Category Archives: Honey bee research

Meditations on the Learning from the Bees conference

Posted on November 8, 2018 by

At the end of August the world’s first major international gathering of natural beekeepers, Learning from the Bees, took place in the Netherlands. The atmosphere had a festival vibe and concentrated on healthy bees and improving the environment, rather than … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Experimentation, Honey bee research, Log hive, Pesticides, Research, Skeps, Sun Hive, TBH, Warré | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

ONBG meeting, 22nd Sept 2018 – hive hacks and natural selection

Posted on September 30, 2018 by

16 beekeepers clustered at Gareth’s house (warm and dry) and his experimental apiary (damp and chilly) to discuss bees and eat cake. Gareth, who’s kept bees since at least the 1970’s, recounted experiences from the recent Learning for the Bees … Continue reading →

Posted in Apiary visits, Experimentation, Hives, Honey, Honey bee research, Local lore, Meetings, Pests, Stings, Warré | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Neonicotinoids implicated again

Posted on June 29, 2017 by

A major new study of the impact of neonicotinoid pesticides has been published in Science. The Guardian has a good summary of the results here. Because this is the largest field trial so far, it is difficult for the pesticide … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey bee research, Pesticides, Research | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Angry bees

Posted on February 16, 2017 by

This article dispels the myth that our native black bees are inherently ‘bad’, i.e. overly-defensive, and instead sets out the real genetic basis of why crossing bee races, black or otherwise, can lead to hybrids which are predisposed to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey bee research, Stings | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Open mating and genetics – Drones

Posted on January 14, 2017 by

Conventional beekeepers aiming to maximise honey production suppress swarms, replace queens with ones from breeders, and cull drones as a “waste of resources”. This post covers some of the less discussed, subtle implications of drone genetics; and advantages of queens … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey bee research, Research, Swarms | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Bees nest in a tree (not quite)

Posted on January 12, 2017 by

The picture shows an apple tree in the garden next door. Faith spotted the comb after the leaves came down in Autumn 2016. In between seeing it and taking this photo something has been munching the edges somewhat; it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Garden plants, Honey bee research, Local lore, Swarms | Leave a comment

New research on natural selection and honey bee health

Posted on November 17, 2016 by

An interesting paper by heavyweight apiology researchers Professor Peter Neumann and Dr Tjeerd Blacquière is being published in the mainstream, peer reviewed research journal Evolutionary Applications. The paper recommends major changes to beekeeping practises in order to address various health … Continue reading →

Posted in Experimentation, Honey bee research, Pests, Publications, Research | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment