Following recent thefts of bees in South Wales, there will be an item relating to this issue in tonight’s BBC Wales Today programme, which starts at 18.30. 

If you miss it you can catch up on BBC iPlayer.

Most of you will have heard of Brother Adam and the Buckfast bee he made his life’s work.  It is sad that Buckfasts are no longer bred in the UK due, it is said to the problem of finding a suitably isolated site suitable for the mating apiary.

However a number of breeders have continued to breed and develop the Buckfast bee.  One of them is Dr. Peter Stöfen whose breeding station is on the peninsula of Friedrichskoog, Germany.  Dr Stöfen has produced some videos showing the excellent temperament of his bees.  The video below is one example – German commentary only but worth watching.  Oh for bees like these, I would kiss them too!

Visit the Friedrichskoog breeding station website.

The British Beekeepers’ Association just issued this press release which confirms the poor harvest experienced by beekeepers in 2012.  The average harvest for BBKA Members in Wales* is reported as 9.8 lb per hive compared to 31.6 lb in 2011.

* The sample size is not known for Wales.  Most of us keeping bees in Wales are members of Associations affiliated to the Welsh Beekeepers’ Association and are unlikely to have participated in the survey.

From the Vita Europe website “Researchers have discovered that honeybees can bite as well as sting and that the bite contains a natural anaesthetic. The anaesthetic may not only help honeybees fend off pests such as wax moth and the parasitic varroa mite, but it also has great potential for use in human medicine.” Read the full story here (opens new window or tab).

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