Beekeeper Confidential | Bees & Beekeeping

Today’s guest is an organic farmer and beekeeper from here in Oregon! She and her partner became inspired to start a business, grow organic food and use sustainable farming practices when they fell in love while hiking the pacific crest trail. We talk about veggies, wildfire smoke, chickens, pesticides, beehives, and just how long can a person withstand a stinger in their neck. Meet Ruby Reid from Valhalla Organics! ***RUBY LOST HER HOME AND BEES TO WILDFIRE*** To help Ruby rebuild, donate here. For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram and YouTube Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

In the latest installment of Beekeeper Confidential, Mandy speaks with Stephanie & Jake Pullen of Campbell, TX. With their 3 children in tow, Stephanie and Jake own and operate Zane & James Apiary. They offer a range of pollination services, varietal honeys, and skincare products. Their experience as cattle farmers led them to bees and they haven't looked back! Beekeeping has brought them the delight of learning new things daily, and a way of life that brings them even closer as a family. A family that keeps bees together stays together! For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram and YouTube Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

Mandy chats (in person!) with master gardener and mason beekeeper, Debbie Thomas. Mason bees are a wonderful way to get into beekeeping, and just about anyone can do it. We talk about mason bee housing, nesting tubes, plants for bees, BEE SEX and more! For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

Mandy chats with Kyle Maio, a veteran of the marine corps who has found a second career in beekeeping. After joining the marines at a young age and serving 2 deployments in Iraq, he discovered the balance and peace that working with bees can bring. His family saw how working with bees had a positive impact on his life and in 2017 he and his brother took the leap and created Brothers in Bees, a cause based organization that aims to make beekeeping accessible to veterans. For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

Mudslide meets beehives. David Bock, owner of Buzzed Honeys, took a leap and asked for help from the community after losing 35 hives to a mudslide at one of his apiaries in Los Angeles. He and Mandy connected recently she was really excited for the opportunity to talk with him and hear the story behind the mudslide. To donate to David's go fund me account click here. To learn more about Buzzed Honeys visit them online, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

Mandy talks with historical novelist Lois Leveen about how researching the greatest love story of all time brought bees into her life, and how she used her voice to make life easier for Portland beekeepers. For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

What's the BUZZ? Mandy visits with Thor Hanson, conservation biologist and author who has written a delightfully whimsical book that highlights the importance of bees (ALL BEES) in the environment. They discuss Thor's work, and play a game of Celebrity Bee Mash Up! For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

It is inspiring to see how beekeepers can use their passion for bees to engage their community and grow a legacy of education, service, and activism. Angela is a fascinating beekeeper who does all of this and more. Their work also includes queen rearing, writing, using the hive as a model for personal and professional growth, ongoing efforts to enhance local food systems, and facilitating an inclusive platform for the trans & queer community to be involved in beekeeping and farming. In my opinion, Angela is a super hero. For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

Mandy's friends and Master Beekeepers Cindy and Scott get real about working with bees. Their combined education, sense of humor and holistic approach to beekeeping make them leaders in the Rhode Island beekeeping scene. They chat with Mandy via Skype for a candid conversation about living that beekeeper life. For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

Protecting and serving the people and pollinators of New York is a big job, but Officer Darren Mays is up for the challenge. Mandy had the pleasure of talking with Darren about his experiences as a beekeeper and a cop, and how the two intersect. The NYPD Bee Unit and has recently gained widespread attention when a swarm of bees landed on a hot dog stand in Times Square. Despite his busy schedule as a police officer, Darren was happy to take some time for some bee talk! For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

What do martial arts and bee rescue have in common? In this episode Mandy talks (via phone) with Dan, a professional bee rescue, relocation and rehabilitation specialist. His journey in beekeeping and Kung Fu are intertwined and have allowed him to build an incredible team of bee-zen-masters. For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

Mandy shares her experience with extracting and relocating a feral colony that had been residing in the wall of an abandoned home. Her excitement turned to dread when she realized that the colony had an invasive beehive pest, Small Hive Beetle. For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

Last week Mandy visited the Apiary at Portland State University and spoke with Isabel Rummell, who is tasked with caring for the bees and supporting student involvement in the program. Mandy first met Isabel at Zenger Farm, here in Portland where Portland Urban Beekeepers keeps its club apiary. They hold work parties twice a month to beekeepers of all experience levels. When Mandy invited herself to the apiary at PSU Isabel generously accepted because she is one of the nicest people EVER. They inspected their 2 bee hives and sat down for a chat in one of the beautiful student plazas. In this interview Mandy shares one of her techniques to prevent bee stings that anyone can do (hint: it involves throwing things). For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

Each fall the Oregon State Beekeepers Association holds a gathering for beekeepers near and far. Mandy attended this year's conference with her microphone in tow and met up with local beekeeper, Rex McIntire. While they talked, Mandy and Rex enjoyed the sounds of live bluegrass music played by Caught Red Handed. They talked about bees, fishing, coffee, and pondered some of life's trickier situations. There was also special news bulletin from Mandy's friends at Bee Built! For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau Sound effects from https://freesound.org/ and https://www.zapsplat.com/

Mandy visited Nectar Creek Tap Room in Philomath, Oregon. YUM! Mandy has been an admirer of Nectar Creek session meads for years and she was so happy that they accepted her invite to be a guest on the show. She was greeted with a refreshing flight of Waggle, Clary Sage, Top Bar, and Nectarade all made on site in their production facility. Co-Owner Nick Lorenz and Mandy sat down for a chat and he told her all about how he and his brother Phillip have established themselves as leaders in the craft mead industry by rewriting the rule book on craft beverages by serving up unique, thoughtfully procured session meads that left her swooning for more. For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

Nestled along side of the majestic St. John's Bridge, you'll find some magic. Tim Wessels is a Portland beekeeper known for his efforts to improve honey bee health and breed queens that are acclimated to the Pacific Northwest. His love for science and curiosity for bees have given him ample reason to keep busy in his retirement. At Green Anchors, Tim has found a place to explore his research and be a part of an artistic community that shares his desire for ecological restoration and creativity. My day with Tim was memorable, full of surprises and thoughtful conversation! For notes and pictures from this episode visit Mandy's blog at waggleworkspdx.com/blog To become a patron of Mandy's work and gain access to exclusive content visit her patron page! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau

What do crisis management for the acutely mentally ill and beekeeping have in common? More than you would think! In this episode I chat with Portland beekeeper & social worker Rachel Phariss. She has been working with bees for 4 years and has had some hilarious adventures along the way. For episode notes, visit Mandy's blog at https://www.waggleworkspdx.com/blog Follow us on Instagram and Facebook! Cover art by Meggyn Pomerleau Produced in part by Maxwell Monty Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com

This week Mandy talked with Byron the Bee Man, a commercial beekeeper from Louisiana. Byron got into bees when he was 18 and looking for work. His desire to learn and love for the bees has elevated him from working as a honey processor to saving bees all over his community and hauling bees across the country. His charismatic personality and hands on approach to working with the bees has brought him the attention of millions of viewers on social media. For episode notes, visit Mandy's blog at https://www.waggleworkspdx.com/blog Cover art by Meggyn Pomerleau Produced in part by Maxwell Monty

Join Mandy in Ken's Portland apiary for a hive inspection. They talked frame construction, tasted honey, Ken shared a wealth of fascinating insights on Warre hives and their creator, Emile Warre, and they contemplate the question "can beekeeping really keep you out of the cafe?" For episode notes, visit Mandy's blog at https://www.waggleworkspdx.com/blog Cover art by Meggyn Pomerleau Produced in part by Maxwell Monty

In this episode Mandy chats with her friend and fellow beekeeper, Wei Chow. They discussed swarm traps, brood diseases, mite treatments, and BEEKEEPER ANTHEMS. For episode notes, visit Mandy's blog at https://www.waggleworkspdx.com/blog Cover art by Meggyn Pomerleau Produced in part by Maxwell Monty

A high protien diet can be beneficial for the bees! In this episode, Mandy and her guest Bill make protien suppliments for their bees to get them nice and fat for the winter months ahead. For episode notes, visit Mandy's blog at https://www.waggleworkspdx.com/blog Cover art by Meggyn Pomerleau Produced in part by Maxwell Monty

A poetic account of why I enjoy working with bees, and how I got my start in beekeeping. Cover art by Meggyn Pomerleau Produced in part by Maxwell Monty