Over the last year I participated in the Bee Informed Partnership’s Sentinel Apiary Program . You’ve heard me share tales of pulling samples and the tiny funnel that was included in the sampling kit. I was curious to learn more about what goes on at the lab at the University of Maryland where the Bee Informed Partnership is stationed. After I completed the program for the year, and upon a special request from one of our listeners, I asked for an interview and they said YES! Joining us from the B...
Dec 25, 2019•35 min•Ep. 43
Today’s interview was weeks… perhaps months in the making. This is the first time I’ve interviewed someone overseas and it took some extra effort to make it happen and I am so glad that it did! I think you will bee as charmed as I was to meet today’s guest. He is one of the early producers of New York City Honey Week , he was a key organizer for the 2019 Learning From the Bees Conference , and he continues to develop his Ambeessadors program which is a collective of bee ambassadors who work to u...
Dec 11, 2019•56 min•Ep. 42
Joining us from her 13 acre farm in West Michigan, here is part 2 of our visit with Roda Shope of Indigo Acres Apiary ! Check out our new website at www.beekeeperconfidential.com and join our community forum! You can also find Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram . To become a patron visit Mandy's Patreon page at www.patreon.com/mandyshaw Cover art by Meggyn Pomerleau...
Nov 27, 2019•31 min•Ep. 41
I am so excited for today’s show. I invited our guest on sometime last year but she was a busy bee and she politely declined my request, but I let her know that the invitation was open because I really wanted to visit with her and learn about her farm and her beekeeping and her incredible photography! But life gets busy, so I completely understood. She and I kept up on social media though, and one day she sent me a message saying that she was ready to join me for an episode!!! I enjoyed our talk...
Nov 13, 2019•38 min•Ep. 40
Today’s guest is a beekeeper, a cinematographer, and director of The Pollinators. His work on this film has earned numerous film festival awards including the Rob Stewart Eco Warrior Award, the Gaia Prize for Environmental Film-making, the Best Cinematography Feature Documentary, and more. I was fortunate to be connected with him through Meredith May, author of the Honey Bus. I was also very lucky to be granted access to view the film prior to the national day of screening which takes place on N...
Oct 30, 2019•43 min•Ep. 39
Today’s guest is an author, a journalist, a teacher, and a 5th generation beekeeper. Her most recent work, The Honey Bus, tells the story of a girl growing up in a dysfunctional family who finds solace in learning about bees and beekeeping from her grandfather. For someone who works with bees, the rich details knitted into this memoir are both comforting and familiar. The smells and sounds of the hive, and the emotional restoration that we find when we are working with our beloved insects. I rea...
Oct 16, 2019•43 min•Ep. 38
On today’s show we visit with a biologist who is an applied researcher of honey bee husbandry at the University of Florida Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab. His work is dedicated to solving problems that large commercial beekeeping operations are faced with. He spends time in the field and in the lab trying to make things better for the beekeepers and their bees. But his passion for biology and photography coupled with his desire to teach and share his knowledge with others has led him to cr...
Oct 02, 2019•37 min•Ep. 37
Beekeeper Confidential is a year old! How exciting to reflect on an entire year of connecting with and interviewing amazing people. It has been a treat producing this show, and the anniversary episode is all about behind the scenes stories, listener questions and answers, and tips for getting into podcasting. Check out our new website at www.beekeeperconfidential.com and join our community forum! You can also find Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram . To become a patron visit Mandy'...
Sep 18, 2019•33 min•Ep. 36
Mandy met today’s guest last October at the Oregon State Beekeepers Association conference. They had recently connected on social media so they weren't complete strangers, but they had never met her in person. Fonta greeted Mandy with the most generous hug and genuine enthusiasm for this show (even though it was still in its infancy). Their paths crossed again in person when they both presented at the Feminine Legacy in Beekeeping conference last May and they happened to be staying at the same B...
Sep 04, 2019•35 min•Ep. 35
This week's guest is a creative powerhouse who has harnessed her talents to build a successful beekeeping business and has established herself as a leader in the industry. Mandy got to spend time with her while she was in Portland promoting her new book, Queenspotting. She attended her book reading and signing at Powell’s bookstore and afterwards they visited over cocktails and delicious popcorn. Mandy was really happy to spend time getting to know the person behind the fame prior to recording t...
Aug 21, 2019•38 min•Ep. 34
Today’s guest has dedicated his life to rewilding the honeybee population. He touches on aspects of our lives with bees that are too frequently overlooked by the industry: heart & soul, birth-rights, ethical and moral standards that place the needs of bees above the commodity of honey. Because of his efforts, there is now a movement to reintroduce honeybees into wild nest cavities, a rehabilitation to bring bees back to nature. Through this gesture in honoring the identity of apis mellifera,...
Aug 07, 2019•47 min•Ep. 33
Today’s guest is a beekeeper who caught Mandy's eye on social media because of her delight in swarm catching, queen rearing, and sharing educational bee info with a sense of humor. She is just as funny and smart on the phone as she is online! They talk about Mandy's favorite obsession - drumming bees - swarms and bait hives, skep hives, the 24/7 hustle of the life of a queen breeder, natural beekeeping, bloopers, and how amphibians can mess you up. For More on Tucka's work and notes from today’s...
Jul 24, 2019•40 min•Ep. 32
Today’s guest is a passionate educator, bee removal expert, and bee priestess. Since 2012, Beelieve Hawaii’s founder Jasmine Joy has been sharing her love and compassion for bees and pollinators through saving bee colonies from extermination, developing habitat restoration, and creating a sacred space for children to come and learn and explore the world of bees. Her contributions to the bee community are profoundly beautiful and significant and it was such a delight for Mandy to spend an evening...
Jul 10, 2019•36 min•Ep. 31
Mandy has been sitting on this recording since September 2018. She was worried about the quality of the audio, so she locked it away in the vault… Until now. This was the 3rd interview that she ever recorded for the show and needless to say it was (and still is) a very very big deal. Mandy had the opportunity to spend some time with our guest in her backyard apiary so you’ll hear cars and crows and airplanes in the background. But more importantly, you’ll get to hear a candid conversation with t...
Jun 26, 2019•32 min•Ep. 30
Mandy met today’s guest last September at a seminar taught by Tom Seeley. He had built a bee catching box, much like the one described in Dr. Seeley’s book, Following the Wild Bees. They got to talking and she ended up inviting him to come and speak to Portland Urban Beekeepers about his experience using Seeley’s methods for finding wild (and kept colonies), and while he was in town they got together in a pancake house parking lot to talk about bee hunting, topo maps, turn tables, and rebellious...
Jun 12, 2019•34 min•Ep. 29
This episode is a 30 minute recording taken from inside of one of Mandy's hives. It can be used during meditation, as white noise, or to listen to as you fall asleep... Or to scare your friends who aren't so keen on bees. Your choice! Become a patron! Visit Mandy's patron page ! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram and YouTube Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau...
Jun 10, 2019•30 min•Ep. 28
This interview was months in the making. Mandy made her first request for an interview via Instagram while at a cocktail party… let’s just say she was feeling courageous. She officially booked it in February and then recorded it from her apiary on May 6th. On the day of the interview, she was minutes away from receiving the guests phone call when a swarm call came in. She didn’t answer it, obviously, but they also sent a text with photos that she received during the interview and it was a PRIME ...
May 29, 2019•42 min•Ep. 27
In this mini episode, Mandy shares the latest stories of her beekeeping adventures. Become a patron! Visit Mandy's patron page ! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram and YouTube Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau
May 24, 2019•13 min•Ep. 26
This interview was recorded just a couple weeks ago, right before swarm season kicked off. Mandy was sitting in her studio anxiously staring out the window at her beehives while she waited for Sam's phone call. Once the phone rang, Mandy completely forgot about feeling sorry for her swarmless self and fell deep into a conversation about drumming hives, queen genetics, and how to grow your apiary without buying nucs or packages. Become a patron! Visit Mandy's patron page ! Follow Beekeeper Confid...
May 15, 2019•39 min•Ep. 25
In this mini episode, Mandy shares the latest stories of her beekeeping adventures. Become a patron! Visit Mandy's patron page ! Follow Beekeeper Confidential on Facebook and Instagram and YouTube Cover Art by Meggyn Pomerleau
May 07, 2019•13 min•Ep. 24
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 ...
May 01, 2019•45 min•Season 1Ep. 23
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...
Apr 17, 2019•32 min•Ep. 22
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 Ar...
Apr 03, 2019•44 min•Ep. 21
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 fr...
Mar 20, 2019•24 min•Ep. 20
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 epi...
Mar 06, 2019•31 min•Ep. 19
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...
Feb 20, 2019•30 min•Ep. 18
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 Insta...
Feb 06, 2019•30 min•Ep. 17
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 op...
Jan 23, 2019•28 min•Ep. 16
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 ! Follo...
Jan 09, 2019•47 min•Ep. 15
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 fro...
Dec 18, 2018•29 min•Ep. 14
