Bees With Ben

PODCAST EPISODE 58: Daniel Wood from Monsons Honey and Pollination, Mildura, Australia It’s amazing where life takes you if you let it. Originally from Blackpool in the UK, Daniel Wood did not expect to fall into the profession of beekeeping when he came to Australia almost 11 years ago. Coming from an army background, it was romance that led Daniel to bees— when he met one of beekeeper Trevor Mon...

PODCAST EPISODE 57: Jack Shick of Lord Howe Island Tours, Lord Howe Island, Australia Australia is still so mysterious to me, as I feel it is to many people who now call Australia home. Across this vast land, there is incredible diversity, many paradises, many isolated landscapes, abundant in unique flora and fauna. And as we move in and out of lockdowns due to COVID-19, my mind wanders to the man...

PODCAST EPISODE 56: Simon Mulvany, Founder of Save the Bees, Blairgowrie, Australia As many of you know, Founder and CEO of Save the Bees Simon Mulvany and I go way back. Save the Bees is an outstanding Australian organisation that aims to galvanise a community of like-minded people who would put their energy into saving bees from unethical and damaging processes. This has included (but is not lim...

PODCAST EPISODE 55: Brenna Quinlan, permaculture illustrator, co-author of the Bee Detectives, Western Australia.  I like art that is joyful. Playful. Often childlike. The kind of work where the artist’s hand lightly brings people, objects, animals and places to life in a way that seems completely effortless. I like colour, too. The kind of combining of colour that sparks energy, vivacity, an...

PODCAST EPISODE 54: Chris Monaghan, Holy Cross Retreat, Templestowe, Victoria, Australia Spirituality means different things for different people. But in challenging times, like the one we have been experiencing since COVID-19 hit, I have noticed a real need—in myself and other people—for meaning. A seeking out of what’s important. Looking deeper into how spirituality might be invited into everyda...

PODCAST EPISODE 53: Luke De Laeter, qualified beekeeper and entrepreneur, Buzz Ed, Perth, Western Australia I always knew I loved bees, right from the moment I found a wild bee nest down at the creek in the bush near my parents’ place. It was a fast realisation – yes, love at first sight. But, for me, it was a slow trajectory into beekeeping, first as a hobby and then a profession. Although I have...

PODCAST EPISODE 52: Robert Owen, author, beekeeper, and former owner of Bob’s Beekeeping Supplies in Eltham, now living in Thailand I feel like most people with hands-on jobs or hobbies have one of those stores where they LOVE to go, where every new tool and material fills them with joy and a sense of possibility. And perhaps, if you are lucky, the person behind the counter is a wealth of knowledg...

PODCAST EPISODE 51: Skye Blackburn AKA the Bug Lady of Circle Harvest, Sydney, Australia When you think of your perfect afternoon snack, it’s highly possible that edible bugs may not come to mind. However, Skye Blackburn, also known as The Bug Lady from Circle Harvest, is about to change your ideas about consuming bugs. Not only should they not be feared, but you can even enjoy the delicious crisp...

PODCAST EPISODE 50: Geoff Ball, beekeeper from Ballan, Victoria (and many other places), Australia Can you believe it has been one whole year since the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast released its inaugural episode? Me neither! What a journey! Both fast and slow (when you think of all the incredible, frightening, life-changing, existentially rocking things that have happened during that time), th...

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

PODCAST EPISODE 49: Michael Church, The Roo Keepers, Melbourne and Regional Victoria I don’t know about you, but if there was one thing I couldn’t get enough of as a kid it was animal-related activities. Excursions to wildlife sanctuaries, touch tanks at the aquarium where you could pick up starfish and anemones, trips out to the farm to hang out with cows and chooks, and last but never least, wan...

PODCAST EPISODE 48: Peter Debicki, The Polish Beekeeper, from Burrumbeet, Victoria, Australia It’s a strange phenomenon, but sometimes in life you repeatedly get drawn to a place and you are unsure why. People from that country or city seem to enter your life, time and again. And each of them feels strangely comfortable, as do their stories, their foods, their ways and mannerisms. Poland is one of...

PODCAST EPISODE 47: Phil Lester, Author and Professor of Ecology and Entomology, Wellington, New Zealand A German proverb reads: “God made the bee, but the Devil made the wasp.” Anyone who knows me knows, I am not a wasp fan in the slightest, especially not of the nasty European wasp. As Australia’s warm climate extends the life cycle of the introduced species, and a lack of predators increases it...

PODCAST EPISODE 46: John Winkles from Pure Peninsula Honey, Victoria, Australia Like many Melbournites, I love to escape to the Mornington Peninsula when I have time to spare. I love the winding roads that meander between deep set willowy gum trees. I love the small communities hidden in the bush. I love the skies filled with the sounds of galahs and cockatoos. A day spent visiting the Peninsulas...

PODCAST EPISODE 45: Paul Valkenburg from Valkenburg Apiaries, South Australia What a ride the BEES WITH BEN beekeeping podcast has been so far. Looking all the way back to episode 1 – which was almost a complete year ago now – we chatted to the lovely Simeon Valkenburg from Valkenburg Apiaries. Twelve months later, I am thrilled to introduce you to Simeon’s equally fantastic brother younger brothe...

PODCAST EPISODE 44: Dara Scott from Hive Alive, Galway, Ireland Since COVID hit, the world has been forced to look at health in a whole new way. For many of us, time in lockdown has provided some space to adopt some new healthy habits — be that eating, exercise, or practicing mindfulness. Personally, I have adopted a bunch of new recipes, learning what specific ingredients might help me feel bette...

PODCAST EPISODE 43: Anika Molesworth, farmer, scientist, storyteller, Wilyakali Country and Melbourne, Australia Anika Molesworth – farmer, scientist, storyteller, soon to be author – is a truly inspirational force. With an agricultural science career in that has taken her around the globe, and many awards, degrees and accolades under her belt, Anika is fighting the good fight against climate chan...

PODCAST EPISODE 42: SezzaJai Sykes, beekeeper and poet, Alice Springs, Australia A poem called ‘Exquisite Sensitivity’ by poet and beekeeper SezzaJai Sykes reads: We all notice different things Our pleasure and discomfort so personal. I am Bee I am orientated to the dark light center And my edges are unique I like my hive warm I like the toffee honies I prefer guard duty I notice the dead pass out...

PODCAST EPISODE 41: Drew Maddison, beekeeper and co-owner of Ministry of Chocolate, Croydon, Australia Other than bees and honey of course, there are two other things that I love dearly – small business and CHOCOLATE! Ministry of Chocolate is a family-owned and run business based on Croydon, Victoria, producing high-quality chocolate made on-site and supplied to a number of businesses across Melbo...

PODCAST EPISODE 40: James Dorey, scientist, PhD candidate, and re-discoverer of the native Pharohylaeus lactiferous bee species We do a lot of talking about the wonderous, superhero honeybee. However, Australia is home to a huge 1654 species of native bees that don’t get anywhere near the attention they deserve. Coming in all shapes, sizes and colours, with a range of behaviours and living habits,...

PODCAST EPISODE 39: Jean Tikram, beekeeper and business co-owner of Waitika Farm,Wairuku, Rakiraki, Fiji COVID-19 has sparked many questions about why we do the things we do. For some of us, this has meant reassessing some pretty big stuff in our lives, including our careers. With redundancies and a lack of certainty around employment for some, maybe this is the time to ask ourselves what we reall...

PODCAST EPISODE 38: Cindy Moore from Sweet Cindy’s Honey, New York and Florida, USA It is obvious when talking to Cindy Moore from Sweet Cindy’s Honey that bees hold a very special place in her heart. Not only do they provide one of the greatest services on earth by pollinating the crops that we eat, they also bring great love and joy – quite literally for this US-based beekeeper: “I met Charles [...

PODCAST EPISODE 37: Ben Moore’s 99 Astonishing Bee Facts Can you tell me, what is the size of a bee brain? How many BILLIONS of dollars do bees bring to the world economy each year? How do bees keep their hives at 34 degrees Celsius? How is that bees “dance for their dinner”? Do bees need shut eye, just like humans? In ancient Greece, which famous god was known for beekeeping? Is “piping” music to...

PODCAST EPISODE 36: Pam Vroland from Silvan Estate Raspberry Farm, Victoria What is bulbous like a bee, but any number of pinks or reds or blues? What tastes like heaven, or maybe makes your face squish up with exhilarating tartness? What stains your fingertips, your tongue, and sometimes your t-shirt? What makes the best edible summer treasure hunt? What turns your smoothies fluorescent, is packe...

PODCAST EPISODE 35: Vanessa Kwiatkowski, Melbourne City Rooftop Honey, Melbourne, Australia I remember when I was travelling in Europe, especially while in Paris and London, I visited a number of rooftop bee gardens. It was magical to be gazing over a new city, full of the dreaminess that comes with travel, surrounded by the buzzing of happy bees. Here, environmentally minded keepers, who understo...