It should be fairly straightforward, shouldn’t it? A colony makes several virgin queens, eventually whittles them down to one, and she flies off on several mating flights. She returns to the welcoming embrace of her workers, and begins the long process of laying hundreds or thousands of eggs every day during the summer, autumn, and … Read more
Our Regional Bee Inspector, Mark McLoughlin, hosted delegates from the various Northern BKAs at the York Biotech Campus on 11th November. The day featured presentations about new research updates from the NBU by experts in their fields. I was lucky enough to attend, along with Pam and Stuart Hatton. Sadly, our fourth member, Graham Royle, … Read more
Drones are not the only bees that drift Something has been vexing me about honey bees. Two observations, both true, seem to be in direct conflict with each other: Do bees drift more than you think? One of the first things we learn as beekeepers is that bees are great at finding their way home. … Read more