Love The Bees Podcast (Pilot)
Love The Bees Podcast (Pilot)
Podcast Description
Conversations on Beekeeping; what to do in your garden this month, with a spotlight on the Dandelion; and how to distinguish between different bird songs you might be hearing in your garden this month.If you're as bee-obsessed as we are, you’ll feel right at home. This pilot show is your official invitation to get excited about this year's Beekeeping Season. It is your go-to space to chat, learn, and grow as a beekeeper, featuring insights from experienced beekeepers who know the ropes. Big thanks to Donegal Bees who have supported us to get this show out.Just to be clear, we're not here to tell you what to do—our goal is to share our experiences and ideas, offering a wealth of knowledge for both novices and seasoned pros alike. We believe by sharing our experiences, it will make us all better beekeepers with happier bees. With every hive being unique, we aim to inspire you with practical tips about beekeeping, your garden and the birds in it.This episode features brilliant minds like Colm Penston and Dermot Fanning, who’ll help you prioritise what matters in your beekeeping for the month of March. Plus, enjoy a chat with horticulturist extraordinaire Adrienne Kelly, who will guide you on how to create a bee-friendly garden that enhances local biodiversity. Then we finish the show with a chat with the Birdman, Eric Depsey, while he gives us some tips on how to identify what birds are singing in your garden at the moment.And don’t miss our fun and interesting bee facts to share with family and friends!Welcome to your new favorite Irish beekeeping podcast which is supported by Donegal Bees, Without them we would not be able to publish our show so if you want to hear more from us, think about getting that fondant you might need this month by purchasing with Donegal Bees. Follow us on Instagram at lovethebees.ie and let us know what you think. Thanks from Yvonne and the Love The Bees Team x
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers topics such as seasonal beekeeping practices, garden care, and bird song identification. Episodes may include practical advice like what to do in your garden for the month or how to create a bee-friendly environment, exemplified by discussions with horticulturists and beekeeping experts while spotlighting local flora such as dandelions.
Conversations on Beekeeping; what to do in your garden this month, with a spotlight on the Dandelion; and how to distinguish between different bird songs you might be hearing in your garden this month.
If you’re as bee-obsessed as we are, you’ll feel right at home. This pilot show is your official invitation to get excited about this year’s Beekeeping Season. It is your go-to space to chat, learn, and grow as a beekeeper, featuring insights from experienced beekeepers who know the ropes. Big thanks to Donegal Bees who have supported us to get this show out.
Just to be clear, we’re not here to tell you what to do—our goal is to share our experiences and ideas, offering a wealth of knowledge for both novices and seasoned pros alike. We believe by sharing our experiences, it will make us all better beekeepers with happier bees. With every hive being unique, we aim to inspire you with practical tips about beekeeping, your garden and the birds in it.
This episode features brilliant minds like Colm Penston and Dermot Fanning, who’ll help you prioritise what matters in your beekeeping for the month of March. Plus, enjoy a chat with horticulturist extraordinaire Adrienne Kelly, who will guide you on how to create a bee-friendly garden that enhances local biodiversity. Then we finish the show with a chat with the Birdman, Eric Depsey, while he gives us some tips on how to identify what birds are singing in your garden at the moment.
And don’t miss our fun and interesting bee facts to share with family and friends!
Welcome to your new favorite Irish beekeeping podcast which is supported by Donegal Bees, Without them we would not be able to publish our show so if you want to hear more from us, think about getting that fondant you might need this month by purchasing with Donegal Bees. Follow us on Instagram at lovethebees.ie and let us know what you think. Thanks from Yvonne and the Love The Bees Team x
Love the Bees is your warm, holistic guide to the world of beekeeping — and everything that flies, blooms, and buzzes alongside it. Hosted by Yvonne Johnston, a Wicklow based Irish beekeeper with a passion for honeybees, wild bees, and the gardens that support them, each episode brings together expert voices, practical advice, and genuine curiosity about the natural world.
This season is proudly sponsored by Donegal Bees — thank you for supporting Irish beekeeping and helping this show reach more listeners.
In this episode:
We sit down with Dr. Klaus Beckmann, Senior Lab Supervisor at Intertek in Germany, where he leads honey testing and authenticity analysis. Klaus talks us through honey labelling, why the Breakfast Directive is genuinely good news for honey consumers, and what the words “raw” and “organic” actually mean — and don’t mean — on a jar of honey.
In our gardening corner, horticulturist Adrian Kelly joins us to talk through the jobs she’s tackling in the garden over the coming weeks.
I also catch up with our Wicklow beekeepers, Dermot Fanning and Colm Penston to find out exactly what’s happening in their apiaries right now — giving listeners a clear sense of what they should be doing if they’re on schedule. And as always with beekeepers, we get a little conflicting advice along the way, leaving you plenty of room to decide what approach suits you and your own bees best.
To close the show, I’m joined by “The Birdman” Eric Dempsey to talk about ‘rusty gates’, and why that sound in your garden might be something far more interesting than you think.
As always, thank you so much for listening. Be sure to follow the show, and we’d love to have you join us on Instagram, where you can send through any feedback, questions, or honey stories of your own.
Thank you to Dr. Caitlin Kelly on sound.
📸 Instagram: @lovethebees.ie_
Resources mentioned in this episode: Learn more about honey testing at www.intertek.com Discover Eric Dempsey’s work at www.birdsireland.com
Beekeeping supplies www.donegalbees.com
Long-eared Owl audio was supplied by Sean Ronayne Irish Wildlife Sounds
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