tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83563418501371625472024-03-12T16:41:12.586-07:00North East Worcestershire Beekeepers' AssociationNEWBKA is a branch of the Worcestershire Beekeepers' Association. It exists to promote beekeeping in NE Worcestershire by providing public information, swarm collecting and by running courses for intending and improving beekeepers.Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-38559849472859856122024-03-08T08:15:00.000-08:002024-03-08T08:16:27.117-08:00And for some better news.....<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A recent study by the University of Sussex provides an interesting insight into the ratio of wild versus managed honeybee colonies around the world - plus the implications for disease resistance:</span></p><p><a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/honey-bees-suprisingly-abundant-research-173056150.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>https://uk.news.yahoo.com/honey-bees-suprisingly-abundant-research-173056150.html</i></span></a><br /></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-32221767790123601062024-03-08T07:57:00.000-08:002024-03-08T08:00:01.556-08:00Beware the Asian Hornet<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As we approach the beginning of the beekeeping season, the BBKA has highlighted a number of recent articles about the Asian Hornet: </span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/yellow-legged-hornet-italy-government-officials/" target="_blank">https://www.thecooldown.com/outdoors/yellow-legged-hornet-italy-government-officials/</a><br /></i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://www.fruitandvine.co.uk/asian-hornets-could-reduce-uk-agricultural-yields/" target="_blank">https://www.fruitandvine.co.uk/asian-hornets-could-reduce-uk-agricultural-yields/</a><br /></i></span></p><p><a href="https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/24153263.brighton-beekeepers-urge-vigilance-asian-hornets/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i>https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/24153263.brighton-beekeepers-urge-vigilance-asian-hornets/</i></span></a><br /></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-250534045475213882024-01-06T13:19:00.000-08:002024-01-06T13:20:57.887-08:00Novice Course 2024 <p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Have you made a New Year's resolution to become a beekeeper this year?</span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">If so, you might like to join our Novice course which starts on Monday 12th February and runs weekly over six weeks.</span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">It's an ideal way to learn about beekeeping and hopefully avoid some of the common mistakes made when starting out.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #7b1fa2;">If you're interested, email us at </span><i><span style="color: #2b00fe;">neworcsbeekeepers@gmail.com </span></i></span><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">for more information.</span></span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-70550844345640738402023-12-06T10:11:00.000-08:002023-12-06T10:12:13.967-08:00It's Christmas (and time to be Social)<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">Our last Social Meeting of 2023 is at 7:30pm on </span><b style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">Monday 11th December</b><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">- at the Bowling Green Inn, Shaw Lane, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4BH. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As usual, everyone is welcome - experienced Beekeepers, Novices and those considering taking up beekeeping.</span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-53418111060337519882023-11-24T07:52:00.000-08:002023-11-24T07:53:37.807-08:00Successful overwintering of bees and meeting the Asian Hornet threat<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">Don't forget our talk on Friday, 24th November, at 7:30 pm, in the meeting room at Alvechurch Marina.<br /></span><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;"><br />The speaker is Bob Poole who, as a Seasonal Bee Inspector, has recently been a member of the NBU team eradicating Asian Hornet colonies established on the south coast. His talk will cover preparations for inevitable AH incursions and how to preparing colonies for Winter.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As colony losses last winter were higher than for many years and the incidence of Asian Hornets is increasing each year, you and your colonies could benefit greatly from his advice.</span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-91712763285540768762023-11-22T13:26:00.000-08:002023-11-22T13:29:21.397-08:00The importance of Hive Insulation<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">Recent research </span><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">challenges the widespread belief that honeybees naturally insulate their colonies against cold. It underlines the importance of helping the bees by adding insulation to their hives during winter. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://phys.org/news/2023-11-widespread-belief-honeybees-naturally-insulate.html" target="_blank">https://phys.org/news/2023-11-widespread-belief-honeybees-naturally-insulate.html</a><br /></span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-67160659293266737182023-11-10T10:32:00.004-08:002023-11-10T10:33:24.861-08:00Thinking about becoming a Beekeeper?<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Our 2024 Novice Course will be held in February/March. If you are thinking about becoming a Beekeeper and would like more information about how to start, drop an email to us at </span><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><u><i>neworcsbeekeepers@gmail.com</i></u></span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-81661017531911615492023-11-10T10:27:00.006-08:002023-11-10T10:27:57.185-08:00Social Meeting on Monday<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">Our next Social Meeting is at 7:30pm on </span><b style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">Monday 13th November</b><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">- at the Bowling Green Inn, Shaw Lane, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4BH. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Everyone is welcome - whether you are a member, or would just like to find out more about beekeeping.</span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-13940027332469350852023-11-10T10:23:00.002-08:002023-11-10T10:23:30.453-08:00Why are Bees important?<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Olivia is a visitor to our website and has created a wonderful web page full of interesting links to information about honey bees. Have a look !</span></p><p><a href="https://purblack.com/resources/the-importance-of-bees/" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">https://purblack.com/resources/the-importance-of-bees/</span></a></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-18062922461346561892023-10-05T11:47:00.008-07:002023-10-05T11:48:31.904-07:00Expose the corruption. Protect the hive<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Who knew that being a Beekeeper could be so action-packed...... Jason Statham shows us how. Wonder if he uses drones?</span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://movieweb.com/jason-statham-the-beekeeper-trailer/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">https://movieweb.com/jason-statham-the-beekeeper-trailer/</span></a><br /></span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-23661329655976922492023-10-05T11:42:00.006-07:002023-10-05T11:42:47.563-07:00Bee Stings vs Wasp Stings<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">An interesting article in the British Medical Journal explores the differences:</span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1113072/" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1113072/</a><br /></span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-79890607003245235602023-10-03T13:54:00.007-07:002023-11-10T10:26:56.720-08:00Next Social Meeting<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">Our next Social Meeting is at 7:30pm on </span><b style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">Monday 9th October</b><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">- at the Bowling Green Inn, Shaw Lane, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4BH. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Everyone is welcome - whether you are a member, or would just like to find out more about beekeeping.</span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-31543640563944950012023-10-03T13:50:00.003-07:002023-10-03T13:50:46.856-07:00Honeybees adapt how they feed<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A new study shows how honey bees switch feeding mechanisms as resource conditions vary</span><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">.</span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://phys.org/news/2023-08-video-honey-bees-mechanisms-resource.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://phys.org/news/2023-08-video-honey-bees-mechanisms-resource.html</span></a><br /></span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-76867056417253617432023-10-03T13:46:00.001-07:002023-10-03T13:46:15.963-07:00So - Where did Bees come from?<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The buzzing of bees was first heard 120 million years ago on the western side of supercontinent Gondwana, scientists have revealed.</span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.zenger.news/2023/08/28/buzzing-of-bees-first-heard-120-million-years-ago/" target="_blank">https://www.zenger.news/2023/08/28/buzzing-of-bees-first-heard-120-million-years-ago/</a><br /></span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-55778681384872211122023-10-03T13:43:00.004-07:002023-10-03T13:43:34.727-07:00Hidden Bee Behaviours<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Bee scaffolding and bio heaters: New research reveals hidden beehive behaviours</span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/new-bee-behaviour" target="_blank">https://www.sciencefocus.com/nature/new-bee-behaviour</a><br /></span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-4231949875261959442023-09-08T14:21:00.002-07:002023-09-08T14:21:23.950-07:00Want to see what your bees are up to ?<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">This transparent Beehive will let you see your bees at work.</span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://mymodernmet.com/transparent-beehive-ivry-b/" target="_blank">https://mymodernmet.com/transparent-beehive-ivry-b/</a><br /></span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-38033449654406181762023-09-08T14:17:00.001-07:002023-09-08T14:17:32.203-07:00The importance of Weeds<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Weeds are important to pollinators.</span></span></p><p><a href="https://www.inverse.com/science/weeds-and-pollination" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">https://www.inverse.com/science/weeds-and-pollination</span></a><br /></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-83187133446784243242023-09-08T14:11:00.007-07:002023-10-03T13:51:23.534-07:00Where Did Bees Come From?<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">Ever wondered where Bees originated? <br /></span><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">It seems that we now know, according to scientists from the USA.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/scientists-solved-the-mystery-of-where-bees-originally-came-from" target="_blank">https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/scientists-solved-the-mystery-of-where-bees-originally-came-from</a></span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-35241975156289363482023-06-15T14:39:00.004-07:002023-06-15T14:41:53.660-07:00Hello World<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Can you spot the "Newbee" saying hello to a bright new world?</span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='678' height='563' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxQAmsZqITf2MDRCyzuEaWI73Y3SQnV54VIWfCAB0pDM-Iol1fm3EWgGP4L07vOr2WSxlaS1_aniWH_lJsDxQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /> <span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"> </span><p></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-80291375746788150612023-06-15T08:18:00.005-07:002023-06-15T08:21:53.779-07:00Swarm Collection<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">As this year has seen a major increase in the number of swarms and requests for their collection, guidance on their collection has been added to this website in the "For Members" section.<br />All members are urged to review these Guidance Notes to clarify their responsibilities and minimise the risks involved when collecting swarms.</span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-19388190105822517202023-05-19T11:32:00.004-07:002023-05-19T11:35:21.258-07:00Windmill Apiary Work Party<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Following the call to rescue the Windmill apiary from Spring brambles, a working party assembled on Thursday to do battle. As you may see from the photos below, we won!</span><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;"><i>Before</i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-LyqosDJghH-xardW5j3jYq2LqOMfGUoKjpG2Ax0hDobBfOATACTWz1CwbHinSmZHXtaMeEP1ukpMSO8KLa9Sm9sjyq7ilCwo05I0YoUANzUxlkEHlPItgk8odnVMlFmXfqvovM3jYR_EvhdY0RS_xzmNhm9F9yrPKcZNOvbScuDkFkdFKPuQWNc/s2048/878f9927-3526-4e65-9504-36291df54dbd.jpg" style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="391" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-LyqosDJghH-xardW5j3jYq2LqOMfGUoKjpG2Ax0hDobBfOATACTWz1CwbHinSmZHXtaMeEP1ukpMSO8KLa9Sm9sjyq7ilCwo05I0YoUANzUxlkEHlPItgk8odnVMlFmXfqvovM3jYR_EvhdY0RS_xzmNhm9F9yrPKcZNOvbScuDkFkdFKPuQWNc/w521-h391/878f9927-3526-4e65-9504-36291df54dbd.jpg" width="521" /></a> </p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">After</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zoN6HPZvgNizVbOfGYKSMJdmaBCULJCIsJjFxHzVw0BVIfmu6bDV4QwEAojeUpRqHzhqzSUYnh7JfoeuvV5OYTi_UK9frTUJYvS9fOBBiSOOgvdgXgZpsiEcPR7mYyHDC9l1Nt2NeHE0HMKieit1rPn_AUjY-vcC_kE-6CEBZKmeJ3PE4KbbvZS8/s2048/69730d1e-48b6-454c-87a3-1ac302bac57f.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zoN6HPZvgNizVbOfGYKSMJdmaBCULJCIsJjFxHzVw0BVIfmu6bDV4QwEAojeUpRqHzhqzSUYnh7JfoeuvV5OYTi_UK9frTUJYvS9fOBBiSOOgvdgXgZpsiEcPR7mYyHDC9l1Nt2NeHE0HMKieit1rPn_AUjY-vcC_kE-6CEBZKmeJ3PE4KbbvZS8/w525-h394/69730d1e-48b6-454c-87a3-1ac302bac57f.jpg" width="525" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">Before</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVA4H1Jbbtmv8Pg4-7WKG5DJZ-mnGIGz_zNbt83HcMdSHLkimWIPbB0kO1v09WZBUlmGJ2Rqy4wbGtxcU7CvFVq6i8xjUawlqQGCkofugIcSr-J8AULlQXOXvCdL68Ya_BEeuSLdYcqwVpyn99QkRenXTtHPbq_Bha5ZONorIuSXiNsFaf0a_pI4dF/s2048/71048ef2-68fd-446c-aa68-1d800039e720.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVA4H1Jbbtmv8Pg4-7WKG5DJZ-mnGIGz_zNbt83HcMdSHLkimWIPbB0kO1v09WZBUlmGJ2Rqy4wbGtxcU7CvFVq6i8xjUawlqQGCkofugIcSr-J8AULlQXOXvCdL68Ya_BEeuSLdYcqwVpyn99QkRenXTtHPbq_Bha5ZONorIuSXiNsFaf0a_pI4dF/w533-h400/71048ef2-68fd-446c-aa68-1d800039e720.jpg" width="533" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><i> </i></span> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></i></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">After</i></div></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIgTWzxWbK8rFHEt6wVvnVCNNd-lWui20r8Gje0GzJ4zWtq_3PmHJkyYVSDMYj7sBp2PECZwAIAoz5PEffSeWPYiJ25iTOAPOeqg4ZzUt2iK8ZOV9vRjwScoWdZtjfn-k4AiCbRB_3d5DWDveZpzH7NEY8DlvFupK-ouWngVE4oGPCRtlLU-dcC7N/s2048/395a168b-b8f0-4591-b3d6-8aafb0eadef6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYIgTWzxWbK8rFHEt6wVvnVCNNd-lWui20r8Gje0GzJ4zWtq_3PmHJkyYVSDMYj7sBp2PECZwAIAoz5PEffSeWPYiJ25iTOAPOeqg4ZzUt2iK8ZOV9vRjwScoWdZtjfn-k4AiCbRB_3d5DWDveZpzH7NEY8DlvFupK-ouWngVE4oGPCRtlLU-dcC7N/w541-h406/395a168b-b8f0-4591-b3d6-8aafb0eadef6.jpg" width="541" /></a></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">Hard at Work</i></div></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE75MmouMIAE6K1zWnElPa_OhA-Wcn5yZQqWARu0NKUPn3ySLzoP89LZdmsjjGNgwMoou07Wq5ayarSBlluaEFy1-9AVWxuOWRhXEV6_KffnV83-iTPXAjExWoRqzRUzIxFdxVL2QBUktemGRp0pU4hr99q7vljw0nmK7UJtGz6oqDZokY1VdSk-xm/s4096/IMG_20230518_105750349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE75MmouMIAE6K1zWnElPa_OhA-Wcn5yZQqWARu0NKUPn3ySLzoP89LZdmsjjGNgwMoou07Wq5ayarSBlluaEFy1-9AVWxuOWRhXEV6_KffnV83-iTPXAjExWoRqzRUzIxFdxVL2QBUktemGRp0pU4hr99q7vljw0nmK7UJtGz6oqDZokY1VdSk-xm/w576-h433/IMG_20230518_105750349.jpg" width="576" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-large;">The Team</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGdVHHPHwXlpPXL5I97fGnnkEPpqrGXu-NlQgBC98b6QY16ZLGO74aZoyvGX6pFcls6q4vknv0pbz_L8OSJY4j12r4b2baCqhB-12A64TCfU_LwnY9NGMy7Fr-aDlhFpWeZOp9Oc6LaDKsv36SAdwcU7AOAeEZmpwibdC4gxfQMI_LiuQDxiccaH0/s4096/IMG_20230518_114404995_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGdVHHPHwXlpPXL5I97fGnnkEPpqrGXu-NlQgBC98b6QY16ZLGO74aZoyvGX6pFcls6q4vknv0pbz_L8OSJY4j12r4b2baCqhB-12A64TCfU_LwnY9NGMy7Fr-aDlhFpWeZOp9Oc6LaDKsv36SAdwcU7AOAeEZmpwibdC4gxfQMI_LiuQDxiccaH0/w583-h438/IMG_20230518_114404995_HDR.jpg" width="583" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Many thanks to Rob, Ian, Mark, Ed and Bob for all their hard work - and also to the bees, who were very kind to us, despite the noise of the strimmers.</span></div><div><p></p></div>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-51910390311386202962023-04-27T07:08:00.002-07:002023-04-27T07:08:49.580-07:00Poly Hives at the Eden Project<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">The Eden Project is known for its environmental credentials, including support for Native bees, so it was interesting to see its use of Poly Hives on a recent visit:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrykv50GJV6Oal0B2PZ6YoOgROIm0c4PlXdw35Blp_gsXvYZX7TOBBf8PTw1ro_1Zs2G6G5KZojZtu4pwDntMXfQfdXyFULocNJFeolrIhS46wrnr2s-vZOo_ctx39no5ZYBjXe5vLUW8Tl8u7Mi5x-9-qMl4rADSrl8I9FwXD7JPcMJrwazfR_Ftk/s4096/IMG_20230415_162732026_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="4096" height="329" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrykv50GJV6Oal0B2PZ6YoOgROIm0c4PlXdw35Blp_gsXvYZX7TOBBf8PTw1ro_1Zs2G6G5KZojZtu4pwDntMXfQfdXyFULocNJFeolrIhS46wrnr2s-vZOo_ctx39no5ZYBjXe5vLUW8Tl8u7Mi5x-9-qMl4rADSrl8I9FwXD7JPcMJrwazfR_Ftk/w439-h329/IMG_20230415_162732026_HDR.jpg" width="439" /></a><br /><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DeGqzjKnHxjgEofBFj9hNjponu3AZzUGieJv05sljZdnlUa36I6vgc3LG9GC8RL20qeN_e5GEIGBcvnX6A8cneOBfy5iTJ2379exKYk-k5lsnBcxJyzoRTbsCZkhcZp_6xcs8aP0gmq5jkLBCjuHlwa7FKMSRWDqXOsWhbCLfws8uYpQWKvskH_Y/s4096/IMG_20230415_124900102_HDR.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3DeGqzjKnHxjgEofBFj9hNjponu3AZzUGieJv05sljZdnlUa36I6vgc3LG9GC8RL20qeN_e5GEIGBcvnX6A8cneOBfy5iTJ2379exKYk-k5lsnBcxJyzoRTbsCZkhcZp_6xcs8aP0gmq5jkLBCjuHlwa7FKMSRWDqXOsWhbCLfws8uYpQWKvskH_Y/w440-h588/IMG_20230415_124900102_HDR.jpg" width="440" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YAIvTe9P64ouknk4nehctoMQJRDnveAocyWvb99zaA0MtBZDk7H3TDoOM6ivI63P2uHD832Z4AI0zkd4CmbRolkaW8strQ6MjPNum2RkJ5dZC857a0DYqE8ZqcfOmqspMBFfDsPxKPhrtC1mhZ52qUx9vnWXLXaxedX_v3UnPD3j0PvWnvt5qByB/s4096/IMG_20230415_164457095.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4096" data-original-width="3072" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1YAIvTe9P64ouknk4nehctoMQJRDnveAocyWvb99zaA0MtBZDk7H3TDoOM6ivI63P2uHD832Z4AI0zkd4CmbRolkaW8strQ6MjPNum2RkJ5dZC857a0DYqE8ZqcfOmqspMBFfDsPxKPhrtC1mhZ52qUx9vnWXLXaxedX_v3UnPD3j0PvWnvt5qByB/w435-h580/IMG_20230415_164457095.jpg" width="435" /></a></div><p></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-68146900529675172112023-04-27T06:57:00.002-07:002023-04-27T06:58:15.635-07:00Why you need to be nice to your bees<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Ever wondered if your honeybees can feel emotions? <br />A new study suggests that they are indeed sentient:</span></p><p><a href="https://mymodernmet.com/bees-emotions-sentient/" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">https://mymodernmet.com/bees-emotions-sentient/</span></i></a><br /></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-53944110064915724612023-04-10T03:57:00.005-07:002023-04-10T03:59:28.736-07:00Whose Honey Can you Trust?<p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">A recent article in the Guardian highlights that honey adulteration can be both direct and indirect. It seems that the only way to be assured of quality is to buy honey from local sources you know and can trust. </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/mar/26/uk-honey-fails-authenticity-test" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size: large;">https://www.theguardian.com/food/2023/mar/26/uk-honey-fails-authenticity-test</span></i></a></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8356341850137162547.post-60785942338941938322023-03-31T04:29:00.002-07:002023-03-31T04:31:42.188-07:00Next Social Meeting<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">Our next Social Meeting will be held at 7:30pm on</span><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;"> </span><b style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">Monday 10th April</b><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial;">- at the Bowling Green Inn, Shaw Lane, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4BH. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #7b1fa2; font-family: arial; font-size: large;">All are welcome - including anyone who would just like to find out more about beekeeping before taking the plunge.</span></p>Gary Thorington-Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00237118208736657596noreply@blogger.com