Podcast Episode 13: Adam Barassi

As we are all starting to learn that we need to slow down and smell the roses … but THEN we learn that in order for flowers (like roses) and other plants to grow and be smelt, pollination has to occur.

This brings us to bees, of course! Bees are the world’s number one, most-loved pollinator. Part of the process of humans slowing down involves realising what is truly important, which comes back, each and every time, to the environment. To realise that we are not bigger than this planet – in fact, it is a force far greater than us – and that if we don’t get in sync with it, if we don’t nurture it in every way possible, we are, well… doomed.

Where is this going you might ask?

Well, episode 13 of the Bees With Ben beekeeping podcast is a special one, because it is the aspect of my job that I love the most. It’s the moment when someone reaches out to me, someone who has no or very little experience with bees, and says: “Ben, I want to be a beekeeper!”

In this episode, Adam Barassi – tax accountant and director of Barassi and Co. Chartered Accountants – and I chat about how he can start keeping bees.

Adam got in touch just a week or so ago to express that he wanted some tips and tools and bees to help him get started; he knows nothing about bees whatsoever and has never kept any of his own. You see, this doesn’t matter! What matters is a love for the planet and a passion for learning about these ingenious creatures.

I have taught innumerable people how to look after their first colonies, and I can assure you that none of them has ever looked back – bees are a passion that teaches you about the ecosystem and make you appreciate our place within it. That makes this podcast an extra special one for any person looking to keep bees for the first time, as I run through the steps with Adam.

Adam, however, is definitely a good match for beekeeping! A keen gardener, he wanted to keep bees on his property so that they could help pollinate his fruit trees and vegetable garden plus get a little honey on the side.

In this episode, we chat about: the best place to set up your hive; what’s involved in looking after bees; the genetics of bees and choosing which bee is best for you; basic information on pests and diseases bees are prone to catching; beekeeping clubs and mentoring; registering with the Department of Primary Industries; and last but not least, the importance of bees making honey for themselves first and foremost (but thankfully they are often happy to share!).

A big thank you to Adam for getting in touch, and for the amazing opportunity to answer some common questions that new beekeepers have when they first start out.

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Listen to the podcast here.