An Australian apiarist has delighted his followers by posting footage which documents his no-holds-barred affection for the essential pollinators.
The Instagram video of Ben Moore’s coolly stretched-out hand right at the hive entrance has garnered nearly 3,000 views since going online in late November of last year.
Entitled “Giving the bees a helping hand”, the short clip shows the honeybees swarming around and sitting on the palm of his hand. A small snail is resting there at the same time.
Speaking to NewsX, the 44-year-old family father and businessman explained: “The video was taken at a beehive in my backyard in Perth Street in Blackburn South. As far as the snail is concerned: that was a total coincidence! I didn’t see it in the grass when I scooped up the bees.”
Considering many people’s fear of insects, Ben argued: “Bees like any animal just require the right mindset to be able to handle them. Plus, a bit of cool smoke passives them.”
Asked whether he was getting stung now and then, the owner of Ben’s Bees said: “I can get stung but I’m totally immune to their stings. I feel it but it’s more like a pinch than pain.”
After having generated a comprehensive network of environmentalists and independent entrepreneurs, Ben has held presentations in Australia and abroad. He has also organised workshops for children and adults.
His Instagram account currently has more than 34,000 followers.
On his website, the professional apiarist emphasises: “Without bees pollinating the vast majority of the world’s food crops, our existence is threatened.”
Ben – whose popular podcast ‘Bees With Ben’ is available on all major platforms – thinks that growing up in the idyllic Yarra Valley led him straight to establishing his own company.
He is convinced of the “intrinsic connection between human health and the environment.”
Ben concludes: “Let’s keep helping each other do good work in the world, be that for bees, our families and friends, the environment or the local community.”
