Mr. Ed: The Bee Saving Legend of Louisiana

Dixie: 00:00:02

Welcome to Animal Posse, the podcast dedicated to the

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people and rescues making a

difference in the lives of animals.

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Welcome back everybody.

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I'm Dixie, your host of Animal

Posse, and today we're gonna be

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discussing something different.

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On this show we've talked about cats,

dogs, rats, rabbits, horses, squirrels,

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possums, raccoons, and you name it.

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But we're gonna be buzzing into

a different world entirely.

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Our guest today doesn't just keep animals.

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He manages a community of thousands

that work in perfect miraculous harmony.

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We are talking about the

art of Bee Rescue with Mr.

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Ed.

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Mr.

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Ed is also a YouTube educator.

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He has a huge channel and he discusses

all the bee rescues that he does,

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and he is also the beekeeper at St.

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Joseph Abbey in Louisiana.

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Welcome to the show, Mr.

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Ed.

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Mr Ed: Thank you for inviting me.

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Dixie: We have not spoken to a

beekeeper, so I thought it would be

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interesting to talk to you to just see

what's all involved with beekeeping,

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because you're saving thousands of

lives with every hive that you have,

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Mr Ed: That's true.

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That is true.

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Dixie: Tell us a little

bit about yourself.

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How did you get started in

beekeeping and how did you

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become to be the beekeeper of St.

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Joseph Abbey?

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Mr Ed: You know that's a very long story.

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'cause it all starts back in 1978

when I moved from new Orleans to

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the North Shore in Mandeville.

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Prior to my moving over here, I

had a friend who kept bees and

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I never even knew anything about

that, about you could have bees.

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And I went over to his

house and I saw him.

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I said, man, when I moved to the

country, I'm gonna get me some bees.

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So that's what I did when I moved.

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My dad actually he was a woodworker.

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He built all the equipment that I

needed, and when I moved I bought bees.

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And so I've been a beekeeper since 1978.

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It's just life is always . Different

in that, you may have plans or

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things just turn out and work

out the way they work out.

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And I think that's just what it was

for me because there was no plans

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that I was gonna be at the Abbey.

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It had just worked out and when I

went there, it wasn't to do these,

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it was to help build caskets and

then one of the monks up there wanted

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to start beekeeping back in 2011.

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And so since I was a beekeeper, they asked

me to help him and I started helping him.

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We started a few colonies up there, and he

then decided he didn't want to be a monk.

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So then I just took over what we had

done, and we just grew the business.

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That's basically the condensed

version of the story.

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Dixie: How many hives do you have?

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Mr Ed: Right now we have about

200, something like that.

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I'm selling off a bunch of bees

right now because I need 150 to

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meet my goal of keeping honey

in the gift shop all year round.

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So anything over 150 I don't want,.

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So I sell, I'll sell, get the

number back down to about 150.

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And then in just a matter

of, four or five weeks.

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We'll, by splitting our hives, we are

gonna be back up to about two and a

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quarter something somewhere around there.

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So that's where we'll be in

a, by the middle of March, we

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should be about 225 once again.

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Dixie: How much honey does that equate to?

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Mr Ed: It generally you can figure

about four gallons of honey per hive.

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That's an average, but not all

your hives are going to produce.

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A surplus of honey, which is,

that's all I'm talking about.

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That they may be able to produce

enough honey , to make them through

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the year, through the winter.

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But as far as any honey that I

harvest, it's always a surplus.

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I run what they call two deep

brood boxes and then , anything

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over the two deep brood boxes.

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Will be the surplus honey.

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And that's the honey that I take.

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So it's generally, it's the third

box of honey, but sometimes you can

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put four or five boxes on there.

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So generally it's four gallons per

average, per hive is what you get.

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Dixie: There are certain people that think

it's cruel to take honey from the bees.

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Mr Ed: You see there again it's,.

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You're not taking honey from

the bees, you're taking the

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surplus of honey from the bees.

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So that's why I said that the fact

that I run a double deep brood boxes,

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that is enough storage space for the

bees to store the honey that they

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need to make it through the surplus.

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Honey is only gonna sit in there.

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. It's not gonna do anything.

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So you take it off of them

and it's still not gonna harm

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the bees in any kind of way.

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So you have to work the balance

and work within the parameters

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that the bees for their survival.

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And then at the same time with the

beekeeper for their to collect their rent.

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Dixie: We have a hive, and so

from us having the hive, the

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bees are taken care of very well.

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Our hive is up in the country,

in Washington parish and Uhhuh.

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It is where we actually are building

our cat sanctuary and uhhuh.

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The bees are very well taken care of.

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, The bees get checked on all the time to

make sure that everybody is doing good.

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We make sure we have water out for

the bees, especially when we had a

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drought up there, I think it was like

last year or this past summer, we

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had a really bad drought up there.

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Oh yeah, we did.

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So we made sure that we had pools of

water filled for the bees so the bees

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always had access to their water even

though they could go fly, probably a

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couple miles away and go find water.

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We just wanted to make

sure it was there for them.

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And we have an interesting story with

the bees too, because you actually

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helped us with our bees because our

bees swarmed and went into our old

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farmhouse that's on the property.

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Mr Ed: It was a great removal.

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And your husband Philip?

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, He and I opened up the interior space

of the house and he had built some

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scaffolding so that we could get up there.

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'cause it was up high.

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And we removed the wooden siding on the

interior and we removed a beautiful hive.

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It we took out a lot of honey.

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Those bees had been in there.

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Relatively short period of time,

probably four or five months.

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But they had built a really beautiful

hive with white comb full of honey.

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And the bees really did

well for themselves.

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Dixie: Yeah, it was delicious honey, too.

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Mr Ed: That is really what I do is I do

be rescue for people just like yourself

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where they have structures or, it really

doesn't matter wherever the bees decide to

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build their nest, whether it's somebody's

house, their trailer, their mobile home,

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their camper they contact me and I will

then go remove the bees and the hive

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and then relocate them to the abbey.

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And that's how we actually grew.

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The apiary is through.

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The removal service , that I do.

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And that's how we grew the whole

apiary from the very beginning.

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Dixie: And you have a very successful

YouTube channel and you always record

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the videos of you doing these removals.

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And it's very interesting to

watch, even if you're not into

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bees, it's still interesting

to see how you remove the bees.

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Mr Ed: Think it's interesting.

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Dixie: When you when you

actually came to our house.

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You did a video on that.

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So what I'll do is I'm gonna

include the link to that video.

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Oh

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Mr Ed: yeah.

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That was a great video.

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I'm telling you, you should definitely

include that link because , it

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is just the natural beauty of a

beehive, particularly a wild hive.

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The natural beauty of it is.

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It almost goes beyond words

to be able to describe it.

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So for me personally, it's always when

I open up a wall and see the hive, the

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first thing I ever do is just sit back

and just look at the beauty of it.

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And 'cause for me, I see the hand of

God in God's creation in the bee, and

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it's just, that's the first thing I see.

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And it is just great to take that

in and then to be able to rescue

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it, move it and then set it up in a

new location, have the bees thrive

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once again in a different location.

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Dixie: So when you say you look at the

beauty of it, and I understand that

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'cause I saw the hive that was in our

house and it was it was breathtaking.

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It really was.

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Just to see that it was, can

build something like that.

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So describe , similarities and

differences that you see in different

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hives that you've encountered.

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Mr Ed: It always.

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Depends the structure of the comb, how

the comb is built, will depend on the

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space that they have to build it in.

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And for your house, the wall space,

because where they were, and the house

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is so old the wall space was completely

open, which enabled the bees to build.

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Big slabs, what I call slabs of comb.

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They were, I think probably three,

three and a half feet wide and

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three, three and a half feet long.

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And I think, if I can remember

right, there was either two

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or three layers of that.

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And because the walls were so

thick, you had the true two by

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four or two by six wall space.

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So the bees will fill that space and so

they, they can either build the comb,

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like I said, in slabs like it was in,

in your location or in narrower spaces.

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They build them in little layers

or sections, narrow pieces , really

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how the comb is built is

determined by the available space

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that the bees have to work in.

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Each one can be different.

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But it's either the slabs or

the sheets is how I say it.

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And then there they, sometimes

they can be wide, the sheets can be

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wide, sometimes they can be narrow.

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, That depends on if they're in

the floor space or a wall space.

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That's the shape of the comb

is gonna determine that.

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But for yours, because it was all open.

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I think these prefer that particular

space because it gives them.

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Complete free reign to

do whatever they want.

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And they choose to do that slab comb

because I think it just gives them

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more space to expand and grow is,

they're not constricted by anything.

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They could just keep on doing it and

attaching it and building it out.

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, It's absolutely stunning.

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It really is.

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Dixie: Can you walk us through a rescue.

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Mr Ed: Sure.

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So generally I get a call and.

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I like to go out there and just to oddball

the, what I've got to look at first.

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And when I say oddball, I like to go

there and locate where the hive is.

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Whether it's gonna be in the ceiling,

a floor, a wall a tree, or wherever.

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I wanna see it first.

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Generally if it's in a house

I use a thermal camera to.

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Locate the main colony itself because

these will give off a heat signature.

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And so I locate the colony and once I

locate the colony then I can determine

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whether, how I'm going to remove the

colony, whether it's gonna be from the

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inside, the outside, underneath on top.

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It just all depends.

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It's always different, but.

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Generally it follows, the same routine.

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And then , once I get out there I start

dismantling, opening up the space and

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I'm very minimal in opening up the space.

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I only want to open up the space that

I need because I don't want to destroy.

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Too much of the area because

I don't repair what I do.

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That's up to the homeowners as

you and Phil knew that it's very

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minimal intrusiveness so that the

repair can be minimal , as well.

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And.

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I take away what I need to

access the comb, and once I can

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get the space completely open,

then I use a vacuum cleaner.

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It's a specially designed vacuum

cleaner that I that won't harm bees.

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I vacuum the bees off of the

comb and I start removing comb.

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I put it in.

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Ice chest because I find ice chest

will maintain the temperature of the

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hive where the brood will remain alive.

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And I remove the comb separating

the comb that has larva on it

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from comb that has honey on it.

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And I separate those in

different ice chests.

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And then once I remove the entire hive,

vacuum all the bees off, then I go back

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and then I frame up in, in the wooden

frames the comb that I've cut out.

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I attach it to the frames

using rubber bands.

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And then once I.

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Attach the comb to the frames, I put 'em

in bee boxes, and then I release the bees

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onto the comb, generally with their queen.

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That I've captured as well.

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And that's the whole process.

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Dixie: For anybody who has never seen a

bee vacuum, you need to go watch some of

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his videos so you can see the bee vacuum.

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That is like one of the most

fascinating things to me.

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Mr Ed: I had the yellow one that,

that it's a battery powered one,

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which is just a fantastic machine.

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It can hold 20,000 BS without any problem.

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You would think that you're vacuuming

bees and that you're gonna be

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killing bees as you're doing this.

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But that's not the case at all.

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And there's very low mortality like 0.0%

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loss of bee life due to the vacuuming.

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Dixie: Yeah it's really

fascinating 'cause I know like

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the first time that I watched it.

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I thought that you would be losing,

quite a few bees, but it's like such

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a gentle procedure for them now.

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Mr Ed: Yeah.

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Dixie: Once you do get 'em all and

you put 'em in these boxes how do

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you, acclimate 'em to their new homes?

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Mr Ed: The bees take care of

that themselves because , that's

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the beauty of a bee a, a bee.

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Is designed to work and though it

does create a great deal of stress to

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have the bees yanked out of one spot

put into another spot that is stress.

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So to.

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Make that stress level less.

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I try to do removals when there's

nectar flows where a nectar flow

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is when there's plants blooming

at a certain time of the year.

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Because this.

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The fact that there's a flow going on

when you do a removal will give the bees

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work to do that they don't dwell on the

fact that they just went through a very

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traumatic experience that they get back

into what they were designed to do.

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So just like a work dog, it just.

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Designed to work.

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That's how it's satisfied.

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bees are the same way.

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They need to work so.

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You remove them during the times of year.

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So generally it's I like doing removals

in February, March, April, may, June,

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and that's once June gets there.

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I stopped, I really

stopped doing them because.

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It's too hot.

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There isn't any nectar flow

going on until, again, in, in

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the fall, in September, October.

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So in, in July, August, September,

I don't do removals because they're,

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the bees aren't gonna survive it.

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They won't make it.

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I do it in relation to what's going

on in nature so that the bees can

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get back to work to doing what they

do to lower their stress level to.

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Get the bees to get back

into their normal cycle.

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Dixie: When you're doing the removals

I know we're out in the country, so

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we're like in the middle of nowhere.

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I know a lot of the times by us when

people have problems with their bees,

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it's the bees will go swarm in the trees.

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In our case it ended up being our house.

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'cause our house was built in 1888.

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And so it's a little bit different

structure from houses that

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would be say in the city of New

Orleans or in the metro area.

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'cause you're up in Covington.

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So when you're doing the removals,

are you doing more removals

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that are in the actual city?

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Mr Ed: Oh, I do removals in the

country, in the city everywhere.

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'cause bees are everywhere.

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Here in southeast Louisiana.

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Bees are everywhere.

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We have a very conducive

environment for bees.

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Our temperature as well as

the resources of food or.

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Readily available for

bees as well as habitat.

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Bees will make due of anything any kind

of structure to to build a hive in.

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All they need is the right space.

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And they'll do it.

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So Louisiana, because of our.

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Subtropical or mild tropical weather that

we get, bees fly almost all year round.

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Unlike up in north United States bees

fly all the time and consequently

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they're generally always on the move.

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Always on the move.

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Now they will only swarm at

certain times of the year.

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Generally, that's a general statement.

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But in springtime as bees are coming

out of the winter the cycle of bees, the

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normal cycle of bees is in the wintertime.

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The number of bees in Hive

diminish, and they, the reason

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they diminish is because the source

of food resources are dwindling.

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The natural ones where they go

and get 'em the bees store them.

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So they have, that's what they survive

off when the resources are dwindling.

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And so as the resources dwindle in nature.

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So to the hive mimics that slowing

down and they reduce in numbers.

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So that's how they're able to survive

because the, there's fewer bees in the

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: 00:18:57

hive when there's no resources coming in.

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: 00:19:00

Then as we come into spring.

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: 00:19:04

More plants and trees are

blooming well, then the bees are

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: 00:19:09

then working, bringing in food.

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: 00:19:12

And so once that starts happening the

queen will start laying again in these

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: 00:19:16

colonies that were maybe 5,000 bees.

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: 00:19:20

In a matter of five to six weeks, turn

into colonies with 20 or 30,000 bees.

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: 00:19:26

So they grow very quickly.

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: 00:19:28

But they grow quickly in relation

to what is going on, in nature,

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: 00:19:34

what's blooming at the time.

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: 00:19:36

So good flows.

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: 00:19:38

The bees build up, they store their

resources they store their surpluses

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: 00:19:44

and then the sources dry up.

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: 00:19:47

The food sources dry up.

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: 00:19:49

The bees start to dwindle in

size, and the cycle then will

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: 00:19:53

begin again in, in the spring.

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: 00:19:55

That's generally how it works.

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: 00:19:58

Dixie: And when you talk about honey too,

is the honey gonna be flavored differently

331

: 00:20:03

depending upon what they're pollinating

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: 00:20:07

Mr Ed: it?

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: 00:20:07

The taste of honey as well as

the color of it all, or dependent

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: 00:20:13

on the source of nectar that the

bees were getting the nectar from.

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: 00:20:18

Whether it's clover, whether it's

from privet, blackberry, blueberry

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: 00:20:24

maple tallow, every, everything

that is a source of nectar, has a

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: 00:20:30

different taste associated with it.

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: 00:20:33

And so as a guy that.

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: 00:20:36

Travels a lot of areas.

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: 00:20:38

I get to taste a lot of different

types of honey and it's because

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: 00:20:43

it's different nectar sources.

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: 00:20:45

That's one of the great things about what

I do is the amount of variation in tastes

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: 00:20:52

of the honey that, that I encounter.

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: 00:20:54

Dixie: Which one has been the best?

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: 00:20:56

, Mr Ed: I did a removal last year.

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: 00:20:58

That had the best taste in

honey I have ever come across.

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: 00:21:04

And I couldn't even tell you

what the source of that was.

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: 00:21:09

I don't know.

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: 00:21:09

I had no idea.

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: 00:21:11

I couldn't even guess at it because,

one, I don't remember where I got

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: 00:21:15

the, where I had done the removal.

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: 00:21:16

'cause I do probably about.

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: 00:21:19

In the course from say, January

to, to July, I probably do

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: 00:21:25

about 80 or so removals.

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: 00:21:29

So, I can't remember the location of

everything when I'm tasting the honey.

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: 00:21:33

I can remember the removals, but

I can't remember what the honey

357

: 00:21:37

tasted like in, in the removal.

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: 00:21:39

Dixie: I know we have a friend and

he's got bees near us and we have the

359

: 00:21:43

Japanese plum trees or the loquats

uhhuh, and it gives the honey Oh.

360

: 00:21:50

Such a good taste.

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: 00:21:53

Mr Ed: I agree.

362

: 00:21:54

I agree.

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: 00:21:54

It's, there's some wonderful

taste in nectar out there.

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: 00:21:57

I remember one of 'em that I did.

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: 00:21:59

It was a removal and it was in the

early spring when the honeysuckle was

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: 00:22:05

blooming and there was literally this

man's backyard was full of honeysuckle.

367

: 00:22:13

You smell it down the street

and the honey just had this

368

: 00:22:19

magnificent honeysuckle taste.

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: 00:22:21

It was absolutely great taste in honey.

370

: 00:22:24

Dixie: See in the country we have a

lot of the wild blackberry bushes.

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: 00:22:29

Mr Ed: Yeah.

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: 00:22:30

I get a lot of that.

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: 00:22:31

Yeah.

374

: 00:22:31

That's a great taste in honey, that

the blackberry, and that's the early

375

: 00:22:35

spring tasting, because that's when

the blackberries and blueberries bloom

376

: 00:22:40

early in the spring, generally around,

. March and April is when that blooms.

377

: 00:22:46

Dixie: When you're talking about

a swarm, you're talking about the

378

: 00:22:49

bees actually looking for a new

location and not like swarming people.

379

: 00:22:53

'cause I know that there's like some

kind of misconception that when you say

380

: 00:22:57

swarm, people are freaked out that the

bees are gonna be swarming around them.

381

: 00:23:02

Is that what the actual term is for

swarm is when they're actually going out

382

: 00:23:06

and they're looking for a new location?

383

: 00:23:08

Mr Ed: That is what a swarm is.

384

: 00:23:10

A swarm is when a colony of bees

splits basically in half . Prior to

385

: 00:23:16

the swarm, the colony is building up.

386

: 00:23:19

So there's a lot of bees in the hive.

387

: 00:23:21

Sometimes, 40,000 bees in the

hive and it's just natural

388

: 00:23:26

procreation for bees to swarm.

389

: 00:23:29

They build up and then

they, half of 'em leave.

390

: 00:23:34

So that's how they spread

out by that method and.,

391

: 00:23:38

What happens is in the hive in

preparation for a swarm, the queen will

392

: 00:23:44

lay, cells that will become new queens.

393

: 00:23:49

And these are swarm queens.

394

: 00:23:52

And what happens is prior

to the new queens emerging.

395

: 00:23:57

The old queen and generally about half

the hive or a little bit more will then

396

: 00:24:02

leave the hive and that is a swarm.

397

: 00:24:06

And when the old queen in the hive leaves

with a bunch of bees and they go off to

398

: 00:24:11

make a new hive, and they leave the new

queen with the new bees in that hive

399

: 00:24:16

to start again in that same location.

400

: 00:24:20

Dixie: And another thing, I

think there's a misconception

401

: 00:24:23

around bees stinging people.

402

: 00:24:25

'cause I know when I was a

child, I was terrified of bees.

403

: 00:24:28

I thought the bees were just

gonna come up to me and sting me.

404

: 00:24:30

If I was in the swimming

pool or something, they would

405

: 00:24:32

always come get some water.

406

: 00:24:34

And I was absolutely terrified that

I was gonna get stung by a bee.

407

: 00:24:37

In fact, I don't know if I've

ever been stunned by a bee,

408

: 00:24:40

but it was just something that.

409

: 00:24:42

When you're a kid it's

terrifying to think about it.

410

: 00:24:45

And as I got older I realized that,

and especially now since we have some

411

: 00:24:49

bees, unless you're disturbing the

hive, they really don't go after you.

412

: 00:24:54

How do you address these misconceptions

around the bees stinging?

413

: 00:24:59

Mr Ed: It generally speaking.

414

: 00:25:04

If you are not disturbing the

hive will not disturb you.

415

: 00:25:09

Now that doesn't hold true for

the Africanized type of bee.

416

: 00:25:13

Those, those are just a nasty disposition.

417

: 00:25:16

bee, and you can just be minding

your own business and they will

418

: 00:25:20

attack if you're around their hive.

419

: 00:25:23

And you could be a quarter of a mile away.

420

: 00:25:26

They can attack.

421

: 00:25:27

So not including the Africanized type

bees, which is we have those in here, in

422

: 00:25:35

the United States throughout the the west.

423

: 00:25:38

And it, they're from Texas all the

way to California, all the way up to

424

: 00:25:43

Colorado, or there's Africanized bees

and some, to some degree in Florida.

425

: 00:25:49

And , as far to my knowledge here in

Louisiana , I don't even know if there's

426

: 00:25:54

any documented cases of Africanized bees.

427

: 00:25:57

So for us the rule would be that,

the bees aren't gonna mess with

428

: 00:26:02

you unless you mess with them.

429

: 00:26:04

Dixie: I imagine that you've

been stunned quite a few times.

430

: 00:26:08

Mr Ed: Yeah.

431

: 00:26:09

It's a good day if I don't get stung.

432

: 00:26:11

It's every day I'm gonna get stung.

433

: 00:26:14

Just a matter of when,

434

: 00:26:15

Dixie: I have heard that beekeepers

actually live longer, have you heard that?

435

: 00:26:21

Mr Ed: No, I haven't heard that.

436

: 00:26:23

But , there's all kinds of.

437

: 00:26:25

Of things on science saying the

benefits of bee stings, there's

438

: 00:26:29

now even studies that, , there's

some validity to venom with.

439

: 00:26:37

Cancer treatments with arthritis, with

bursitis, with a lot of varied things.

440

: 00:26:44

But I don't really put a lot

of credence in all that stuff.

441

: 00:26:48

I'm a beekeeper 'cause I love

bees and if that's a benefit of

442

: 00:26:52

it, I'm just a lucky guy then.

443

: 00:26:54

Dixie: Why is it that you like the bees?

444

: 00:26:56

What is it about them that comforts you?

445

: 00:27:00

Mr Ed: It's, like I said

before, it's a spiritual thing.

446

: 00:27:03

I see the hand of God in it and it's

what that's the reason I continue

447

: 00:27:08

to do this even after 45 years plus

years of doing it, that it's always.

448

: 00:27:15

Religious to me and one of the,

things that I've learned as being

449

: 00:27:21

the beekeeper for the monks and

following their spirituality the

450

: 00:27:25

Benedictine spirituality that, that

I've grown to appreciate more and more.

451

: 00:27:31

Not just the benefits that the bees

provide for us, but what the bees can

452

: 00:27:37

teach us as humans in living our lives.

453

: 00:27:41

How they live a selfless life

unlike humans where we live

454

: 00:27:47

pretty much selfishly bees.

455

: 00:27:51

Give everything for the colony.

456

: 00:27:53

They live for the colony.

457

: 00:27:56

They give their life for their colony.

458

: 00:27:58

They hold no regard for individuality.

459

: 00:28:02

The only regard they have is for

the survivability of that colony.

460

: 00:28:07

So it's a different

mindset of surviving that.

461

: 00:28:13

It's not one for self preservation

like humans do, but rather

462

: 00:28:18

it's for colonate preservation.

463

: 00:28:21

And this aspect of a selfless

life lived is a beautiful way

464

: 00:28:28

Like perfectly mimics what Christ

did when he came into the world.

465

: 00:28:32

He gave his life for us and so

it's mimics that beautifully and.

466

: 00:28:40

We can grow in appreciation

for bees, what they do for us.

467

: 00:28:44

And if at the same time we can grow in

the aspect of our relation, personal

468

: 00:28:53

relation to, living our life in this

world in regard to how bees live their

469

: 00:28:58

life, that we can make this life here

for us, a much, much better place.

470

: 00:29:06

So for me it's a very deeply

personal religious experience.

471

: 00:29:11

Dixie: It definitely could teach

humanity a lot too, just about community.

472

: 00:29:15

Yes.

473

: 00:29:16

Mr Ed: Yes.

474

: 00:29:18

Dixie: Before we end the call, what

would you say to people who dislike bees

475

: 00:29:23

and would rather see them exterminated

as opposed to rescued like you do?

476

: 00:29:29

Mr Ed: The only reason.

477

: 00:29:30

That they have that fear

is because it's an unknown.

478

: 00:29:36

It's an unknown quantity

to equality to 'em.

479

: 00:29:39

I have literally hundreds of people

that watch my channel that are not

480

: 00:29:44

beekeepers, that had no interest in

bees until they started watching.

481

: 00:29:49

My channel and it's.

482

: 00:29:54

If you want to overcome a natural

fear and they're not wrong to be

483

: 00:29:59

naturally afraid because be stings hurt.

484

: 00:30:02

And there's this natural thing.

485

: 00:30:04

But if we have an understanding of what.

486

: 00:30:10

Bees do for us, and not that their

only purpose is to make honey

487

: 00:30:16

or to sting us, then we can, our

attitude toward them can change.

488

: 00:30:25

Dixie: Yeah, definitely.

489

: 00:30:25

I can agree with that too because just

like you were saying, when you look at 'em

490

: 00:30:29

and you take care of 'em, they pollinate

for us, but then we also get honey

491

: 00:30:35

and, honey can be very therapeutic too.

492

: 00:30:39

Mr Ed: So actually, honey is the

only naturally created product

493

: 00:30:47

that bacteria will not grow in.

494

: 00:30:50

So only one naturally produced.

495

: 00:30:54

And so it is used in medicinal purposes,

dressing wounds because it prevents

496

: 00:31:00

bacteria from growing on in wounds.

497

: 00:31:03

The wax has properties that, again will

discourage the formation of bacteria.

498

: 00:31:10

So they pack wounds with wax, bees.

499

: 00:31:14

They're just incredible creatures.

500

: 00:31:17

Dixie: They definitely are.

501

: 00:31:19

Thank you so much for taking

the time to speak with me today.

502

: 00:31:22

I enjoyed our

503

: 00:31:22

Mr Ed: conversation.

504

: 00:31:23

Oh, it is my pleasure, Dixie.

505

: 00:31:25

It is really fun.

506

: 00:31:26

Thank you very much for inviting me.

507

: 00:31:27

Dixie: You're welcome.

508

: 00:31:28

And I'll be the first to say

too, the reason that we have

509

: 00:31:30

bees is because of your show.

510

: 00:31:32

Mr Ed: That's a good thing.

511

: 00:31:33

That's a real good thing.

512

: 00:31:34

Dixie: Yeah, it is.

513

: 00:31:35

And I'm gonna include a link

to your YouTube channel.

514

: 00:31:38

In the description.

515

: 00:31:40

And I'm also gonna include

actually the link to the removal

516

: 00:31:43

that you did in our house.

517

: 00:31:44

Mr Ed: Oh yeah.

518

: 00:31:45

That would be awesome.

519

: 00:31:46

That would be great.

520

: 00:31:46

Thank you so much, Dixie.

521

: 00:31:48

Dixie: That's it for today's episode.

522

: 00:31:49

I wanna thank everybody for

listening and supporting us.

523

: 00:31:53

If you wanna take that an extra

step, consider becoming a member.

524

: 00:31:57

We just added this to our

website, animalposse.com,

525

: 00:32:02

scroll down, look for the support tab.

526

: 00:32:04

Our membership program is going to

help us directly support animals

527

: 00:32:10

in need, whether that be through

vaccinations, food or spay neuter efforts.