Welcome!

Before I start, I want to sincerely thank you for taking the time to visit us at the Bee Benefactor. Whether it be because you are a veteran beekeeper, a concerned conservationist or you accidentally clicked on the site, I thank you regardless. Whilst I started this blog to simply record and pass on things I personally find interesting, fascinating and informative about the world of bees, I hope that it is one day seen as a community focused on the protection of the 20,000 or so species of bee worldwide.

The main thing I want to get across is that this page is not simply for Beekeepers, but anyone who has a interest in bees, usually accompanied by the motivation to help protect their existence. Whilst Beekeepers play an important part in the preservation of the Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera, et al.) there are thousands of other bee species who require urgent assistance from Gardeners, Farmers and other community groups.

The Landing Board

The “Landing Board” of a hive is typically a strip of wood used to make it easier for foraging bees to find their way back into the hive. Here they are welcomed by house bees who are willing to help them (after being checked out by guard bees). Eventually this concept will evolve into a forum, but at the moment, it will simply serve as a way to welcome people to the Bee Benefactor. I will also continually add to this page as I find time to do so, it will be a continually evolving beast.

What this blog will cover

The following is a list of general topics which will be covered within the blog, but is in no way exhaustive. If you  wish to submit an article of your own, please email me beebenefactor@gmail.com. I am happy to include your content with credit to the original author.

• Beekeeping methods (including ‘natural’ or ‘apicentric’ beekeepers)
• Beekeeping equipment and hive types
• Threats to Bee population (both feral and not)
• Solitary and non-social bees
• Australian Native Bees, including Stingless “Sugarbag” bees.
• Predators and Parasites of Bees and Bee Colonies
• Insecticides, and other pesticides which affect Bees
• ‘Bee-friendly’ gardening and Bee sanctuaries

Introduction

I cannot remember a time when I was not fascinated and excited by bees. From a very young age, I was captivated  by the concept of a social insect, with defined roles and responsibilities, and would often search for and watch bees. I also had an interest in Ants as well, but not to the same degree. I officially started Beekeeping in 2008, after receiving a split from my uncle. I briefly joined a few local beekeeping clubs, but ultimately found it difficult to maintain attendance due to long work hours. It was also a very intimidating experience, with the perception of a high barrier to entry (both financial and knowledge based). I find most of my beekeeping knowledge coming from the internet, as well as books and good old ‘trial and error’ lessons.  I have generally speaking kept roughly four to six hives at any one time, and have recently started experimenting with Top Bar hives and “apicentric” beekeeping methods and principles. I recommend checking out the Barefoot Beekeeper website if you are keen to find out more about this methodology. I also have a handful of native Australian stingless bee hives (Tetragonula carbonaria), and I would strongly encourage finding out more about them at the Australian Native Bee Research Centre.

My Sources and Inspirations

The Barefoot Beekeeper – British based Phil Chandler serves as a champion to the cause he refers to as “Natural Beekeeping.” The Natural Beekeeping forum is teeming with thousands of people who practice a a methodology based around forming a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship with Honey Bees, whilst letting the bees do what they want with minimal interference. Phil can often be seen and heard campaigning against human threats to bees (including various agricultural pesticides), challenging ‘conventional’ beekeeping methods, and as discussing the intangible benefits bees give to us. I listen to Phil’s Podcast, and would recommend you do the same.

Australian Native Bee Research Centre – A lot of resources and information compiled about Australian Native Bees of all sorts.

The Australian Beekeeping Manual – A very informative book for Australian Beekeepers, authored by “Bob’s Beekeeping Supplies” owner Robert Owens. The layout and easy to follow nature of this book makes it very enjoyable to read, and covers a wide range of topics, including bee friendly gardening, parasites and diseases, and how to get started in beekeeping.

My Biases

So you all understand my leanings on certain issues, I will try to compile a short list of things which may influence how I write about certain topics. I try to write as objectively as possible, and disclose any influences I may have within my articles, but alas I am human and cannot perfectly remove my own bias from what I write. I would almost universally recommend that you take what I have written (as well as anything I share or link to) and process it internally and decide whether it is something you agree with or not. I am usually trying not to attack specific individuals, but merely trying to convey a different point of view on certain issues.

1. I started as a ‘conventional beekeeper’: meaning I started my beekeeping life using Langstroth hives. Conventional beekeeping generally centres around keeping bees for their financial and physical benefits (like harvesting or selling honey or pollen, or selling Queens or nucleus hives). It is usually taught as the best (and only) way to properly keep bees, although there is no real evidence of that.  I have mixed opinions on this method of beekeeping, but a lot of the references I use are generally drawn from conventional beekeeping methods, and therefore should be referred to with this in mind.. 

2. I am now an ‘apicentric beekeeper’: sometimes referred to as a ‘natural beekeeper’ although I personally do not overly love this term, as it implies that keeping bees is a part of the natural way of things. Apicentric beekeeping revolves around a beekeeper receiving internal and non-tangible benefits from a hive as their primary motivator. Majority of the decisions and practices of apicentric beekeeping focus on the wellbeing of the colony as a whole, and therefore view the collection of bee products (such as honey) as a secondary “nice to have” motivator. Apicentric beekeeping is relatively new as a movement, and therefore literature on the issue can be quite scarce.  

3. I try to intervene in my hives as little as possible: I try to restrict my interactions with my bees to necessary maintenance actions only. I do, at times, find myself opening hives to check on their progress (etc), however I try to submit that the bees know what they are doing and ‘leave them bee’ as it were. I do, on occasion, try different methods to help control destructive parasites within the hive, but I try to steer clear of chemicals if possible.

4. I am not (currently) a ‘commercial beekeeper’: The term ‘ commercial beekeeper’ is somewhat hard to define as the criteria can vary quite a lot depending on locality, beekeeping + food processing rules and laws. I loosely categorise it as someone whose primary motivation for having bees relies on a financial benefit related to the bees, or the things they make. Whilst not tied to Apis Mellifera specifically, this species is by far the most commercially used bee due to its industrious nature and wide range of products which can be used by humans. The implication of being a commercial beekeeper is that if the financial incentive disappeared, the beekeeper would likely significantly downsize or completely get rid of their bee colonies. I personally might sell a few jars of honey to friends, family or neighbours, but ultimately I am not financially motivated by the bees.

5. I am a full time employed, 25 year old Caucasian Australian male: I include this information so that you know roughly who I am, and therefore where I might fall on certain issues based on my demographics. 

6. I like to play the Devil’s Advocate, which may or may not actually be my opinion on an issue: I often try to understand things from multiple points of view, and I get a weird satisfaction from questioning or (at the very least) researching social norms. I often try to disclose when I am being the Devil’s Advocate (i.e. arguing an opposing, potentially controversial,  point of view just for the sake of it) but sometimes I may forget to. 

7. I am Agnostic, and I generally try to base my opinions on evidence: I am one of those people who some people classify as a ‘skeptic’ whilst others would term ‘realistic’ as a euphemism. If an argument is presented to me with evidence, or at the very least a logical explanation of reasoning, I am likely to take that point of view on board and try to research the issue myself. For the record, I do not really believe in the view that creatures (including bees) were created (by a divine power) to be dominated by humans (as was Rev. Langstroth, one of the fathers of Conventional Beekeeping), but I am also a believer of the theory that as long as you do not harm anyone else, you are free to believe whatever you like. 

8. I am not a professional writer: I write in a style which comes naturally to me. I do not come from a writing background and am always open to suggestions on how to improve. I personally enjoy consuming media in a visual and audio form, and would eventually like to start a Vlog and/or a Podcast, but until that time I will stick to Blogging. 

9. I like to help people, include people, and socialise with people: I generally like to give advice and exchange ideas with people. I rarely consider what I say as gospel, and encourage friendly discussion. I also encourage people to ask questions, as I will happily talk about bees for hours if left unchallenged. Drop me a line any time at beebenefactor@gmail.com.