Beeswax from Scottish Parliament's hives is used to seal every Act

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/environment/scottish-parliament-holyroods-bee-population-has-grown-to-more-than-half-a-million-3967376

Holyrood’s bee population has grown to more than half a million bees since 2014 when the parliament became the first legislature in the UK to have beehives. There are now 11 beehives onsite. Honey from the hives is often on sale in the Scottish Parliament gift shop. And the beeswax, a by-product of beekeeping, is used to seal every act passed by the Scottish Parliament and to fill the Great Seal of Scotland.

Ian McLean

Ian passed away in December 2022.  He was a true stalwart of Ormskirk & Croston, the Association and NBU.  He will be sadly missed by all.   For those who hadn't the privilege of knowing Ian, he was recently awarded his BBKA '50 years of Beekeeping' certificate at Ormskirk & Croston's AGM and here is the accompanying citation: Ian started beekeeping in 1972 and shortly afterwards enrolled on the first BBKA Correspondence Course. This culminated in being awarded the Wax Chandlers Prize for the best senior candidate in 1980. He joined the Exam Board of which he was Moderator for about 9 years, and in 1984 gained the NDB. As a BBKA examiner he examined many beekeepers at varying levels over the years. Around 1990 he was seconded by IBRA to GTZ, the German overseas aid agency teaching beekeeping in Pakistan. When the funding for this ceased in 1992 he returned to the UK to hear that varroa had been found in Devon and subsequently was employed by M...

from British Beekeepers Association https://ift.tt/z8R1pea
via gqrds

Entomologists have found that honey bee lifespans are 50% shorter than in the 1970s

Entomologists from the University of Manitoba have found that for individual honey bees kept in a controlled laboratory environment, honey bee lifespans are 50% shorter than in the 1970s. When scientists modelled the effect of today’s shorter lifespans, the results corresponded with concerning factors, including increased colony loss and reduced honey production.

PS My life is definitely shorter now than it was in the 1970s.