A very interesting article on harvesting honey in the Australian bush and these bees don’t sting!
Stories of Interest
The importance of flowering ivy
There’s one plant you should think twice about cutting back before winter! Look at this clip from BBC Autumnwatch to find out why!
Concern for future of bees after fall in honey crop
An article from the BBC has expressed concern about the future of honey bees after a survey showed a “steady decline” in the honey crop.
The British Beekeepers Association says the average yield per hive in England and Wales was down by 2.3lb (1kg) this year from the previous year – and numbers have been dropping for decades.
Wales and south-west England were two of the lowest producers of honey while south-east England was the best.
We would be interested to hear the views of beekeepers in Pembrokeshire as well as other parts of the UK (and beyond) with their experiences!
Alarm over decline in flying insects!
A worrying Article from the BBC, highlights a serious decline in flying insects. Something that beekeepers and other interested parties have observed for some time, but new evidence now appears to confirm our fears!
Hive Live
Thanks to Andrew Martin for alerting us to a good documentary on honey bees this week with some interesting research into orientation flights etc.
There are two episodes, here’s the link to Episode One:
Episode Two is at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04bwmjg
Both programmes can be viewed via @bbciplayer.
Honey Survey
Calling all beekeepers! If you’d like to find out what your bees are feeding on, please send Laura Jones a sample of your honey. Here’s how: https://botanicgarden.wales/science/saving-pollinators/2017-honey-survey/
Bumblebees: Pesticide ‘reduces queen egg development’
Use of a common pesticide in spring could have an impact on wild bumblebees by interfering with their life cycle, a UK study suggests. See here for details!
