Testimonials

Recently, I attended a native bee workshop at BeeZotted hosted by Matthew Middleton. Matthew has an obvious affinity with these little creatures and his familiarity with them is quite extraordinary.

During the session Matthew covered the importance and history of bees presently, as well as to the original inhabitants of Australia and nearby countries together with his personal experiences. His explanations of the possible pitfalls during hive transfers were enlightening. The care with which handled the bees and hives did not go un-noticed. I have attended quite a number of native hive workshops and yes I have learnt something at all of them. If I was only ever able to attend one workshop then this would be the one, it is the whole package.

Thank you Matthew.

Matthew has a passion for the bees and is always ready to chat about them. Early in our association with bees, we went out and saw the bees all outside their hives and panicked. Matthew simply informed us they were swarming “having a difference of opinion” with the neighbouring hive.

Buying Australian native bees is a bit of an investment, but one we were glad to make. Our box of approximately 10,000 bees arrived as expected, but what we didn’t expect was the permanent bee-help hotline we also received in Matthew. We can call him at any time if we have concerns and he is more than happy to talk all things bee with us. We’ve learnt a huge amount and love watching our bees leave their sturdy white hive and return with their multi-coloured pollen-pants. We got them to provide extra pollinators for our area but have also got ourselves an endless source of wonder.

After making the decision to invest more directly in our immediate environment, we decided to purchase a hive of native bees. We ordered a hive through Matthew and Juliet (Beezotted) and have fallen in love with 10,000 new friends. It’s a great investment and we will definitely get more!

I first met Matthew about 10 years ago when a neighbour asked if I would be interested in having native bee hives in my garden at home. Ever since, the bee hives have been a great point of interest in the garden and topic of conversation. Apart from the impact of the bees on pollination in the garden, the other great advantage of having one of Matthew’s bee hives is that a couple of times a year, Matthew arrives to tend to the hives.
When I asked Matthew if he would locate one of his hives in the school vegetable garden, he agreed immediately. He was keen to introduce the world of native bees to the children and reinforce concepts of sustainability and environmental balance. Matthew brought this calm, conversational approach to school and immediately engaged the children. The children were entranced by everything, including story telling accompanied by didgeridoo playing.
The native bee hive is now a fixture in the school vegetable garden and a point of great interest and learning to children and parents alike.

Matthew’s fascinating workshop has me confidently prepared for my first native bee box.
Loved the science, loved the culture, captivated by the demonstrations.
Great community fun and connections.

Bingara Preschool got to know Matthew Middleton from Beezotted when seeking to purchase an Australian Native Beehive.
His love and interest in the wellbeing of these ancient stingless creatures was obvious from the start. Matthew has kept in touch since the bees arrived in 2015, offering valuable support and advice in the care of the bees. The children at the preschool have constantly observed the comings and goings of the bees throughout all seasons now and have learnt the importance of these amazing environmental warriors.
Matthew visited recently entertaining children with his vivid storytelling and didgeridoo playing that enhanced the knowledge and love of the bees. Matthew demonstrated robbing the hive of honey (sugarbag) where each child was offered samples of the sweet gold.
You have provided a great hands on, real life experience.
Thanks Matthew.

Hi Matthew,
Thanks for a really great workshop today. What a lovely experience being covered by native bees. I learned so much. You showed me where that little entrance is to these beautiful gems. Now it’s up to me to fall down the bee hole and experience the wonder and magic of bees. Thank you. It would be a pleasure to spend more time taking about many topics with you and Juliet. Safe journey home.

Matthew, Thank you for your incredible information and lively Bee Education Days. I was really amazed at the quality and dedication that you applied to the teaching and fostering of information to both Children and Adults on the subject of our Australian Stingless Bees. It was both informative and you showed us how wonderful the life of the beautiful Bee really is. Everybody was blown away at your dedication and informative teaching style.
Both you and Reuben are thanked for your hard work and lovely teaching days.