Research questions old bee assumptions

Research from the University of Freiburg, Germany, appears to show that bees follow individual flight paths when foraging.

My summary: The waggle dance is imprecise ("there's nectar about X distance away at this approximate bearing") but when an individual bee has found a nectar source it can navigate very accurately to-and-from the source.

Here's one of the diagrams from the paper. 

On the left, the purple lines are next to the green lines. In the middle, the four sets of green lines are labelled blue,
green, orange and yellow. Are you paying attention? Some of the flights are from the hive (outbound) and some of the
flights are to the hive (inbound), which is a relief for all concerned.

https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(26)00084-9 

Researchers from the University of Sussex publish new learnings that beekeepers already know

Yep, a study from the University of Sussex has discovered that honeybees struggle to gather nectar in late July and in August. 

In other news, the Pope is said to be Catholic, and ursines are known to defecate in sylvan areas.

Read the research here: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.70429 

A 60-year-old theory about ants, bees and wasps may be wrong

How about this: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/08/260813045552.htm 

In short, being a social insect is probably only partly explained by genetics and may be explained by biology - which is, of course, explained by, er, genetics.

From another context, "I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that..."

Asian Hornet in Portugal

Plenty of Asian hornets in Porto, Portugal, buzzing us both in the centre of town and in the botanical gardens.

Waggle dance may be part genetic, part learning

Early research based on a very small sample of five colonies with five control colonies: ecoportal.net/en/experiments-waggle-dancer-found-every-american/30786/

Researchers raised 5 colonies of young bees with no experienced dancer to copy, and the waggle dance those bees invented carried a distance error they never corrected in 38 days of life

Read up on the waggle dance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waggle_dance

France permits use of acetamiprid and flupyradifurone

Draw votre own conclusions...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/26/french-beekeepers-fury-lifting-of-pesticides-ban

Japanese Fossil Bee Fills Two-Million-Year Gap in Honeybee History

Another nail in the Intelligent Design coffin: https://www.sci.news/paleontology/apis-aibai-14949.html 

Beautiful honey from The Bee Farm in Cephalonia

Beautiful honey from The Bee Farm in Cephalonia

https://www.facebook.com/melikefalonias/photos

The Disneyfication of Fortnum & Mason

Winnie-the-Pooh, written by A. A. Milne, now Disneyfied at Fortnum & Mason. 

A. A. Milne kept bees.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._A._Milne

Bumbling photo

Nice story, shame about the photo

Nice work if you can get it

The experience of bees is probably easier than the keeping of bees!

https://www.fulhampalace.org/whats-on/events/beekeeping-experience-7/

Pollination station: our Blackburn Meadows energy plant is abuzz with new neighbours

Bee-washing story from E.ON: https://news.eonenergy.com/news/pollination-station-our-blackburn-meadows-energy-plant-is-abuzz-with-new-neighbours 

A pity the copywriter didn't go full throttle for the bee wordage. For example: A new building has joined E.ON’s design award-winning Blackburn Meadows renewable energy park – but while this one is also a real hive of activity, it won’t be dominating the Sheffield skyline as much. That’s because the biomass (or should that be bee-omas?) power station has welcomed its first hives, giving thousands of pollinators a home as part of its work to support the local environment.

The final few jars of last year's crop

 

https://mellifica.com/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beekeepers-Dictionary-Compendium-Definitions-Explanations/dp/1836884168/

https://www.thorne.co.uk/books-education-gifts/books-magazines/uk-books/beekeepers-dictionary.html

Edinburgh Honey Co

Came across this site: Edinburgh Honey Co, https://miod.co/

'Miod' is Polish for 'mead,' obviously.

Honey labelling at its finest!

 

Bee-Skep Making: Heritage, folklore and how to make and use your own skeps

Though I am not a fan of skeps, this new book by Chris Park looks superb:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bee-Skep-Making-Heritage-folklore-skeps/dp/1789943302/

Conflict leaves Lebanese beekeeper cut off from most of his hives

Excellent, if sad, photostory here: https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/lebanon-border-bees-photo-gallery-80dac1d43c5dfd645799a2cdd218d76b#:~:text=Since%20the%20conflict%20between%20Israel,near%20his%20hometown%20of%20Hasbaya.

Millions of bees get loose after truck carrying 400 hives crashes in Texas

For some reason, the second pic makes me think of "Where's Wally?"

Reported here and in many other places: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bees-escape-truck-hives-crashes-texas/

Back in stock! The Beekeeper's Dictionary

The perfect gift for a beekeeper, available from Amazon, Thorne's, and Northern Bee Books

• https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beekeepers-Dictionary-Compendium-Definitions-Explanations/dp/1836884168/
• https://www.thorne.co.uk/books-education-gifts/books-magazines/uk-books/beekeepers-dictionary.html
• https://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk/ (except I cannot find it on the site!)

Apparently, honeybees can recognize human faces

Apparently, honeybees can recognize human faces — they can be trained to distinguish between individual humans by face and continue to recognize them across different viewpoints, despite having a brain smaller than the head of a pin!

https://spacedaily.com/d-honeybees-can-recognize-human-faces-they-can-be-trained-to-distinguish-between-individual-humans-by-face-and-continue-to-recognize-them-across-different-viewpoints-despite-having-a-brain-sm/

From Struggle to Success: One Beekeeper’s Story

For some reason, this story really appeals: beekeeping in Liberia.

https://gnnliberia.com/amp/from-struggle-to-success-one-beekeepers-story/

Dead Bees Still Sting

Published 28 May by Greystone Books https://greystonebooks.com/

“I loved every gorgeously-written and surprising page.”—Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus

“Come for the bees, stay for these beautifully written observations.”—Booklist, STARRED review

“Evocative and lyrical.”—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Bees-Still-Sting-Nature/dp/1778402011/

The RHS and The King's Foundation Curious Garden

Spot the skep....

Her Royal Highness, The Princess Anne

Princess Anne visits the Deaf Academy, Exmouth https://thedeafacademy.ac.uk/

The visit ended with 12-year-old Eco School representative Ivy presenting The Princess Royal with a jar of Royal Deaf Education Trust honey from the Academy’s own beehives.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/princess-anne-praises-deaf-academy-080400476.html

Sir David Attenborough

The idea that the pollen 'jumps' from flower to bee is cute. Note that when a positively charged bee visits a negatively charged flower and the electric field is neutralised or reduced, the flower doesn't "send a signal;" it's merely that the electric field is neutralised or reduced, which a bee may be able to detect.  Does the lack of negative field from a flower affect bee behaviour? Is the electric field effect strong enough to draw (as in attract) bees to flowers. Odd that Sir D talks about pollen transfer being affected by the electric field, and concludes that the reduced electric field after a bee's visit is a signal about nectar.

Trampoline

Bee swarms choose comedy locations:

Full story here: https://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/people/peterborough-family-discovers-huge-bee-swarm-clinging-to-their-trampoline-as-local-beekeepers-offer-advice-on-what-to-do-if-you-find-one-8298611

BBKA Spring Convention 2026

Very enjoyable BBKA Spring Convention 2026 last weekend, with an outstanding array of tutors offering seminars and lectures. Massive thank-you to the organiser, Joyce Nisbet & Team.

Coming up this weekend: The BBKA Spring Convention 2026

Hive & Keeper Honey Club

Here's a really good idea: Hive & Keeper - Extraordinary British Honey and Homewares 

https://www.hiveandkeeper.com/ 

There's a Honey Club, too (details below), plus a shop with more honeys as well as some beautiful products. The hand-carved birch spoons are amazing.

https://www.hiveandkeeper.com/collections/the-collection/products/british-birch-hand-carved-eating-spoon

How the Honey Club works

Our honey subscriptions are perfect for those who enjoy discovering honeys straight from small scale British beekeepers delivered straight to their door. Here's how it works:

• Limited edition British honeys from small scale beekeepers
• Size of jars: 224g / 8oz
• Delivery: Every 1,2,3,4,5 or 6 months, you choose
• Number of jars each delivery: 1, 2, 3 or 4 you choose 
• Free postage and the story of the beekeepers
• We email you information about each honey too.

Red-tailed bumble bees are the bad guys

Fluffy and adorable, red-tailed bumble bees, Bombus lapidarius, are ... flying virus-vectors!

https://phys.org/news/2026-03-red-tailed-bumblebees-key-hosts.html

Credit: Uni Halle / Patrycja Pluta

Pemberley Natural History Books

Came across this bookstore, with its specialist section on bee-keeping: https://www.pemberleybooks.com/subject/bee-keeping/52/

Opening Hours

Customers are welcome to come and view our stock at the Iver shop, however, if there are specific books you wish to see it is advisable to contact us in advance as some stock is held at offsite storage.

• Monday - Friday : 9.30am - 5pm
• Saturday : 11am - 3pm (please ring to confirm we are open)
• Other times by appointment

---

Our Contact Details

Pemberley Books
18 Bathurst Walk,
Iver,
Buckinghamshire,
SL0 9AZ,
U.K.

Telephone: +44 (0)1753 631114

West Country Honey Farms Award

Dr Richard Bache, a master beekeeper, National Diploma in beekeeping holder, and practising Somerset GP, has been named the winner of the West Country Honey Farms Award 2026.

Congratulations!

Read more: https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/25933222.somerset-beekeeper-wins-west-country-honey-farms-award/

Bees for Development

Neat piece on Bees for Development here: https://nation.cymru/feature/the-power-of-bees-a-welsh-charitys-global-mission/

Dominica Does It Right

Prime Minister of Dominica, Dr Roosevelt Skerrit, has said that the Dominican Government will build and equip a modern facility to help in areas like production, bottling and packaging of honey.

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer, kindly note...

Bicester-based A & T Hives

We love a good "Beekeepers helping to raise awareness of threats to honeybees" story.

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/25822951.bicester-business-raising-awareness-threats-bees/

https://www.facebook.com/p/A-T-Hives-100095532187024/

Props to THE IRISH NEWS

Gotta hand it to THE IRISH NEWS for bee-related coverage:

https://www.irishnews.com/life/making-skincare-has-become-my-creative-outlet-how-a-co-down-woman-turned-her-beekeeping-hobby-into-a-thriving-beauty-business-4IGD4WM7OJHRHGXNOYOXRANTRE/

‘The Beekeeper 2’ is on the way...

The Beekeeper 2 is due out in early 2027 

Dirty Gloves Award 2026 - an early contender in Meghan Markle

From Ms Markle's Instagram account:

Amateur beekeeper dies from sting after failing to wear protective gear

Alan Ransom, 55, from Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, died on 15 May 2024. Senior coroner Caroline Sumeray stated the cause of death as hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy and anaphylactic shock, directly resulting from a severe reaction to a bee sting having failed to wear a protective hat.

Amazon

A heartwarming story of community cohesion from Dunfermline, Scotland: https://www.dunfermlinepress.com/news/25668737.dunfermline-amazon-workers-take-beekeeping-aid-green-aims/

No doubt Mr Ross Main & Co were cajoled into the photo-opp by the journalist; what on earth is going on?

Suggestions for a suitable caption are invited...

The Beekeepers Quarterly

Despite the aggravating lack of apostrophe in its title, the December 2025 edition of The Beekeepers Quarterly contains a brief review of The Beekeeper's Dictionary.

You can subscribe to TBQ at https://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk/blogs/bkq 

https://mellifica.com/

Stewart Spinks - Look & Learn

Years ago I was close to addicted to a magazine called Look & Learn. Now that I am bee-obsessed, the substititute fix comes from the excellent video and podcast series from Stewart Spinks: Beekeeping with Stewart Spinks | Patreon

Stewart's approach is refreshingly honest and practical - with all the ups and downs of beekeeping. You can subscribe via Patreon, and considering what's on offer the fee is an absolute snip.

Before you ask, Stewart has not asked me to promote his efforts; this is purely because I like and value his work.

Beekeeping with Stewart Spinks | Patreon

Rod Stewart and others

Beekeeping is all the rage, apparently. Who knew?

https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/870042/celebrities-royals-with-beehives-at-home/

Most feral honeybee colonies in U.S. said to be Africanized

Kinda interesting: https://www.farmprogress.com/commentary/most-feral-honeybee-colonies-in-u-s-said-to-be-africanized

India becomes the world's second-largest honey exporter

Hot, possibly sticky, news: India becomes the world's second-largest honey exporter

Whether true or not, there's piece of cut comb in there too: 

The National Beekeeping and Honey Mission (NBHM) , a Central Sector Scheme, was launched under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to promote scientific beekeeping and high-quality honey production.
This government-run scheme is being implemented through the National Bee Board (NBB) , with a total budget of ₹500 crore (FY 2020–21 to 2022–23).
This has now been extended for three more years (2023–24 to 2025–26) , and the remaining ₹370 crore will be used for this extension.

Does the UK have any similar programme, I wonder?

https://www.businessremedies.com/india-becomes-the-worlds-second-largest-honey-exporter-the-sweet-effect-of-the-sweet-revolution/

The Feminine Monarchie -or- The Historie of Bees

The Feminine Monarchie -or- The Historie of Bees never fails to fascinate. The first edition was published in 1609, and republished in 1623 (see image). 

The Beekeeper's Dictionary includes facsimiles of the frontispiece pages from the 1623 edition. In 1634, Butler published a version using his own modernized spellings. The next edition of the Dictionary might include the 1634 frontispiece. 

The 2017, Northern Bee Books published a version of The Feminine Monarchie -or- The Historie of Bees based on the 1623 text, edited and curated by John Owen: https://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk/products/the-feminine-monarchie-owen

 

Most bees are wild

From The Conversation in 2024, an article headed Honey bees are suprisingly abundant, research shows – but most are wild, not managed in hives.

Mainly the article tells me that we don't know much about unmanaged colonies because, er, well, they're unmanaged. 

https://theconversation.com/honey-bees-are-suprisingly-abundant-research-shows-but-most-are-wild-not-managed-in-hives-224807

The Beekeeper's Dictionary in Australia

From sapphire_beach_honey on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/DPfBoBZj_8n/

The Beekeeper’s Picnic: From Sherlock Holmes passion project to critically acclaimed indie game

This popped up again. Bonkers.

https://impress.games/press-kit/afootgames/the-beekeepers-picnic

Dr Arrigo Moro

Came across Dr Arrigo Moro's research today - fascinating stuff, and very much in the same neck of the woods as Prof Seeley. 

Visit https://research.universityofgalway.ie/en/persons/arrigo-moro to browse for research output. 

National Honey Show, Thursday 23rd to Saturday 25th October 2025 at Sandown Park, Esher, Surrey, UK

Look out for The Beekeeper's Dictionary at a special show price, available from Northern Bee Books in-person purchases only!

https://honeyshow.co.uk/

https://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk/