EPISODE 93: Alex Mazur, Full Time Beekeeper, Ukraine & Australia.

After a break for a couple of weeks, Bee’s with Ben is back with episode 93 of the podcast. In the interim, Ben attended the Australian Bee Congress in Sydney. This was just the fourth event of its kind, despite the inaugural one being held way back in 1972, but bee enthusiasts will only have to wait four years for the next congress, and Ben encourages anyone with an interest to take part. There were some fascinating speakers along with innovative trade shows. A couple of things that stood out for Ben were plastic ‘nuc’ boxes and research into a pheromone lure for African small hive beetle. A revolutionary refrigerated method of moving hives, complete with misting systems, will be the subject of a future podcast! One big talking point surrounded the price of honey on a wholesale level, as there is plenty of surplus around at the moment; another was the glut of inferior imported product which is damaging local markets. The congress also represented a great opportunity to network and meet new people - or to simply put a face to a name. Alex Mazur is a young Ukrainian who has already enjoyed an extraordinary career with bees, and we were thrilled when he agreed to participate in this episode of the podcast. Upholding the family tradition, Alex is a fourth-generation beekeeper. After moving to Australia about three years ago, he spent a year with Warren Taylor’s company, Australian Queen Bee Exporters, the largest beekeeping business in Australia, with 15 employees managing close to 10,000 hives and producing an incredible 120,000 queens per season. For the last two years he has worked with another veteran Australian beekeeper, Terry Brown of Browns Bees Australia Beekeeping Supplies. Alex says that sunflower honey is the most common variant produced in Ukraine (predictably, given the widespread cultivation of sunflowers); it is bright yellow in colour and good for creaming as it crystallises fast. Sunflower honey does not have a strong taste, and apparently is not popular in Ukraine, with the locals preferring something ‘special’ like manuka or jarrah; Alex explains that often people don’t understand that quality is more important than variety or brand. Of course, Australian beekeepers do not have to deal with the ravages of the varroa mite, but one of the major differences that Alex has experienced is the need to wear protective clothing, which he usually never did at home, as our bees are somewhat more aggressive. And his favourite part of the conference? Alex was particularly interested in the honey ‘fingerprinting’ project initiated in WA and thinks that laboratory analysis could potentially be of great benefit in proving origin and quality and therefore could have a big influence on price. As a professional beekeeper who is a relative newcomer to our shores, Alex has a unique perspective on Australian bees and beekeeping, and this makes for an intriguing and informative podcast.