee Congress from 8-11 June 2022 at Sydney’s Rosehill Gardens. For further information including program updates, registration and accommodation visit 

https://australianbeecongress.com.au/registration/

PODCAST EPISODE 31: Daniel Curless,  Curless Aussie Apiaries, Lockyer Valley, Queensland.

In a remarkable initiation into beekeeping, Queensland-based beekeeper Daniel Curless obtained his first ever hives in an unusual circumstance: “My first hives were found abandoned in a dry creek bed, it took a while to clean them up and get them ready to move. When we were ready to move them, we had two adults and about a million bees in the back of a Honda CRV. We left the back window open just in case!” Can’t you just imagine it! Makes my heart race! What a frightening feat to have that many bees – possibly rattled by their home being lifted up and magically relocated – in the back of your car! For his bravery, I am thrilled to welcome Daniel to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast for episode 31.

Like many an internet love story, Daniel and I met via Facebook, but chatting to him instantly let my mind wander to warmer, sunnier lands. Based in Queensland, Daniel’s education in beekeeping dates all the way back to his high school days, and he now runs D & K Apiaries with his father, Graham. Their business involves running hives from Brisbane to Toowoomba; they also produce batches of quality honey that they sell at local farmers’ markets and speciality stores. For Daniel, the real challenge of keeping the perfect hive is producing Queens. Sounds obvious perhaps – without a Queen, the honey pot is dry. Well, it’s actually seriously complicated and intricate business and one Daniel knows like the back of his hand. In fact, he has cut himself quite a niche in the industry, known for his expertise in Queen breeding. For me, I was intrigued to talk to Daniel, and introduce him to my community, so that I could learn more about his work in the north while selfishly reminiscing about my younger days being a chef in Noosa. When I lived in Queensland, I was always amazed at the endless glorious weather, and believe me, bees LOVE that sunshine! Tune in to hear Daniel and I chat about Curless Aussie Apiaries, Queensland weather conditions and how they affect beekeeping practices, Queens, and his dream that his young daughter will grow into a bee lover herself and take an interest in the family business. Big. Bee. Love.

https://www.bensbees.com.au/category/podcasts/

PODCAST EPISODE 48: Peter Debicki, The Polish Beekeeper, from Burrumbeet, Victoria, Australia

It’s a strange phenomenon, but sometimes in life you repeatedly get drawn to a place and you are unsure why. People from that country or city seem to enter your life, time and again. And each of them feels strangely comfortable, as do their stories, their foods, their ways and mannerisms. Poland is one of those places for me. It pops up time and again, calling out to me, reminding me of the marvels that exist beyond Australia shores.

Another strange but special phenomenon: some people really shine as beautiful souls. I have been lucky enough to have met a number of beaming, gorgeous humans with delightful positive attitudes in my time on Earth, and Peter Debicki – also known simply as “The Polish Beekeeper” – is, without a doubt, one of the best. Having immigrated to Australia from Poland when he was just ten years old, Peter has much knowledge to offer about local beekeeping and European beekeeping. You see, just as I have a soft spot for Pete, I also have a soft spot for Poland – having worked for some months with Weronika Wasiak, who worked alongside me for Ben’s Bees during her time in Australia. I feel a sense of connection to the place. It is a destination that is definitely right up there on my post-COVID jet setting, global-beekeeping to-travel-to list!

Now Peter the Polish beekeeper is a popular fella – I have had a bunch of people ask me to introduce him to the Ben’s Bees community for some time. A beekeeper from Burrumbeet near Ballarat in Victoria, Peter has a loyal social media following with fans from all over the country and the world. A sweet and knowledgeable guy, Peter and his bees make delicious honey and help out people when a swarm hits or there is a beekeeping dilemma that needs expert attention. It is therefore my complete pleasure to welcome Peter Debicki, The Polish Beekeeper, to the BEES WITH BEN podcast for episode 48.

Tune in to hear Pete and I talk about Poland, Lyson and Paradise hives, and strange phenomena, including the one when Peter witnessed his bees dragging the parts of a deceased mouse skeleton, bone by bone, from their hive! 

https://www.instagram.com/thepolishbeekeeper/

Thank you, Thank you, THANK YOU!

It's been 1 year since starting this Podcast and I want to say a really big appreciation to all those that have been on and you the listeners! 

Thank you! 

PODCAST EPISODE 10: Lindsay Bourke of Australian Honey Products, Tasmania

I love Tasmania. Over the past few years, I have been lucky to pop across Bass Strait relatively regularly to hang out with my bee-mates in Tassie – young and older, this beekeeping community has a great appreciation and understanding of the island’s unique and precious environment. It sure is a remarkable place, one of the most spectacular on Earth in my opinion, and that’s why I am so pleased to welcome fifth generation Tasmanian beekeeper and honey magician, Lindsay Bourke from Australian Honey Products to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

To my knowledge, Lindsay is the beekeeper with the largest number of colonies in Tasmania, having over 4000 hives! That’s epic beekeeping! In Tassie, there is only a 10-week window where the bees can collect nectar to make honey, and the three biggest crops for honey are manuka, leatherwood and clover. Now Lindsay is an award-winning honey producer – for example, in 2018, he won first place in the international prize at the Australian Bee Congress for his leatherwood and light amber honey varieties as well as his honey mead. How does he do it? Commitment and passion that leads to experience and success. You see, Lindsay started Australian Honey Products way back in 1966 with just 200 hives (still a decent number!); he cleverly purchased properties with his income from the business, and now is a leading property owner in Launceston. After a hiatus from beekeeping and honey production for some years, Lindsay returned to the land of liquid gold in 2002 when he made Australian Honey Products an award-winning enterprise, exporting his product to countries such as Korea, Japan, Tahiti, Germany, Jordan and United Kingdom. The company has expanded in many ways, taking on new product lines, which has enabled Lindsay to cleverly diversify his business by adding honey beverages, honey ales and honey meads to the company’s product list. Also, in 2008, Lindsay did something special when he purchased the oldest apiary in Tasmania – the Sheffield Honey Farm, formerly H L Jones & Sons, Barrington Apiary – which was established in 1898.

As a business owner myself, I find Lindsay’s story truly inspiring – his smart business choices, willingness to take risks, and consistent work in a variety of areas makes me think about what I might like to do in the future. I hope that these choices, made over the course of his career, are also interesting for other small business owners listening to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

Tune in and listen to Lindsay and I chat about his path, Australian Honey Products, and how different it is keeping bees in Tasmania to keeping on the Australian mainland due to the weather conditions. Also, find out why Lindsay has a love for the Braula fly (controversial I know!), saying that he finds the little devils cute in their own weird way!

PODCAST EPISODE 21: Cedar Anderson, Flow Hive co-inventor, Byron Bay, Australia

While the recording of this episode might be a little crackly in parts, I feel it represents something of the character of my next guest. Inventor, entrepreneur, bee lover, family man, paraglider, Flow Hive co-creator – Cedar Anderson is a truly down-to-earth bloke with truly down-to-earth (yet highly ambitious) passions. The chat we had – recorded, on his end, from underneath his house – crackles in parts, like an earthy laugh, and seems indicative of Cedar’s grass-roots approach. However, this analogy doesn’t quite paint the picture of just how switched on and inspiring Cedar truly is. An ABC article by Vanessa Gorman perfectly summed up Cedar’s evolution in its title: ‘From humble hippie to multi-millionaire businessman — the man who revolutionised the beehive’.

Cedar and I first met when I went to visit him with Simon Mulvany (from Save the Bees) at his home in Broken Head, near Byron Bay, in the spectacular Northern Rivers area of New South Wales; however, I had heard of him long before that trip and was excited to meet him in person. What you take from meeting this lovely man is that he is dedicated to his family, he loves and appreciates nature, he is an inspiring businessperson, and that his connection to bees has allowed him to create a system for extracting honey that is both unique and effective. This third-generation beekeeper has been inspiring the beekeeping community in Australia and abroad with his new ideas and environmental ethos – check out his TEDxBrisbane Talk, ‘Why the World Needs Backyard Inventors’ if you haven’t already.

So, what is this revolutionary invention Cedar co-invented, you might ask? The Flow Hive presents a new way of extracting honey from Langstroth-style European honeybee hives. While understanding that the most important aspect of any honey production process is respect for the animal and looking after a colony as best as humanly possible, a system like the Flow Hive changes the honey extraction process completely through “an artificial foundation made from BPA- and BPS-free food grade plastic, manufactured right here in Australia, on which the bees build their comb”. The bees fill the artificial cells with honey and cap them off. Then, a “Flow Key” is inserted to split the cells, and gravity helps the honey flow into the trough, through tubes and straight into your honey jars! With an incredible 48,000+ customers in over 139 countries, the Flow Hive is building even stronger connections between keepers and bees. Tune in to hear Cedar and I talk about the Flow Hive, inventing, family, eco-business and stumbling upon a 30-year-old bee box mid-podcast!

https://www.honeyflow.com.au

https://www.bensbees.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 37: Ben Moore’s 99 Astonishing Bee Facts

Can you tell me, what is the size of a bee brain?

How many BILLIONS of dollars do bees bring to the world economy each year?

How do bees keep their hives at 34 degrees Celsius?

How is that bees “dance for their dinner”?

Do bees need shut eye, just like humans?

In ancient Greece, which famous god was known for beekeeping?

Is “piping” music to a beekeeper’s ears?

Bees can be gynandromorphic, but what does that mean?

In summer, what is the proportion of bees to humans in London?

Bees are endlessly fascinating and highly complex creatures, and, in turn, there are a million and one reasons to love them. Probably more. So, to make a list of astonishing facts about bees is a pretty pleasurable task for a humungous bee lover; it’s sort of like shifting through the encyclopaedic quantities of bee-related titbits I keep on hand to find a selection of the best. You see, I often find myself jotting down little notes on paper or in my phone about why bees make the world a more special place. I find these facts in all different places. From the internet, to media sites, science research, word of mouth and my experiences in the field. So here we have it, for episode 37 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast, I will be presenting you, my dear bee community, with a whopping 99 facts that highlight the extraordinary nature of bees.

I don’t want to give too much away, but these facts touch on economics, environmental sustainability, anatomy, social structures, genetics, among many other fields. There are more than a few odd balls that will really knock your socks off! Heart-warming, mind-blowing, stomach-churning, ground-breaking – bees are much more than what meets the eye, and I hope this list of 99 of my favourite facts about bees show them off as the insect superstars they truly are. As the biologist Karl Von Frisch wrote: “The bee’s life is like a magic well, the more you draw from it the more it fills with water.”

Tune is to hear me, Ben Moore, give you 99 reasons to love bees even more than you already do!

https://www.bensbees.com.au/

Ben’s special guest this week on the Bees with Ben podcast is Stuart Sutherland from Electrotherm

Pty Ltd. Electrotherm is an Australian manufacturer of specialized industrial heater jackets and pads.

The company was established in 1991 with the aim of introducing energy efficiency to the traditional

industrial heating market; their customer base includes industry, government, defence and research.

And these unique heater jackets have an important application in the honey industry. As Ben

explains, there is nothing more infuriating than when your honey stocks turn brick-hard in winter.

Stuart tells us that he originally hails from south Wales (not New South Wales) and started his

working life as a carpenter, working in joinery workshops across the UK producing stairs, windows

and period mouldings before moving into shopfitting and a stint building boats in South Africa.

Electrotherm was started by Mike Bell, an electrical engineer, who Stuart describes as a very

inventive man, and Stuart took over the business about a year ago. Whereas many heating products

utilize an element that is essentially a curly wire, Electrotherm’s products employ a very different

carbon graphite element that looks like a black cloth and was originally developed to prevent icing in

the wingtips of aircraft (it is also used as subfloor heating for houses in Europe). This has great

advantages over the resistance wire format.

Electrotherm is very thorough in its product development and employs stringent quality control The

heater jackets are made from a very tough PVC-coated fabric - they must be able to tolerate

considerable heat as the jackets can get up to 90 o C. Based in Seaford, near Melbourne.

Electrotherm’s products are popular within the honey industry, as well as industrial chemistry,

where heater jackets are commonly used to ensure glues, epoxy resins, polyurethanes and the like

do not get too viscous in colder weather. Another of their customers uses heater jackets on skin

creams and pharmaceuticals so that they do not become hard and difficult to work with.

Electrotherm are always looking to improve and expand their product range, and are happy to take

on custom work. Stuart will also be displaying his products at the Victorian Apiarists’ Association

annual conference in Bendigo from 5-7 July. He views this as a great opportunity to meet people and

to listen to his customers, which in turn will help to refine his product.

And Stuart also has a very special offer for all of Ben’s listeners, but you will need to wait for the end

of the podcast to hear it!

For more information about Electrotherm’s innovative products visit: electrotherm.com.au

And to find out more about the 122 nd VAA Annual Conference go to:

https://www.vicbeekeepers.com.au/page-18116

https://electrotherm.com.au/

PODCAST EPISODE 24: Ben the Busy Bee says “hi” and “goodbye” – but only for six weeks!

For beekeepers, the annual cycle of work and rest is a rollercoaster. As bees rug up and hibernate for the winter, beekeepers wait around, twiddling their thumbs, dreaming of bees, painting bee boxes, and drinking long cups of tea doused in their favourite honey. To be honest, the cooler months of the year can be quite excruciating! And then, FINALLY, the first blooms of spring peek out into the world, the first rays of sunshine meander down between the branches of the trees above, and “bijingo”, there you have it, bees as far as the eye can see! That’s right, bee lovers, the bees are well and truly back in Melbourne and Victoria and (you guessed it) I’m happy as a bee could be! Being reunited with my colonies and those of others has me grinning ear to ear. However, it also has me well and truly run off my feet with work! That is why I bring you none other than myself to episode 24 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast to wish you a monetary goodbye from the airwaves.

“What?” you ask, “Not, the podcast? Don’t tell me there are no more chats with world-class beekeepers and lovers?!”

Fear not, the podcast is well and truly here to stay – in fact, it’s so popular that I am constantly receiving requests and queries about what’s up next, and how people can get involved. I absolutely love having a platform to introduce the Ben’s Bees community to bee-related professionals from near and far; it’s a true delight, and one I can’t wait to get back to! However, right now, I am flat out rehoming swarms around Melbourne; helping bees pollinate orchards like blueberries, raspberries and pears; mentoring beekeepers; stocking the online store; and getting bees ready for their new owners (believe me, the backyard in full of ‘nucs’ for people to collect when the time is right).

So, while I get to work keeping Victoria’s bees happy and healthy, my mind will be ticking away with new ideas and guests for the podcast when I return to your airwaves in six weeks’ time. So, who can you look forward to meeting when I return, you ask? Some special guests include Ian Steppler from A Canadian Beekeeper blog and YouTube channel and Trevor Monson who helps coordinate the biggest movement of bees in Australia! Also – in case I wasn’t busy enough – get set for me to launch my first ever book (!!!), just in time for Christmas (more on that soon). While I say ciao for now to the BEES WITH BEN podcast, check-in on my social media and blog for busy-Ben updates over the next six weeks! Love Ben x

https://www.bensbees.com.au

Goldfields Honey, Bee and Pollination Services Pty Ltd and its sister company Goldfield Honey Australia are producers and packers of 100% pure Australian Honey. The founder Grant Lockwood (1958 – 2017) started beekeeping as an apprentice in 1974 and remained in the industry until his death in 2017. Together with his wife Vicki, he established Goldfields Honey in 2000 and had a natural gift for beekeeping which he has passed onto his son Jon who is now the principal beekeeper. His expertise and knowledge of Australian honey has been passed on to his son Sam, who is an expert in honey packing for the Australian customer. Packing both blends and straight lines. Son Mark operates the tourist shop, The Beekeepers Inn, which sells many varieties of Australian honey for tasting and sale. People come from all around the world to taste the varieties. Daughter Claire also operates the tourist facility, Beekeepers Inn as well as hosting functions from our restaurant and teaching the importance of honey production and pollination to groups.

This is a proudly run Australian family business.

https://www.goldfieldshoney.com/

In Episode 122 of the Bees with Ben podcast, host Ben chats with the experienced commercial beekeeper Kevin Simons from Edgecomb Honey, nestled in the scenic North Island Bay of Plenty in Whakatane, New Zealand. Kevin has been a part of the beekeeping industry since 1984, witnessing firsthand the dramatic shifts in the landscape of apiculture, particularly with the advent of varroa mites. This episode delves into his enduring passion for beekeeping, the early days free from varroa, and his current relentless fight against this devastating pest.

Kevin's journey into the world of bees began in 1984, sparked by a fascination with the natural world and the intricate society bees form within their hives. He recalls the simpler times in beekeeping when the absence of varroa mites meant fewer threats to hive health and a stronger focus on honey production and natural hive growth. These were the days when beekeepers could rely more on the resilience of their bees and less on intervention to maintain healthy colonies. However, the tranquility of beekeeping shifted dramatically with the arrival of varroa mites in New Zealand. Kevin describes the initial shock and rapid adaptation needed as beekeepers nationwide faced significant losses and battled to understand and manage this new enemy. For Kevin, it was a pivot from natural beekeeping methods to developing a more aggressive and vigilant approach to hive management.

Today, with over a thousand hives under his care, Kevin's beekeeping routine involves an extensive and meticulously planned program to combat the varroa mite. He shares some of his strategies on the podcast, including regular monitoring, the use of chemical treatments, and natural control techniques that together form an integrated pest management system. His goal is not just to keep the mites at bay but to ensure his bees thrive despite their presence.

Looking toward the future, Kevin is cautiously optimistic. He acknowledges the ongoing challenges posed by varroa mites but also highlights the resilience of beekeepers and the innovations in the field that continue to evolve. His story is a testament to the dedication and resilience required in modern beekeeping, emphasizing that the battle against pests like varroa is ongoing but not insurmountable.

PODCAST EPISODE 17: Jill and John Richards from Nature’s Gold, Brisbane, Australia

I love a good team. There is a very beautiful saying by Mother Theresa that reads, "None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful." I have been doing a lot of thinking about what it means to work as a team, no matter how small that team might be. At Ben’s Bees, I do a lot of running around on my own, but each and every day I rely on the help of my employees, colleagues, clients, friends and family to help make my business a success. These small and large collaborations keep me inspired, spark new ideas and help the daily running of my business.

Despite the deep respect I have for individuals that go out there and turn their dreams into reality, there is a different respect that goes out to those who find a way to join their passion with someone else’s, creating a symbiotic relationship where work is infused with the connection between those people – what is achieved has great heart and soul. I have also noticed that ventures where people join together in a partnership or larger group tend to create products and services that naturally connect with more people and encourage further collaboration – each small act of love (as described by Mother Theresa) joining to the next to make something that moves, brightens, warms and changes the world. For that reason, I am thrilled to introduce the first beekeeping couple to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast, Jill and John Richards from Nature’s Gold!

Based in Brisbane, Queensland, there is a personal reason why Nature’s Gold specialises in manuka honey varieties, and why Jill and John are “The Manuka Honey People.” Jill Richards started the company 15 years ago now, when a bad case of eczema saw her turn to manuka honey to aid her troubled skin. Now, having built a dream venture with her husband John, the duo sells their incredible and potent manuka products to the public for therapeutic benefits. Nature’s Gold also supplies hospitals with manuka products, where it is achieving great results healing burns and ulcers where antibiotics are unsuccessful. Last but not least, Nature’s Gold is now making manuka products to help out animals with their own skin ailments! Tune in to hear Jill, John and myself chat about the potency of the duo’s manuka honey, the “war” between Aussies and Kiwis for the manuka label, the benefits of beekeeping cooperatives, and investing in particular plant species for the creation of high-grade medicinal honey varieties

https://naturesgold.com.au

https://www.bensbees.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 47: Phil Lester, Author and Professor of Ecology and Entomology, Wellington, New Zealand

A German proverb reads: “God made the bee, but the Devil made the wasp.” Anyone who knows me knows, I am not a wasp fan in the slightest, especially not of the nasty European wasp. As Australia’s warm climate extends the life cycle of the introduced species, and a lack of predators increases its chance of survival, European wasps have become notorious in the antipodes. Reaping the benefits of mild winters that generate longer lifecycles, the introduced species has been found to build nests four times larger than those found in Europe! And that’s just the beginning. European wasps prey on indigenous fauna, kill pets and livestock, raid beehives for honey and bees, decimate grape and fruit crops, and threaten humans with their fatal sting. In order to delve deep into the lives of these destructive pests for episode 47 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast, I was lucky enough to chat to Professor of Ecology and Entomology Phil Lester – author of two of my favourite books and over 125 articles on invasive ants, wasps and other insects in journals such as Biology Letters, Ecology, and Proceedings of the Royal Society. What an incredible wealth of knowledge!

Phil’s stellar book from 2018 ‘The Vulgar Wasp: The Story of a Ruthless Invader and Ingenious Predator’ unpacks the mysteries of the despised common wasp, asking questions such as: how can we manage wasps? Can we ever learn to live with them? What can they teach us about the challenges we face for pest control? His more recent book from 2020 ‘Healthy Bee, Sick Bee: The Influence of Parasites, Pathogens, Predators and Pesticides on Honey Bees’ presents quite an opposite story: the story of one of the most well-loved creatures on the planet! Both publications are packed with information and anecdotes that will educate and surprise even the savviest beekeeper, and Phil’s wit and intelligence make both books great page turners. Tune in to hear Phil and I chat about the good, bad and the ugly of the bee and wasp universe – perfect timing considering European wasps have been very active with the La Nina weather cycle! Eeek!

PODCAST EPISODE 50: Geoff Ball, beekeeper from Ballan, Victoria (and many other places), Australia

Can you believe it has been one whole year since the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast released its inaugural episode? Me neither! What a journey! Both fast and slow (when you think of all the incredible, frightening, life-changing, existentially rocking things that have happened during that time), the past year has been a whirlwind with huge consequences. I have done more thinking, reflecting, and changing in the last twelve months than perhaps ever before – and that’s not just the new haircut, new job, new car kind of changes of past transitional phases. I mean, REALLY deep and still evolving changes in thinking and acting – how do my actions affect the environment, the people I love, my community, my business, my life, the lives of others, the lives of bees! Of course, still always thinking of the bees (some things stay the same).

For these reasons, I wanted to ask a special guest to the Ben’s Bees recording studio for episode 50 (yes, the big 5-0!) of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast: the enchanting, hardworking and wise Geoff Ball – an 82-year-old beekeeper, the oldest beekeeper I know, a keeper whose love of bees started 70 whole years ago when Geoff was just 12 years old and helping his dad out with his hives.

I appreciate the hard yakka of Geoff’s early days – and while it makes me feel a little sad to think of how hard things were for him and his family, it also brings tears of joy and admiration to think of the resilience of humans and the joyful spirit with which people get things done, make changes and build their lives and passions. When his dad came over from England, he started keeping bees, leaving ten hives behind. His father was farmhand and worked 18-hour days, earning the equivalent of only $3 per week! And then, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: whilst setting up his beekeeping business. his father extracted a large trove of honey from his hives and in one week sold enough honey to equate to 62 weeks’ pay! Joy! This gave Geoff’s father the means to buy a truck and expand his business – soon, Geoff and his brothers were helping with the business. These days, things haven’t changed, with Geoff still managing (wait for it) 750 hives! What a champion.

However, things have slowed down a little – Geoff only works 14-hour days now (ha ha) and admits to having a sneaky afternoon nap from time to time. For these reasons and a million more, I am thrilled to introduce you to the delightful Geoff Ball for special episode 50 if the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast. Thank you for listening and be sure to keep tuning in for year two of this fantastic conversation about all thing’s bee-related!

PODCAST EPISODE 64: David Priddy from Sundew Solutions, Australia

As some of my many jobs include the rehoming of bee swarms and nests and the removal of dangerous wasp nests, I have done quite a bit of thinking about different methods of pest removal. Of course, when it comes to bees, the answer is to do what you can to always save the colony and rehome the bees safely and happily. However, the world of (real) pest removal is a broader field, and one that I continue to learn about. The development of chemicals and technologies used for pest control purposes requires the right people with the right perspective, smarts and values. For that reason, I am delighted to introduce David Priddy of Sundew Solutions to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

Established in 2009, Sundew Solutions is a leading Australian research and development company. With over 25 Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) approvals to date, Sundew is a company at the top of its field, developing innovative state-of-the-art formulations and technologies for professional pest management. Sundew Solutions is a family owned 100% Australian business employing local families and manufacturing facilities in Australia and New Zealand to produce all of our products. Sundew also utilises the services of local Australian research companies, registration professionals, chemical laboratories, and raw materials suppliers. In these ways, keeping business local is super important to Sundew and to David.

David has a whopping 32 years' experience both in Australia and overseas in both the business and chemical industries. His areas of specialisation are strategic marketing, customer relationship management, integrated marketing, brand stewardship, benchmarking, and innovation modelling tools – he is a smart bloke who has spent time working for international companies such as SC Johnson and Sons and Bayer. David is one of very few business managers in Australia who have studied to be a facilitator of Smart Innova Systems from the Israeli company Systematic Inventive Thinking in Lyon, France 2006. He conducts facilitation workshops with clients to look at specific situations, problems or processes and applies these tools to create innovative opportunities and solutions. David also is also regularly published in the Australian Professional Pest Manager magazine, Australian Environmental Pest Managers Association newsletters and Our Gardens Magazine published by The Garden Clubs of Australia. He is also a regular presenter on business marketing topics and formulation technologies for the pest industry.

Tune in to hear David and I chat about the complexities of pest control technologies and chemicals, why the environment needs to be considered every step of the way when creating and developing chemical solutions, and the passionate story behind the company name, Sundew. 

https://sundewsolutions.com.au

This week’s fascinating episode of the Bees with Ben podcast features Dr Bridget Goodwin from the

Australian Apitherapy Association (go to apitherapyaustralia.net). For those listeners unfamiliar with

apitherapy, this involves the ‘use of products from the bee hive as medicine’. Dr Goodwin explains

that there is a tendency for people to view bee products as rather innocuous whereas they are in

fact medicinally highly active. The Australian Apitherapy Association website details that apitherapy

has been traditionally used in Chinese medicine for 5,000 years (it was the original form of

acupuncture) and was used by the ancient Egyptians. In the modern day, apitherapy is an accepted

part of the national medical system of many countries. Korea, Turkey, Romania, and Japan all have

established apitherapy practices and even hospitals. So, Australia is perhaps a little behind in this

regard.

Everything that bees make has medicinal applications, and the beneficial properties of bee pollen,

bee venom, royal jelly, propolis and apilarnil (drone larvae) are well established. Unlike some forms

of alternative medicine, apitherapy is backed by some incredible scientific research. For example, in

2020 the young West Australian PhD scholar, Dr Ciara Duffy, made world news with her research on

how bee venom shrinks breast cancer tumours. Earlier in 2016, Sydney University chemist, Professor

Colin Duke, published extensively on the tumour shrinking properties of Kangaroo Island propolis.

Apitherapy may be used to combat cancer and to heal wounds, as well as in dentistry and veterinary

science.

Dr Goodwin tells Ben that the ‘bees found her’ rather by accident just before the Covid lockdowns

when she was asked to work on a patient’s skin cancer. She had been researching Korean skin care

preparations including bee products and decided to give something similar as after care. The results

were astonishing - the patient’s skin healed beautifully with no scarring - so Dr Goodwin was left

pondering what had happened and embarked on further research into apitherapy. This led to

training with international expert Dr Stefan Stangaciu of Romania (who can be found on

apitherapy.com), a thesis on treating basal cell carcinoma with bee products and eventually to the

formation of the Australian Apitherapy Association. Since then, by her own admission Dr Goodwin

has been swept up by the bee community and the Australian Apitherapy Association has established

important links internationally.

Dr Goodwin credits increased interest in apitherapy in part with the increasing failure of antibiotics,

and the World Health Organisation has encouraged member nations to seek alternative

medications. She says bee products have the advantage of being completely natural and non-toxic;

bees naturally seek out medicinal plants and incorporate beneficial compounds into the products

they manufacture. The use of honey in hospitals to assist in healing wounds is widespread and

common knowledge, but for more than 20 years a professor of pediatrics in Egypt has been treating

asthma, bronchitis and pneumonia in children by nebulizing honey. He has also used honey to treat

cataracts.

There is so much absorbing information crammed into this podcast - like the advent of apitourism in

Europe and ‘bee hive air therapy’, which involves merely breathing in air from a hive and has been

shown to be very helpful for people suffering from long Covid and chronic pulmonary disease.

The Australian Apitherapy Association is a voluntary organization and relies on the support of the

public. Membership is only $120, and the 3 rd conference is to be held by Zoom in November. On July

1 and 2 this year, the Association is proud to offer some very special training with none other than

Dr Stefan Stangaciu himself in Hahndorf, South Australia. Visit apitherapyaustralia.net

A ‘viral video’ may be described as a video that rapidly gains popularity through a process of sharing

on the internet, through a variety of platforms such as social media, emails and websites like

YouTube. But how does a video qualify as viral? The most basic measure is the total number of

views, but the goalposts have changed over the years. In the early 2000s, a video could have been

considered viral if it hit a million views, but by 2011 YouTube personality Kevin Nalty considered the

benchmark to be ‘more than five million views in a three to seven day period’. Some viral videos can

also earn their owners some serious pocket money; one such video entitled ‘David after Dentist’

(depicting the humorous effects of anaesthetic) earned more than $100,000.

And so we come to the subject of the Bees with Ben podcast episode 98; joining Ben in the studio is

owner of DAP Pest Control and TikTok celebrity Dale Arnel. Dale has been in pest control for about

11 years and specialises in the installation of termite barriers. However, his favourite pest is the

European wasp - he is also a budding beekeeper.

Dale describes in some detail the difficulties of working in tight crawl spaces, and explains that the

termites found around Melbourne are subterranean in nature and come up from the ground,

building little mud ‘leads’ (or tubes) so that they can gain access to floors and walls. Ben reckons that

beekeepers are not designed to crawl around under houses and says that although he is also a

licensed pest controller, he has a couple of major issues in that he is claustrophobic and scared of

heights!

Back to our viral video. About three months back, Dale had a call from a client who had a wasp

problem in Healesville on Melbourne’s eastern fringe. She sent through a photo, which depicted a

nest that looked about the size of three basketballs, and Dale thought this may be a good subject for

a video. Upon arriving at the abandoned house - which Dale says looked like it could have been

haunted - large numbers of wasps were observed flying in and out of windows and the roof, so Dale

got suited up and went inside to investigate.

The resultant video records Dale’s initial reaction when he opens the bathroom door. The photo was

‘nothing like real life’ as the nest took up a whole corner of the room, measuring approximately 1.7

metres across and protruding out of the wall ‘like a verandah’! Dale says it looked like it some sort of

pulsating alien and felt like it was somehow telling him to stay away. He explains that European

wasp nests are normally subterranean and above ground nests usually attract attention and are

dealt with before they reach these mammoth proportions. Hidden away inside this vacant dwelling

and protected from the elements, Dale says this nest contained tens of thousands of wasps and,

“Was going to survive the winter and keep going!”

https://www.tiktok.com/@dappestcontrol/video/7076821304434822401?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

https://www.dappestcontrol.com.au/

Ben’s guest in this episode of the Bees with Ben podcast is Simon Wynn-Taylor from Steritech. The

company’s website (steritech.com.au) details some of the history of this family-owned Australian

business, which emerged in Melbourne in the 1970s as the pioneer for gamma irradiation processing

and has continued to pave the way for sterilization and decontamination processing. Steritech now

operates 3 gamma irradiation plants and 6 ethylene oxide sterilization chambers across 4 sites in

Melbourne, New South Wales and Queensland, and is the most prominent contract sterilization and

decontamination processor in the Asia-Pacific region, and one of the world’s largest. The business

services an extensive variety of industries and companies worldwide and routinely processes over

1,000 different products.

For the agricultural sector, this means the safe and effective elimination of contamination and pests,

in order to meet biosecurity and quarantine requirements and allow export both within Australia

and overseas. Steritech introduced the first whole pallet irradiator customised to treat fresh fruits

and vegetables in the world, located in Queensland. The facility provides phytosanitary treatments

for fresh produce that does not require the cold chain to be broken during treatment and is a

valuable tool for pursuing the highest possible quality and freshness.

Similarly, Steritech’s sterilization processes have important applications in the fields of medicine,

pharmaceuticals and cosmetics by minimizing any risks associated with microbiological

contamination. The company provides essential treatments for imported goods, as well as assisting

to keep a large range of pet foods and packaging also free from contamination.

But what about beekeepers? Well, gamma radiation has been proven to be the most effective

method of eliminating pathogens and insects from contaminated equipment, meaning that in many

instances beekeepers can avoid the costly exercise of replacing hives. Gamma irradiation kills small

hive beetle, American foulbrood and European foulbrood, amongst other pests, and is used by many

beekeepers as an important form of regular maintenance.

Incidentally, it was back in 1982, during a large outbreak of AFB, that Steritech was involved in the

first commercial gamma irradiation of bee boxes in the world, when 1,400 boxes were treated as an

alternative to simply burning them. Since then, Steritech has successfully treated hundreds of

thousands of hives, and the process is recognized by all relevant state departments as a proven

method of eliminating AFB and EFB. Unlike chemical treatments, which may not reach every part of

the equipment, gamma irradiation penetrates all areas of the bee equipment and leaves no

residues.

Ben says he gets about half a dozen pallets ‘zapped’ per year and has been using the process for

many years. Simon operates from the relatively new facility in Maryfield, on the northern outskirts

of Melbourne, which is situated about 20 minutes from the large fresh produce market at Epping.

Sterilization treatments are particularly instrumental in preventing the spread of fruit fly and thereby

ensuring that local produce can be exported to other important markets. Simon says the concrete

bunker at Maryfield which ensures that all radiation is contained has walls up to 5 metres thick, and

that the amount of concrete used in its construction was equivalent to one concrete truck every 30

minutes for 30 days! He says it is important to remember that Steritech is happy to service all

customers - down to the smallest of beekeepers. And the strangest thing he has had to treat? It’s

hard to beat the Swedish metal band whose guitars had to be irradiated since they were covered in

animal blood! For further details visit steritech.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 68: Simon Mildren, fire fighter, beekeeper, and CEO/founder of HiveKeepers, Australia

Some people love hot-rods, while others get more excited over diamonds; high-end designer handbags; fine china; boats; the fanciest pair of sneakers. There are many lush collectables that people desire with all their heart and do whatever they have to do to get their hands on…. steal, even! Now we all know it’s a common and unfortunate occurrence that fancy cars and jewellery get swiped, but what about if you are a BEE LOVER?! Did you know that beehives get stolen from their locations on a semi-regular basis? That’s right, you heard me correctly – people thieve bee colonies as they are worth a decent amount of money, produce honey and have the capacity to generate income. Or they can be sold on. Regardless, I am very happy that our next guest on the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast is doing the work he is, finding technological solutions to stop bee theft in its tracks – please welcome fire fighter, beekeeper, and CEO/founder of HiveKeepers, Simon Mildren.

With over 10 years of beekeeping experience, Simon has developed a business composed of an incredible team of innovators – including beekeepers, systems architects, data analysts, engineers, and researchers – who are passionate about bees and driven to create a sustainable future for our food systems. One of their remarkable contributions to that future is Hive Guardian: a tiny, discreet, lightweight and super-dupa rugged battery-powered GPS beehive tracker with up to 3 years of battery life for beehive tracking and theft recovery. Placed inside the hive, keepers can have peace of mind and stay cool, calm, and collected knowing that their bees are safe and haven’t wandered off in the arms of a thief overnight! The fantastic reach of the HiveKeepers network offers Australian beekeepers the best coverage available without the expensive costs of a satellite communications link, which can save you thousands! You can login to see the movements of your hive at any time, set alerts to let you know if there is suspicious activity, and obtain a precise GPS if your hive does happen to go walk about! HiveKeepers also make an incredible app that enables keepers to record their hive activity and better understand the life cycle of their bees.

Tune in to hear Simon and I chat about his remarkable company HiveKeepers and how his team are using technology to help bees and build a sustainable future.

 https://www.hivekeepers.com

PODCAST EPISODE 67: Trevor Weatherhead, beekeeper and chair of the AHBIC, Peak Crossing, Queensland

As a baby of the 1970s, I have a sense of nostalgia and fondness for that era. The social change, the focus on environmental issues, the passion that people had for protesting for a more liberated and conscious society – not to mention the fashion! I often send my mind back to imagine what it would have been like to be a beekeeper at that time, and my dream is idyllic. While we have the unbelievable privilege of living in a time where bees are finally getting the attention they deserve, I imagine it would have been exciting to be around in the 1970s, when people were really starting to think about the connections between plants, animals, chemicals and human wellbeing, with every new realisation being an exciting revelation. For that reason, I am thrilled to introduce you to a very learned, passionate and devoted human being who started his beekeeping career over 40 years ago and continues to honour bees and their contribution to saving the planet – please welcome Trevor Weatherhead, beekeeper and chair of the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) for episode 67 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

As mentioned, Trevor’s love of bees and beekeeping dates back some time; he bought his first beehive in 1972 and has been addicted to beekeeping since! He then became a commercial beekeeper in 1978 – which is the same year I was born, 42 huge years ago! Trevor then worked as a commercial beekeeper for 24 years, breeding up to 5000 queens per week in the busy season. Due to the physical nature of bees, Trevor retired from the beekeeping game due to back issues; however, he is still very active in the bee community – every bee-related conference or expo or symposium around the globe, Trevor is there! And not alone – with his amazing wife, Marion. Part of Trevor’s ongoing commitment to the world of bees and contribution to the beekeeping community is being the chair of the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) – a fantastic organisation helping the beekeeping industry in a multitude of ways, including (but my no means limited to) various training and education programs ranging from beginner level to professional certifications; advising and implementing a National Bee Biosecurity Plan; and providing beekeepers and others working in industry with informative newsletters and reports. At present, one of the many issues the AHBIC are tackling is the importation of beeswax from overseas; of the six samples that were imported, all of them contained paraffin wax! In Australia, we have the best beeswax in the world, so to learn that imported beeswax contains non-beeswax products is a reminder of the unethical production processes that continue to mislead consumers today. I tell you what, I never hesitate to support the AHBIC however I can and encourage anyone able to donate to dig deep and provide this incredible organisation with the support they wholeheartedly deserve.

Tune in to hear Trevor and I talk about beekeeping from the 1970s to now, ways of supporting Australian beekeeping, and the great work being carried out at the AHBIC.

 https://honeybee.org.au/

PODCAST EPISODE 55: Brenna Quinlan, permaculture illustrator, co-author of the Bee Detectives, Western Australia. 

I like art that is joyful. Playful. Often childlike. The kind of work where the artist’s hand lightly brings people, objects, animals and places to life in a way that seems completely effortless. I like colour, too. The kind of combining of colour that sparks energy, vivacity, and shows a certain sensitivity shared between the artist and the world. Artists, in my experience, have a way of connecting with the world that is unique. They build a relationship with it, speak with it, and through those intimate conversations, they make new representations of how it feels to be alive and in connection with other humans and the planet. It seems big, and it is! We need more people that take the time to envision the times in which we are living with a new sense of positivity—to make pictures of a bright future so we can make that vision happen. For that reason, I am thrilled to introduce the crazily talented Brenna Quinlan to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast for episode 56. Permaculture illustrator, co-author of the remarkable Bee Detectives, activist and educator— I am sure that you will all be as overjoyed with Brenna’s work as I am.

Little vegies pop out from plump garden beds. A pair of young and wide-eyed detectives with oversized magnifying glasses seek out and explain the life of bees. Native plants are drawn in their stunning colours and marvellous forms. And diagrams of permaculture cycles and processes are articulated through illustrated flow charts, making science easy to understand. Brenna Quinlan is a fantastic illustrator. I came upon her work on Instagram, where I marvelled at her incredible drawings and visions of the world; they made me feel like a kid again, but also like I had (which I do) a responsibility to make this world and planet a better place. Her book The Bee Detectives— co-authored with Vanessa Ryan-Rendall—made me smile from ear to ear! Brenna is also an educator, and I can see how children and adults alike would be beyond thrilled to be her student. She is part of the Formidable Vegetable teaching team for the School Permaculture Tour program run in association with Resource Smart Schools Victoria, and she teaches and collaborates with Milkwood Permaculture.

For the past four years she has lived a low-impact lifestyle at Melliodora on Dja Dja Wurrung country—a permaculture demonstration site created by permaculture co-originator David Holmgren and his partner Su Dennett in Central Victoria, Australia. This community grows its own food, keeps happy animals, and builds sustainable living arrangements. There is no doubt in my mind that Brenna’s lifestyle is a perfect vision for the future we see illustrated in her amazing artworks.

Tune in to hear Brenna and I talk about bees, native flora and fauna, art and sustainability. 

https://www.brennaquinlan.com

https://www.instagram.com/brenna_quinlan/

PODCAST EPISODE 45: Paul Valkenburg from Valkenburg Apiaries, South Australia

What a ride the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast has been so far. Looking all the way back to episode 1 – which was almost a complete year ago now – we chatted to the lovely Simeon Valkenburg from Valkenburg Apiaries. Twelve months later, I am thrilled to introduce you to Simeon’s equally fantastic brother younger brother, who is also a dear friend of mine, Paul Valkenburg.

As you may recall, I met the brothers from Valkenburg Apiaries in springtime in Townsville, when six of us beekeepers got together and volunteered to help with the Asian Honeybee varroa mite incursion that happened there at that time. What a thrill to spend time making new beekeeping friends while doing our bit for the environment. The Valkenburg brothers are beekeepers based in South Australia. Together they run Valkenburg Apiaries, as well as invaluable initiatives such as the Beekeepers Field Day in Renmark, which educates about the vital connection between bees and almond production. Incredibly passionate, dedicated, politically engaged, and hardworking, Simeon and Paul are easily some, if not the, best commercial beekeepers I know in Australia.

Paul and I share a very similar perspective and appreciation for beekeeping; we agree that (to quote Paul) it’s the places the bees take you, the people you get to meet, and the environment you get to work in that make professional beekeeping such a rewarding career. But it’s not always an easy road and it takes time and mistakes to learn the skills of the trade. Paul honestly admitted that he and Simeon made a series of mistakes in their early days as beekeepers, which led to killing all but two of their 30-hive venture: “It was a devastating blow. The reason I am telling this story is to encourage anyone who is struggling with their beekeeping. We've all been there.” That’s what I love about the brothers – they are the real deal, they speak from the heart, and they are always learning and developing their beekeeping practice for the good of their business and the environment.

Humble and genuine (“I honestly think Simeon is more observant than me, but I think we make a good team and draw on each other's strengths”), I am delighted to introduce you to the equally fabulous Valkenburg brother from the duo at Valkenburg Apiaries. Tune in to hear Paul and I chat about the brothers’ thriving business, the ups and downs of beekeeping, and redgums in the Flinders Rangers.

Welcome to another buzzing episode of the "Bees With Ben" podcast! In this instalment, Ben chats with Steve, an avid beekeeper from Western Australia whose journey into the world of bees began through a unique blend of friendship and curiosity.

Discover how Steve was introduced to beekeeping when his regular fishing buddy had too many beehives to manage, leading to less time for their fishing adventures. Hear Steve's initial impressions when he first inspected the bee colonies and how this experience sparked his interest in beekeeping. Learn about the creative ways Steve involved his two young sons, aged 8 and 6, in beekeeping. From painting an internal wall with whiteboard paint for brainstorming to conducting market and product research, find out how Steve made beekeeping a fun and educational family project. "Levi & Elek’s" Honey Label: Steve shares the story behind purchasing 20 x 5 frame nucs from a breeder who would later become a good friend and mentor.

Explore the steps taken to establish their own honey brand, “Levi & Elek’s,” and what it means to them.

Rottnest Island Bees: The episode also delves into the fascinating world of Rottnest Island bees. Steve discusses the unique characteristics and challenges of beekeeping in this location. Join Ben and Steve as they explore the personal and profound impacts of beekeeping, from fostering family bonds to embarking on new business ventures. Whether you're a seasoned beekeeper or just curious about starting, this episode is packed with insights and inspiring stories that highlight the joys and challenges of beekeeping.

https://www.stevesqueens.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/steves.queensaus

When we last met Kristofer Fricke, some months back in episode 94 of the Bees with Ben podcast,

he was preparing to head to Africa to work on a couple of beekeeping aid projects. Well, he has just

got back, and Ben couldn’t wait to hear what he has been up to.

This episode of the podcast is also being broadcast on YouTube, and Kris is aptly dressed for the

occasion in what he describes as a ‘Ghanaian smock’. Ghana was in fact his first stop, where he was

to spend three weeks working on a project funded by the German government, in partnership with

QSI, a major European food testing laboratory. The objective was to make Ghanaian honey fit for

export, and the enterprise was rather unimaginatively entitled the ‘Make Ghanaian honey fit for

export project’!

The problem was that although Ghana has lots of beekeepers that are reasonably proficient at their

craft, the honey simply doesn’t measure up to international standards. Kris stayed a week in three

different locations talking to groups of 50-70 trainees about the best practices for harvesting honey,

as well as common problems associated with the top bar hives, which are universally used by

Ghanaian beekeepers.

Quality issues are created by the common practice of harvesting honey at night - primarily because

the bees are less aggressive. However, in the dark, it is easy for beekeepers to contaminate the

honey with brood, or uncapped honey. Kris says that he saw a lot of honey that was cloudy -

indicating the presence of brood - and tasted some which was part fermented, or unripe. Testing

also indicated the presence of significant amounts of smoke in the honey, but Kris doesn’t believe

this is attributable to the use of smokers. It is more likely to be due to the traditional method of

lighting a fire under the hive to chase the bees out before harvesting honey.

Undaunted by the beekeepers’ reluctance to work their hives during daylight hours, on the first day

Kris inspected some hive in which the bees did indeed seem quite agitated. On the second day, three

hives were opened. The first two were reasonably easy to manage, but the third quickly became

very aggressive. Kris admits to perhaps becoming a little complacent due to his previous experiences

in Africa, and was unwilling to admit defeat due to the adverse effect this would have on the local

beekeepers, so he attempted to power through, but was soon forced to abort as people within a

200-metre radius were being harassed by the bees. It took 45 minutes for the enraged insects to

calm down!

A similar incident happened the next day, at a different location. Invoking the mantra that ‘I do not

run from bees’ Kris was attempting to beat a dignified retreat from an angry hive, but soon his face

became covered in bees, and he was forced to run for it.

These events compelled Kris to admit that Ghanaian bees were far more aggressive than those that

he had experienced in other parts of Africa. Consequently, after that, hives were generally opened in

the last hour of daylight, and not around people working, and there were no further problems. The

local beekeepers were convinced that their bees would be more docile in the early morning, so they

also ended up opening a lot of hives between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m. and this worked quite well.

PODCAST EPISODE 2: Manuka King Rob Waddell from Grand Ridge Nursery

It was three years ago that I met nursey owner, bee lover and plant genius Rob Waddell at the Coonara Beekeeping Club in Ferntree Gully, Victoria. As plants are the key to making bees happy, I was struck with Rob’s incredible wealth of knowledge, especially when it came to Australian natives and the magical Manuka tree responsible for the medicinal variety of honey that we should all be tucking into as wintertime hits. For this reason, I am beyond delighted to introduce Rob to the BEES WITH BEN podcast!

Rob Waddell is a passionate bloke, a generous soul and a lover of nature. He is the owner of Grand Ridge Nursery at Seaview which stocks an incredible selection of native plants and provides a wonderful tree planting and propagations service. With an incredible amount of knowledge under his belt, Rob is the perfect guy to help you with your native plant needs, and a local go-to for tips and information on the remarkable Manuka plant. And if there is one thing that Rob and I have in common, it’s a love of Manuka. And so much of what I know about Manuka, I learnt from Rob! In fact, I recently planted 100 trees myself, based on his advice, on my family’s property in the Yarra Valley, and I am dying to see them grow over the years.

As Rob’s website states, the Chinese proverb tells, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now". So why is right now the (second) best time to plant your Manuka trees? Manuka partnered with hungry bees makes the kind of magical honey that not only tastes great but has countless antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant medicinal benefits and qualities. Manuka honey is produced by bees that pollinate the flowers of the manuka bush (Leptospermum scoparium) which is native to New Zealand and south-eastern Australia. So, what makes manuka honey special? Manuka’s unique trait is its high antibacterial quality – its active ingredient, Methylglyoxal, is most likely responsible for these effects, and this honey variety has traditionally been used for wound healing, preventing tooth decay, soothing sore throats, and improving digestive issues. Strong stuff!

So, with the chills of winter setting in, now is the perfect time to listen in on Episode 2 of the BEES WITH BEN podcast as I chat with Rob about the countless benefits of magical Manuka honey, the best way to plant Manuka trees, the ins and outs of running a nursery, and why native plants should hold a special place in all Australians hearts.

PODCAST EPISODE 30: Peter Gatehouse from Hill Top Hives, South Gippsland, Australia

It’s quite uncanny, but there are many remarkable stories of transformation that centre on bees. It seems to me that bees often enter someone’s life and a change in perspective, even career, ensues that is fulfilling in a way that person needed quite deeply. These stories – which are told quite often – give me goosebumps. Of course, there are logical explanations that might lead a person to fall in love with bees, but I still feel there is some magic there – the world’s most remarkable creatures helping us out, making our days brighter, showing us how to live in a simpler, more natural way.

Peter Gatehouse of Hill Top Hives has one of these stories, and I am thrilled to introduce you to him in episode 30 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast. Peter was born and raised in Melbourne and moved to South Gippsland with his partner Margaret and young family in 1991, where they settled in Mirboo North. Over the years, the family grew their garden; a special place, that transformed over time, and was even home to some happy chickens and geese. When bees seemed like the next step in the garden’s evolution, Peter was excited to welcome them to the property – he knew that bees would be helpful to pollinate his flowers and that he would eventually garner some delicious honey from them when the time was right. However, he was unaware of how these bees would change his life.

After an unforeseen redundancy after many years as a medical scientist, Peter had the time to commit to his ever-growing passion for bees, and before long, a humble beekeeping hobby blossomed into Hill Top Hives! Hill Top Hives produces local wildflower honeys that display unique colours and flavours specific to South Gippsland, providing customers with honey that they can be confident is sourced locally and ethically. Peter also sources other mono-floral honeys for his customers from other reputable sources when available. In addition, Hill Top Hives offers beautiful beeswax lip balms, wraps, candles and, soon, soaps. Peter also leases hives, manages other people’s hives and offers a consultancy service.

Tune in to hear Peter and I chat about Hill Top Hives, how his scientific background has bolstered his ability to diagnose illness and disease in the hive, and sustainability in local beekeeping. www.hilltophives.net.au

Bees with Ben podcast episode 80 features the father and son combination of Mark, the eccentric ‘The Bush Bee Man’, and John (his son) who is responsible for holding the camera. Their website describes Mark as a ‘quintessential farmer from the Australian outback region of the Riverland’. He is noted for his humorous YouTube videos, and Ben struggles not to laugh as he recounts Mark’s hilarious attempts to keep his language in check!

Asked first up about the funniest incident on camera, John recalls a time when Mark risked serious burns when he opened the radiator cap on their vehicle. Mark reckons John won’t be able to get rid of him that easily! Mark says the whole process of working with bees has been a bonding experience, and John agrees that it has brought them closer together.

John explains that he runs a video production company. He was originally employed by Channel 10, and the bee work was an opportunity to showcase his talents - but eventually became a full-time job. The success of the videos has enabled him to invest in equipment and has also helped his parents to build up their honey business. John quips that a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’, whereupon Mark immediately accuses him of being some sort of philosopher!

Mark admits that he didn’t know how much effort went into making a video production, and that it’s ‘pretty intense’. They started out with a second-hand mic that John bought from the Op Shop for $5. Mark says that one of the hardest parts about prolonged filming is keeping his smoker alight - he says that attracted plenty of comments early on.

Mark confirms that they are up to nearly 50,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel and sends a big thankyou to their Patreon supporters. John reveals that they shoot a month’s worth of content in two and a half days, and that eighty minutes of film is cut down to twenty in the finished product.

Mark thinks for a moment before declaring that his biggest mistake was, ‘Probably starting - but then you fall in love with them (bees) and there’s no hope for you!’

He admits to being surprised at how much manual labour is still involved in beekeeping, compared to other agricultural pursuits, but says that may be a good thing in that beekeeping won’t get taken over by big business. He tells Ben that he also has an almond orchard, which he established thirty years ago, and that prompted his foray into beekeeping. He recalls that when he first planted his orchard, the locals couldn’t understand why he would only plant a single crop, as opposed to a variety of fruits which could be harvested all year round. Mark says the industry has exploded in recent years, and that is now common practice to plant thousands of acres of almonds.

Mark says more farmers’ markets are definitely on the agenda for the future, but that finding the time is a problem at the moment. He is amazed at how many people come up to him at markets quoting the number of a video episode - then he has to look it up himself to see what they are talking about!

Regarding content, John says they plan a lot better now, but originally, he would simply say to Mark, ‘Dad, I’m coming up for three days; figure out some shit we can film!’

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBushBeeMan

PODCAST EPISODE 5: Milan Wiercx van Rhijn, Bees for Development, France

A few years ago, I visited one of my favourite countries in the whole world, France. During my stay, I was lucky enough to be well looked after by my now dear friend, Milan Wiercx van Rhijn, and his lovely partner, Kim. Spoilt with handmade ice-cream (thanks Kim!) and wonderful conversation about how bees are doing the most incredible job to take care of the planet (in more ways than just pollination), my stay with Milan really solidified our friendship and taught me a great deal about the amazing organisation he works for. Since that time in France, we met again at APIMONDIA in Montreal in 2019 and have stayed in regular contact ever since! For that reason, I am delighted to welcome my good friend Milan to the BEES WITH BEN podcast!

Tune into Episode 5 to hear Milan and I chat about the wonderful work happening right now in the developing world – work that combines a number of incredibly dedicated and compassionate individuals, and, of course, a huge number of equally delightful bees! Bees for Development is an organisation that promotes beekeeping to combat poverty and help build sustainable, resilient livelihoods for the people that need it most. When I thought bees couldn’t do more for the good of humanity, I am happily proven wrong.

Founded in 1993, Bees for Development was the first organisation to fully understand and acknowledge the reasons why beekeeping can be such a useful tool for relieving poverty while helping to retain biodiversity. Based in Monmouth in the UK, the organisation has worked with over 50 countries across the world to help people generate an essential income to feed their families and provide basic needs: these projects are happening in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana and Uganda (to name just a few locations). The company shows local farmers how to make and maintain low-cost beehives so that people can harvest and sell their own honey, turning natural and renewable resources into a vital livelihood that (if that wasn’t enough!) helps the environment at the same time! The company also carries out important bee-work for the World Bank, United Nations FAO and IFAD, EU, DFID, USAID and other international organisations.

Alongside all this remarkable work, Bees for Development has a generous and ethical philosophy to sharing information (one that I find vital and sometimes unusual in this day and age). They provide free information to beekeepers in poor countries, with publications – Bees for Development Journal and Teaching and Learning Boxes-- sent to readers in 130 nations. These documents share knowledge and advice, and the organisation’s website includes an open-access information portal that is the largest of its kind in the world! Considering the incredibly difficult state of affairs right now across the globe, there hasn’t been a better time to support a more worthy organisation.

PODCAST EPISODE 41: Drew Maddison, beekeeper and co-owner of Ministry of Chocolate, Croydon, Australia

Other than bees and honey of course, there are two other things that I love dearly – small business and CHOCOLATE! Ministry of Chocolate is a family-owned and run business based on Croydon, Victoria, producing high-quality chocolate made on-site and supplied to a number of businesses across Melbourne, including luxury hotels, wineries and specialty chocolate stores. The Ministry started out at local farmer’s markets across the city, before husband-and-wife team Drew and Karin Maddison found it increasingly difficult to produce their wares at home with two young boys wanting to taste test EVERYTHING! At that time, they took the brave but worthwhile leap and opened a large-scale kitchen. (Believe me, if I were their sons, I too would want to taste test all their delicious chocolates!) So, from one sweet tooth to another (and I know there are a lot of you out there), I am blissful to introduce you to co-owner of the Ministry of Chocolate and beekeeper Drew Maddison for episode 41 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

For Drew, his love of chocolate started when he was just a little tacker. The smell of melted chocolate would hover over his schoolyard from a local chocolate shop; and Roald Dahl’s Charlie and Chocolate Factory was a definite well-loved read in his bookshelf. When Drew and Karin met while working for a large-scale bakery in Melbourne, they never imagined that some years down the line they would be running a high-end chocolate business together with a penchant for local produce: “We pride ourselves on using locally grown ingredients where possible. Our strawberries are form the Mornington Peninsula, our Almonds from South Australia and even our Salt from the Murrey River. But our pride and joy is being able to use our every own honey in our honeycomb chunks and bars.” Drew and Karin keep their own hives in the outdoor courtyard section of their factory space in Melbourne’s east. And they LOVE their bees: “It’s great having bees – it’s similar to watching goldfish in a tank, however there are 60,000 of them, and their much smarter too! Also knowing your helping the environment and supporting the bee numbers is important to us.”

Tune in to hear Drew and I chat about all things chocolate, bees, running a small business and our joyful business collaborations.

www.ministryofchocolate.com.au 

www.bensbees.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 20: Ryan Moloney (AKA “Toadfish” from Neighbours), Beach Box Honey, Australia

If there is a piece of fine art that sums up the experience of the Aussie suburbs like no other, it’s Neighbours. And while the soap opera has a swag of lovable and hateable and completely relatable cast members, I feel very positive and assured in saying that there is one character that viewers, probably around the 30-to-40-years bracket, adore most of all. For this reason, I am beyond excited to introduce the one and only Ryan Moloney – or (no kidding) Jarrod “Toadfish” Rebecchi as he’s known on the show – to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast for a whopping episode 20!

You see, I get quite a few emails and messages asking for more Australian-based beekeepers on the podcast, and when I found out that Ryan is a keen beekeeper, with a couple of years’ experience under his belt, and a new beekeeping business on the horizon, I thought – WOW! Toadie just went to a whole new level in my big Aussie heart! For any of you that are too young, or perhaps live overseas and were not privy to Neighbours episodes of the 1990s, Toadfish is an iconic character, loved for his cheekiness, in strife for his bad behaviour, relatable for his vulnerability. He was that guy that was always the class clown, and often the butt of jokes; who, when finishing school, surprised the whole of Australia by blossoming into a respectable and warm-hearted member of the community. With a law degree under his belt, a newfound sense of motivation, a love life, and a neighbourhood of great friends, Toadie inspired many young kids out there (including myself) to make the most of their lives (while keeping that glimmer in their eye and that skip in their step and that joke up their sleeve). And he’s still on the show today, 22 years on, indispensable and loveable as ever!

And while I understand I have just described a TV character to you, there is a definite warmth and authenticity that both Toadie and Ryan share, which filters through into this new episode. Tune in as we chat about Neighbours, beekeeping, family, flying planes, and Beach Box Honey – a wonderful new beekeeping business run by Ryan and his wife Alison which will surely be a huge success! Be sure to check out Beach Box Honey (not Beach House Honey as mentioned in the podcast) on Instagram! 

https://www.bensbees.com.au

Episode 107 of the Bees with Ben podcast is likely to be the last for two or three months, as spring

has sprung and Ben is busy contending with his usual hectic workload at this time of year.

This episode is also a little different, as Ben gives us some insight into his journey thus far and offers

some advice for those possibly thinking of setting up a beekeeping business. First of all, it’s hard

work; Ben tells us that his next day off is likely to be Christmas Day, so you have to love the bees to

be in this business.

Back to beginnings. As a chef in the 90s, at one stage Ben used to work 90 hours per week, with two

full-time jobs. Perhaps that was partly responsible for reinforcing the work ethic that is required as a

beekeeper, but working nights with a young family certainly wasn’t ideal. Ben had always been

interested in strange critters, and in 2004 he was offered a job at Amazing Amazon, a shop in

Melbourne that deals in unusual pets like reptiles, fish, spiders and the like. Four days into cleaning

fish tanks, Ben was wondering why he had swapped cooking for celebrities for the bottom of the

barrel in a pet shop, but he persevered and eventually became the manager of the business. In his

downtime he ran a few bee hives, but by about 2008 he was getting right into bees, catching a few

swarms, selling bees, etc. The bees started to take over, and Ben went from five days a week at the

pet shop to four and then three. Then one day about six years ago, the owner of the shop wanted to

talk to Ben about the wages bill, and Ben told him that he simply couldn’t do it anymore. And with

that he became a full-time beekeeper.

Initially, things went well; the income from removing swarms was good, and Ben also started

eradicating European wasps (people were often calling him for bees mistakenly, when they had a

wasp infestation), and this necessitated accreditation with a pest control license. Incidentally, Ben

believes it is important to charge for removal of swarms; it is, after all, a service which requires

appropriate expertise and equipment, plus insurance, certifications, etc., all of which cost money.

Anyway, after about Easter, things started to go quiet. Ben had been pouring money back into his

business but was forced to max out a $40,000 credit card limit to make ends meet. Fortunately, soon

it was September again, and along came some lucrative pollination jobs. Ben points to the

importance of diversification, of finding your niche and of working with people and finding people

you can work with - even if they are from completely different industries.

He also learnt a valuable lesson from the only bad review he has received. One day, when it was hot

and the bees were stinging, a man rang Ben’s mobile for a chat. Ben made the mistake of answering

the phone but his manner was (perhaps understandably) a little short and sweet. Consequently, now

Ben doesn’t answer the phone unless he can give the caller his full and undivided attention.

Ben has some valuable tips about marketing and branding too; he says that every post he puts on

social media is evaluated by three criteria; it must entertain, educate and inspire. He cautions

against undervaluing both yourself and the bees (“If you’re too cheap, it’s a race to the bottom”) and

underscores the value of excellent service, and of staying positive (“Don’t think negative

thoughts….be excited, because the job we do as a beekeeper is a marvelous job”).

Ben says that he is still learning and evolving, and reveals that he once even went to comedy school

in an effort to make his interactions with customers more memorable!

www.bensbees.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 66: Cate Burton, Founder and CEO of Queen B, Sydney, Australia

Anyone that knows me knows, even before I had a factory space to make all my bee-related products for Ben’s Bees, and even before I had the staff to help me make them, my home was overflowing with handmade bee products. In particular, the kitchen would transform into a candle-making workshop most nights of the week after dinner and candle making would happen late into the night. And although it was hard work, I love making beeswax candles. Making a bespoke candle with the incredible material of beeswax is a special process; knowing that it will be treasured by someone and bring literal light but also a kind of spiritual ambiance to their home space makes it all that much more worthwhile. And while I know that I make a good beeswax candle, I am in awe of the passion and craftsmanship that some candle makers have. Cate Burton from Queen B is one of those special people, and I am delighted to introduce her to my community for episode 66 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

I met Cate three years ago now, when I popped into her shop in Sydney. And what a delight it was. Queen B makes and sells the most incredible range of 100% Australian beeswax candles and bee-related products; their deigns are unique and their products high-quality. A truly amazing person and an intensely hard worker, Cate came to beeswax candle making over 20 years ago as a form of relaxation to quell the anxieties of her then high-pressure corporate job. This hobby transformed into her incredible business, Queen B: she has now made well over 2,000,000 candles without deviated from her handmade process. In turn, this imperative to make her products by hand extends to beeswax wraps, and Cate was the first person to be making and selling handmade wraps for the Australian market. As she states: “Ultimately, we exist to make a difference by bringing realness & simplicity to your life, in turn helping the planet.”

Behind this seemingly simple, yet hugely profound, business mission lies a passion for beeswax — a material far superior to paraffin, a toxic petrochemical — and an incredible work ethic. Despite arriving at candle making to relax her, Cate’s natural drive means that she now works seven days a week on Queen B. But, as they say, find a job you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life: Cate still loves candle making and finds great joy in using her hands and working with such a special material. Also, she uses the most amazing, mind-blowing, romantic candle making machine that is over 110 years old, weights over two tons, and was made by Kurschner in Germany!

Tune in to hear Cate and I chat about career changes, her love of beeswax, the therapeutic aspect of making candles, Queen B, and her love–hate relationship with her fantastic (yet complex) candle making machine.

https://www.queenb.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 40: James Dorey, scientist, PhD candidate, and re-discoverer of the native Pharohylaeus lactiferous bee species

We do a lot of talking about the wonderous, superhero honeybee. However, Australia is home to a huge 1654 species of native bees that don’t get anywhere near the attention they deserve. Coming in all shapes, sizes and colours, with a range of behaviours and living habits, native bees are fascinating, nuanced and mystifying creatures, even for beekeepers. In some ground-breaking news that’s hot off the press just this week, an incredible re-discovery has been made in Queensland: a native bee species, Pharohylaeus lactiferous or the rare cloaked bee, was found for the first time in 100 years! So, I am completely thrilled to bring James Dorey – the scientist and PhD candidate who found the cloaked bee after its long hiding – to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast for episode 40.

As James described recently in his article on The Conversation, the cloaked bee (its name, “pharo” meaning “cloaked”), has three abdominal segments that overlay one another in a cloak formation. And as a bee wearing a big cloak might suggest, this mysterious little insect has always been tricky to find – between 1900 and 1923, two bee collectors found six specimens of P. lactiferous, but no more have been discovered until now. James describes: “I found the cloaked bee P. lactiferus during a major east coast sampling effort of more than 225 unique sites. The discovery, and what I learnt from it, helped me find more specimens at two additional sites. It also made me wonder why P. lactiferus had been missing for so long. Is it naturally rare, hard to find, or perhaps threatened?” Interestingly, the cloaked bee was found on two plants, both with fiery red flowers: the firewheel tree and the Illawarra flame tree. As bees don’t see red, red plants are often pollinated by birds, and scientists therefore potentially don’t sample this type of flora. Who knew, this would be where James would make his remarkable discovery.

Tune in to hear James and I discuss the fascinating and rare cloaked bee, how James made his discovery, and the wonderous world of native bees!

https://www.jamesdoreyphotography.com.au/

PODCAST EPISODE 29: Ian Steppler, co-owner of Steppler Farms and founder of 'A Canadian Beekeeper's Blog’ YouTube channel, Canada

In the past year, I have grown to appreciate the internet as a tool of knowledge, of skill sharing, of learning and fun. During Melbourne’s strict lockdown, this infinite ether of information became completely vital to the community – a place where we worked, learnt, and caught up with the people we love. Of all the online platforms, YouTube has the power to captivate and educate viewers step-by-step, in pretty much any skill or activity your heart desires! And we all know that blissful feeling of falling into a deep YouTube hole of your favourite (bee) videos, as the hours roll on by…

One man who is not going to help you out of that YouTube addiction is Canadian beekeeper and farm owner Ian Steppler. His insanely popular channel 'A Canadian Beekeeper's Blog’ has over 50,000 subscribers and there is a very good reason why. Ian shows his viewers how to look after and manage their bee colonies throughout four very distinct seasons – this kind of education is invaluable; before the internet, it would have been incredibly difficult to get this depth of knowledge from a professional like Ian, and now it’s available to us all at the click of a button.

Interestingly, Ian came to be the bee-loving YouTube star that he is due to a personal dilemma. You see, he was asked to speak at a large beekeeping club; however, he had a real fear of public speaking. He tried to resist doing the talk entirely, but the club really wanted him to share his knowledge, so with some pressure he agreed to do it. In order to train himself for the event, he started videoing himself speaking about bees, practicing over and over, video after video. Soon, not only did his public speaking improve but he started to feel at home behind the camera! Now Ian runs this very successful YouTube channel with people watching and learning from it across the globe, including me! For that reason, I am thrilled to welcome Ian to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast. Tune in to hear us chat about overcoming your fears to reach your goals, extreme Canadian weather and its effect on beekeeping practices, and how himself and his three brothers work together to keep their farm running smoothly.

http://www.stepplerfarms.com/

PODCAST EPISODE 33: Weronika Wasiak, beekeeper, Miód Wasiaka, Krobia, Poland

“Bees are making things which, for me, are an absolute miracle of nature. This is the

constant fascination of their lives.” This statement belongs to my Polish friend and former colleague Weronika Wasiak; it shows the inspiration she takes from bees and her deep passion for beekeeping – one that spans a century. Based in Krobia, Poland, Wero (as she is affectionately named) came to tour Australia and New Zealand three years ago now. She came, as all good beekeepers do, not just for a holiday, but in search of bees, and I was luckily enough that she stayed in my home and worked with me at Ben’s Bees for a number of months. Working with Wero was a really special experience. That time was full of great laughter and happiness, jokes and fun, frivolity and skill sharing. How wonderful to have a fourth-generation European beekeeper as a partner in crime, and I am forever grateful for the time we shared. For these reasons and many more, it is my pleasure to introduce Weronika Wasiak to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast for episode 33.

Wero and I met via the international beekeeping grapevine. Her social media pages were brimming with positivity and happiness, travel and adventure, and after a set-up by our mutual beekeeping friend Michel from Founex, Switzerland, we soon sparked a friendship. Wero’s family business Miod Wasiaka – which dates back almost 100 years – sells honey and other bee-related products; for Wero, this exchange of goods is not only about nutrition, deliciousness and health benefits. It is also about reminding us of the bee–human connection, and how important it is that we look after the bees as they generously provide us with so much – honey, pollination, existence. When asked why beekeeping is an important job, Wero replies: “The mystery of their work, which is not always visible, makes a huge difference in the world of nature and biodiversity.” Wero is happy and wise, and she learnt about the pleasure of bees from her father (who she refers to as her “guru”), who took over his father’s hives. The family connection is strong, and her skills and passion speak of this lineage. In fact, bees have often felt like a positive omen in Wero’s life: once, when buying apricots in a local garden, she saw some bees drinking from some broken fruit. She began taking photos, charmed by the bees, when the apricot grower, Marceli, approached her: “Are you the granddaughter of my friend Jan?” Having never met her grandfather, Wero was filled with joy to hear the gardener’s stories of Jan, who rode his bicycle to the city to collect frames and beeswax even at a very old age. A beautiful connection, all thanks to the bees!

Tune in to hear Weronika and I chat about her family business, our time working together in Australia, creamy rapeseed nectar honey, Poland, travel, and the pure joy of beekeeping!

https://www.instagram.com/miod_wasiaka/?hl=en

PODCAST EPISODE 11: Anita Long, Founder of the Tasmanian Junior Beekeeping Group, Tasmania

Dedicated, passionate, friendly, outgoing, patient, encouraging, warm, a wealth of knowledge – my praise for Tassie beekeeper and educator extraordinaire Anita Long is endless. I met Anita three years ago, and she has never ceased to amaze me with her vision and commitment. Anita is the founder of the Tasmanian Junior Beekeeping Group and program; she also runs in-school programs for kids about bees and beekeeping. Throughout my entire career as a beekeeper and educator, I have never met a person so committed to helping children be involved with bees and beekeeping; she has a unique and special way of tailoring complex, often scientific knowledge to suit children, ensuring they understand the information and can use it to carry out safe beekeeping practices. She also generates a very positive educational environment for children where they can thrive, gain confidence, make new friends, and nurture their wellbeing. I have seen all this firsthand, and it is for this long list of reasons that I am thrilled to welcome Anita to the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast!

In 2017 Anita started the Tasmanian Junior Beekeeping Group program in Hobart in order to give kids and adolescents the opportunity and space to learn about the importance of bees and set them on their way to becoming independent beekeepers. This is a monumental achievement – over the three years I have known Anita, I have also gotten to know the Tassie Junior Beekeepers and they are an incredible bunch! Every time I head south to visit, I am filled with awe and inspiration at how much these kids know, and in turn, I am always blown away by Anita’s work in helping them every step of the way. The group is thriving, and, in my opinion, the program is the best and only of its kind in the country – I sure wish I had such an experience with bees when I was a little tacker! Anita and her programs are a hugely valuable service to both the environment and the community; what she teaches will have an ongoing generational impact as young environmentally savvy beekeepers grow up to be older ones, and the cycle continues. To top it off, the program reached international success recently when Anita took a junior beekeeper to Slovenia for the 2019 International Centre for Young Beekeepers beekeeping competition!

Tune in to listen to Anita and I chat about the Tasmanian Junior Beekeepers, her educational programs, and her relentless passion for bees!

https://www.facebook.com/Tasmanian-Junior-Beekeepers-1303984119658011

PODCAST EPISODE 28: Sanjay Kafle from Mad Honey, Nepal

As we farewell what has been a completely life-changing year, I am starting to dream again. These final days of 2020 have me envisioning new horizons and perspectives – they remind me of the travel we are yearned and are yearning for and the different ways we have found to find peace and escape in this strange and isolating time. For that reason, it is the perfect timing for this special episode of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast, where I welcome Sanjay Kafle from Mad Honey in Nepal. From our conversation, I feel as if Sanjay and I have been friends for a lifetime; he is a warm and happy soul, a wonderful beekeeper and someone who illuminates with his stories and his unique and adventurous practice. Chatting to him was an absolute pleasure, and the perfect way to leave 2020 and welcome 2021.

In keeping with this musing on escapism and adventure, Sanjay works with the “honey hunters” who collects and sells what is known as “Mad Honey”. Mad Honey is produced from bees that pollenate the local (and dangerous) rhododendron flower; the result is a red-coloured honey with very special properties! Mad Honey states that their honey “delivers a perfect dose of the mystical grayanotoxins that have been prized by the people of Nepal for thousands of years. Once exclusive to these remote parts of the world, Mad Honey Nepal is bringing this potent, sweet elixir to the planet”. In short, Mad Honey earns its name from these grayanotoxins which, once ingested, have a euphoric, enlightening, psychoactive effect on the mind: “It’s a happy madness, hence the name ‘Mad Honey’”. In large doses, this honey can be hallucinogenic (and of course I warn all listeners and readers to consume this product responsibly); it also has medicinal qualities. When you try Mad Honey, you will enjoy its aromatic quality and beautiful red hue; however, I was a little scared to try too much as… well… it could be a little too good, if you know what I mean! But a spoonful for Ben now and then is a welcome delight.

Tune in to hear Sanjay and I chat about beautiful and wild Nepal, the devastating effect of COVID on the Nepalese tourism industry, being a honey hunter, and, of course, the very special and a little bit mad, Mad Honey! Grab your own jar of Mad Honey at https://www.madhoney.net or https://www.bestmadhoney.com

PODCAST EPISODE 15: Gladstone Solomon, beekeeper and Bees for Development trustee, Tobago

Some people have wise and particularly beautiful souls. It is not something that can be quantified; it is just a feeling that you get when you meet them, a kind of radiance that exudes from their being. I have seen this in bee-people – as generally, humans that love bees are good sorts – they have a connection to the environment and an understanding of the necessity to be at one with nature. But every now and then a keeper, a bee-lover, comes along and I just feel calm and like I am speaking to someone with important knowledge, which is why I am so excited to introduce you to the lovely Gladstone Solomon for episode 15 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast!

I met Gladstone last year at the Apimondia beekeeping conference in Montreal and was struck by his life story and understanding of bees from places I had only dreamed of going to (and hopefully get to visit one day in the not-too-distant future!). Gladstone is a beekeeper who was born in Trinidad but has lived in Tobago most of his life – a place where honey is more sought after than sugar! He is also a trustee for Bees for Development – a wonderful charity that helps alleviate poverty across the world through beekeeping activities. This didn’t surprise me at all, as Gladstone’s caring demeanour fit perfectly with his connection to aid and social justice organisations. In Canada, we celebrated Gladstone’s 70th birthday, and it was a real treat! I knew that I had to see him again one day soon, but as my plans for travel have been halted, I thought what better way to stay in touch than to invite him to share his story and knowledge on the podcast!

Tune in to hear more about Gladstone’s personal story as well some really fascinating information on the bees of Trinidad – a notoriously aggressive variety that landed there in 1979 – compared to the more peaceful bee-souls that can be found in Tobago. We also chat about the effect of the weather (wet and dry seasons) on beekeeping in the Caribbean, as well as the devastating impact that varroa destructor had when it landed there in August 2000, wiping out half the colonies on the island!

https://www.bensbees.com.au

Today’s very special guest on the Bees with Ben podcast is Corinne Jordan from The Bee Lady

Apiaries (visit honeybeelady.com). Corinne founded this family-owned business in 2008 after initially

researching beekeeping as a potential vocation for her son (who subsequently proved to be allergic

to bee venom) and then developing a passion for honey bees herself! Located about halfway

between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, at the mouth of the Logan River, she is blessed with near

perfect weather and an extended beekeeping season. This suited her interest in breeding queens,

and around 2012 she decided to refocus from honey production (with an apiary containing 50-100

hives) to selective breeding and queen production. In her ideal climate, queen breeding can take

place just about all year round.

Corinne says it takes determination, resilience, good record keeping and keen observational skills to

be a successful queen breeder, as well as fine motor control, and that the bees must always come

first. She says that it requires a lot of effort for little financial reward, but that the greatest rewards

are derived through resultant stock improvements. She tells Ben that breeding is an evolving activity,

since it is impossible to focus on a range of traits at any one time; she is currently working on

resistance to chalkbrood and EFB. All her breeding is conducted by instrumental insemination. She

catches the drones on their return from mating flights, then extracts the semen and inserts this into

virgin queens that have been first anaesthetised with carbon dioxide. The queens generally start to

lay just 5 days later. Corinne produces an average of about 150 queens per season, and still to this

day struggles with introducing the artificially inseminated queens to their hives, as colonies often do

not recognise them as they would a queen that has undergone a normal mating flight.

In her short down season (usually between May to July), one of Corinne’s pastimes is to catch up on

bee research around the world. It was in this way that she discovered the work of Dr Kaira Wagoner

(of the University of North Carolina) on varroa sensitive hygiene. Essentially, this refers to the ability

of some bees to detect the presence of the varroa mite in brood, whereupon they uncap the cells

and remove infected larvae, thereby breaking the mites’ breeding cycle. One of the difficulties in

selecting for varroa resistance in Australia has always been that we have had no active mite

population, however, Corinne remained intrigued by the prospect of breeding resistant stock (she

had been selecting for hygienic behaviour in general since 2014), in part since she was convinced

that varroa would one day inevitably reach Australia. Dr Wagoner’s research identified elevated

levels of 2 hydrocarbons in brood infected with varroa; she managed to synthesize these compounds

and produce a spray which could be applied to brood capping. Bees which exhibit varroa sensitive

hygiene (VSH) will recognise the odour of these chemicals just as if varroa was present and eliminate

the brood accordingly. This is something of a game changer since it does not require the presence of

the mites to test for VSH. Corinne subsequently reached out to Dr Wagoner and has been included in

field tests for the spray. Initial tests indicate that about 4% of honey bee colonies exhibit VSH,

however Corinne is now seeking funding for large-scale trials - she estimates it will cost about

$250,000 for the first year, and has set up a special website for the project, beegenetics.com

Corinne is well placed to conduct this research with a number of unique assets. She has a proven

track record, insemination skills and an apiary with high quality stock. She has the support of

industry groups as well as 'Flow' and will donate the resultant queens to raise further funds.

If you are able to assist with this vital project, please head to beegenetics.com for further details.

PODCAST EPISODE 78 of the Bees with Ben podcast features Kevin Tracy, the queen bee guru from Queensland’s Gold Coast. Originally from Chicago, Kevin says he’s more Australian than Australia, but he still hasn’t managed to lose the tell-tale accent (he claims it is 100% Queenslander!).

Kevin is the owner and manager of BeeZone Apiaries Queen Bees and Training, and besides producing queens, honey and delivering pollination services, he also offers comprehensive training for apiarists, and in this capacity has educated beekeepers across the country. He is a member of beekeeping associations in four states, as well as being actively involved in the Australian Biosecurity Bee Emergency Response Team (BERT) and the Australian Queen Bee Breeders Association, and assisted in the South Australian Government’s Bushfire Recovery programme and with the ‘Outback Academy’, an indigenous not-for-profit organisation. Kevin is also in demand as a guest speaker, and has a very entertaining style, as you will no doubt discover.

Kevin says he initially purchased a couple of hives as he thought bees were cool and fitted in with his permaculture lifestyle, but admits to knowing nothing about them at the time - a big mistake in retrospect, since he was stung so severely that he was comatose for three days. Eventually he returned to beekeeping and became focussed upon the production of queens. He says there is a certain magic or mythology that surrounds the creation of queens, but that in reality it is actually quite simple. Kevin says he is convinced that everyone should produce their own queens and is committed to teaching apiarists how to achieve this. He’s on a mission and will travel anywhere to fulfil this objective.

When asked to describe the perfect queen, he unhesitatingly replied, ‘Elizabeth!’ Seriously, Kevin says a good queen is the one that does what you need for your colony - colour or appearance is of no significance. Interestingly, he says the hardest part of creating queens is the timetable.

We also talked about pests and diseases, and the challenges of keeping bees in south-east Queensland. Kevin provided a fascinating insight into his selection process for queens, whilst reiterating that he is a big fan of ‘local vigour’. The controversy surrounding feeding bees was covered in some detail, and Kevin revealed his pet hate - the Dunning-Kruger effect. This may be defined as a ‘cognitive bias in which people overestimate their knowledge of ability in a specific domain’. Unfortunately, according to Kevin, it is prevalent in some bee groups!

Kevin is incredibly knowledgeable and quite a character. Do queen bees have crowns? And why, given the choice of any historical figure, would Kevin choose to share a coffee with Joan of Arc? You will have to listen to the podcast to find out more!

https://www.facebook.com/beezoneapiaries

PODCAST EPISODE 49: Michael Church, The Roo Keepers, Melbourne and Regional Victoria

I don’t know about you, but if there was one thing I couldn’t get enough of as a kid it was animal-related activities. Excursions to wildlife sanctuaries, touch tanks at the aquarium where you could pick up starfish and anemones, trips out to the farm to hang out with cows and chooks, and last but never least, wandering in the spectacular and always surprising Australian bush. My schoolbooks were filled with sketches of animals of all kinds, and most of the time I would have much rather been at home on my parents’ property among their small troop of animals than slaving away over maths equations and grammar. For that reason, I would have been madly obsessed with the next guest on the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast – Michael Church of The Roo Keepers, based in Newport and Mount Egerton, but servicing Melbourne and regional Victoria.

The Roo Keepers is incredible business that helps to educate kids and adults about native Australian animals and the environment whilst encouraging more sustainable ways of living. As a recognised name in ecological learning, The Roo Keepers’ zoo (based in Mount Egerton) is home to over 100 animals, including some endangered species; Michael and his crew introduce their special animal friends to children in all levels of school as well as at to children and adults alike at shows, corporate events, and parties. With backgrounds in zoology, biology and teaching, the amazing staff and volunteers at The Roo Keepers make sure the animals, kids AND adults all feel happy, safe and comfortable, making this hands-on learning experience one that can change lives and bring huge amounts of joy. Bees are also incredibly important to Michael and his business, as he understands the wellbeing of the environment relies upon the wellbeing of the world’s most loved pollinators.

Tune in to hear Michael and I chat about The Roo Keepers, his passion for bees and sustainability, and who is scared of who – bees or seagulls!? 

 https://www.therookeepers.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 70: Dr John Roberts, entomologist and bee expert at the CSIRO, Australia

There are amazing Australians working to keep the country and the planet healthy and disease-free. We have all seen the incredible work that healthcare workers are doing day in, day out, to test, and vaccinate people from catching COVID-19, as well as those nurses and doctors doing the tough job of treating patients with the virus in hospitals. Luckily, there are also incredible scientists and environmentalists working hard to keep the environment safe, and that includes Australian bee populations. For the first time in 15 years, bees are being imported into Australia for a very special purpose. As Tim Lee for ABC Landline explains, the foreign imported queen bees have special traits to protect them against the blood-sucking pest, varroa mite, which has devastated bee colonies all over the world, with Australia being the only continent still varroa-mite free. It is for that reason that I am thrilled to introduce you to entomologist and bee expert at the CSIRO John Roberts for episode 70 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast, so that he can fill us in on these new breeding and importing programs.

But to begin, what is varroa mite, you ask? Varroa destructor (Varroa mite) is an external parasitic mite that attacks honey bees, Apis cerana and Apis mellifera, and can only reproduce in a honey bee colony. It is also the parasite that has the most devastating effect on the beekeeping industry overall. The mite attaches itself to the body of the bee and weakens it by sucking its blood; this occurs on both adult bees and developing brood, especially drone brood. During this terrible process, viruses spread, such as deformed wing virus. In turn, this process weakens and shortens the bee’s life. The emerging brood may be born without legs or wings or suffering deformations. If the infestation grows, varroa mite can kill whole bee colonies. Australia has been diligent in keeping varroa out of the country, but this breeding project that imports varroa-resistant bees into Australia is the industry’s most recent approach.

John’s experience and research has included studies on the genetics, pathogens and management of emerging Varroa and Tropilaelaps mite pests in Papua New Guinea, conducting the first Australia-wide study of honey bee viruses and other pathogens affecting honey bees, and examining genetic and nutritional factors associated with the honey bee fungal pathogens, Nosema and chalkbrood.

At the CSIRO, his primary role has been to screen bees for the presence of viruses, which makes this recent breeding and importing program an exciting move for him – he told the ABC that he hopes Australia can make the most of breeding programs such as this one to “bring in those genetics.” Furthermore, he would love to see Australian apiarists continue to develop this strain of varroa-resistant bee, which would be a “landmark for the industry.”

Tune in to hear John and I discuss his role at the CSIRO, the nasty varroa destructor, and the potentials of breeding and importing disease-resistant bees into Australia.

Our guest for episode 92 of the Bees with Ben podcast is Carmel from ‘CMG Honeybee’. Carmel hails from Melbourne’s west and had a varied career before turning her passion for bees into a business. Originally from Kangaroo Island in South Australia, where she grew up on eighty acres and was always surrounded by wildlife and the bush, Carmel moved to Queensland after completing high school to study music. She worked as a professional musician in a marching band before studying hairdressing, and then moved down south when her then husband was offered a job in Melbourne more than thirty years ago.

Since then she has raised a family as a single mum, working first as a hairdresser and then in various capacities at Yarraville West Primary School, where she also ran the choir and a class in face painting! She supplemented her income with a second job as a security officer.

Carmel’s journey into beekeeping came about largely by accident in November 2012, when she discovered a swarm that had taken up residence in a wall cavity of her rented property. She was acutely aware of the problems caused overseas by Colony Collapse Disorder, and determined to save the bees, which her landlord wanted to poison. She had heard of a rather colourful character called Adrian who had host hives around Melbourne and used to ride a rickshaw around Footscray; Carmel was face painting at a festival when she learned that Adrian and some other beekeepers were in attendance, and met up with a lady named Angela Castella who by coincidence lived on the same estate and taught her how to catch swarms.

Covid was difficult for CMG, as Carmel lost half her business through the inability to conduct school talks and incursions. Cash flow is a real problem in the beekeeping industry and winter can be a struggle. However, Carmel has learnt the benefit of investing in herself, and is undertaking some business training which she believes will stand her in good stead. She also advocates regular exercise and a healthy diet, along with clear boundaries, and the segregation of working hours and personal time - creating a balance between work, rest and play.

Moving forward, Carmel says that she has a hive in a childcare centre that has produced some amazing and unexpected results in terms of wellbeing; she also wants to grow the mentoring side of her business, as well as explore the possibilities of apitherapy.

https://www.cmghoneybee.com.au/

https://www.instagram.com/cmg_honeybee/

PODCAST EPISODE 9: Warm Greetings and Gratitude from Ben

In this episode, I send out my warmest hellos and thank you’s to all the incredible people that make the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast a reality. It’s one thing to have a podcast, but it’s a very different thing for that podcast to be a successful place for the sharing of information and stories; a very different reality and pleasure to make a podcast that builds community in a way that is enriching and pushes past geographical boundaries. As many of you know, a podcast is a project I wanted to pursue for a really long time – for ages, friends, family and colleagues told me, “Ben, you NEED a podcast!”, and I have no doubt this is because I tend to talk…a lot. I love talking, I love sharing. I love people. And I am so thankful for all the listeners who tune in every week to hear me discuss bees with talented and passionate bee-lovers and beekeepers from all over the world. This is especially true in this time of isolation and I feel uplifted to know that I am producing something that might bring a little joy to someone’s day when the times feel tinged with uncertainty. I can see from the number of people listening that that is actually happening! Amazing. Secondly, I want to say an equally big thank you to the incredible and generous contributors to my beekeeping podcast – to the friends, old colleagues and new connections that give up their valuable time to talk to me and the broader Ben’s Bees community about what they do, how they got to where they are today, and how they keep that fire burning. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

On top of much love and thanks, episode 9 features a yarn about what I have been up to in this chilly weather – mainly jarring honey and making hives and frames ready for spring. However, I also just finished an amazing book called ‘Interviews with Beekeepers’ by Steve Donohoe, which I review. It features a wonderful chat with the lovely Richard Noel, who I was lucky enough to meet and hang out with in the north of France a couple of years ago – what a small world it is! This book is a real page turner for any beekeeper and is available online at Book Depository.

Lastly, I wanted to shout out and ask the Ben’s Bees community and listeners of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast to help me make this podcast an even greater success. First, please leave a review of my podcast on iTunes – for people working online (which is many of us at the moment), a positive review really helps more people find out about projects such as mine. Second, please follow on Spotify. And third, I love a friendly text message to +61437077792, so go ahead, send me some love! Let’s make the Ben’s Bees community bigger than ever! Big thanks in advance for your reviews, follows and texts. Love Ben x

https://www.bensbees.com.au

We’re celebrating! The Bees with Ben podcast has reached 100 episodes. And the 100 th episode is

very special, being co-hosted Dan Curless from Curless Aussie Apiaries. Our distinguished guest is

Bob Binnie of the Blue Ridge Honey Company from Northeast Georgia in the US. Bob has been a

commercial beekeeper since 1981; after reading a book on bees he was introduced to a commercial

beekeeper and pollinator in Oregon and the rest is history. He is a past President of the Georgia

State Beekeepers Association as well as the Northeast GA. Mountain Beekeepers Association and the

Macon County Beekeepers Club. In 2003, he was voted the Georgia State Beekeeper of the Year. Bob

runs over 2,000 colonies; he also teaches beekeeping and is a popular guest speaker, as well as

having a popular YouTube channel.

The Blue Ridge Honey Company is a family business; Bob manages the apiary while his wife Suzette

handles shipping and administration. Honey, pollen and beeswax products are offered for sale; the

honey is pure, natural and raw and is not pasteurised or micro-filtered. Varieties include Sourwood,

Tupelo, Orange Blossom, Gallberry, Tulip Poplar, Purple Starthistle and Wildflower.

Obviously, the recent varroa incursion in Newcastle is foremost in the minds of Australian

beekeepers at the moment, and although no-one would wish the varroa mite on their worst enemy,

it is appropriate in one sense that this constitutes our 100 th episode, as Bob’s experience and advice

makes for essential listening. Combatting varroa is a complex, expensive and labour intensive

process, as demonstrated by the excerpts that follow, but to get the most out of this podcast, you

really need to listen to the whole thing.

Bob starts with some sobering comments about the varroa invasion in the US. He says that initial

attempts to eradicate the mites were ‘absolutely unsuccessful’ and that colonies were killed, and

beekeepers forced out of business before the authorities threw up their hands and said, ‘You’re on

your own.’ Bob doesn’t think we can stop varroa here in Australia, but is certainly of the opinion that

it is a good idea to get educated ‘ahead of the game’ and be prepared before it turns up In our

apiaries.

It is immediately apparent that Bob’s integrated pest management programme has been the result

of a lot of research, thought and experimentation. For example, varroa often wipes out colonies in

winter, but he treats his hives well beforehand around August 1, the idea being that he is treating

the bees that will raise the winter bees. Oxalic acid vaporisation only kills mites that are on bees, not

brood, so this is applied twice in early to mid-winter during the broodless period.

Bob has used Apivar (active ingredient is amitraz) and Apiguard (active ingredient is thymol)

effectively for his early August treatments, but the latter is temperature sensitive. Apivar in

particular is very expensive (Bob’s bill three years ago was $18,000 US) and some colonies are now

starting to show resistance to amitraz. Bob is not a fan of Apistan; its active ingredient, fluvalinate,

proved very effective early on, but the mites quickly became resistant. Fluvalinate has a very long

half life and will persist in comb for many years; it can also pose problems when mixed with other

chemicals. This is an extremely informative podcast that should be listened to in its entirely. And it’s not all

doom and gloom. Bob says that beekeepers in the US had to learn the hard way, but we need not

‘go down fast’ as there is now so much information available to help.

The Story of Gavin's Apiaries with Liam Gavin In the lush, sub-tropical landscape of Northland, New Zealand, lies a testament to tradition, resilience, and a deep-rooted passion for beekeeping. Gavin's Apiaries, a fourth-generation family business, traces its origins back to 1912 when James John Gavin embarked on a journey that would shape the family's legacy for generations to come. In a recent episode of the Bees With Ben podcast, host Ben caught up with Liam Gavin, a member of the Gavin family and a torchbearer of their storied beekeeping tradition. Liam's connection to the land and the bees runs deep, as he shared insights into the rich history and enduring values that define Gavin's Apiaries today. The journey began over a century ago when James John Gavin rode his horse through the picturesque Mangakahia Valley, chasing a swarm of bees—a humble yet pivotal moment that marked the inception of Gavin's Apiaries. Fast forward to the present day, and the family's commitment to honey production and community engagement remains unwavering.

Beyond the buzzing hives and golden honey, Liam reflects on the pride and philosophy that underpin the family business. At Gavin's Apiaries, it's not just about honey production; it's about fostering a sense of community and stewardship for the environment. Through sustainable beekeeping practices and a genuine connection to the land, the Gavins strive to leave a positive impact on their surroundings.

Through their unwavering commitment to excellence and their deep-seated values, the Gavins continue to inspire beekeepers and enthusiasts alike, both locally and beyond. In a world that often moves at breakneck speed, the story of Gavin's Apiaries serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of tradition, resilience, and the profound connection between humanity and the natural world. As Liam Gavin aptly concludes, "In the end, it's not just about the honey—it's about the journey, the legacy, and the enduring passion that fuels our love for beekeeping." Tune in to the Bees With Ben podcast to hear more captivating stories from the world of beekeeping and beyond, as we continue to celebrate the remarkable individuals and traditions that make our world a sweeter place to be

https://www.instagram.com/gavinshoney_/

PODCAST EPISODE 35: Vanessa Kwiatkowski, Melbourne City Rooftop Honey, Melbourne, Australia

I remember when I was travelling in Europe, especially while in Paris and London, I visited a number of rooftop bee gardens. It was magical to be gazing over a new city, full of the dreaminess that comes with travel, surrounded by the buzzing of happy bees. Here, environmentally minded keepers, who understood the necessity of bees living in the world’s cities, were resourceful and passionate: finding the space for bees to live happily and fruitfully; producing unique honey blends, often for use in local restaurants and cafes. When I got back to Melbourne, I realised we had our very own rooftop bee gardens and beehives. It filled me with joy knowing that beekeepers here also understood the need for bees in the big smoke. I don’t think I would be mistaken when I say that Melbourne City Rooftop Honey is one, if not the most, loved and respected in this part of the country. For that reason, I am delighted to introduce you to Vanessa Kwiatkowski from Melbourne City Rooftop Honey for episode 35 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

Melbourne City Rooftop Honey started beekeeping activities in 2010 and have received overwhelming love and support from the local community and businesses. As they state on their website: “Our plan is to put beehives on rooftops (or gardens) in the City and hopefully one day, each and every suburb of Melbourne. With your help, we will get there.” Rooftop Honey installs, maintains and cares for the bees in sky-high city locations through a mix of conventional and natural beekeeping methods. Hives are sponsored by local businesses to keep this maintenance afloat, and also to help pay for new hives to be rolled out in new locations. Another interesting fact is that the rooftop colonies were all once swarms, which the good folk at Rooftop Honey caught and then re-homed in these new urban positions – I bet those swarms didn’t realise they would be lucky enough to end up in a new outdoor penthouse suite when they caused all that commotion! Rooftop Honey currently manage over 30 hives in the Melbourne CBD, and a total of 120 hives in the Melbourne fringe and suburbs.

At a time when we are all pretty introspective about the ways we chose to live, we must turn that good thinking outward and into our local communities. As Rooftop Honey state, “Looking to the future, as we expand on concepts of growing food in our cities & making them cooler, greener & more sustainable — It is vital to protect honey bees and include them in our cities and sprawling urban landscapes.” That is a concept that warms my heart. From the rooftops of Paris and London, Toronto and New York, Hong Kong and Melbourne, and all the other bee-loving cities, let’s make space in every nook and cranny for the world’s most vital pollinators.

Tune in to hear Vanessa and I chat about the inspiring Rooftop Honey and the wonderful local businesses in support of this excellent venture  https://www.rooftophoney.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 38: Cindy Moore from Sweet Cindy’s Honey, New York and Florida, USA

It is obvious when talking to Cindy Moore from Sweet Cindy’s Honey that bees hold a very special place in her heart. Not only do they provide one of the greatest services on earth by pollinating the crops that we eat, they also bring great love and joy – quite literally for this US-based beekeeper: “I met Charles [Moore] in 2005 at an organic farm where I was working. He was pollinating the farmers fruits and vegetables there. He offered me a dollar more an hour to come work for him and I took it. A year later he offered me a ring and I said yes and been beekeeping together ever since.” And together they have built their business through thick and thin, falling more in love with bees by the day – in one incredible story, a wild Africanised bee swarm chased Charles a mile, stinging him over 500 times before he could finally be reunited with Cindy in their bee mobile. For the pure love of all things bee-related, I am beyond delighted to bring you Cindy Moore, of Cindy and Charles Moore, of Sweet Cindy’s Honey from the United States of America for episode 36 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast.

Sweet Cindy’s Honey is a beekeeping, pollination and honey production business based in New York and Florida in the USA. Cindy and Charles are what is known as migratory beekeepers – they live in New York during the summer and Florida during the winter – sounds like bliss to me! Their honey is 100% from the United States, unadulterated and unfiltered, sourced from the Moore farms, which are owned and operated by Charles who runs over 1200 hives across two locations. Cindy and Charles are dedicated to making fresh, all-natural honey with a variety of different high-quality flavours. The reviews of their product are brimming with love and praise, making Sweet Cindy’s Honey one of if not THE best honey in western New York.

And for Cindy, beekeeping didn’t just lead her to Charles, the love of her life, it also led her to a profound understanding of why bees are so damn special. Loving everything about bees (except for being stung), Cindy reflects: “These little creatures have taught me that we all have a purpose in this world from the microscopic things to the biggest.”

For all these glorious reasons, tune in to hear Cindy and I talk about the life and times of a commercial migratory beekeeper, issues beekeepers face with honey coming from China through Vietnam, and the personal journeys that are beekeeping careers. https://sweetcindyshoney.com 

PODCAST EPISODE 57: Jack Shick of Lord Howe Island Tours, Lord Howe Island, Australia

Australia is still so mysterious to me, as I feel it is to many people who now call Australia home. Across this vast land, there is incredible diversity, many paradises, many isolated landscapes, abundant in unique flora and fauna. And as we move in and out of lockdowns due to COVID-19, my mind wanders to the many places I long to visit. One of these places at the top of my list is Lord Howe Island, and when I am there, I will be sure to spend time with local beekeeper and tour guide, Jack Shick of Lord Howe Island Tours. Being a fifth-generation Islander, a third-generation tour guide, and the keeper with the most colonies on Lord Howe, I know I will be in safe and knowledgeable hands with Jack!

Lord Howe Island is a tiny crescent-shaped island in the Tasman Sea east of Port Macquarie, NSW, between Australia and New Zealand. With remarkable and unique natural features and fantastic endemic wildlife, this World-heritage listed location is a truly stunning part of the world. Lord Howe is known for its sandy beaches, subtropical forests, sparkling clear waters, pristine coral reef and amazing bird watching. It is also the perfect secluded get away, with great places to eat, drink, hike, swim, snorkel, fish and relax.

Most of the population of Lord Howe live in the south of the island— here, Ned’s beach has calm waters with an abundance of fish and coral life. The water is a spectacular blue-green hue. The south, however, is dominated by forest, and is where you will find Mount Gower—875 m high, hiking the eight hours to its peak is considered one of Australia’s greatest day walks. The island is home to many seabird colonies, including the Masked Booby (Sula dactylatra)— a large, white seabird, that can fly far from the land to areas of the deep sea where it will dive for fish and squid. Only allowing 400 visitors at a time, Lord Howe is a total paradise, and just a short two-hour flight from Australia's east coast.

Tune in to hear Jack and I chat about what it’s like to live and work on gorgeous Lord Howe Island, on keeping his 10 hives of bees, and the delicious rich caramel flavour of his locally made honey.

https://www.lordhoweislandtours.net/

The Mystery of Toxic Honeys with Dr. Andrew Knill"**

Welcome to another buzzing episode of "Bees with Ben," a podcast where we delve into the fascinating world of bees and their impact on our ecosystem. This week, we're joined by renowned scientist Dr. Andrew Knill, who brings his expertise to a rather intriguing topic: toxic honeys and the effects of Patterson's Curse nectar in honey.

**A Deep Dive into Toxic Honeys:**

Dr. Knill starts by exploring the broader concept of toxic honeys, a phenomenon that has intrigued scientists and beekeepers alike. He explains how certain plants, when foraged by bees, can lead to the production of honey with unusual properties. These honeys, while rare, can range from being mildly psychoactive to potentially harmful.

Patterson's Curse – A Blessing or a Curse?

Our focus then shifts to Patterson's Curse, a plant known for its vibrant beauty and its controversial role in honey production. Dr. Knill discusses the dual nature of this plant - how it's both a bane for farmers and a boon for beekeepers in certain regions. He delves into the chemistry of Patterson's Curse nectar and how it influences the honey produced.

Dr. Knill shares insights from his recent research on how bees interact with Patterson's Curse and how they are affected by its nectar. The conversation takes an intriguing turn as we discuss the effects of this honey on human health. Dr. Knill breaks down the myths and realities, providing a balanced view on the potential risks and benefits.

Don't forget to subscribe for more insightful episodes of "Bees with Ben." We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so feel free to leave a comment or reach out on our social media platforms. Stay tuned for our next episode, where we'll explore another fascinating aspect of beekeeping and the wonders of the bee world.

For any of you that know me, I love a good yarn. One the of the best things about my job is getting out and about with local people, sharing the knowledge I have about bees, the environment, produce, gardening and healthy living.

And I have lots of experience getting on my soapbox! For years now, I have been a representative at local and international conferences. I have appeared on popular TV and radio programs (including The Project, ABC radio, Network Ten News, and Channel Nine’s reality show, Dream Job). I have launched educational programs and books (such as, children’s publication, The Bee Book, promoted on Channel Seven, Tasmania). I have mentored new beekeepers in their practice, one-on-one, in person and online. I have also been an active teacher in the community, travelling around from school to school, town hall to town hall, community centre to community centre. My sell-out courses have proved to be great fun and very popular, as they are driven by my passion for spreading the word about bees, beekeeping, sustainability and local produce. And, (drumroll) I have a podcast on the way! I understand the importance of being entertaining, welcoming my guests, making everyone feel involved, and passing on the love of bees in a way that is accessible and promotes positive change!

www.bensbees.com.au

PODCAST EPISODE 7: Neil Stuckey from Sticky Stuckey Honey, Gippsland, Victoria

I don’t get jealous much, but I am a tad envious of my dear friend Neil. With a name like Neil Stuckey– yes, like Sticky, Stuckey Honey– what’s not to turn a little green over; it’s the kind of last name keepers dream of, and it seems to me that the gods (or his parents at least) must have known that Neil would be a bee lover and a maker of delicious honey when they went about making and naming him. It’s a pleasure, therefore, to introduce you to this great friend and colleague of mine, a man I have known for some eight years now, to the BEES WITH BEN podcast.

Last week I travelled down to the beautiful Gippsland area of southern Victoria (one of my favourite places in Australia, even on Earth), and recorded this little episode on site, at Neil Stuckey of (you guessed it) Sticky Stuckey Honey’s (perfection!) packing plant at Flynns Creek. Neil is a real inspiration for me. Why? This keeper sells over twelve varieties of honey; selling honey is his main income (which is quite unusual to be honest), and he sells a whopping two tons of honey per week on average. He also has over 100 colonies of his own, which is a love-project, keeping his hives purely because he is passionate about bees. In parallel, Neil pollinates on the side, and his bees do really well when on the canola fields out near his joint! Neil really is a wealth of knowledge and has been a go-to for the local media for some big issues to do with health and honey regulations. Neil’s unapologetic and down-to-earth approach is based on his huge experience, and he sure makes a lot of sense to me!

On a personal note, anyone that knows Neil well knows that red gum honey is his favourite as it reminds him of his childhood. What a sweety-sticky-Stuckey honey Neil is! And his lovely partner Ann is equally as divine – she makes the most amazing country food, including that time when she made me lobster thermidor when I came to visit! What absolute gems. For these reasons, I am thrilled to welcome Neil Stuckey to the BEES WITH BEN podcast where we talk all things bees, southern Victoria and honey varieties with a true-blue local treasure. Tune in! 

PODCAST EPISODE 6: Kirsten Traynor from 2 Million Blossoms

I recently declared my love for podcasting. Despite it being an activity that many people told me I would lap up, I had no clue just how good spreading my love of bees, the environment, cooking and healthy living would feel. Having a podcast has meant that I have been able to share some of my dearest bee-related friends with the world, but this week, I am super excited to share the story of an amazing individual who I have not had the benefit of meeting as yet, but am over the moon to welcome to the BEES WITH BEN podcast: Kirsten Traynor from 2 Million Blossoms!

When I came across 2 Million Blossoms website, I was way more than impressed. Based in the United States, 2 Million Blossoms is a website and quarterly publication which aims “to awaken readers to the vast diversity of pollinating insects and animals. To delight, entertain and name those well-adapted creatures buzzing through our world, because the more we know about pollinators, the better we can provide habitat.” Founded by Kirsten, this quarterly magazine features short and long form articles that explore the myriad of ways that bees, birds, butterflies and bats bring life and healing to our planet. As mentioned, the publication will be available in print for your enjoyment, and 2 Million Blossoms also offers a free e-newsletter on their website.

Chatting to Kirsten was a real dream. Incredibly articulate and well-versed on everything bee-related, she describes that – despite following her love of words via an English major at university – she realised that bees where her true passion. This led her to complete a PhD in biology, where she studied the impact of pesticides and varroa on bee colony health. Incredible! She also combined her love of bees with her love of writing when she edited for the American Bee Journal and Bee World. Not to mention, she is also the author of Two Million Blossoms: Discovering the Medicinal Benefits of Honey! These days, Kirsten is the editor and founder of 2 Million Blossoms, and a true force in the bee world, and for all of the amazing reasons mentioned, I am delighted to introduce you to her in Episode 6 where we chat about Kirsten’s publishing projects, the healing properties of honey, varroa mites and the effects of chemicals on bees, especially the queen’s ability to lay eggs. Don’t miss this one! Tune in https://anchor.fm/ben-the-beeman https://www.2millionblossoms.com