Nick Mawby, Author at BIBBA

Seasonal Nectar Gaps in Farmland Landscapes

Paper Review: Seasonal Nectar Gaps in Farmland Landscapes Timberlake et al. (2019) Phenology of farmland floral resources reveals seasonal gaps in nectar availability for bumblebees This paper is a straightforward observational study examining the seasonal availability of nectar sugars across farmland habitats in North Somerset. Although the work focuses on bumblebees, many of the findings…

Varroa Resistance: It Comes from the Queen

For those involved in bee improvement and breeding, a key question has always been:

Do bees learn Varroa-resistant behaviour from each other, or is it inherited?

The researchers showed that Varroa resistance is passed on through the queen and her offspring and not by workers learning from each other.

This means:

Resistance is genetic, not taught
Requeening is sufficient to change colony behaviour
There is no need to transfer “experienced” workers

Resilience in the Face of Winter Losses
Bee Rescues – getting people out of a ‘sticky’ situation
Varroa resistance – It Comes From the Queen

A recent UK study has shown something quite remarkable: your honey can reveal hidden disease in your colony before you see any symptoms.

Local markets, local honey. Martina shares what they do at Luffs Meadow Honey when attending markets and is interested in your hints and tips.

Resilience and Winter Losses
An Old Technique to Increase Honey Yield
Rethinking “Emergency” Queen Cells
Cascading the CaSCA Message
What Your Honey Can Tell Us About Bee Health

Recover

Resilience and Winter Losses Steve McGrath Winter losses are sad and frustrating, and in some cases they can be devastating. It will be a while before we have the survey data for the 2025/26 winter, but anecdotal evidence from multiple sources suggests that some beekeepers have experienced losses well above the historic norm, and in…

A new model for sustainable business: Emma shares some insights into her company, Buckley’s Bees, the work it does with businesses and how the company’s initiatives not only make the world of bees more accessible to all but also provides the opportunity for beekeepers to earn an extra income.

Enhanced Direct Debit Discount
How to Mark a Queen Bee for Better Visibility
Emergency Cells- a Simple Experiment
Live@theHive in March
BIBBA Groups Update
Wild honey bees on English landed estates

This new 3.5‑year field study from southeast England provides the strongest evidence to date that, at least in some English landscapes, wild colonies are both numerous and viable.