Resisting varroa

Fascinating presentation yesterday evening from Steve Riley, author of The Honey Bee Solution to Varroa.

In a nutshell, the thesis is that treating bees with miticides is creating selection pressure for treatment-resistant mites while simultaneously creating selection pressure for varroa-susceptible bees.

As Steve confirms, this is hardly news.

The point he and others make is that it is possible to select for mite-resistant bees by close observation of behaviour, and - over time - stop treating with miticides.

The book "explains the practical steps beekeepers can take to identify and select for easily observable Varroa-resistant traits in their colonies. The science behind the bees’ mechanisms for controlling their mite populations is explained, in what is a bee-led solution to the biggest challenge facing the European honey bee."

Available from Northern Bee Books and Amazon 

Beehive bandit makes off with 57 hives, leaves Alberta beekeeper feeling 'helpless'

The obvious, curious point: the thief must have been another beekeeper. 

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/beehive-bandit-makes-off-57-190935708.html

Mr Jon Zwiers, looking crestfallen

Long Island beekeeper hid his role ordering murders, rape in Rwandan genocide to live in US, feds say

As headlines go...Wow!

Find the original on the New York Daily News, and on X 

https://x.com/NYDailyNews/status/1915445148353282465

Army proves it can Bee the Best as its sets up first formal hives at Aldershot HQ

We love a pun. 

The first official Army bees have taken up residence at the headquarters of Standing Joint Command in Aldershot – and they are already creating quite a buzz.

Full story: https://www.forcesnews.com/news/first-formal-army-beekeeping-project-makes-buzz-hq-aldershot-world-bee-day

🐝 Happy World Bee Day! 🐝

🐝 Happy World Bee Day! 🐝

Is 'No Mow May' anything more than alliteration?

Quite a few 'No Mow May' stories in the press, eg "

Urgent call to Staffordshire residents to help protect pollinators and local biodiversity

But does an unmowed lawn make a significant difference to pollinators? About 10% of UK land is urban, and taking London as the example, about 50% is green space. At a guess, and assuming all green space qualifies as No Mow, the total will be about 5% of all  UK land.

Hmmm.

Master Beekeeper for Gwent Beekeepers

Becoming a UK Master Beekeeper involves seven written examinations and three practical assessments. Congrats to Ceri Joyner.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/woman-becomes-first-master-beekeeper-223000330.html

Humble Boy

Recently came across the play "Humble Boy," which contains the conceit that bumblebees shouldn’t be able to fly and don’t obey the laws of physics, but they fly anyway.

Except (1) bumblebees are able to fly, and (2) their flight capability is quite well understood.

Where did the conceit first start?

Anyway, the illustrative poster for Humble Boy shows a queen bee from Apis, not from Bombus.

https://www.expressandstar.com/your-world/2025/04/29/humble-boy-by-charlotte-jones-heading-to-oldbury-rep/

Beekeeping and Pigs

https://www.thepighotel.com/events/#events

UK may be on a 'slippery slope' towards an established Asian Hornet population

Plenty more in the press about Vespa velutina nigrithorax... My conclusion: we may win a few battles, but the war is already lost.

Tariffs

Apart from the tariffs, get this: 1,000 barrels of honey (about 300 tonnes) every year!

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/sask-beekeepers-hope-avoid-sting-100039670.html

The Beekeeper's Picnic - plus Sherlock Holmes

A new game you know you want to play...

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2248890/The_Beekeepers_Picnic__A_Sherlockian_Adventure/

Colony losses, US style

Apparently, Washington State University entomologists think that commercial honey bee colony losses are projected to reach between 60% and 70% in 2025.

Crikey.

More here https://abcnews.go.com/US/honey-bee-colonies-face-70-losses-2025-impacting/story?id=120191720 

More here: https://news.wsu.edu/news/2025/03/25/honey-bee-colony-declines-grow-as-wsu-researchers-work-to-fight-losses/

How clean are my gloves?

Branden Aroyan

Why do I think "stoner" when I see this photo? Anyway, it turns out that (a) Branden does all the beekeeping and (b) Her Indoors doesn't like honey.

The Bee Listener

Came across a great blog by Ann Chilcott https://www.beelistener.co.uk/

Highly recommended!

Ann Chilcott, Scottish Expert Beekeeper

Jason Statham Is Back for ‘The Beekeeper 2’

Grey Bees, by Andrey Kurkov

Finished reading Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov. Not sure if I enjoyed it, exactly...

Anti-varroa treatment timing

Fascinating article on the timing of treatments used to kill varroa: https://www.earth.com/news/major-cause-of-honeybee-mortality-can-be-easily-reduced/ 

Al Wathba Honey Festival

Now *that* is how you stage a honey festival! 

 

The fight to save the native Welsh honeybee

In an article headed "The fight to save the native Welsh honeybee," it struck me that there probably isn't a native Welsh bee:

1) 'Wales' is a political construct created by people, not bees

2) Great Britain might have had an identifiable strain of bees, the British Black Bee

3) A rule of thumb is that species within a genus cannot successfully interbreed, but all A mellifera can interbreed successfully

So being a Linnaean curmudgeon, I don't think there is a native Welsh honeybee.

https://nation.cymru/feature/the-fight-to-save-the-native-welsh-honeybee/

Photo by Carwyn Graves

Beekeeper devastated after 300,000 drowned during 'horrific' New Year's Day flooding

Sad story: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/beekeeper-devastated-after-300-000-drowned-during-horrific-new-year-s-day-flooding/ar-AA1xtwQG

Fencing veil or pepperpot?

One of the greatest questions facing humanity: fencing veil or pepperpot?

Pic from the Wisborough Green Beekeepers' Association, www.wgbka.org.uk