Commercial beekeeper from Orange, Janet Clyde visited an excited group of LiveBetter clients on June 15, immersing them into the world of all-things bees; what they do, their roles in the ecosystem and how their honey tastes - straight from the inside of a real hive.

"No one really sees the inside of a hive without any bees in it and I sort of take it for granted, because they couldn't believe what they were looking at - they were just amazed at what honey looks like in that raw form and all of the different components of the hive frame," Miss Clyde said.

"They were a bit standoffish to start with, but before we knew it, they were happy to stick their finger in and eat it. They were just over the moon that they actually got to see and taste a frame-full of fresh honey capped in wax, because it's as fresh as you're going to get it.

"They were like kids in a candy shop and it was an amazing experience for them and for me, honestly."

Through its vocational education program, LiveBetter's disability support worker, Christina Davis said bringing Miss Clyde on board was a unique experience for the group that hasn't been quickly forgotten.

"Our programs are to really build up their vocabularies and keep their minds active, and the hope is that they can retain some of the information and learning as they're going," Miss Davis said.

"They definitely got a lot out of Janet's session since Wednesday [last week] - asking people if they know that male bees are called drones, telling others that the female bees are the hard workers in the hive, that bees have two stomachs - they're still talking about this week."

Delivering educational workshops as such, is exactly what the Orange-based apiarist feels passionate about - spreading her plethora of knowledge when it comes to the importance of bee-roles in society.

Moving toward facilitating more of these sessions is also the ultimate goal, Miss Clyde said, who decided to undertake studies in a Bachelor of Agricultural Science to get there.

"I've only just started with these sessions, because I have a commercial beekeeping business that I run full-time, but I'm working more towards the education side of things as I want to end up doing workshops full-time," she said.

"I love teaching people about bees with all of the knowledge that I have and to pass that on, because I've learned so much on the job that just isn't written about in books.

"Getting my Bachelor of Agriculture will enable me to do presentations with [the Department of Primary Industries] as well, so it'll get to a point of doing more around town and allow me to cater for all audiences - presenting to other beekeepers and industry bodies, too."

Coming fully equipped with hives, equipment and even beekeeper suits, her sessions involve an interactive and up-close affair with the buzzing creatures, which she described as widely underrated insects.

"Not many people know a great deal about bees and a lot of people don't understand their connection to the food that we love to eat," she said.

"There is a long list, an extremely long list, of fruits and vegetables that won't actually exist without pollination - berries, nuts, beans - even 50 per cent of coffee that is produced globally, has to be pollinated by bees."

Putting water out during warm weather and adopting bee-friendly plants, Miss Clyde said, are ways to contribute to bees' ongoing existence, including leaving hives alone to go about their busy-bee-business.

"If you see them or a hive, please let them be - don't spray or harm them, because there aren't many honey bees left in the wild anymore - and the reason that most of them still exist, is because beekeepers like myself manage them," she said.

"If people don't personally know a beekeeper to remove an unwanted hive, they can actually ring the DPI, which has a list of beekeepers, to remove the bees for them.

For those wanting their own hive, Miss Clyde urged these people to undertake a "beginners beekeeper course" or join their local association before any purchases, with bee education the key; and what she hopes to leave as her lasting impression.

"If I can go into places and everyone walks out with at least one piece of knowledge about bees that they didn't have before - then I'm really happy."

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