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Bees With Ben

Bees With Ben

By Ben

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 am excited to launch my new podcast!
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Currently playing episode

Episode 119: A Conversation on Mental Health with Rae Bonney. Melbourne.

Bees With Ben Jan 14, 2024

00:00
53:06
Episode 119: A Conversation on Mental Health with Rae Bonney. Melbourne.

Episode 119: A Conversation on Mental Health with Rae Bonney. Melbourne.

Jan 14, 202453:06
Episode 118, The Mystery of Toxic Honeys with Dr. Andrew Knill, Australia

Episode 118, The Mystery of Toxic Honeys with Dr. Andrew Knill, Australia

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.

Dec 14, 202336:22
Episode 117, Brent Nixon, Nixon Queen Bees, Victoria

Episode 117, Brent Nixon, Nixon Queen Bees, Victoria

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

Jul 11, 202355:06
Episode 116, Steve Fuller, All Round Bee Guru! NSW

Episode 116, Steve Fuller, All Round Bee Guru! NSW

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.

Jul 01, 202345:39
Episode 115: Corinne Jordan from The Bee Lady Apiaries, QLD

Episode 115: Corinne Jordan from The Bee Lady Apiaries, QLD

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.

Jun 15, 202347:53
Episode 114: Simon Wynn-Taylor from Steritech, Merrifield, VIC

Episode 114: Simon Wynn-Taylor from Steritech, Merrifield, VIC

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

Jun 06, 202331:26
Episode 113: Dr Bridget Goodwin, Apitherapy Australia.

Episode 113: Dr Bridget Goodwin, Apitherapy Australia.

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

May 31, 202342:14
Episode 112: Michael Colvin, High Meadow Honey, NSW.

Episode 112: Michael Colvin, High Meadow Honey, NSW.

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/

May 26, 202338:17
Episode 111: Stuart Sutherland from Electrotherm Pty Ltd. VIC

Episode 111: Stuart Sutherland from Electrotherm Pty Ltd. VIC

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/

May 17, 202331:52
Episode 110: Helen Charles, Friends With Honey, Victoria, Australia

Episode 110: Helen Charles, Friends With Honey, Victoria, Australia

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

May 13, 202330:58
EPISODE 109, George McGee, Mineral Bee, NSW

EPISODE 109, George McGee, Mineral Bee, NSW

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!

Apr 27, 202335:42
Benny's Back! Hope everyone had an awesome festive season and your bees are doing well!

Benny's Back! Hope everyone had an awesome festive season and your bees are doing well!

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!

Jan 01, 202311:46
EPISODE 107, Jay Turner from Pestie Profiles and Ben Moore

EPISODE 107, Jay Turner from Pestie Profiles and Ben Moore

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

Oct 10, 202252:32
Episode 107, Having A Beekeeping Business, Ben's Bees!

Episode 107, Having A Beekeeping Business, Ben's Bees!

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

Sep 20, 202240:54
Episode 106, One Moment Please, With Fiona and Ben!

Episode 106, One Moment Please, With Fiona and Ben!

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





Sep 12, 202201:00:18
PODCAST EPISODE 105: Kristofer Fricke Travels To Africa! Beekeeper and Traveler, Australia and Abroad

PODCAST EPISODE 105: Kristofer Fricke Travels To Africa! Beekeeper and Traveler, Australia and Abroad

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.

Sep 08, 202237:07
EPISODE: 104 John McArthur, Bee Feeds Australia

EPISODE: 104 John McArthur, Bee Feeds Australia

Episode 104 of the Bees with Ben podcast documents the extraordinary progress of a ground-

breaking Australian small business. Against all odds, they launched their product just a week before

Covid restrictions were announced in February 2020. John McArthur, of Banana Feeds Australia, says

that he and his business partner, Robert Borsato (who is a third generation banana grower), were

sick of seeing high quality bananas being downgraded because of minor skin blemishes, or the wrong

shape, and decided to look further afield to find uses for this product. The Banana Feeds Australia

website notes that for centuries, bananas have played a vital role in the healthy diet of both humans

and animals alike and have been used by many elite athletes to help achieve peak performance. The

business owners decided initially to focus on the possibilities of an equine supplement, but research

was hard to find. Bananas had been shown to reduce the incidence of ulcers in rats, and to assist to

prevent mastitis in dairy cattle, but this was unlikely to convince racehorse owners to try a product

made entirely from dehydrated green bananas.

So a research project was undertaken with the University of Adelaide, in an effort to identify and

analyse the beneficial components of green bananas. In contrast to ripe bananas, which have a

much higher sugar content, green bananas are high in carbohydrates. They also contain beneficial

polyphenols and flavonoids, along with dopamine and serotonin, all of which are chiefly found in the

peel.

Banana Feeds Australia then constructed a state of the art factory in Far North Queensland, where

whole green bananas (including peel, stems and flower ends) are washed, sliced, dried (raw bananas

consist of 85-90% water) and then milled in a simple and safe process that produces a product that

can easily be shipped anywhere in the world.

B-Complete, the initial equine supplement, was launched with very little marketing and promotion;

as John says, when you have a world-first product it’s ‘pretty important’ to be able to travel, in order

to tell people about it, and this was impossible at the time. Nevertheless, B-Complete took off,

thanks to some fantastic results and endorsements - a Blue Diamond Stakes winner was among the

horses to have used the product. It wasn’t long before dog breeders and greyhound trainers started

to purchase the equine supplement, and this soon resulted in B-Complete for dogs, which is milled

to a somewhat finer consistency.

So how, exactly, is this relevant to bees? Well, Banana Feeds Australia received a telephone call from

a well-known apiary in Tasmania, which had experienced some beneficial effects using green

bananas in the bottom of hives (although no-one quite understood why), with a request to provide

their product in a powdered form. Trials of the green banana powder were overwhelmingly positive;

the apiary used the product on some of their weakest hives, and these subsequently became their

best performing colonies. General colony health and strength was enhanced, and chalkbrood

eliminated. Similar feedback came from other beekeepers, and so 'Bee-Complete’ powdered

supplement became a reality. The product may be sprinkled over the top of frames or used for open

feeding. Many apiarists choose to use it as a supplement in the off season, in order to strengthen

colonies, but it has proved effective all year round.


https://www.bananafeedsaustralia.com/

Aug 31, 202232:18
EPISODE 103, Antony Adare, Natural Life, NSW, Australia

EPISODE 103, Antony Adare, Natural Life, NSW, Australia

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

Aug 22, 202237:16
EPISODE: 102, Karen Santos, Researcher, University of New England, Australia and Brazil

EPISODE: 102, Karen Santos, Researcher, University of New England, Australia and Brazil

Originally from Brazil, Karen Santos was an undergraduate biology student when she volunteered for

an intern project working with beekeepers and palynologists (who specialise in the study of pollen)

to examine the diet of honey bees on the Brazilian savannah in 2012. This triggered a fascination

with bees and led to further research, particularly in the different aspects of pollen ecology. In 2019,

Karen moved to Australia to continue her research as a PhD candidate at the University of New

England; her main interests involve understanding the diverse effects of large crops on native

vegetation, together with the behaviour and efficiency of pollinators within these crops. She

presented an intriguing paper at the 4 th Australian Bee Congress in April of this year and is our very

special guest on episode 102 of the Bees with Ben podcast.

Karen says it was exciting to be able to return to conferences after Covid lock downs; she normally

attends more ecology-based forums, and the Bee Congress provided an opportunity to learn about

different research and to chat with a variety of people, including beekeepers. She explains that she

had zero knowledge about bees when she embarked on that first project in 2012. This involved

analysing pollen grains collected in pollen traps amongst colonies of Africanised honey bees to

determine what sort of resources they were collecting in a given area. Although people were telling

her that the bees were ‘crazy’ or ‘killers’, Karen had nothing to compare them to at the time. She

does acknowledge that precautions had to be taken to ensure the bees did not become agitated -

such as avoiding noise or wearing perfume - and that Australian honey bees have a far more mild-

mannered disposition and tend simply to ‘mind their own business’.

Karen’s presentation at the Congress concerned the diet of bees in almond orchards and was based

upon data collected in Victoria. The results were surprising, as although almond pollen is extremely

attractive to honey bees (it is a good source of protein), the bees nevertheless also seek out and

collect complimentary resources, even at the height of the flowering season. Results varied

significantly between hives, but the lowest proportion of almond pollen encountered was around

62%.

Karen is currently working on other crops including blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and apples,

and was lucky to finish her PhD data collection just prior to the onset of Covid restrictions -

particularly since she was working with blueberries at Coffs Harbour, which is now the subject of a

varroa mite incursion. However, plans to visit apple farms in Queensland had to be abandoned in

2020 and again in 2021 due to border lockdowns. Eventually, Karen is hoping to conduct a fieldtrip

to gather data on the pollen flow between apple cultivars. Like some almonds and blueberries,

apples also require cross pollination, and growers often interplant two or three cultivars in the same

area. Fluorescent pollen dye is used to track the movement of bees via UV light, which Karen says

can create quite a beautiful scene at night.

Aug 14, 202233:30
EPISODE 101: Dr Trong Tran, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD

EPISODE 101: Dr Trong Tran, University of the Sunshine Coast, QLD

 Episode 101 of the Bees with Ben podcast showcases the research of Dr Trong Tran, who lectures in

chemistry at the University of the Sunshine Coast, and the magical substance known as propolis! Ben

met Trong at the recent 4 th Australian Bee Congress in Sydney and knew immediately that his work

on propolis would make for a fascinating chat. Propolis is well known to have antioxidant qualities

that may have great therapeutic potential for humans. It helps promote healthy bee hives and can

inhibit foulbroods and chalkbrood.

Trong originally came to Australia from his native Vietnam 14 years ago to work on his Masters

project, which involved searching for bioactive compounds that exhibited anticancer properties in

marine organisms, with a special emphasis on attempting to identify compounds that may be

valuable in the treatment of prostate cancer. He was awarded a PhD degree in Organic Chemistry

from Griffith University in 2015, and then undertook postdoctoral research in the National Cancer

Institute - US National Institutes of Health. In 2019 he was the recipient of an Australian Endeavour

Executive Leadership Award. Trong has thereby gained extensive research experience in natural

product drug discovery but explains to Ben that it can be a very long road from identifying a

beneficial bioactive compound to getting it approved for human use; involving significant investment

from pharmaceutical companies and substantial clinical research. A lot of time and expense can be

spared by focussing on agricultural research - dealing with raw, natural products that are already

consumed by humans with no ill effect. The raw material (rather than an isolated chemical

compound) therefore becomes the product. Trong says this was part of the reason he switched the

subject of his research to agriculture, and then specifically propolis, about 3 years back.

Starting with propolis derived from native stingless bees, he was able to demonstrate wound healing

properties; the propolis helped to improve scars and exhibited anti-scarring activity. Trong then

turned his attention to honey bee propolis, aware that this could represent another significant

source of income for beekeepers. The beneficial properties of propolis appear to derive largely from

bioactive components of plant resins, in particular polyphenols. This large family of organic

compounds is abundant amongst plant species. Trong tells Ben that most premium propolis contains

a high level of polyphenolic compounds, which act as antioxidants and can assist in boosting

immunity and in the treatment of diabetes and other conditions.

How does one consume a daily dose of propolis? Trong says that some people like to make a

tincture, but that this is best stored under cold and dark conditions. Propolis can also be processed

into a powder which can be mixed into drinks or sold as capsules or tablets. And the appropriate

amount? This is currently the subject of further research. The resins in Australian propolis are very

different from those overseas. The recommended dosage for Brazilian green propolis, for example, is

up to 500mg per day. However, when used as a treatment to boost immune function in Covid

patients, 1500mg was used daily. Trong stresses that propolis is not a food, and that more research

is required with Australian propolis to establish, for instance, if there is any toxicity associated with

ingesting large quantities. He says that the propolis industry in Brazil has been going for 30 years,

and that they are consequently far more advanced in understanding level of polyphenolic compounds.

Aug 06, 202228:22
EPISOSE 100!!! Bob Binnie, Blue Ridge Honey Company, Georgia, USA and Co-Hosted with Dan Curless, Curless Aussie Apiaries, QLD.

EPISOSE 100!!! Bob Binnie, Blue Ridge Honey Company, Georgia, USA and Co-Hosted with Dan Curless, Curless Aussie Apiaries, QLD.

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.

Jul 31, 202201:00:53
EPISODE 99: Barry Roberts, Backyard Beekeeping Australia Facebook Page, Victoria, Australia

EPISODE 99: Barry Roberts, Backyard Beekeeping Australia Facebook Page, Victoria, Australia

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/

Jul 24, 202252:22
EPISODE 98, Dale Armel, DAP Pest Control & TikTok Viral Video Poster, Melbourne, Australia

EPISODE 98, Dale Armel, DAP Pest Control & TikTok Viral Video Poster, Melbourne, Australia

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/

Jul 19, 202233:19
EPISODE 97: Jessica Locarnini, Professional Honey Sommelier, The Honey Merchant, Australia.

EPISODE 97: Jessica Locarnini, Professional Honey Sommelier, The Honey Merchant, Australia.

A ‘sommelier’ is typically associated with wine - a highly trained and knowledgeable professional normally only found in fine restaurants, who specialises in the service of wine, as well as pairing wine with food.

It follows equally that the term could also refer to an expert in honey, trained to distinguish all the different nuances of flavour, texture and aroma. Melbourne-based Jessica Locarnini is in fact a qualified honey sommelier, and she is the featured guest on episode 97 of the Bees with Ben podcast. Jessica received official certification from the American Honey Tasting Society after completing sensory analysis training in the US - learning to detect hundreds of different aromas and even distinguish the type of flowers from which nectar and pollen were originally collected purely from the honey produced.

On website honeymerchant.com.au, Jess explains that she returned to Australia with an even deeper appreciation for the complex flavours of Australian honey: ‘Australian beekeepers work their magic in a land of extremes filled with challenges like fire, flood and drought while being surrounded by some of the most diverse landscapes and flora on the planet. All this is reflected in the unique and varied flavours of our honey.’ In an interview with goodfood online in 2021, Jess runs through the evaluation process using a wine glass in which has been placed a sample of honey. She first holds it up to the light, then examine  the aroma, and finally rolls a small sample round in her mouth. It certainly sounds like she could be talking about wine, as adjectives such as ‘caramel’, ‘camphorous’, ‘spicy’ and ‘medicinal’ start to emerge. In fact, Jess finds many similarities between tasting honey and wine: both have complex aromas and flavours, and honey tasters also use a palette cleanser between samples (in this case, green apple).

‘When you smell honey, it inevitably evokes memory,’ she says.

Locarnini now works with beekeepers to promote the unique character of local honeys, and is dedicated to developing an appreciation for our honeys through tasting, pairing and education. She likes to pair honey with cheese of a similar intensity, one such example being orange blossom honey with goat’s curd. ‘And you can increase the textural experience of a good crumbly cheddar with honey that has crystalised.’

But she is also mindful of the need to conserve our unique Australian environment, and the health of our bees. Jess joins Ben in the studio for this truly fascinating and engaging episode, in which she walks Ben through a ‘live, non-visual honey tasting’ that she reckons could well be a first for a podcast. It will certainly be a revelation for many listeners. Ben describes Jess as, ‘An absolute guru.’ She responds by saying that being a ‘honey sommelier’ is her super power!

http://honeymerchant.com.au

https://www.instagram.com/honeymerchant/

Jul 11, 202255:56
EPISODE 96: Hive Buddy Varroa Mite Conversation, Daz & Mandi, NZ Postcode Honey, NZ & AUS

EPISODE 96: Hive Buddy Varroa Mite Conversation, Daz & Mandi, NZ Postcode Honey, NZ & AUS

"Given the recent Varroa incident in NSW, Daz and Mandi, from Mandi's New Zealand Postcode Honey have kindly offered to help inform us with some sensible, down to earth advice.   With over 25 years experience in beekeeping, 15 years working with varroa and experience beekeeping in Australia, NZ and the USA, Daz and Mandi will give a short no nonsense chat and then we will open up the discussion so your questions can be answered.  Basically, there is NO need to panic and we are just taking this opportunity to become more informed and hope you go away feeling more at ease around the idea of varroa".

Fight the Mite: An Unparalleled Threat to
Australian Agriculture.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-save-australia-s-bee-population/x/29654681#/

https://www.hivebuddy.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/MandisNewZealandPostcodeHoney/

Jul 01, 202201:30:25
EPISODE 95: Richard Noel & Ben Moore The Affects and Control Of Varroa Mites.

EPISODE 95: Richard Noel & Ben Moore The Affects and Control Of Varroa Mites.

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


Jun 28, 202201:41:47
PODCAST EPISODE 94: Kristofer Fricke, Beekeeper and Traveler, Australia and Abroad

PODCAST EPISODE 94: Kristofer Fricke, Beekeeper and Traveler, Australia and Abroad

Kris Fricke is our featured guest on episode 94 of the Bees with Ben podcast. Kris became a

professional apiarist in 2005 and has kept bees in both California and Australia - at one time

maintaining more than 500 hives. He has also worked with bees on projects in various parts

of the African continent, amongst other destinations. In 2015, Kris founded Bee Aid

International after attending a conference on African Beekeeping held in Arusha, Tanzania.

He realised that there were many communities desperate for quality training, but a general

lack of government funding for these local projects. Thinking outside the square, Kris

decided to seek alternative funding through charitable donations.

Citing impact reports that indicate a 56-66% increase in income for the entire community for

previously completed projects, Kris believes that beekeeping is the epitome of the ‘teach a

man to fish’ proverb. Every member of the community can benefit: beekeepers can create a

new avenue of self-employed income; they may also train others in the art; carpenters may

specialise in the construction of hives; garment makers can fashion protective clothing; and

metalsmiths can manufacture tools. And then there are the retailers who take the honey to

market, as well as the cottage industry that can develop around a range of products made

from beeswax. Kris’ ambition is to one day be able to work on development projects full

time.

Kris also hosts a podcast entitled The Apinautica, which is part travelogue, part

documentation of his beekeeping exploits in developing countries. Ben recently caught up

with Kris at the Australian Bee Congress in Sydney and arranged to interview him for this

podcast.

The podcast starts in a very unusual way - no spoilers but this has never happened to us

before and is unlikely to ever again. You’ll have to listen to find out!


https://anchor.fm/beedev/

https://m.facebook.com/worldbeedev


Jun 22, 202252:03
EPISODE 93: Alex Mazur, Full Time Beekeeper, Ukraine & Australia.

EPISODE 93: Alex Mazur, Full Time Beekeeper, Ukraine & Australia.

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.

Jun 18, 202236:23
Episode 92, Carmel from CMG Honeybee, Melbourne's West, Australia

Episode 92, Carmel from CMG Honeybee, Melbourne's West, 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/

May 24, 202235:44
Episode 91, Jay turner & Ben Moore, Pestie Profiles PART 2, Australia.

Episode 91, Jay turner & Ben Moore, Pestie Profiles PART 2, Australia.

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

May 09, 202201:20:17
Episode 90, Maurice Damon, Beekeeper, FN Queensland, Australia

Episode 90, Maurice Damon, Beekeeper, FN Queensland, Australia

For episode 90 of the Bees with Ben podcast, we are heading to the tropics to catch up with Maurie Damon. Maurie has been keeping bees for decades in the Cairns region and remembers as a twelve-year-old being intoxicated with the intense flavour of honey from a nest of native bees.

Maurie tells Ben that one of the main differences about beekeeping in the tropics is that hives must be placed on stands to lift them about forty centimetres off the ground. One reason is the heavy ‘dew’ (there can be up to 150 millimetres of rain overnight). The other is the cane toads. Maurie says given the opportunity the troublesome toads will tap on the entrance to a hive and wait for an unsuspecting bee to investigate, whereupon it becomes a snack. Even hives on stands are not exempt from attack, as the toads have devised a cunning plan to get to the bees. They climb on top of one another, forming a pyramid; the uppermost toad eventually reaches the entrance to the hive, and when it has had its fill, falls off and helps lift its comrades to get a feed. The toads are unaffected by bee stings and swallow the insects whole.

Surprisingly, the toads have one beneficial aspect. When the larvae of small hive beetles crawl out of hives to pupate in the ground, the toads are waiting to devour them as well. Maurie reckons the toads may have been released a hundred years too early! He says nature has a way of working things out and cites the problems that beekeepers in the tropics had with wax moths in the 1970s and 1980s. These pests are now held in check by a native parasitic wasp, which lays its eggs in the wax moth grubs, as a food source for its young. When a researcher asked Maurie for some wax moth larvae to study, he could find none that were not infested by the wasps!

Maurie started his professional beekeeping career in Cairns and then moved to the Atherton Tablelands, where pollination services were in demand for winter-flowering crops such as avocados, mangoes, lychees and pumpkins. The business grew and grew; honey was initially sold at markets, but later to supermarkets and distributors. When he couldn’t produce sufficient honey in Cairns to satisfy demand, he shifted a heap of bees down to his block near Brisbane, where they were used to pollinate strawberries, mangoes and lychees. Every month he would drive down to pick up honey, which was then distributed to his customers in Cairns, where he maintained a large extraction plant.

May 01, 202230:39
Episode 89, Tommy Daniels, Commercial Beekeeper, Yarra Valley, Victoria

Episode 89, Tommy Daniels, Commercial Beekeeper, Yarra Valley, Victoria

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! 

Apr 27, 202234:12
Episode 88, Jay turner & Ben Moore, Pestie Profiles, Australia

Episode 88, Jay turner & Ben Moore, Pestie Profiles, Australia

The podcast series where we put the spotlight on the best in the pest business. Hear their stories, their successes, their failures, and ultimately what lead them to where they are today! Join Jay Turner as he interviews some of the most inspirational pest managers in the Australian Pest Management Industry.


Check it Out!

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

Apr 12, 202201:25:47
Episode 87, Simon McEvedy, Veteran, Ivanhoe Melbourne.

Episode 87, Simon McEvedy, Veteran, Ivanhoe Melbourne.

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 FREELYCALMING 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


Apr 04, 202242:22
Episode 86, Stephanie Parsons, Edmonds Honey, Geelong, Victoria

Episode 86, Stephanie Parsons, Edmonds Honey, Geelong, Victoria

Episode 86 of the Bees with Ben podcast features a young, up-and-coming beekeeper, Stephanie Parsons. Ben met Stephanie a few weeks back when he was asked to talk at Geelong Beekeeping Club and was impressed by her obvious enthusiasm, upbeat personality and love of beekeeping. Steph is living proof that beekeeping can become a rewarding profession for young people - and particularly young women - in the 21st century, especially those that prefer learning in a practical environment, and don’t quite fit the typical ‘nine to five’ routine.

Steph works for Edmonds Honey, a commercial beekeeping operation commenced by John Edmonds and his father in 1982. Today, Edmonds Honey has approximately 500 hives in western Victoria, and produces pure, chemical-free honey from bees that forage in natural bushland. The business is noted for producing queens, and also offers nucleus hives and a comprehensive range of beekeeping equipment through their retail outlet in Mount Duneed, just out of Geelong. John Edmonds was Ben’s special guest a couple of years back in one of the very early instalments of Bees with Ben. He is also full of enthusiasm and has a wealth of experience with bees, not to mention a seemingly unending supply of anecdotes, and is the perfect person to mentor a young person starting out in the beekeeping industry (Steph describes him as her ‘bestie’ despite their age difference).

En route to the ‘secret site’ Steph explains that they have sites everywhere, predominantly on private land, since vandalism is a problem on public or government land - once they even had their hives set on fire! The docile nature of their bees can actually be a disadvantage under such circumstances. Where 'government' sites are used, Edmonds bolt their hives to pallets using three different types of fasteners (inside and out) and are careful to use ‘stingy’ bees as a deterrent near the entrance. They have even gone to the extent of covering their tyre tracks to conceal the location of their apiaries.

One of the things that Steph finds so interesting about beekeeping is that there are so many different approaches, and no right or wrong way to do things. She loves travelling around working on the bees and says John’s stories are really funny. Her pet hate is stocktaking - she reckons she would rather watch an election! Steph loves that beekeeping is not like a typical office job. The working week usually runs from Monday to Saturday; Steph watches the shop on Saturday while John will go out to the bees and pick up cell raisers so they can graft on Monday. There is usually a day of grafting, a day of catching and a day of putting cells out, but it is all dependent on the weather.  Sometimes they work well into the evening if they are moving bees or catching queens during daylight saving, but there are no set times and it all works out.

Steph says nobody really knows about beekeeping as a career but describes it as the ‘coolest industry’. She reckons the issue is that all the ‘old fellas’ like John have so much knowledge, but no one coming along underneath them. As for the future, besides adding to her collection of ‘ridiculous' sunglasses, Steph plans to become a professional queen breeder. She says it is a little ‘left field’, without the heavy lifting involved in honey production. She also wants to share information and knowledge, and has her own Facebook page, as well as running all the social media for Edmonds Honey.

https://www.facebook.com/SPBees

https://www.facebook.com/geelonghoney

Mar 19, 202251:41
Episode 85, Co-Hosted with Dr Anna Carrucan, Simon Mildren and Dr Erica Shelley, ProtectaBee, Australia & Canada

Episode 85, Co-Hosted with Dr Anna Carrucan, Simon Mildren and Dr Erica Shelley, ProtectaBee, Australia & Canada

Episode 85 of the Bees with Ben podcast is co-hosted by Dr Anna Carrucan, a second-generation beekeeper and botanist, and the driving force behind Buukaar Waaruung boutique apiary and artisan honey. Also along for the ride (but taking something of a back seat on this occasion) is Simon Mildren from The Hive Buddy, a website dedicated to bees and beekeepers.

In this podcast, Ben and Anna discuss the merits of the ProtectaBEE all-in-one adjustable hive entrance that is currently exceeding expectations on the crowd-finding site Indiegogo. Not only can the ProtectaBEE apparently exclude pests like wasps, hornets, robber bees, mice and other predators from the hive, but it can also be used to deliver treatments for varroa mites, diseases and pesticide poisoning. The Protectabee’s conical inserts are claimed to mazimise bee movement while establishing an effective physical barrier against predators. Traffic in and out of the hive can be conveniently enhanced (in times of growth), reduced (to aid in winter warming) or even eliminated (when moving hives) by the use of a variety of inserts.

The promotional material cites the research of Dr Peter Kevan, from the University of Guelph, who more then twenty years ago came up with the concept of using bees to carry fungal powders to plants to fight pests and diseases; bee vectoring has since been used to improve the health of crops such as strawberries and blueberries. Likewise, Dr Kevan hypothesized that bee vectoring could be effective in combatting pests and diseases inside the hive. Normally, if powders are placed in a hive, the bees will simply carry them out, however, research has evidently shown that ProtectaBEE facilitates treatment inside the hive, and that the device has potential to reduce varroa mites, as well as effectively treating foulbrood and other pests and diseases.

ProtectaBEE has been designed to fit both Langstroth and Flow hives; it has been featured in Bee Culture magazine, and is simply and easy to install, as well as being relatively cost effective. The first production run is scheduled for delivery in June 2022, and discounted prices are available for prepurchase via Indiegogo. So what do our experts think? You’ll have to listen to the podcast!


https://buukaarwaaruung.com.au/meet-the-beekeeper/

https://get.protectabee.bestforbees.com/landing-page-protectabee1638034795905

https://www.hivebuddy.com.au/

Mar 10, 202201:32:13
The 4th Australian Bee Congress: Celebrating Honey Bees at the Heart of a Healthy Australia

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

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/

Mar 06, 202204:30
Episode 84, Joe Horner, Commercial Beekeeper & Queen Breeder, Rylstone, New South Wales.

Episode 84, Joe Horner, Commercial Beekeeper & Queen Breeder, Rylstone, New South Wales.

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.

Mar 04, 202229:39
Episode 83: Sarah Calleja, Randox Food Diagnostics, Australia

Episode 83: Sarah Calleja, Randox Food Diagnostics, Australia

In episode 83 of the Bees with Ben podcast, Ben chats with Sarah Calleja of Randox Food Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Randox Laboratories. With over 1,300 employees and offices in more than 145 countries, Randox is a world leader within the in vitro diagnostics industry, committed to innovative diagnostic solutions for hospitals, a wide variety of laboratory applications, and food testing. Their vision is to improve health worldwide.

Amongst recent achievements, Randox has launched mobile COVID-19 labs for workplace testing, capable of processing up to 1,000 tests per day.  Furthermore, the company has developed the world’s fastest PCR test, with results in 39 minutes, a sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 100%.

Randox is also a leader in food screening technology, and Randox Food Diagnostics have pioneered a range of honey quality tests, which allow apiarists across the world to confirm the safety and quality of their product, and thereby ensure consumer confidence. The tests can screen simultaneously for the presence of residual concentrations of multiple antibiotics used to rid bee hives of pests and diseases from a single sample of honey. This adds to Randox’s impressive suite of honey screening tests, which also includes an assessment for hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), an organic compound produced by dehydration of sugars, and which can be indicative of overheating, poor storage or aged honey.

Honey also contains small amounts of enzymes which vary according to floral source and region. These enzymes are instrumental in determining the functional properties of honey and enzymatic analysis is important in determining quality. Randox describe their RX misano as the ‘most modern enzymatic analyser in the industry’. It is capable of measuring diastase, total sugars (glucose and fructose) and colour, as well as HMF, all incorporated into a table -top size unit that requires very little maintenance. The RX misano features a touch screen display, customisable test menus (new parameters can be uploaded by USB), and the ability to export data. It is also extremely accurate and cost effective, making it suitable for commercial beekeepers as well as large honey producers and packers.

Randox also offer in-house analysis and testing. Randox Managing Director, Dr Peter Fitzgerald stated, ‘We are working closely with industry to promote a responsible approach to antibiotic use in food production and we hope that by working with some of the biggest names in the apiculture market, other honey producers will see the benefits of being able to offer their customers complete consumer confidence in a high quality, and importantly, safe product.’

Obviously, the ability to substantiate the quality of their product is of great benefit to apiarists, particularly since the aroma, taste and therapeutic properties of honey are optimised when it is preserved in a raw, unprocessed ‘organic’ state. Screening for antibiotics and enzymatic analysis may seem a rather novel approach for many beekeepers, but it is likely to become increasingly important in the future.

https://www.randoxfood.com/

Sarah.Calleja@randox.com

Feb 28, 202228:03
EPISODE 82, Matthew Petersen, Dividing Creek Farm, South Gippsland, Australia

EPISODE 82, Matthew Petersen, Dividing Creek Farm, South Gippsland, Australia

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

Feb 20, 202241:59
Speaking at Geelong Beekeepers Club 18/2/22

Speaking at Geelong Beekeepers Club 18/2/22

This one is bit of a bonus/extra podcast episode. 

I did a presentation at the Geelong Beekeepers Club 18/2/22

https://geelongbeekeepersclub.org.au/

Feb 19, 202259:58
EPISODE 81: Randy Oliver, Golden West Bees, North California, USA

EPISODE 81: Randy Oliver, Golden West Bees, North California, USA

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.

Feb 11, 202245:32
EPISODE 80: The Bee Bushman & Son, Riverina, SA

EPISODE 80: The Bee Bushman & Son, Riverina, SA

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

Feb 04, 202231:10
EPISODE 79: Jay Curtin, Australian Honey Ventures, WA

EPISODE 79: Jay Curtin, Australian Honey Ventures, WA

In the Bees with Ben podcast episode 79, Ben chats with Jay Curtin, the CEO of Australian Honey Ventures, based in Western Australia. The AHV website describes the business as ‘a 100% Australian privately owned aggregator of Australian honey with impressive honey inventory levels capable of supplying packaged honey products to export markets’. Through ‘collaborative relationships with beekeepers and distributors, and product innovation in the medicinal, endurance racing and well-being markets’ AHV claims that it is well on the way towards a target of brokering at least one third of Australia’s total commercial honey production by 2027. And by investing in product development and marketing, AHV aims to lift the value of Australian honey and return higher prices to beekeepers. Wow!

Jay also highlights the predicament of beekeepers as being similar to that of dairy farmers; traditionally, apiarists have not been getting a fair price for their honey in an industry controlled by a few large players that was rife with price-setting. Jay remembers hearing of jarrah honey from WA selling for $500 per kilogram overseas at a time when local producers were receiving a mere $12 per kilogram. She says she hates seeing Aussies being rorted; AHV’s business model is to identify exciting and lucrative sales opportunities overseas, and then pay beekeepers a high upfront price for their honey. In addition, beekeepers also receive a quarterly profit share, and using AHV’s deal with Kuwait as an example, this means that local apiarists can expect a return of about $33 per kilogram for TA35+ honey, as opposed to $4.80 per kilogram from the major local packer.

Jay can’t understand why jarrah honey has previously been touted as the ‘be all and end all’. She says we need to market ourselves as a powerhouse of medicinal honey, with a whole range of attractive varieties, each with its own unique flavour. She says many people in the Middle East don’t actually like the taste of manuka honey but eat it anyway as it is a luxury item with medicinal properties! Manuka has, however, paved the way for export opportunities for Australian honey as it has desensitised overseas markets to high prices commanded by medicinal honey.

Australian Honey Ventures is currently engaged in a drive to raise new capital. The company has earmarked $1 million for marketing in the next twelve months and is in the process of building a state-of-the-art processing plant. They are also negotiating with Woolworths to supply the domestic market and are intent on devising new science to accurately measure the medicinal properties of Australian honey. Presently the top rating for medicinal honey is TA35+; some Australian honeys have raw test results up to TA66 but are unable to be labelled as such because this is beyond the scope of the current procedures, and Jay is convinced we are missing an opportunity in this regard.

Jay is also excited about AHV’s new brand ambassador, prominent TV personality and former professional rugby player, Nick ‘The Honey Badger’ Cummins. His nickname is a fortunate coincidence since it has nothing to do with his love of honey. Jay explains that although Nick may have lacked size and speed in comparison to other players, he made up for any other shortcomings with a ferocious on-field nature. Likewise, the honey badger will take on far larger creatures thanks to its tenacious character and an iron jaw! Nick lives ‘off the grid’ in the midst of a national park; he uses solar power and grows much of his own food. He has declared his association with AHV to be a ‘match made in heaven’ and has actually bought shares in the company.

https://australianhoneyventures.com.au/

Jan 27, 202253:17
PODCAST EPISODE 78: Kevin Tracy, BeeZone Apiaries, Queensland

PODCAST EPISODE 78: Kevin Tracy, BeeZone Apiaries, Queensland

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

Jan 20, 202245:06
Podcast Episode 77: Keith Johnson, Hobbyist Beekeeper, SE Melbourne

Podcast Episode 77: Keith Johnson, Hobbyist Beekeeper, SE Melbourne

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!

Jan 13, 202232:40
Podcast Episode 76: Gruffydd Rees from Carmarthenshire, Wales UK

Podcast Episode 76: Gruffydd Rees from Carmarthenshire, Wales UK

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/

Jan 04, 202237:42
Benny's Back!

Benny's Back!

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!

Nov 28, 202110:28
PODCAST EPSIODE 75: Col Wilson, commercial beekeeper, Hunter Valley, New South Wales

PODCAST EPSIODE 75: Col Wilson, commercial beekeeper, Hunter Valley, New South Wales

PODCAST EPSIODE 75: Col Wilson, commercial beekeeper, Hunter Valley, New South Wales

As life has moved more and more online, it’s often quite easy to find out about a person, their life and business, just by a quick Google search. And while I love the magic and connection and potential the internet and social media has to offer, there is something to be said for living outside of this realm of technological communication. At the end of a seriously busy day, possibly after a seriously busy month or more of work, I have very occasionally reached a point where I have thought how delightful it would be to be able to turn off completely; to not receive emails and messages; to just live in the moment and care for bees and wake up without a million notifications and reminders. Like I said, it doesn’t happen that often, as I love my busy career and life and I am always up for a yarn, but it gets you thinking about the simple life. For that reason, I am thrilled to introduce you to Col Wilson, a commercial beekeeper from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, for episode 75 of the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast. While Col doesn’t have a huge internet presence, he’s a fantastic beekeeper, and it was a total delight to chat with him about the intricacies of his beekeeping practice.

This episode is a deep dive into the life of a commercial beekeeper – this is the real deal, no glossing over the truth, no prettying things up, no marketing. It shows the real passion and the real challenges that face commercial beekeepers day in and out. It’s a story about the daily (and seasonal) highs and lows that come part and parcel with the job. It unpacks how beekeepers must learn to cope with and adapt to the weather in a country where weather conditions can be totally extreme and harsh. It’s about what it’s like to live in the marvellous and mysterious Australian bush, feeling in awe of it but also sometimes frightened by its strength and natural power. It’s a chat about loving bees, and loving honey, and doing whatever you can to make those passions your career. Commercial beekeepers are hard workers, and I am thrilled to introduce a beekeeper to the podcast who lives very much in the real world of beekeeping. Tune in to hear Col and I get down to the nitty gritty, the ups and downs, of being a commercial beekeeper in Australia.

Sep 27, 202142:35
PODCAST EPSIODE 74: Michael Johnson, Co-founder of The Basin Backyard, Knoxfield, Victoria

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

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

Sep 25, 202137:52