'Bees starving' in disastrous year for French honey

Mickael Isambert, a beekeeper in Saint-Ours-les-Roches in central France, lost 70 percent of his honey and had to feed his colonies sugar to help them survive after a cold, rainy spring.

"It has been a catastrophic year," said Isambert, 44, who looks after 450 hives.

Read more https://uk.news.yahoo.com/bees-starving-disastrous-french-honey-140411280.html

Ukraine news

In short, beekeepers are a stubborn bunch! And check out his shirtless friend ...

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/ukrainian-beekeeper-refuses-to-abandon-hives-as-russian-troops-advance/vi-AA1pfCOu?ocid=socialshare

Beekeeping dogs

Yes, read all about 'beekeeping dogs': https://uk.news.yahoo.com/beekeeping-dogs-save-thousands-bees-115327840.html 

Sniffing out AFB is quite cool, though, I admit.

Meet Scotland’s honey sommelier

The only thing is, I am a huge skeptic* of honey sommelier - or come to that a sommelier of wine, having been stung** in restaurants many times.

A 'fully qualified' honey sommelier, we are told!

*Do you see what I did there?

**Oh yes; it'll be dad-jokes next...

EU is nice to Portuguese beekeepers

News : EU funds for Algarve beekeepers

The contribution of beekeeping to biodiversity conservation will be recognised with the allocation of community funds, according to the Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR) of the Algarve. 

https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/2024-07-16/eu-funds-for-algarve-beekeepers/90641 

Didn't know WBC hives were used in Portugal...

Bees on a bicycle

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/offbeat/eye-popping-moment-huge-swarm-of-bees-assemble-outside-edinburgh-library/ar-BB1oQCC4

Swarm of bees forces Primark in Canterbury to be evacuated

Nice piece here: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/swarm-of-bees-forces-primark-to-be-evacuated-308828/ 

North Macedonia's beekeepers face climate change challenge

Another climate story, this time from North Macedonia. While the climate is clearly warming up, and the impact of human activity seems to be unquestionably the root cause, in this case would the sheer density of colonies have anything to do with declining yields?

In the image below there are about 40 hives visible, very closely packed.

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240614-north-macedonia-s-beekeepers-face-climate-change-challenge

When Climate Change Meets Too Many Bees

A story whizzing round the internet right now: "Paris rooftop hives produce less bee's knees honey due to climate change." (That's the original grisly wording of the headline.)

Maybe. 

On the other hand, the story includes the remark that "Mugo, a French group of landscape designers, which manages a hundred or so beehives in Paris, has installed four hives on the rooftop of Pernod Ricard near Saint-Lazare train station in Paris." https://www.mugo.fr/

In the wild, honey bee colonies are typically at least 1,000 m apart (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5089168/), and more like 2,000 m on average. That means if the 100 colonies from Mugo in Paris are at 1,000 m separation, they would typically occupy 100 sq km, and at 2,000 m separation would cover 400 sq km.

Paris is about 100 sq km (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris), which means at best Paris is comfortably full of bees, and at worst is 4X overstocked. And that's just Mugo's bees.

Or am I mathematically challenged?

 

Weights & Measures

A few weeks ago I started reading BEEKEEPING STUDY NOTES For the BBKA Certificate in BEEKEEPING HUSBANDRY (their u/lc, not mine!).

On page 130 it reads, "Note the weight of a worker bee = c.90mg and that 1 lb of bees contains c. 5000 bees" and repeats the same jumble of imperial and metric units on page 154.

Grrrrrr.

Always good: 50,000 bees saved from apartment block and rehomed

Bees rescued (I think): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c888m2x19zyo

(Ignore the usual low editorial standards on the BBC web site)

Rachel Monger & Bees Abroad

Fascinating stories from Rachel Monger about Bees Abroad's work in Tanzania. 

Discover more at https://beesabroad.org.uk/ and perhaps watch the video.

Poshest & Becks

What a nice bloke (your choice as to whom): https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2024-06-03/david-beckham-swaps-beekeeping-tips-with-king-charles 

Honey Heroes Competition launched by Ocado

 

Beekeeping & sport

Following the piece about the beekeeper, the swarm, and the French Open tennis, here's another sporty bee story: "‘Bee Guy’ Who Removed Hive from MLB Game Wins Over Crowd, Gets First Pitch: 'Pretty Hyped Up'"

Only a truly American journalist could write that headline! More here, https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/bee-guy-removed-hive-mlb-104906376.html 

Military vet goes to war with neighbors over backyard bee hive

Only in America - or perhaps coming to a 'burb near you, too: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/military-vet-goes-to-war-with-neighbors-over-backyard-bee-hive/ar-AA1nSTSg 

What does this mean? "Killer Asian hornet warning with 3,000 per cent rise"

In this report, the key sentence occurs at the end:

Killer Asian hornets with a sting that can kill are set to invade the UK in record numbers, sparking fear for British bees and safety concerns for humans. Last year saw an alarming 3,800 per cent increase in sightings of these deadly insects.

This year is expected to bring a full-blown invasion, as experts warn of the potential devastation these hornets can cause. They're known for their ability to wipe out entire beehives within hours, and when swarming, they can pose a lethal threat to humans and other large animals.

In 2022, there were a mere two reported encounters with them, but this figure skyrocketed to 78 in 2023.

Is "3,000 per cent rise" justified - or understandable? Plus the '3,800' figure adds to the confusion, I think!

More to the point, is the battle against Asian Hornet already lost? 

American Foulbrood found in Perthshire beehive

Never pleasant news for beekeepers. More here: https://www.gov.scot/news/american-foulbrood-found-in-perthshire-beehive-2/ 

The National Bee Unit provides reports of AFB here: https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/diseases-and-pests/reports-charts-and-maps/disease-incidence/live-afb-report/

Bee Health Improvement Partnership, Scotland

Useful, if somewhat dry, reading about the Bee Health Improvement Partnership: https://www.gov.scot/publications/bee-health-improvement-partnership-bhip-annual-report-2022-2023/ 

The table reporting notifiable disease inspections looks interesting (see below). EFB was much worse in 2020 than in 2023; AFB has rocketed.

Amos Root's house - a snip at $20,000,000

Came across this today: Amos Root's house is for sale: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/well-preserved-1920s-spanish-colonial-214358290.html  Root wrote The ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture (a mere £80 from Northern Bee Books)) 

Photo: Mike Helfrich https://www.instagram.com/mike_helfrich/

Free nature events to celebrate Wallingford business park's 30th anniversary

The link from the main article takes you directly to "Best pub in South Oxfordshire," which speaks volumes about beekeepers...

Full story here: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/free-nature-events-celebrate-wallingford-050000208.html 

Local Primary School’s Beekeeping Club Buzzes To New Heights With Support From South West Water

More bees, this time in Launceston: https://cornishstuff.com/2024/03/14/local-primary-schools-beekeeping-club-buzzes-to-new-heights-with-support-from-south-west-water/

Bees at the BNP Paribas Open

Nice bit of bee-vaccing: https://x.com/BNPPARIBASOPEN/status/1768419806712377353?s=20 and https://twitter.com/i/status/1768417280143364498

Greek beekeepers take hives to parliament in protest

 Some nice Greek agitprop:  https://uk.news.yahoo.com/greek-beekeepers-hives-parliament-protest-165142791.html

It turns out we have been saving the wrong bees

Oh.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/lifestyle/lifestylegeneral/it-turns-out-we-have-been-saving-the-wrong-bees/ar-AA1b3DIG

The Beekeeper buzzes to the top of the box office

The Beekeeper movie currently tops the box office, beating Mean Girls - which considering some of my bees, would be a good subtitle for the same film.

Reviews of The Beekeeper might be summarised as 'ineffably silly, violent fun - if you like that kind of thing.'

On the plus side, The Beekeeper is better than Barbie, but that's a very, very low bar.

How many hives per hectare?

 

Seen at the roadside of Highway 21, Agra to Jaipur, India

Alan Rowse

I have 30+ years experience in the education sector which also includes research management at undergraduate and postgraduate level. A local beekeeping group, which is based in the Rowcroft Hospice estate, were looking for an individual who could progress their educational agenda. I joined this group in 2020 and have been helping to manage their 25 (2 of which are mine) beehives which has been a great learning experience. This hands-on experience led me to joining the Torbay Beekeepers Association where I signed up for the winter course and subsequently passed my BBKA Basic exam with credit. I am now exploring the other BBKA courses on offer. Although in my early stages of becoming an experienced beekeeper, I enjoy mentoring new volunteers and learning from my more experienced peers. As a lifelong learner, I enjoy the challenge of learning new skills and knowledge, particularly when the topic of beekeeping is involved. Email here Link trustee for:

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Electric news

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2RXiKTu1n-/?igsh=YnlicWNrMjdsZ3F6

Mellifera, Mellifica - I feel a campaign coming on...

"Mellifera" as in "honey-carrying" is something of a misnomer for honey bees. When Carl Linnaeus realised that "mellifica" would be more descriptive (as in "honey-making"), it was too late to change the fixed classification.

Many biological classification names are subject to change, though. In beekeeping, for example, Paenibacillus larvae was formerly Bacillus larvae.

I feel a campaign coming on...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus

Uncapper - well worth a look

https://www.youtube.com/@TheNationalUncapper

Bees, honey, and soil productivity

Summary of research from the Department of the Bleedin' Obvious: Honey bees produce less honey in areas where the soil is less productive with fewer nectar-producing plants. 

https://phys.org/news/2024-01-bees-honey-reveals-clues-decades.html

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/08/declining-honey-yields-bees-research

APICO

APICO is a laid-back beekeeping sim game about breeding, collecting, & conserving bees! Set in a series of lush environments, APICO uniquely combines resource gathering, biology, and beekeeping minigames, taking ideas from a mix of real-life and fantasy apiculture & floriculture.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1390190/APICO/

Apiary and Education

Help support our Apiary Garden and Education Centre which is a live resource for learning about the environment and pollinators. YouTube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAtQQAiQwUI Filmed by fridaysky : www.fridaysky.co.uk Thanks to a generous legacy from a beekeeper, Jim Hopkins, together with donations from the public and corporate sponsors, the BBKA has been able to complete work on the office building and apiary garden to provide the facilities needed for an educational centre aimed at schools and community groups. Children are able to visit with their school class and learn about the importance of honey bees, pollinators and beekeeping in a relaxed and informal environment with the highlight of each visit being the chance to watch from behind a bee-proof mesh screen as a beekeeper opens a hive.  Lots of children get ‘bitten by the bug’ this way and, with their interest in beekeeping awakened, will hopefully return to it in later years. It’s im...

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In Colombia, illegally felled timber repurposed to help bees

Story source:  https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2024/1/2/photos-in-colombia-illegally-felled-timber-repurposed-to-help-bees

The project has seen about 7,060 cubic feet of wood transformed into 1,000 bee hives.

January

    Ian Campbell, Newcastle & District BKA & BBKA Social Media Manager I’ve kept bees since 2009 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Beekeeping advice? Now there’s a poisoned chalice! Unsolicited advice is about as popular as an inbox full of spam! Over the years, I’ve learnt a core set of interventions that ensure colonies are healthy, pest-free, have adequate stores and minimal swarming. By sharing these, I hope to help you keep one step ahead. Leave alone Remember the age-old phrase: ‘First, do no harm.’ The work you did with autumn preparation was time well spent. Nature is now in the driving seat; even if you spot a problem, not much can be done about it now.              Photo:  David Wootton Equipment sales Think what you may need this season because you will always need more kit!  Full prices and long lead times later in the year can be painful. Pests and disease Varroa: Monitor first ...

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Apis cerana indica

 

Looks somewhat hornet-shaped, much larger than Apis mellifera spp

Spring Convention Research Poster Awards

BBKA Spring Convention Research Poster Awards      Thanks to sponsorship from the C.B. Dennis British Beekeeper's Research Trust, and to mark 150 years of the BBKA in 2024, applications are invited for Convention Research Poster Awards.  The intention of these awards is to enable researchers who would not otherwise present at the Convention to do so.  Accepted posters will be displayed 12th – 13th April and presented on Friday 12th, at the Convention at Harper Adams University, Shropshire, TF10 8NB.  Following the poster presentations, the author judged to have given the best poster and presentation, will be awarded a prize certificate and one year’s complimentary membership of the BBKA.   Applications are invited from UK based researchers for awards up to £400 maximum each.  The research presented should relate to honey bees and /or beekeeping. Four awards are expected to be made.   To apply: Applications must be r...

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Asian Hornet Briefing

Asian Hornet – Special Briefing for Beekeepers – update for 2024 Tuesday 16th January 2024, 7.00pm via Zoom This follow up briefing by Andrew Durham will cover: The situation as at the end of 2023 The effect on beekeeping The prospect for 2024 and beyond A report on the first year in operation of the new French National Plan for fighting the hornet Please use the following Zoom link to join the briefing: https://ift.tt/YIscqLE  Meeting ID: 847 6717 8392 Passcode: 162837

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Plan your BBKA Spring Convention

Planning for 2024 BBKA Spring Convention 2024 is the 150th anniversary of the founding of the British Beekeepers Association. There’s no better place to come and celebrate this than the BBKA’s Spring Convention! The planning for the Spring Convention starts long before Spring, and whilst some speakers and workshops have yet to be finalised, it’s going to be a really special event. If you’re feeling a bit “Zoomed out” then come along and participate in some real-world beekeeping activities. The Spring Convention has real-life speakers, workshops and seminars! The BBKA Spring Convention is held at Harper Adams University   near Newport, in Shropshire. The dates for 2024 are 12th - 14th April.  The one day Trade Show will be on Saturday 13th April. Many traders have special offers available to pre-order, as well as having new items of kit available to examine at the Show. The event is held across the campus in several buildings, with l...

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Oakgrove School

November 2023 Oakgrove School, based in Milton Keynes, have been awarded 'Beacon School' status and they are delighted that educating their pupils on the enjoyment and importance of bees in the environment has been recognised by the BBKA.    BBKA President, Anne Rowberry, recently visited the school for a student-led tour of its apiary and to present the school with its Beacon School certificate. The school currently has 22 hives and runs a twice weekly Bee Club.  They also share their knowledge and best practice with other schools in the area and with the local community helping to demonstrate the value of beekeeping.  They sell some of their honey each year to help fund new equipment for the Bee Club. We came up with the idea of a beekeeping club in 2020.  I was chatting with the Deputy Head, Nic Irwin - Morris, about bees and mentioned I would love to become a beekeeper.  She asked why I wasn’t and I told her it was because I had nowher...

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BBKA National Honey Day

The British Beekeepers' Association celebrate National Honey Day on 21st October each year. We would like to invite you to share in this day when we will be encouraging everyone to buy a jar of local honey, produced by bees here in the UK.  Not only do we want to ensure people are aware of all the benefits honey provides but we are seeking to celebrate the pleasure of eating honey. Honey has been enjoyed all over the world for centuries, it was found in the Egyptian tombs and is often depicted being collected by bees in ancient cave drawings. During this day of celebration, you could encourage friends and family to share photos on social media: you and your jars of local honey! The things you do with your honey. Perhaps you eat it on toast or in porridge? Perhaps you bake with honey or make mead? Do you make cosmetics containing honey? Use the hashtags #NationalHoneyDay, #LocalHoney, #Beekeeping But we are concerned that consumers are able to buy a jar label...

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Asian Hornets' eating habits

"Each established Asian hornet nest has been estimated to eat around 11kg of pollinators and other invertebrates per year." [https://www.farnhamherald.com/environment/farnham-beekeepers-issue-urgent-asian-hornet-warning-after-sightings-641095]

If a honeybee typically turns the scales at around 100mg, then 11kg = 110,000 bees, approximately two colonies.

Apico

APICO is a laid-back beekeeping sim game about breeding, collecting, & conserving bees! Set in a series of lush environments, APICO uniquely combines resource gathering, biology, and beekeeping minigames, taking ideas from a mix of real-life and fantasy apiculture & floriculture.

Yes, really. https://whitethorngames.com/apico

Government aid announced for beekeepers affected by wildfire

In Portugal. I had not realised the fires were so bad.
Full article: https://www.portugalresident.com/government-aid-announced-for-beekeepers-affected-by-wildfire/

Peter Hewitt

A tribute to Peter Hewitt, a most respected beekeeper, exhibitor, speaker and so much more (28.9.1923 – 10.9.2023). Peter died at home, peacefully in his sleep, in the early morning of 10th September, just 18 days short of his 100th birthday. Born in an impoverished area of Birkenhead, Merseyside, Peter suffered from rickets in childhood, an unlikely beginning for such a long life. Although money was tight, he was a bright pupil and achieved a Leverhulme Scholarship to the local grammar school. This gained him access to the education provided, but the cost of extra-curricular activities was beyond the means of his family. With regard to the grammar school system, he described himself as “in it, but not of it.”. On leaving school, Peter began an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker at the Cammell Laird Shipyard. Here he had his first encounter with the craft of beekeeping, when an older workmate asked him to construct some wooden boxes. On completion, Peter discovered ...

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Sustainability in Beekeeping

 At the 2023 ADM a proposition was passed requiring the BBKA to “seek to encourage the development of sustainability in all aspects of beekeeping”. It has been a challenge to define what sustainability is as it means different things to different people.  The BBKA has, therefore, kept the brief as wide as possible. An Area Association Discussion Forum was organised to talk about the different aspects of sustainability in beekeeping that might be considered.  These are just some of the topics which were discussed: ·         Car-free beekeeping ·         Queens ·         Feeding ·         Frames & Foundation ·         Hive Density ·         Equipment · &nbsp...

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Beekeeping at the Scottish Parliament

Neat magazine story here: https://uk.style.yahoo.com/meet-18-old-beekeeper-looks-104658017.html 

As a full-time cynic, (a) it's curious that Eilidh chooses to wear leather gauntlets, which says to me that she's less than confident, and (b) may I suggest a quick wash of the bee-suits might be a good plan.

Sentinel apiary

A sweet story, no less: https://uk.style.yahoo.com/sweet-chemist-emilys-250-000-180000188.html

Buried in the story: “The site is registered as an Enhanced Sentinel Apiary. This means that the National Bee Unit checks it for exotic pests and diseases,” explained Emily.

“It was requested for this monitoring due to its proximity to the ports. They are looking for any exotic pests and diseases arriving by boat which might attack the bees or affect their health. The idea is that anything would be spotted early and contained.”

Emily (whose last name is secret, it seems) is at The Wilton Centre, https://www.ukspa.org.uk/wilton-centre/

Are Disabilities Barriers to Beekeeping?

Living with a disability makes you rethink many aspects of life, including whether you are able to become a beekeeper, as Zec Richardson explains. All photos are courtesy of Zec Richardson. I first took an interest in beekeeping around about 1994. One summer, every lunchtime at work, I would sit outside behind the aircraft hangar where some bees had nested in an old hut that had a hole in the door. I sat close by and some of the bees would land on me before going into the hive. It was then that I became interested in bees. My wife had always said that if we had a garden over 70 feet long, I could then have a hive as she is not the most confident with bees, wasps or anything that flies near her. When we moved into the property we are living in now, the garden was 100 feet long, but she laughed and said: “no chance”, before I had said anything. So, it was a shock when one day, out of the blue she turned to me and said: “Okay you can have a hive!” Weigh...

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The inevitable UK rise of Asian Hornets (V velutina)

Neat report here: https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/asian-hornets-confirmed-london-first-092449212.html

The Best Ukrainian Beehive of Vasyl Priyatelenko, Beekeeper of Ukraine. At Apiary, Kyiv, Ukraine.

 

Asian Hornet Week 2023 - Special Briefings for Beekeepers

Due to unprecedented demand, and restricted meeting numbers, we are sadly not able to accommodate everyone via Zoom for these briefings.  Therefore, we will also be live streaming the briefings to YouTube to enable as many people as possible to attend. The YouTube link will be available from 7.00pm on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th September. YouTube link will be here. In light of the increased number of Asian Hornet nests in mainland UK in 2023, we have arranged a special Zoom briefing for beekeepers during Asian Hornet Week, split over two nights. Our speaker will be the Cambridgeshire Beekeeper, Andrew Durham, a regular contributor to the BBKA News on the Asian Hornet and who for over 9 years has been studying the Asian Hornet situation in France with regard to its effect on beekeeping.  Drawing on his own research and on a wide range of authoritative and regularly updated sources, from local beekeeping groups to national beekeeping organisations, and from local ad...

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Becoming a Beekeeper

If you are interested in taking up the fascinating hobby of beekeeping you will no doubt have lots of questions and here we aim to provide some of the answers to help you find out exactly what might be involved. Keeping bees healthy and productive requires knowledge and skill. Beekeeping is made much easier by belonging to a local BBKA Association where you will be given advice, tuition and support.   Where do I start? Contact your local BBKA Association for advice and consider becoming a member.  Most associations run ‘Taster Days’ which are ideal for obtaining a basic understanding of bees and what is involved in beekeeping.  This can be followed by an ‘Introduction to Beekeeping’ course where you can learn some of the theory required to be a good beekeeper and gain valuable practical experience before you make any investment in equipment and honey bees.  Your local association will also be able to assign you a mentor who wi...

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Find Beekeeping Near You

There are over 270 area associations and branches who serve their local community with support and education.   The majority offer beekeeping experiences and training courses, support local events and sell honey.  Whether you are in Northumberland or the Isle of Wight there is a network of support. They will all be able to help you on your way to becoming a successful beekeeper. *   Find out what's on offer in your area using our interactive map *   Enter you postcode in the box below and click on 'Find nearest beekeeping association' to find your nearest BBKA branch *   Clicking the 'bee' will show you further information including the website address for your local beekeeper's association Before using the map, please ensure you have enabled essential cookies otherwise it will not work correctly. For Scotland please see the Scottish Beekeepers' Association For Wales please see the Welsh Beekeepers' Association Honeybee I...

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Royal Lancaster Hotel, London - plus Bees Abroad

The Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, keeps bees, and partners with Bees Abroad. Check out the "Bee Our Guest" offer from the hotel, https://www.royallancaster.com/promotions/bee-our-guest/

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/top-london-hotel-almost-million-161558617.html

Ivry-B hive adds to the long list of types: Langstroth, WBC, National, Top-Bar, Dadant, Warré, Smith, Flow...

The only thing is, feral colonies live for the most part in vertical cavities, such as hollow trees. For structural strength of the comb, bees naturally build comb with honey at the top, then pollen and brood. The extended horizontal pattern of the Ivry-B seems to go against that general principle.

Does my swarm look big in this?

Looks like a *lot* of bees in Glasgie: https://www.thenational.scot/news/23619113.63rd-1st-glasgow-restaurant-forced-close-huge-bee-swarm/ 

Brazen bee burlgary

See here on Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/status/1687108268584529920 

August In the Apiary 2023

Karl Colyer The queen’s egg-laying rate will be reducing as the days start to shorten and forage generally tends to become less available. Followed closely behind this is a steady dwindling of bee numbers in the colony. August is one of the last months where there may be some flexibility and options for your bees and beekeeping management. Depending upon what forage is available and for how long, it does allow some preparations for next year to happen during this month. Timing your honey harvest For most beekeepers, there should be some honey surplus available to the beekeeper. How much you choose to take influences when you should take it and any supplementary actions needed to ensure there are adequate stores to get the bees through the winter. If you are at all unsure about how much honey to crop, you can be considerate to the bees and leave the first box of honey for them and the rest is for the beekeeper. This somewhat conservative approach negates the need to feed th...

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Ron Hoskins

With great sadness I have to announce the death of Ronald A Hoskins (Ron) on 2 July 2023. A pioneer Master Beekeeper who was known across the world for his work on not only trying to teach the British but also Swiss Scientific Beekeepers about treatment free beekeeping (how it isn’t necessary to use chemicals to fight the influx of the Varroa Mite but by letting the bees do it themselves). He travelled to other countries as far away as Australia, New Zealand & Norway working with various scientists. It is regretful that Ron received very limited recognition of his life's work from some of those scientists and some other beekeepers who eventually changed their minds and are now using his method of treatment free. Ron travelled across Britain giving talks on his work for some time hoping that his success in Varroa control would be picked up and used by as many beekeepers as possible without chemical intervention. I had the privileg...

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July In the Apiary 2023

Karl Colyer Your colony is at its maximum size this month and the rate of egg-laying from the queen will now start to decline in line with the season. July is a good month to take stock of your beekeeping. Your colonies should be populous but not need feeding. Almost all your equipment should be in use and if you are short of anything, make a note of it for next year. Amending any issues with colonies in July can help them to successfully prepare for winter. Honey harvest preparations For most beekeepers, July enjoys a good nectar flow. It may be sensible to consider extracting some honey now so that supers can be recycled and refilled. Try to note which supers are removed from which hive – this helps to minimise disease transfer and it helps keep the supers in balance with the productivity of individual colonies. If you remove supers from the apiary to extract the honey at home, do remember that honey is food so avoid placing supers on the ground or onto dusty or dirty su...

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The average bee is one hundred times brainier than me

Bees are astonishingly good at making decisions – and our computer model explains how that’s possible

Published: June 27, 2023 8.00am BST https://theconversation.com/bees-are-astonishingly-good-at-making-decisions-and-our-computer-model-explains-how-thats-possible-208189

Well, hype-headline to one side, the article includes a note about a bee's "tiny yet remarkable brain."

A honeybee brain possesses around 1 million neurons, which gives a neurons-to-mass ratio of 1,000,000n:0.0001kg, normalised to 10,000,000,000:1.

Human brains comprise around 10,000,000,000 neurons; and as an example, I am around 100kg. Presuming I have the average number of brain neurons (optimistic, but run with it), my neurons-to-mass ratio is 100,000,000:1.

On that measure, the average bee is one hundred times brainier than me.

US honeybees suffer second deadliest season on record

Alarming news: US honeybees suffer second deadliest season on record

Nearly 50% of US bee colonies died off last year, although efforts have helped the overall bee population remain ‘relatively stable’ 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/23/us-honeybees-second-deadliest-season

Swarm collection

Miel - Fleurs Sauvage

Purchased for €10 in Le Touquet. The reverse label says "Récolté en Espagne, conditionné en France." Tastes very sugary.

 

How's that?

Cricket Ireland forced to call out beekeeper after unexpected swarm delays domestic clash

https://wisden.com/stories/news-stories/cricket-ireland-call-out-beekeeper-unexpected-swarm-delays-domestic-clash-ire

UAE beekeepers are adapting to climate change

Nice piece here https://uk.news.yahoo.com/uae-beekeepers-adapting-climate-change-195914193.html 

“With temperatures that could reach 50 degrees (122 Fahrenheit), 45 degrees (113 Fahrenheit), bees can't survive in these hot temperatures. We can overcome this by placing the bees under large canopies, we also make sure there are water sprinklers around. Also, we were able to develop a strain of bees that can survive the heat in the UAE. Through genetic manipulation, we were able to choose certain genes in the bees that allow the queen bee to live in hot temperatures. We chose the genes in the bee that allow for the queen bee to survive in high temperatures.”

Beekeeper wears 'bee helmet' to promote honey

Asian Hornet Sighting - Canterbury, Kent

From BeeBase https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/about-us/beekeeping-news/asian-hornet-sighting-canterbury-kent/

Asian Hornet Sighting - Canterbury, Kent

On Sunday 28th May a bee farmer, whilst doing a routine apiary inspection near Canterbury, Kent, recognised an Asian hornet that had been attracted to the colonies and knocked it down. The NBU has collected the specimen which will be analysed by scientists and follow up activities will take place to raise awareness.

Please report sightings of Vespa velutina using the ‘Asian hornet Watch’ app for iPhone and Android, or the online reporting form.

https://risc.brc.ac.uk/alert.php?species=asian_hornet

Putting hornets on the genomic map

Hornets, specifically Vespa velutina, possess a remarkable sense of smell, which enables them to find and adapt to new prey, which in turn explains the rapid, invasive spread to new environments.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-31932-x

Backpacking bees

 

Tiny backpack for bees can track their position and temperature

A sensor around a millimetre in size has been tested to monitor a honeybee flying around some flowers. It could also work for medical monitoring inside a person's body

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2376605-tiny-backpack-for-bees-can-track-their-position-and-temperature/

Bees; sentient, but not as we know it

Yes, bees are sentient - and so are slugs, fish, monkeys, dogs and people. 

Being sentient comes in degrees. Generally, I accept that other people are sentient because they are likely to be somewhat similar to me; their me-like behaviour persuades me that they are sentient.

That's the case we make for dogs. Exhibiting happiness, guilt, and hunger create a persuasive case that dogs are sentient. Monkeys, probably the same though perhaps a little less, mainly because we know less about their behaviour. 

As for fish and slugs, we have so little in common with them that we tend not to think of them as sentient. It might be reasonable to say "Sentient, but not as we know it."

Which leads to a sliding scale, and bees are on it: they are sentient, but not as we know it.

https://guildford-dragon.com/beekeepers-notes-knowing-bees-are-sentient-changes-how-we-must-treat-them/

Asian hornet

Bees, flowers, and beer

This year's Manchester Flower Festival offers the opportunity to "try beekeeping," and mix cocktails featuring honey produced from the Printworks' own bees.

What's odd is that the article [https://secretmanchester.com/manchester-printworks-honeyworks/] fails to mention the long association of bees with Manchester. 

Guerlain celebrates World Bee Day with third annual fund-raising campaign

Well I never! 

LVMH-owned beauty and fragrance house Guerlain is celebrating World Bee Day with its third annual fundraising campaign to support its bee conservation programme.

Between 20 May (World Bee Day) and 22 May (International Day of Biological Diversity), the brand is donating 20% of global sales to support the initiative.

https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/guerlain-celebrates-world-bee-day-with-third-annual-fund-raising-campaign/

Ukraine

Here's a nice piece:

The relationship between Wales and Ukraine has got even sweeter with the launch of a new honey that encapsulates the essence of both countries.

Wainwright’s Ukranian Sunflower honey is the result of a collaboration between Ceredigion-based Wainwright’s Bee Farm and Ukrainian producer Honey Brothers.

Read more here: https://businessnewswales.com/new-honey-cultivates-collaboration-between-wales-ukraine/

Funereal Bees or Coronation Bees?

Some piffle in The Mail about the bees at Buck House and Clarence House: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/royal-beekeeper-places-charles-bees-under-security-for-coronation/

The photo appears to show the hives with funeral sashes, presumably for the death of Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 

Bandwagon Beekeeping

"A Shropshire councillor and hobbyist beekeeper has released jars of honey for sale to mark King Charles's coronation."

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/bridgnorth/much-wenlock/2023/05/04/councillor-beekeeper-unveils-coronation-honey/

Find a local Swarm Collector

Enter your postcode below and then click on the red markers which appear nearest the 'bee' for details of your local swarm collector. If you can't find a swarm collector local to you on this map please get in touch with your local beekeeping association. Please note that swarm collectors from south of the Thames cannot assist with swarms across the water in Essex. Our volunteer beekeepers can only assist in cases of swarms of honey bees. Before using the map please ensure you have enabled essential cookies otherwise it will not work correctly. For Scotland please see Scottish Beekeepers Association For Wales please also see Welsh Beekeepers Association To support the work of the BBKA please DONATE HERE

from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/PyJdVk8
via gqrds

Beekeeping Age, says Tik Tok

So we are told, “beekeeping age” refers to attractive men around 40 or 50 years old, intended as a compliment. Given that I am waaaaaay past my beekeeping age, and the source of this wonderment is Tik Tok, this new learning amazes me.

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/does-mean-someone-beekeeping-age-182314219.html

Anyway, I always refer to beekeeping age as the number of hives each year multiplied by the number of years. For example, if you keep three hives for two years and then four hives for the next three years, your beekeeping age is 3x2 + 4x3 = 18. For me, that makes sense. A commercial beekeeper like Stewart Spinks with several hundred hives is likely to learn and know more than a hobbyist with three hives, so Stewart's beekeeping age is perhaps 200x10, ie 2,000. And that, of course, is his actual age, too.

https://www.norfolk-honey.co.uk/