You are browsing the archive for where are the bees.

Profile photo of ThePath

by ThePath

Vanishing of the Bees – Film

April 8, 2010 in ,

Bees are dying in their billions!

In the UK around 1/5 of honeybee hives were lost in the Winter of 2008-2009. Bees pollinate a third of the food we eat, contributing £200 million a year to the UK economy.

The co-operative has made a film documenting the vanishing of bees in the UK and why its happening. The film is 90 mins and takes in the beekeepers point of view, aswell as farmers and scientists.

You can buy the film from Amazon by following this link:

Tags: , , , , No Comments »

Profile photo of ThePath

by ThePath

Native black British bee could be key to population survival

July 7, 2009 in ,

Native Black Bee

Native Black Bee

The Co-operative Group which launched a 10 point programme to help save the honey be called ‘Plan Bee’ has announced funding for Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders (BIBBA) to find and map the locations of native black honey bees and their hybrids.

The native black British bee has evolved to cope with the seasons here and developed a thick black hair covering its body. There is talk that the decline of bees in Britain is partly due to beekeepers using foreign queens producing bees that are unsuited to our climate. This has happened because the native black bees doesnt produce as much honey as its foreign counterparts but if you take the honey production over the lifespan of the hives the native black bee should win because CCD is not as common.

Our advice is dont buy foreign queens and bees, seek out native, black honey bees and queens to populate your hives. Its our native bee, we should be proud of it and try to preserve it. Greed will be the death of us all!!

Tags: , , , 18 Comments »

Profile photo of ThePath

by ThePath

Broadcasting Masts Causing Colony Collapse Disorder?

July 7, 2009 in ,

Radio Mast

Radio Mast

Ive just read a very interesting article written by Marion Lang in the Scottish Beekeeper magazine. She explains that the multitude of masts close by her apiary in Angus seems to be affecting hives and causing CCD.

In the article she explains the masts and the broadcasting radiation produced and states that in 2008 Mr Orjan Hallberg and Dr Olle Johanasson produced a paper showing that there is a marked increase with immunity problems in humans when exposed to electrical currents at 100MHz. In the West we broadcast between 87-107 MHz band.

Marion explains that the broadcasting radiation affects her when she lies down and that it affects people across the globe.

Surely if we are affected by these electromagnetic radations then it could also be affecting the bees? More research must be done to discover if these masts are having a detrimental effect on bee health and ours too!

Has anybody else got any information on this, perhaps you think masts are affecting your hives? Please let us know here!

Tags: , , No Comments »

Profile photo of ThePath

by ThePath

Bumble Bee Explosion

June 29, 2009 in , ,

Whats with the bumble bee explosion over the past month? Their numbers seem to have boomed this month; last week I thought one of the trees in my garden might actually take flight it had so many bumble bee wings beating on it! The buzzing was so loud you could hear it 10 metres away.

The numbers are incredible and give me hope, as the poor bumbler hasnt seemed to be doing terrificaly well in recent years, perhaps its the media attention of the plight of the bumble bee and the upsurge in purchasing of bumble bee nest boxes. Maybe the weather conditions have just been ideal for them this year; no flash flooding and windy conditions like last year!

At a recent trip to my allotment I discovered a bunch of poppies absolutely teaming with bumble bees, there was about five bees on each flower head (not many honey bees though :( ) and I stopped to have a quick look. I spotted atleast two different varieties:

White Tailed Bumble Bee – Bombus Lucorum
Garden Bumble Bee – Bombus Hortorum
Possible even a Buff Tailed Bumble Bee – Bombus Terrestris although Im not sure.

[nggallery id=1]

Tags: , , No Comments »

Profile photo of ThePath

by ThePath

Planting for bees

June 4, 2009 in ,

Well it seems that we have to do all we can to help aid the bees survival. One of the things we can all do to help whether you have a garden or not is providing bees with the flowering plants they love.

I say you dont need a garden because you can utilise your window ledges and balconies by using window boxes and pots etc.

So what can we plant that bees love?

Well from my own experiences watching bees in my garden they love wild flowers, herbs (especially rosemary and thyme), escallonia, catmint and buddleia.

I strongly advise creating a wild flower and herb patch in your garden or why not create a window box of herbs. You get nice herbs to use in cooking and you help bees, everyones a winner!

Perhaps we should petition our local councils about planting more for bees. Although Perth and Kinross to plant wild flowers on some roundabouts I have seen.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Here is a good book on the topic:


Tags: , , , , No Comments »

Profile photo of ThePath

by ThePath

Where are all the bees?

May 26, 2009 in

I have to say Im very worried. Never in all my life have I seen such a shortage of bees. So far this year I have only seen 2 honey bees!!

That was only a few weeks ago. Years ago they would be out in force in early spring, not this year though.

Admittedly I work indoors so may not have the chance to see a lot of bees buzzing around. Yesterday however, my partner and I enjoyed a relaxing stroll around a small loch in Fife. The loch is a nature reserve with a lot of breeding birds. Skirting the path around the loch for practically the whole circumference is Gorse, Brambles and a variety of trees all of which are blooming. The air was thick with their pollen yet no bees! Not one. Dragonflies, damselflies, hoverflies and of course mdigy-like flies a plenty but no bees.

I stay in Perth and Kinross, I have visited a few areas of Fife recently and have seen 2 honey bees!! Has anyone got a similar story where they are or do you have plenty of bees?


Tags: , , 2 Comments »