Transcripts
Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the
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people and rescues making a
difference in the lives of animals.
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Welcome back everybody.
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I'm Dixie, your host of Animal
Posse, and today we're gonna be
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discussing something different.
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On this show we've talked about cats,
dogs, rats, rabbits, horses, squirrels,
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possums, raccoons, and you name it.
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But we're gonna be buzzing into
a different world entirely.
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Our guest today doesn't just keep animals.
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He manages a community of thousands
that work in perfect miraculous harmony.
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We are talking about the
art of Bee Rescue with Mr.
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Ed.
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Mr.
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Ed is also a YouTube educator.
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He has a huge channel and he discusses
all the bee rescues that he does,
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and he is also the beekeeper at St.
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Joseph Abbey in Louisiana.
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Welcome to the show, Mr.
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Ed.
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Mr Ed: Thank you for inviting me.
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Dixie: We have not spoken to a
beekeeper, so I thought it would be
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interesting to talk to you to just see
what's all involved with beekeeping,
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because you're saving thousands of
lives with every hive that you have,
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Mr Ed: That's true.
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That is true.
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Dixie: Tell us a little
bit about yourself.
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How did you get started in
beekeeping and how did you
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become to be the beekeeper of St.
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Joseph Abbey?
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Mr Ed: You know that's a very long story.
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'cause it all starts back in 1978
when I moved from new Orleans to
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the North Shore in Mandeville.
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Prior to my moving over here, I
had a friend who kept bees and
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I never even knew anything about
that, about you could have bees.
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And I went over to his
house and I saw him.
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I said, man, when I moved to the
country, I'm gonna get me some bees.
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So that's what I did when I moved.
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My dad actually he was a woodworker.
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He built all the equipment that I
needed, and when I moved I bought bees.
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And so I've been a beekeeper since 1978.
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It's just life is always . Different
in that, you may have plans or
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things just turn out and work
out the way they work out.
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And I think that's just what it was
for me because there was no plans
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that I was gonna be at the Abbey.
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It had just worked out and when I
went there, it wasn't to do these,
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it was to help build caskets and
then one of the monks up there wanted
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to start beekeeping back in 2011.
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And so since I was a beekeeper, they asked
me to help him and I started helping him.
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We started a few colonies up there, and he
then decided he didn't want to be a monk.
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So then I just took over what we had
done, and we just grew the business.
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That's basically the condensed
version of the story.
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Dixie: How many hives do you have?
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Mr Ed: Right now we have about
200, something like that.
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I'm selling off a bunch of bees
right now because I need 150 to
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meet my goal of keeping honey
in the gift shop all year round.
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So anything over 150 I don't want,.
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So I sell, I'll sell, get the
number back down to about 150.
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And then in just a matter
of, four or five weeks.
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We'll, by splitting our hives, we are
gonna be back up to about two and a
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quarter something somewhere around there.
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So that's where we'll be in
a, by the middle of March, we
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should be about 225 once again.
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Dixie: How much honey does that equate to?
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Mr Ed: It generally you can figure
about four gallons of honey per hive.
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That's an average, but not all
your hives are going to produce.
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A surplus of honey, which is,
that's all I'm talking about.
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That they may be able to produce
enough honey , to make them through
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the year, through the winter.
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But as far as any honey that I
harvest, it's always a surplus.
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I run what they call two deep
brood boxes and then , anything
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over the two deep brood boxes.
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Will be the surplus honey.
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And that's the honey that I take.
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So it's generally, it's the third
box of honey, but sometimes you can
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put four or five boxes on there.
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So generally it's four gallons per
average, per hive is what you get.
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Dixie: There are certain people that think
it's cruel to take honey from the bees.
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Mr Ed: You see there again it's,.
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You're not taking honey from
the bees, you're taking the
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surplus of honey from the bees.
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So that's why I said that the fact
that I run a double deep brood boxes,
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that is enough storage space for the
bees to store the honey that they
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need to make it through the surplus.
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Honey is only gonna sit in there.
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. It's not gonna do anything.
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So you take it off of them
and it's still not gonna harm
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the bees in any kind of way.
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So you have to work the balance
and work within the parameters
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that the bees for their survival.
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And then at the same time with the
beekeeper for their to collect their rent.
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Dixie: We have a hive, and so
from us having the hive, the
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bees are taken care of very well.
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Our hive is up in the country,
in Washington parish and Uhhuh.
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It is where we actually are building
our cat sanctuary and uhhuh.
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The bees are very well taken care of.
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, The bees get checked on all the time to
make sure that everybody is doing good.
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We make sure we have water out for
the bees, especially when we had a
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drought up there, I think it was like
last year or this past summer, we
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had a really bad drought up there.
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Oh yeah, we did.
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So we made sure that we had pools of
water filled for the bees so the bees
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always had access to their water even
though they could go fly, probably a
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couple miles away and go find water.
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We just wanted to make
sure it was there for them.
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And we have an interesting story with
the bees too, because you actually
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helped us with our bees because our
bees swarmed and went into our old
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farmhouse that's on the property.
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Mr Ed: It was a great removal.
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And your husband Philip?
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, He and I opened up the interior space
of the house and he had built some
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scaffolding so that we could get up there.
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'cause it was up high.
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And we removed the wooden siding on the
interior and we removed a beautiful hive.
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It we took out a lot of honey.
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Those bees had been in there.
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Relatively short period of time,
probably four or five months.
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But they had built a really beautiful
hive with white comb full of honey.
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And the bees really did
well for themselves.
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Dixie: Yeah, it was delicious honey, too.
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Mr Ed: That is really what I do is I do
be rescue for people just like yourself
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where they have structures or, it really
doesn't matter wherever the bees decide to
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build their nest, whether it's somebody's
house, their trailer, their mobile home,
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their camper they contact me and I will
then go remove the bees and the hive
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and then relocate them to the abbey.
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And that's how we actually grew.
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The apiary is through.
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The removal service , that I do.
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And that's how we grew the whole
apiary from the very beginning.
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Dixie: And you have a very successful
YouTube channel and you always record
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the videos of you doing these removals.
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And it's very interesting to
watch, even if you're not into
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bees, it's still interesting
to see how you remove the bees.
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Mr Ed: Think it's interesting.
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Dixie: When you when you
actually came to our house.
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You did a video on that.
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So what I'll do is I'm gonna
include the link to that video.
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Oh
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Mr Ed: yeah.
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That was a great video.
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I'm telling you, you should definitely
include that link because , it
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is just the natural beauty of a
beehive, particularly a wild hive.
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The natural beauty of it is.
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It almost goes beyond words
to be able to describe it.
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So for me personally, it's always when
I open up a wall and see the hive, the
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first thing I ever do is just sit back
and just look at the beauty of it.
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And 'cause for me, I see the hand of
God in God's creation in the bee, and
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it's just, that's the first thing I see.
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And it is just great to take that
in and then to be able to rescue
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it, move it and then set it up in a
new location, have the bees thrive
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once again in a different location.
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Dixie: So when you say you look at the
beauty of it, and I understand that
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'cause I saw the hive that was in our
house and it was it was breathtaking.
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It really was.
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Just to see that it was, can
build something like that.
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So describe , similarities and
differences that you see in different
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hives that you've encountered.
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Mr Ed: It always.
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Depends the structure of the comb, how
the comb is built, will depend on the
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space that they have to build it in.
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And for your house, the wall space,
because where they were, and the house
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is so old the wall space was completely
open, which enabled the bees to build.
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Big slabs, what I call slabs of comb.
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They were, I think probably three,
three and a half feet wide and
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three, three and a half feet long.
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And I think, if I can remember
right, there was either two
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or three layers of that.
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And because the walls were so
thick, you had the true two by
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four or two by six wall space.
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So the bees will fill that space and so
they, they can either build the comb,
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like I said, in slabs like it was in,
in your location or in narrower spaces.
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They build them in little layers
or sections, narrow pieces , really
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how the comb is built is
determined by the available space
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that the bees have to work in.
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Each one can be different.
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But it's either the slabs or
the sheets is how I say it.
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And then there they, sometimes
they can be wide, the sheets can be
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wide, sometimes they can be narrow.
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, That depends on if they're in
the floor space or a wall space.
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That's the shape of the comb
is gonna determine that.
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But for yours, because it was all open.
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I think these prefer that particular
space because it gives them.
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Complete free reign to
do whatever they want.
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And they choose to do that slab comb
because I think it just gives them
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more space to expand and grow is,
they're not constricted by anything.
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They could just keep on doing it and
attaching it and building it out.
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, It's absolutely stunning.
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It really is.
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Dixie: Can you walk us through a rescue.
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Mr Ed: Sure.
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So generally I get a call and.
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I like to go out there and just to oddball
the, what I've got to look at first.
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And when I say oddball, I like to go
there and locate where the hive is.
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Whether it's gonna be in the ceiling,
a floor, a wall a tree, or wherever.
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I wanna see it first.
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Generally if it's in a house
I use a thermal camera to.
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Locate the main colony itself because
these will give off a heat signature.
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And so I locate the colony and once I
locate the colony then I can determine
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whether, how I'm going to remove the
colony, whether it's gonna be from the
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inside, the outside, underneath on top.
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It just all depends.
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It's always different, but.
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Generally it follows, the same routine.
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And then , once I get out there I start
dismantling, opening up the space and
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I'm very minimal in opening up the space.
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I only want to open up the space that
I need because I don't want to destroy.
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Too much of the area because
I don't repair what I do.
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That's up to the homeowners as
you and Phil knew that it's very
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minimal intrusiveness so that the
repair can be minimal , as well.
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And.
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I take away what I need to
access the comb, and once I can
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get the space completely open,
then I use a vacuum cleaner.
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It's a specially designed vacuum
cleaner that I that won't harm bees.
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I vacuum the bees off of the
comb and I start removing comb.
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I put it in.
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Ice chest because I find ice chest
will maintain the temperature of the
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hive where the brood will remain alive.
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And I remove the comb separating
the comb that has larva on it
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from comb that has honey on it.
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And I separate those in
different ice chests.
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And then once I remove the entire hive,
vacuum all the bees off, then I go back
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and then I frame up in, in the wooden
frames the comb that I've cut out.
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I attach it to the frames
using rubber bands.
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And then once I.
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Attach the comb to the frames, I put 'em
in bee boxes, and then I release the bees
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onto the comb, generally with their queen.
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That I've captured as well.
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And that's the whole process.
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Dixie: For anybody who has never seen a
bee vacuum, you need to go watch some of
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his videos so you can see the bee vacuum.
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00:14:04,814 --> 00:14:07,184
That is like one of the most
fascinating things to me.
231
00:14:08,274 --> 00:14:11,694
Mr Ed: I had the yellow one that,
that it's a battery powered one,
232
00:14:11,694 --> 00:14:14,484
which is just a fantastic machine.
233
00:14:14,534 --> 00:14:17,684
It can hold 20,000 BS without any problem.
234
00:14:17,924 --> 00:14:20,594
You would think that you're vacuuming
bees and that you're gonna be
235
00:14:20,594 --> 00:14:22,794
killing bees as you're doing this.
236
00:14:22,794 --> 00:14:24,684
But that's not the case at all.
237
00:14:24,684 --> 00:14:29,134
And there's very low mortality like 0.0%
238
00:14:29,134 --> 00:14:31,939
loss of bee life due to the vacuuming.
239
00:14:32,539 --> 00:14:34,789
Dixie: Yeah it's really
fascinating 'cause I know like
240
00:14:34,789 --> 00:14:36,289
the first time that I watched it.
241
00:14:36,954 --> 00:14:41,564
I thought that you would be losing,
quite a few bees, but it's like such
242
00:14:41,564 --> 00:14:44,894
a gentle procedure for them now.
243
00:14:44,954 --> 00:14:45,194
Mr Ed: Yeah.
244
00:14:45,374 --> 00:14:49,974
Dixie: Once you do get 'em all and
you put 'em in these boxes how do
245
00:14:49,974 --> 00:14:52,134
you, acclimate 'em to their new homes?
246
00:14:53,131 --> 00:14:56,091
Mr Ed: The bees take care of
that themselves because , that's
247
00:14:56,091 --> 00:14:58,056
the beauty of a bee a, a bee.
248
00:14:59,226 --> 00:15:06,776
Is designed to work and though it
does create a great deal of stress to
249
00:15:06,776 --> 00:15:12,876
have the bees yanked out of one spot
put into another spot that is stress.
250
00:15:13,176 --> 00:15:14,376
So to.
251
00:15:15,516 --> 00:15:18,756
Make that stress level less.
252
00:15:19,206 --> 00:15:26,396
I try to do removals when there's
nectar flows where a nectar flow
253
00:15:26,396 --> 00:15:30,266
is when there's plants blooming
at a certain time of the year.
254
00:15:30,576 --> 00:15:32,256
Because this.
255
00:15:32,451 --> 00:15:38,516
The fact that there's a flow going on
when you do a removal will give the bees
256
00:15:38,576 --> 00:15:43,536
work to do that they don't dwell on the
fact that they just went through a very
257
00:15:43,536 --> 00:15:48,726
traumatic experience that they get back
into what they were designed to do.
258
00:15:49,066 --> 00:15:52,536
So just like a work dog, it just.
259
00:15:52,751 --> 00:15:53,891
Designed to work.
260
00:15:53,891 --> 00:15:55,661
That's how it's satisfied.
261
00:15:55,661 --> 00:15:56,891
bees are the same way.
262
00:15:57,251 --> 00:15:59,676
They need to work so.
263
00:16:00,411 --> 00:16:03,391
You remove them during the times of year.
264
00:16:03,391 --> 00:16:10,871
So generally it's I like doing removals
in February, March, April, may, June,
265
00:16:11,291 --> 00:16:13,931
and that's once June gets there.
266
00:16:13,931 --> 00:16:16,661
I stopped, I really
stopped doing them because.
267
00:16:17,201 --> 00:16:18,131
It's too hot.
268
00:16:18,231 --> 00:16:22,071
There isn't any nectar flow
going on until, again, in, in
269
00:16:22,071 --> 00:16:24,171
the fall, in September, October.
270
00:16:24,521 --> 00:16:29,921
So in, in July, August, September,
I don't do removals because they're,
271
00:16:30,011 --> 00:16:31,601
the bees aren't gonna survive it.
272
00:16:31,601 --> 00:16:32,351
They won't make it.
273
00:16:32,681 --> 00:16:37,271
I do it in relation to what's going
on in nature so that the bees can
274
00:16:37,271 --> 00:16:41,371
get back to work to doing what they
do to lower their stress level to.
275
00:16:41,801 --> 00:16:45,431
Get the bees to get back
into their normal cycle.
276
00:16:46,351 --> 00:16:49,441
Dixie: When you're doing the removals
I know we're out in the country, so
277
00:16:49,441 --> 00:16:51,061
we're like in the middle of nowhere.
278
00:16:51,951 --> 00:16:56,091
I know a lot of the times by us when
people have problems with their bees,
279
00:16:56,091 --> 00:16:58,611
it's the bees will go swarm in the trees.
280
00:16:58,611 --> 00:17:00,591
In our case it ended up being our house.
281
00:17:00,591 --> 00:17:02,571
'cause our house was built in 1888.
282
00:17:03,051 --> 00:17:06,151
And so it's a little bit different
structure from houses that
283
00:17:06,151 --> 00:17:10,501
would be say in the city of New
Orleans or in the metro area.
284
00:17:10,531 --> 00:17:11,790
'cause you're up in Covington.
285
00:17:12,300 --> 00:17:15,751
So when you're doing the removals,
are you doing more removals
286
00:17:15,751 --> 00:17:17,471
that are in the actual city?
287
00:17:18,776 --> 00:17:23,435
Mr Ed: Oh, I do removals in the
country, in the city everywhere.
288
00:17:23,705 --> 00:17:24,846
'cause bees are everywhere.
289
00:17:24,846 --> 00:17:26,286
Here in southeast Louisiana.
290
00:17:26,286 --> 00:17:27,276
Bees are everywhere.
291
00:17:27,516 --> 00:17:31,866
We have a very conducive
environment for bees.
292
00:17:32,076 --> 00:17:36,406
Our temperature as well as
the resources of food or.
293
00:17:37,331 --> 00:17:40,751
Readily available for
bees as well as habitat.
294
00:17:41,081 --> 00:17:46,911
Bees will make due of anything any kind
of structure to to build a hive in.
295
00:17:47,271 --> 00:17:49,491
All they need is the right space.
296
00:17:49,801 --> 00:17:50,671
And they'll do it.
297
00:17:50,911 --> 00:17:53,281
So Louisiana, because of our.
298
00:17:54,721 --> 00:18:00,911
Subtropical or mild tropical weather that
we get, bees fly almost all year round.
299
00:18:00,971 --> 00:18:08,331
Unlike up in north United States bees
fly all the time and consequently
300
00:18:08,661 --> 00:18:10,371
they're generally always on the move.
301
00:18:10,401 --> 00:18:11,331
Always on the move.
302
00:18:11,511 --> 00:18:15,821
Now they will only swarm at
certain times of the year.
303
00:18:16,451 --> 00:18:18,641
Generally, that's a general statement.
304
00:18:18,891 --> 00:18:24,481
But in springtime as bees are coming
out of the winter the cycle of bees, the
305
00:18:24,481 --> 00:18:27,311
normal cycle of bees is in the wintertime.
306
00:18:27,706 --> 00:18:31,696
The number of bees in Hive
diminish, and they, the reason
307
00:18:31,696 --> 00:18:36,886
they diminish is because the source
of food resources are dwindling.
308
00:18:37,076 --> 00:18:40,446
The natural ones where they go
and get 'em the bees store them.
309
00:18:40,446 --> 00:18:43,841
So they have, that's what they survive
off when the resources are dwindling.
310
00:18:44,501 --> 00:18:47,531
And so as the resources dwindle in nature.
311
00:18:47,886 --> 00:18:52,276
So to the hive mimics that slowing
down and they reduce in numbers.
312
00:18:52,486 --> 00:18:57,131
So that's how they're able to survive
because the, there's fewer bees in the
313
00:18:57,136 --> 00:19:00,446
hive when there's no resources coming in.
314
00:19:00,656 --> 00:19:03,156
Then as we come into spring.
315
00:19:04,186 --> 00:19:09,246
More plants and trees are
blooming well, then the bees are
316
00:19:09,246 --> 00:19:11,766
then working, bringing in food.
317
00:19:12,036 --> 00:19:16,516
And so once that starts happening the
queen will start laying again in these
318
00:19:16,726 --> 00:19:20,176
colonies that were maybe 5,000 bees.
319
00:19:20,336 --> 00:19:26,846
In a matter of five to six weeks, turn
into colonies with 20 or 30,000 bees.
320
00:19:26,996 --> 00:19:28,586
So they grow very quickly.
321
00:19:28,996 --> 00:19:34,316
But they grow quickly in relation
to what is going on, in nature,
322
00:19:34,316 --> 00:19:36,246
what's blooming at the time.
323
00:19:36,246 --> 00:19:37,986
So good flows.
324
00:19:38,316 --> 00:19:44,416
The bees build up, they store their
resources they store their surpluses
325
00:19:44,726 --> 00:19:47,546
and then the sources dry up.
326
00:19:47,546 --> 00:19:49,076
The food sources dry up.
327
00:19:49,436 --> 00:19:53,306
The bees start to dwindle in
size, and the cycle then will
328
00:19:53,306 --> 00:19:54,956
begin again in, in the spring.
329
00:19:55,346 --> 00:19:57,206
That's generally how it works.
330
00:19:58,436 --> 00:20:03,656
Dixie: And when you talk about honey too,
is the honey gonna be flavored differently
331
00:20:03,656 --> 00:20:05,726
depending upon what they're pollinating
332
00:20:07,256 --> 00:20:07,556
Mr Ed: it?
333
00:20:07,896 --> 00:20:13,091
The taste of honey as well as
the color of it all, or dependent
334
00:20:13,151 --> 00:20:18,251
on the source of nectar that the
bees were getting the nectar from.
335
00:20:18,411 --> 00:20:23,671
Whether it's clover, whether it's
from privet, blackberry, blueberry
336
00:20:24,051 --> 00:20:30,431
maple tallow, every, everything
that is a source of nectar, has a
337
00:20:30,431 --> 00:20:33,151
different taste associated with it.
338
00:20:33,461 --> 00:20:35,471
And so as a guy that.
339
00:20:36,491 --> 00:20:38,261
Travels a lot of areas.
340
00:20:38,531 --> 00:20:43,331
I get to taste a lot of different
types of honey and it's because
341
00:20:43,331 --> 00:20:45,581
it's different nectar sources.
342
00:20:45,851 --> 00:20:51,921
That's one of the great things about what
I do is the amount of variation in tastes
343
00:20:52,131 --> 00:20:54,021
of the honey that, that I encounter.
344
00:20:54,271 --> 00:20:55,681
Dixie: Which one has been the best?
345
00:20:56,791 --> 00:20:58,346
, Mr Ed: I did a removal last year.
346
00:20:58,781 --> 00:21:03,851
That had the best taste in
honey I have ever come across.
347
00:21:04,241 --> 00:21:08,701
And I couldn't even tell you
what the source of that was.
348
00:21:09,346 --> 00:21:09,966
I don't know.
349
00:21:09,981 --> 00:21:11,061
I had no idea.
350
00:21:11,211 --> 00:21:15,171
I couldn't even guess at it because,
one, I don't remember where I got
351
00:21:15,171 --> 00:21:16,881
the, where I had done the removal.
352
00:21:16,881 --> 00:21:18,656
'cause I do probably about.
353
00:21:19,946 --> 00:21:25,606
In the course from say, January
to, to July, I probably do
354
00:21:25,606 --> 00:21:29,156
about 80 or so removals.
355
00:21:29,396 --> 00:21:33,736
So, I can't remember the location of
everything when I'm tasting the honey.
356
00:21:33,916 --> 00:21:37,156
I can remember the removals, but
I can't remember what the honey
357
00:21:37,156 --> 00:21:38,776
tasted like in, in the removal.
358
00:21:39,511 --> 00:21:43,791
Dixie: I know we have a friend and
he's got bees near us and we have the
359
00:21:43,791 --> 00:21:50,241
Japanese plum trees or the loquats
uhhuh, and it gives the honey Oh.
360
00:21:50,241 --> 00:21:51,351
Such a good taste.
361
00:21:53,181 --> 00:21:53,901
Mr Ed: I agree.
362
00:21:54,081 --> 00:21:54,621
I agree.
363
00:21:54,621 --> 00:21:57,151
It's, there's some wonderful
taste in nectar out there.
364
00:21:57,631 --> 00:21:59,491
I remember one of 'em that I did.
365
00:21:59,861 --> 00:22:05,221
It was a removal and it was in the
early spring when the honeysuckle was
366
00:22:05,221 --> 00:22:13,351
blooming and there was literally this
man's backyard was full of honeysuckle.
367
00:22:13,601 --> 00:22:18,851
You smell it down the street
and the honey just had this
368
00:22:19,061 --> 00:22:21,251
magnificent honeysuckle taste.
369
00:22:21,331 --> 00:22:23,371
It was absolutely great taste in honey.
370
00:22:24,496 --> 00:22:28,666
Dixie: See in the country we have a
lot of the wild blackberry bushes.
371
00:22:29,536 --> 00:22:29,986
Mr Ed: Yeah.
372
00:22:30,166 --> 00:22:31,156
I get a lot of that.
373
00:22:31,306 --> 00:22:31,696
Yeah.
374
00:22:31,936 --> 00:22:35,626
That's a great taste in honey, that
the blackberry, and that's the early
375
00:22:35,626 --> 00:22:39,956
spring tasting, because that's when
the blackberries and blueberries bloom
376
00:22:40,266 --> 00:22:45,046
early in the spring, generally around,
. March and April is when that blooms.
377
00:22:46,057 --> 00:22:49,327
Dixie: When you're talking about
a swarm, you're talking about the
378
00:22:49,327 --> 00:22:53,857
bees actually looking for a new
location and not like swarming people.
379
00:22:53,887 --> 00:22:57,097
'cause I know that there's like some
kind of misconception that when you say
380
00:22:57,097 --> 00:23:01,837
swarm, people are freaked out that the
bees are gonna be swarming around them.
381
00:23:02,162 --> 00:23:06,362
Is that what the actual term is for
swarm is when they're actually going out
382
00:23:06,362 --> 00:23:07,622
and they're looking for a new location?
383
00:23:08,652 --> 00:23:10,032
Mr Ed: That is what a swarm is.
384
00:23:10,032 --> 00:23:16,882
A swarm is when a colony of bees
splits basically in half . Prior to
385
00:23:16,882 --> 00:23:19,642
the swarm, the colony is building up.
386
00:23:19,642 --> 00:23:21,502
So there's a lot of bees in the hive.
387
00:23:21,502 --> 00:23:26,592
Sometimes, 40,000 bees in the
hive and it's just natural
388
00:23:26,592 --> 00:23:28,902
procreation for bees to swarm.
389
00:23:29,262 --> 00:23:34,012
They build up and then
they, half of 'em leave.
390
00:23:34,012 --> 00:23:37,742
So that's how they spread
out by that method and.,
391
00:23:38,957 --> 00:23:44,627
What happens is in the hive in
preparation for a swarm, the queen will
392
00:23:44,627 --> 00:23:49,517
lay, cells that will become new queens.
393
00:23:49,937 --> 00:23:51,907
And these are swarm queens.
394
00:23:52,297 --> 00:23:56,727
And what happens is prior
to the new queens emerging.
395
00:23:57,577 --> 00:24:02,627
The old queen and generally about half
the hive or a little bit more will then
396
00:24:02,717 --> 00:24:06,017
leave the hive and that is a swarm.
397
00:24:06,437 --> 00:24:11,017
And when the old queen in the hive leaves
with a bunch of bees and they go off to
398
00:24:11,017 --> 00:24:16,897
make a new hive, and they leave the new
queen with the new bees in that hive
399
00:24:16,897 --> 00:24:19,867
to start again in that same location.
400
00:24:20,864 --> 00:24:23,564
Dixie: And another thing, I
think there's a misconception
401
00:24:23,564 --> 00:24:25,544
around bees stinging people.
402
00:24:25,694 --> 00:24:28,064
'cause I know when I was a
child, I was terrified of bees.
403
00:24:28,064 --> 00:24:30,524
I thought the bees were just
gonna come up to me and sting me.
404
00:24:30,554 --> 00:24:32,534
If I was in the swimming
pool or something, they would
405
00:24:32,534 --> 00:24:34,204
always come get some water.
406
00:24:34,204 --> 00:24:37,084
And I was absolutely terrified that
I was gonna get stung by a bee.
407
00:24:37,294 --> 00:24:39,934
In fact, I don't know if I've
ever been stunned by a bee,
408
00:24:40,264 --> 00:24:41,994
but it was just something that.
409
00:24:42,109 --> 00:24:44,869
When you're a kid it's
terrifying to think about it.
410
00:24:45,039 --> 00:24:49,239
And as I got older I realized that,
and especially now since we have some
411
00:24:49,239 --> 00:24:54,189
bees, unless you're disturbing the
hive, they really don't go after you.
412
00:24:54,579 --> 00:24:57,909
How do you address these misconceptions
around the bees stinging?
413
00:24:59,569 --> 00:25:02,929
Mr Ed: It generally speaking.
414
00:25:04,579 --> 00:25:09,359
If you are not disturbing the
hive will not disturb you.
415
00:25:09,789 --> 00:25:13,179
Now that doesn't hold true for
the Africanized type of bee.
416
00:25:13,299 --> 00:25:16,179
Those, those are just a nasty disposition.
417
00:25:16,179 --> 00:25:20,689
bee, and you can just be minding
your own business and they will
418
00:25:20,899 --> 00:25:22,879
attack if you're around their hive.
419
00:25:23,219 --> 00:25:26,429
And you could be a quarter of a mile away.
420
00:25:26,739 --> 00:25:27,909
They can attack.
421
00:25:27,969 --> 00:25:35,209
So not including the Africanized type
bees, which is we have those in here, in
422
00:25:35,209 --> 00:25:38,469
the United States throughout the the west.
423
00:25:38,569 --> 00:25:43,834
And it, they're from Texas all the
way to California, all the way up to
424
00:25:43,904 --> 00:25:49,174
Colorado, or there's Africanized bees
and some, to some degree in Florida.
425
00:25:49,574 --> 00:25:54,884
And , as far to my knowledge here in
Louisiana , I don't even know if there's
426
00:25:54,944 --> 00:25:57,824
any documented cases of Africanized bees.
427
00:25:57,824 --> 00:26:02,154
So for us the rule would be that,
the bees aren't gonna mess with
428
00:26:02,154 --> 00:26:03,684
you unless you mess with them.
429
00:26:04,691 --> 00:26:07,416
Dixie: I imagine that you've
been stunned quite a few times.
430
00:26:08,177 --> 00:26:08,467
Mr Ed: Yeah.
431
00:26:09,636 --> 00:26:11,556
It's a good day if I don't get stung.
432
00:26:11,941 --> 00:26:13,471
It's every day I'm gonna get stung.
433
00:26:14,471 --> 00:26:15,431
Just a matter of when,
434
00:26:15,791 --> 00:26:20,081
Dixie: I have heard that beekeepers
actually live longer, have you heard that?
435
00:26:21,281 --> 00:26:22,151
Mr Ed: No, I haven't heard that.
436
00:26:23,171 --> 00:26:24,521
But , there's all kinds of.
437
00:26:25,031 --> 00:26:29,171
Of things on science saying the
benefits of bee stings, there's
438
00:26:29,171 --> 00:26:36,551
now even studies that, , there's
some validity to venom with.
439
00:26:37,376 --> 00:26:44,356
Cancer treatments with arthritis, with
bursitis, with a lot of varied things.
440
00:26:44,566 --> 00:26:48,116
But I don't really put a lot
of credence in all that stuff.
441
00:26:48,516 --> 00:26:52,326
I'm a beekeeper 'cause I love
bees and if that's a benefit of
442
00:26:52,326 --> 00:26:53,706
it, I'm just a lucky guy then.
443
00:26:54,539 --> 00:26:56,819
Dixie: Why is it that you like the bees?
444
00:26:56,819 --> 00:26:58,969
What is it about them that comforts you?
445
00:27:00,169 --> 00:27:03,339
Mr Ed: It's, like I said
before, it's a spiritual thing.
446
00:27:03,339 --> 00:27:08,799
I see the hand of God in it and it's
what that's the reason I continue
447
00:27:08,799 --> 00:27:14,099
to do this even after 45 years plus
years of doing it, that it's always.
448
00:27:15,914 --> 00:27:20,974
Religious to me and one of the,
things that I've learned as being
449
00:27:21,004 --> 00:27:25,264
the beekeeper for the monks and
following their spirituality the
450
00:27:25,264 --> 00:27:30,329
Benedictine spirituality that, that
I've grown to appreciate more and more.
451
00:27:31,099 --> 00:27:37,699
Not just the benefits that the bees
provide for us, but what the bees can
452
00:27:37,759 --> 00:27:41,899
teach us as humans in living our lives.
453
00:27:41,899 --> 00:27:47,469
How they live a selfless life
unlike humans where we live
454
00:27:47,469 --> 00:27:49,989
pretty much selfishly bees.
455
00:27:51,099 --> 00:27:53,529
Give everything for the colony.
456
00:27:53,529 --> 00:27:55,959
They live for the colony.
457
00:27:56,229 --> 00:27:58,539
They give their life for their colony.
458
00:27:58,729 --> 00:28:01,829
They hold no regard for individuality.
459
00:28:02,099 --> 00:28:07,259
The only regard they have is for
the survivability of that colony.
460
00:28:07,589 --> 00:28:12,449
So it's a different
mindset of surviving that.
461
00:28:13,464 --> 00:28:18,574
It's not one for self preservation
like humans do, but rather
462
00:28:18,724 --> 00:28:20,974
it's for colonate preservation.
463
00:28:21,274 --> 00:28:28,164
And this aspect of a selfless
life lived is a beautiful way
464
00:28:28,454 --> 00:28:32,594
Like perfectly mimics what Christ
did when he came into the world.
465
00:28:32,594 --> 00:28:39,514
He gave his life for us and so
it's mimics that beautifully and.
466
00:28:40,679 --> 00:28:44,489
We can grow in appreciation
for bees, what they do for us.
467
00:28:44,729 --> 00:28:53,099
And if at the same time we can grow in
the aspect of our relation, personal
468
00:28:53,099 --> 00:28:58,309
relation to, living our life in this
world in regard to how bees live their
469
00:28:58,309 --> 00:29:04,849
life, that we can make this life here
for us, a much, much better place.
470
00:29:06,049 --> 00:29:10,249
So for me it's a very deeply
personal religious experience.
471
00:29:11,246 --> 00:29:15,176
Dixie: It definitely could teach
humanity a lot too, just about community.
472
00:29:15,181 --> 00:29:15,331
Yes.
473
00:29:16,976 --> 00:29:17,066
Mr Ed: Yes.
474
00:29:18,142 --> 00:29:23,337
Dixie: Before we end the call, what
would you say to people who dislike bees
475
00:29:23,397 --> 00:29:27,622
and would rather see them exterminated
as opposed to rescued like you do?
476
00:29:29,042 --> 00:29:29,942
Mr Ed: The only reason.
477
00:29:30,767 --> 00:29:36,897
That they have that fear
is because it's an unknown.
478
00:29:36,897 --> 00:29:39,557
It's an unknown quantity
to equality to 'em.
479
00:29:39,857 --> 00:29:44,327
I have literally hundreds of people
that watch my channel that are not
480
00:29:44,327 --> 00:29:49,547
beekeepers, that had no interest in
bees until they started watching.
481
00:29:49,797 --> 00:29:53,167
My channel and it's.
482
00:29:54,512 --> 00:29:59,612
If you want to overcome a natural
fear and they're not wrong to be
483
00:29:59,612 --> 00:30:02,162
naturally afraid because be stings hurt.
484
00:30:02,462 --> 00:30:04,052
And there's this natural thing.
485
00:30:04,262 --> 00:30:09,402
But if we have an understanding of what.
486
00:30:10,277 --> 00:30:16,017
Bees do for us, and not that their
only purpose is to make honey
487
00:30:16,017 --> 00:30:23,017
or to sting us, then we can, our
attitude toward them can change.
488
00:30:25,207 --> 00:30:25,987
Dixie: Yeah, definitely.
489
00:30:25,987 --> 00:30:29,662
I can agree with that too because just
like you were saying, when you look at 'em
490
00:30:29,662 --> 00:30:34,732
and you take care of 'em, they pollinate
for us, but then we also get honey
491
00:30:35,122 --> 00:30:37,762
and, honey can be very therapeutic too.
492
00:30:39,542 --> 00:30:47,732
Mr Ed: So actually, honey is the
only naturally created product
493
00:30:47,942 --> 00:30:50,552
that bacteria will not grow in.
494
00:30:50,922 --> 00:30:53,752
So only one naturally produced.
495
00:30:54,032 --> 00:31:00,762
And so it is used in medicinal purposes,
dressing wounds because it prevents
496
00:31:00,762 --> 00:31:03,012
bacteria from growing on in wounds.
497
00:31:03,322 --> 00:31:10,802
The wax has properties that, again will
discourage the formation of bacteria.
498
00:31:10,982 --> 00:31:14,242
So they pack wounds with wax, bees.
499
00:31:14,452 --> 00:31:16,642
They're just incredible creatures.
500
00:31:17,962 --> 00:31:19,042
Dixie: They definitely are.
501
00:31:19,322 --> 00:31:21,992
Thank you so much for taking
the time to speak with me today.
502
00:31:22,037 --> 00:31:22,647
I enjoyed our
503
00:31:22,647 --> 00:31:23,307
Mr Ed: conversation.
504
00:31:23,307 --> 00:31:24,687
Oh, it is my pleasure, Dixie.
505
00:31:25,317 --> 00:31:26,217
It is really fun.
506
00:31:26,217 --> 00:31:27,687
Thank you very much for inviting me.
507
00:31:27,817 --> 00:31:28,447
Dixie: You're welcome.
508
00:31:28,447 --> 00:31:30,817
And I'll be the first to say
too, the reason that we have
509
00:31:30,817 --> 00:31:32,227
bees is because of your show.
510
00:31:32,987 --> 00:31:33,857
Mr Ed: That's a good thing.
511
00:31:33,857 --> 00:31:34,877
That's a real good thing.
512
00:31:34,937 --> 00:31:35,657
Dixie: Yeah, it is.
513
00:31:35,657 --> 00:31:37,802
And I'm gonna include a link
to your YouTube channel.
514
00:31:38,507 --> 00:31:39,797
In the description.
515
00:31:40,247 --> 00:31:43,487
And I'm also gonna include
actually the link to the removal
516
00:31:43,487 --> 00:31:44,717
that you did in our house.
517
00:31:44,927 --> 00:31:45,257
Mr Ed: Oh yeah.
518
00:31:45,257 --> 00:31:46,007
That would be awesome.
519
00:31:46,007 --> 00:31:46,847
That would be great.
520
00:31:46,907 --> 00:31:48,137
Thank you so much, Dixie.
521
00:31:48,187 --> 00:31:49,657
Dixie: That's it for today's episode.
522
00:31:49,657 --> 00:31:53,557
I wanna thank everybody for
listening and supporting us.
523
00:31:53,647 --> 00:31:57,757
If you wanna take that an extra
step, consider becoming a member.
524
00:31:57,997 --> 00:32:02,197
We just added this to our
website, animalposse.com,
525
00:32:02,437 --> 00:32:04,507
scroll down, look for the support tab.
526
00:32:04,557 --> 00:32:10,887
Our membership program is going to
help us directly support animals
527
00:32:10,917 --> 00:32:18,117
in need, whether that be through
vaccinations, food or spay neuter efforts.
