The secret world of bees revealed in Food Is Free session

A SMALL group of people will this weekend be given an insight into the world of bees when Food Is Free hosts another Open Bee Hive Experience.

Well-known Ballarat beekeeper Peter Debicki, who also goes by Peter the Polish Beekeeper, will show participants the secret life of bees from 2pm to 4pm at a private fruit orchard in Brown Hill.

Food Is Free founder Lou Ridsdale said earlier this week that the event had limited places available and was restricted in participant numbers for a reason.

“What we do with these open bee hives is make it really small and intimate so people can have a beautiful experience,” Ms Ridsdale said.

Ms Ridsdale said Mr Debicki looks after the organisation’s bee hives and had proven to be “the best beekeeper and best bee workshop facilitator ever; he’s so much fun”.

“He really knows his stuff, so we’re really lucky to have him,” she said.

At Sunday’s event, Mr Debicki will open the lids of hives and let appropriately suited participants look inside, while explaining what the bees are doing.

“He gives that very small group the experience of what is happening in a bee hive, and it’s absolutely fascinating,” Ms Ridsdale said.

Food Is Free runs several open hive events each year, usually in each of the different seasons, and this will be the first where people will be able to see honey actually being extracted from the hive.

“This is the first time we’ve run it at this time of year where people … can actually see honey coming out of the bee hive, how that works. It’s really fascinating,” Ms Ridsdale said.

“The way they all work together in that hive colony is really interesting.”

Ms Ridsdale said events like Sunday’s gave people the chance to see a world they normally would not be privy to – along with an insight into just how important bees are in food production.

“Without bees there’d be no us,” she said. “They pollinate our food for us, but it’s great to see a colony in action and how they all do their thing to get things done.”

Ms Risdale said it was also a chance for people interested in keeping bees to “dip their toe in the water” and find out what is involved.

Afternoon tea will be provided.