Bee Law | Bee Lore

Archive for the ‘Bee Law’ Category

Honeybees can add and subtract!

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Lore, Bee-ology, Beetwixt & Beetween on February 2, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Many animals understand numbers at a basic level for use in essential tasks such as foraging, shoaling, and resource management. However, complex arithmetic operations, such as addition and subtraction, using symbols and/or labelling have only been demonstrated in a limited number of nonhuman vertebrates.

Honeybees have a miniature brain with less than 1 million neurons – compared to humans with over 80 billion. New research (see below) shows that honeybees can learn to use blue and yellow as symbolic representations for addition or subtraction. In a free-flying environment, individual bees use this information to solve unfamiliar problems involving adding or subtracting one element from a group of elements.

This ability requires bees to acquire long-term rules and use short-term working memory. Given that honeybees and humans are separated by over 400 million years of evolution, the findings suggest that advanced numerical cognition may be more accessible to nonhuman animals than previously suspected.

And that humans and honeybees might well share a common ancestor from 600 million years ago that was just as smart!

From: “Numerical cognition in honeybees enables addition and subtraction”

by:

Scarlett R. Howard,
Aurore Avarguès-Weber ,
Jair E. Garcia,
Andrew D. Greentree and
Adrian G. Dyer

https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/2/eaav0961

Read Full Post »

Lecture to the London Dowsers: Dowsing in Service to the Honeybee

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Lore, Bee Present, Bee-ology, Beekeeping, Beetwixt & Beetween, Honey Money on October 6, 2019| 2 Comments »

On 28th September, I gave a talk to the London Dowsers.

It was the first opportunity to present the results of my efforts to replicate the amazing work done by John Harding who first introduced himself to me through this blog several years ago.

The content might be seen as some to be a bit “woo-woo” or unscientific. However, in my experience, the honeybee is here to be a guide for us to show us the “space between” and there are plenty of stories in the video that illustrate the point.

You can watch a screencast of the lecture if you click on the video below:

Read Full Post »

What are the collective nouns for bees and drones?

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Lore, Beetwixt & Beetween on April 1, 2018| 7 Comments »

There are many collective nouns for a group of bees:

a bike of bees
a charm of bees
a cluster of bees
an erst of bees
a game of bees
a grist of bees
a hive of bees
a hum of bees
a nest of bees
a rabble of bees
a swarm of bees

Source: https://socratic.org/questions/what-is-a-collective-noun-for-bees

Which one do readers like/prefer? I love the “charm of bees” – for that is what they are!

However, my favourite collective noun remains a “congregation of drones” – as in a Drone Congregation Area.

I found this analysis of Drone Congregation Areas (DCAs) from a study done on Puerto Rico:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3635128/

The conclusions are confusing and inconclusive and the way that the drones find the same sites year-after-year is still an area of study that is fascinating for me.

Read Full Post »

Feed on every kind of fruit….

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Lore, Beetwixt & Beetween on April 1, 2016| 2 Comments »

‘Your Lord inspired the bee, saying: “Make your homes in the mountains, in the trees, and in the hives which men shall build for you. Feed on every kind of fruit, and follow the trodden paths of your Lord.” From its belly comes forth a syrup of different hues, a cure for men. Surely in this there is a sign for those who would take thought.’

From the Quran, The Bee, 16:68

Read Full Post »

The Song of the Swarm

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Lore, Bee Present, Beekeeping, Beetwixt & Beetween on February 28, 2016| Leave a Comment »

“Perhaps the one stage in bee-keeping that requires the least protection and minimum of courage is “swarm catching” – that is, taking natural swarms after they have alighted in a cluster on a bush or other object they have chosen for the purpose. To me, it is one of the most interesting sights in Nature to watch a swarm leaving the parent stock, rising on the wing, and performing beautiful, mazy evolutions like a country dance mid-air, to the accompaniment of a soft, melodious, gentle hum, so indicative of peace, goodwill, and enjoyment at the prospect of establishing a successful home of their own; the main body keeping up these beautiful movements whilst the scouts are flying hither and thither in search of a suitable spot on which to alight; and then to see them hasten to a bush in thousands, and threading in and out amongst foliage, and now here, and there, until the scouts trumpet forth the call to assemble. I have never yet discovered that call, but it must be well known to the bees; for when the spot on which to alight is found, and the call is made, you will see all the bees that are on the wing head towards it, even those that form the most distant circle.

When the place of assemblage is found, what a change takes place in their song! from the gentle, peaceful hum to one of ecstatic delight. Note again, if the bees have made up their mind to go farther afield to form a new home, there will be a change in their movements and their song. Instead of making easy, graceful movements to and fro. the whole swarm will become agitated, the scouts will be called in, and their song becomes one of great disappointment, not to them, but to you, when you see your cherished hope rising in the air like a solid mass, and with a sharp cry and rapid movement they make for – you know not where. “But,” you say, ” I was given to understand that bees were always led by the queen – that she gave the call, and directed their movements; – is not that why they beat the tom-tom or ring the frying-pan with the door key?” Not a bit of it. That is an old superstition, grown out of a custom declaring the ownership of a swarm of bees when on the wing. It was equal to the ringing of a bell and saying, “This is to give notice these bees belong to me.” I have more than once seen the queen on a leaf some feed from where the swarm was clustering. I have seen her parading to and fro on a rail while the swarm was clustering on the post, the bees paying not the slightest attention to her. At other times I have seen her alight on the cluster and burrow in amongst them. Evidently she has been on the wing for some time after the main body had settled.”

From: Australian Beelore and Bee Culture by Albert Gale (Late Bee Expert and Lecturer on Apiculture to the New South Wales Government). Published in 1912. Extracted from: Chapter XV – Swarm Catching, Hiving and Transferring pp,86-89

Read Full Post »

The Bee Takes a Middle Course

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Present, Beetwixt & Beetween on October 13, 2015| Leave a Comment »

A friend sent me a link to a beautifully illustrated book with a poem from Francis Bacon. Click on the illustration and it will take you to a page where you can download the book.

Read Full Post »

Let the midday bees strike up their lazy hum!

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Lore, Bee Present, Beetwixt & Beetween on June 20, 2015| Leave a Comment »

The swarming season is drawing to an end. We caught one final swarm this week – making it a total of five. Two of the swarms decided to move on within days of being put into their new home. I have often found this happening when there are several really hot days after the swarm has been moved. It is only natural, I suppose. We have enough colonies, anyway.

As June draws to a close, the June gap has taken away the youthfulness of Spring and the seasons are drawing breath before the garden once again flourishes with July and August colours. I can’t wait for the purple firework displays of the buddleia to come out!

I was moved this week by a fascinating insight into Rabindranath Tagore’s “Relevance for the Future of Spirituality and of Humanity” by Deepak Chopra given a few years back at the Tagore Festival. It is well worth watching: I have not come across Tagore’s work before – but Chopra kept referring to a book of poems of his called Gianjali which I downloaded (for free) from an amazing website called The Spiritual Bee.

Here is part 89 of the collection. It really struck a chord for me. I hope you enjoy it too!

“No more noisy, loud words from me ⎯ such is my master’s will. Henceforth I deal in whispers. The speech of my heart will be carried on in murmurings of a song. Men hasten to the King’s market. All the buyers and sellers are there. But I have my untimely leave in the middle of the day, in the thick of work.

Let then the flowers come out in my garden, though it is not their time and let the midday bees strike up their lazy hum. Full many an hour have I spent in the strife of the good and the evil, but now it is the pleasure of my playmate of the empty days to draw my heart on to him; and I know not why is this sudden call to what useless inconsequence!”

Read Full Post »

2014: A bumper crop of honey

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Lore, Bee Present, Beekeeping on January 11, 2015| 2 Comments »

Like many beekeepers in the UK, 2014 turned out to be a very good season for honey. With a very wet start to the year, we had a near-ideal spring and summer.

Having a previous record of 150 lbs in previous years, this year we managed to take off 250 lbs form 4 hives. I’m sure other beekeepers have achieved more productivity per hive – but for us, it was a great year.

At the start of 2013 I took the advice from a seasoned beekeeper who posted on this site. He told me to use TWO National brood chambers per hive – not one. Having spent several seasons frustrated that the brood took at least one brood chamber and one super-as-brood chamber, I experimented in 2013. The system worked well. So in 2014, I gave each of my established hives the extra space. Combined with the fact that the hives recovered much more strongly after swarming, I can’t understand why

Faith (the first hive I ever installed) continues strongly having re-queened a number of times – and lives up to her name. She produced the best crop of honey with four supers (not all full). The more observant will see an additional concrete block on the top of the hive. I had problems with badgers tipping some of our hives over a few years back. The weight of the block on top of the hive seems to have stopped this particular problem.

Faith, with two brood chambers, ready for over-wintering.

I will write more about the other five hives in future posts.

Read Full Post »

Aussie supplier stung with $30,000 fine for honey not made from bees

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Present, Beekeeping on June 24, 2014| 3 Comments »

An Australian supplier of Mediterranean and Turkish food products has been stung with a $30,600 fine for misrepresenting its “Victoria Honey” product, which is neither derived from bees nor made in Victoria.

The ACCC found Melbourne-based distributor Basfoods to have made misrepresentations on its product labelling and its website that suggested its “Victoria Honey” was produced by honey bees, when it was mainly comprised of sugars from plants including corn and sugar cane.

The watchdog also considered by naming and labelling its product “Victoria Honey”, Basfoods had represented the product as originating from Victoria, Australia when in fact it was a product of Turkey.

The product was supplied to independent supermarkets, speciality retailers, online stores, delis, restaurants and cafes across Australia, as well as through Basfood’s retail stores and via its website.

More at: http://www.smartcompany.com.au/legal/42519-aussie-supplier-stung-with-30-000-fine-for-honey-not-made-from-bees.html?utm_source=SmartCompany&utm_campaign=125c1cda85-Thursday_19_June_201419_06_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_234118efee-125c1cda85-93822749

Read Full Post »

Urgent! 36 Hours to Ban Bee Killers!

Posted in Bee Law, Bee Present, Bee-ology on March 14, 2013| 3 Comments »

Dear friends across Europe,

In less than 36 hours, European countries will vote on plans to ban bee killing pesticides, but Bayer and other chemical giants are out in full force trying to protect their profits from needed safety regulation. Our governments are buckling under the pressure — let’s counteract the corporate bullying with a flood of messages to our Agriculture Ministers to save the bees! Send a message now:

In less than 36 hours, the European Union will vote on whether to ban toxic pesticides that are killing bees around the world and threatening our food supply. The big corporations profiting from this vile stuff are lobbying furiously to defeat the ban and we’ve just heard that key governments are about to cave — unless they feel the sting of public opinion!

Bees are disappearing around the world at alarming rates. Because bees pollinate our crops, experts are warning that these mass deaths pose a catastrophic threat to our food supply. Thankfully, numerous studies have now identified the likely culprit: a certain class of noxious pesticides. An official EU report found that banning them could solve the problem, but pesticide giant Bayer is trying to convince our leaders to ignore the science to protect their profits.

Over 2.5 million of us have signed the petition that made this vote possible — and now it’s time to tell our politicians that they must side with science to save the bees this week. Let’s flood the inboxes of our Agriculture Ministers, drown out the corporate lobby, and make sure our governments saves the bees and our food — click below to send a message then share this urgent campaign with your friends:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/bye_bye_bees_eu_spread/?bWdzgdb&v=23040

Bees don’t just make honey, they are vital to life on earth, every year pollinating 90% of plants and crops and helping to generate an estimated $40bn value and over one-third of the food supply in many countries. Without immediate action to save bees, many of our favourite fruits, vegetables, and nuts could vanish from our shelves.

Last month the European Food Safety Authority gave the most compelling evidence yet that toxic chemicals called neonicotinoid pesticides could be responsible for the bee deaths. Italy has banned some uses of these bee-killing pesticides and has already seen it’s bee populations come back, but Bayer and Sygenta are lobbying to prevent a Euro-wide ban, for fears it would harm their global business. It seems they’re close to having the support of the UK, Spain, and Germany, who want to protect their biggest chemical corporations.

Now the issue is coming to a boil. Just weeks ago, Avaaz delivered a petition signed by over 2.5 million of us to the European Commission, who proposed a ban days later. EU parliamentarians are stepping up their pressure and several other European governments have announced plans to push ahead with new legislation to ban the deadly pesticides on their own. So we have the power to win this, but we need one final push to overcome the pesticide lobby. Send a message telling our governments to support the ban now and then share with others:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/bye_bye_bees_eu_spread/?bWdzgdb&v=23040

Our world is beset with threats to what makes it habitable, and to what fills it with wonder. The Avaaz community comes together to defend both — large or small. Whether winning a battle to keep the International Whaling Commission from sanctioning the murder of these giants, or saving bees, the tiny creatures upon which so much depends, we will come together and stand up for the world we all want.

With hope,

Iain, Marie, Pascal, Emma, Ricken, Alaphia, and the Avaaz team

MORE INFORMATION

EU Proposes ban on bee killer (The Telegraph)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/earthnews/9840497/EU-proposes-ban-on-bee-killer-pesticide.html

Bayer slams draconian EU plans to ban neonicotinoids (Farmers weekly)
http://www.fwi.co.uk/articles/01/02/2013/137451/bayer-slams-39draconian39-eu-plan-to-ban-neonicotinoids.htm

Government to ignore European ban on neonicotinoid pesticides (Independent)
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/government-to-ignore-european-ban-on-neonicotinoid-pesticides-8483916.html

The Battle to ban bee killers (Avaaz Daily Briefing)
http://en.avaaz.org/1326/eu-ban-bee-killing-pesticides-bayer

Studies fault Bayer in bee die-off (Christian Science Monitor)
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0406/Studies-fault-Bayer-in-bee-die-off

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »