Bees With Ben – Details, episodes & analysis

Join me on a unique episode of "Bees with Ben" as I take you on a journey to Shepparton!

Recorded on the road, this episode captures the spontaneous and unfiltered thoughts I navigate through my beekeeping job, whilst on the road!

Expect a delightful ramble covering a variety of topics, from the intricacies of beekeeping in different environments to amusing anecdotes from the road.

'"Ben's on-the-go recording brings an authentic and immersive experience, making you feel like you're right there with him". Tune in for a mix of beekeeping insights, personal stories, and a touch of road trip charm.

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

https://www.melihoney.com.au

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

place just about all year round.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

however Corinne is now seeking funding for large-scale trials - she estimates it will cost about

$250,000 for the first year, and has set up a special website for the project, beegenetics.com

Corinne is well placed to conduct this research with a number of unique assets. She has a proven

track record, insemination skills and an apiary with high quality stock. She has the support of

industry groups as well as 'Flow' and will donate the resultant queens to raise further funds.

If you are able to assist with this vital project, please head to beegenetics.com for further details.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://www.stepplerfarms.com/

PODCAST EPISODE 28: Sanjay Kafle from Mad Honey, Nepal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://sparkke.com/

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

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

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

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

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

PODCAST EPISODE 25: Steve Donohue, beekeeper and author of Interviews with Beekeepers

Times flies when your… a beekeeper! So, it’s been a MASSIVE two months since we last spoke (or I spoke with beekeepers, and you tuned in), but the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast is back! And I am so very happy about it – I have missed you all so much!

As some of you know, I am becoming an author! My first book titled For the Love of Bees is about to become available as a very limited run (so get your orders in). With that in mind, it’s a total pleasure for this first-time author to welcome an author I admire to the show for episode 25: Steve Donohoe, beekeeper and creator of Interviews with Beekeepers. As Steve describes, “Beekeeping is many things to many people. Maybe it's a hobby, a vocation, a commercial enterprise or your field of study. It will almost certainly become an obsession” – I couldn’t agree more! You see, I know many people who come to bees from varied perspectives and sometimes troubled paths. Steve describes that he was working a tough corporate job, that led him into a drinking problem; it was the bees that helped Steve get back on track and recover to become the man he is today. Profound stuff! Interviews with Beekeepers offers a truly unique insight into all aspects of beekeeping – from bee farms, to raising queens, coping with swarms, and finding the perfect location for an apiary. And Steve collected all this amazing and useful information through a series of conversations with commercial beekeepers – it’s a gem of a book and one I highly recommend you get your mitts on! I even make an appearance in the pages! So, tune in for this special episode, as I return to the air waves to pick the brain of the wonderful Steve Donohue on beekeeping as therapy, authoring a book, getting to know the beekeeping community, and the worst place to get stung!

https://thewalrusandthehoneybee.com/category/interviews-with-beekeepers/

https://www.bensbees.com.au