Saddest news I probably heard in 3 months.

Spoke to my #apiarist friend yesterday, the bees in my state have no honey to give this year.
The drought in the dryest state on the dryest continent was so bad.
#climate change 🥺

I knew this year was bad, because I couldn't find any shrooms, but it's BAD.

Tagging: @ai6yr

So there's this Greek myth that says Zeus was fed by bees when he was born. In gratitude, he blessed them with the color of "shining bronze", and made them immune to cold and harsh winds. These bees lived in Zeus' sacred cave in Crete, and aggressively chased away anyone who tried to steal their honey.

Any #apiarist or #entomology expert out there who could tell me what these bees are by any chance?...

#mythology #biology #nature #folklore #bees

#Fall #honey harvesting has begun for this #beekeeper and crew. As a #hobbyist; my crew consists of my retired father, my spouse with #LongCovid on the occasions when the #COVID is being kind, and myself. This means we do not move as quickly as the #pro #apiarist, but we get it done. No stings for me, but several honey-coated bees chilled on me to clean up. This gave me a good excuse to just sit and watch them. Tomorrow is hive 3, and extraction.

Hi #beekeepers especially any in #Scotland. I came across a hive of wild bees in the Isle of #Bute. These were very dark, almost black. I have a vague memory that black bees are the native strain & quite rare. Is this right? My picture is not great but the best I could do. #apiary #apiarist

After years of the ritualistic cadences and PPE-less bee-scooping of Erika Thompson of Texas Beeworks (“and it was another great day of saving the bees”) I have discovered on YouTube an Australian #apiarist who is somewhere near #Geelong and who says stuff like “and they’ve got their bums up” and accidentally drops a queen he is trying to mark with a Posca for easy ID, and swears when #bees sting him

His videos are about inspecting his regular hives as opposed to bee removals from where they shouldn’t make hives, and he shows each frame he removes so it is interesting to learn what a healthy #beehive should be like

Foundation is getting more expensive. Try foundationless frames; save money and reduce miticide contamination in your hives.

https://theapiarist.org/foundationless-frames-redux/

#bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #apiarist #localhoney #varroa #honeybees

NEW POST: The science of identity ... how guard bees recognise nestmates, why drifting bees are accepted into other hives and why robbers are only sometimes rejected.

https://theapiarist.org/you-are-what-you-eat/

#bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #apiarist #localhoney #varroa #honeybees

NEW POST: The season is approaching, but it’s not here yet. Don’t be misled by social media. Do your preparations for the good times ahead and the reinforcements, revisions, reversals and revelations.

https://theapiarist.org/good-times-ahead/

#bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #apiarist #localhoney #varroa #honeybees

NEW POST

The manufacturer’s instructions for miticide use are often poorly worded, confusing or contradictory. Many beekeepers already struggle to control Varroa and this makes things worse.

https://theapiarist.org/infernal-contradictions/

#bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #apiarist #localhoney #varroa #honeybees

After two failed seasons, I decided it was time to stop wasting money and get serious. This Beginner #Beekeeper Course was an intense 10 hours, but I filled a notebook with all of the things I was doing wrong.

#beekeeping #apiarist #apiary #bees #savethepollinators #WASBA

NEW POST

Getting good answers involves asking good questions. But remember that the bees have no concept of what is ‘best’, or of the calendar.

https://theapiarist.org/getting-answers/

#bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #apiarist #localhoney #varroa #honeybees #ChatGPT

NEW POST Join a beekeeping association, get a mentor, get local bees, manage your hopes and expectations, get your bees through the winter. Simples. How to start beekeeping.

https://theapiarist.org/how-to-start-beekeeping/

#bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #apiarist #localhoney #varroa

NEW POST:
How promising is the “world’s first vaccine for honey bees”? Separating hype from hope, good news from bad news, and with a bonus discussion of trans-generational immune priming and beemageddon.

https://theapiarist.org/hype-or-hope/

#bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #apiarist #localhoney #varroa #honeybees #AFB

NEW POST: Interpreting waggle dance distances as indicators of seasonal foraging challenges, environmental change and pollinator competition.

#bees #beekeeping #beekeeper #apiarist #localhoney #varroa #honeybees

https://theapiarist.org/interpretative-dance/

Just hung a mirror to more easily see what’s going on in the far side of the #ObservationHive without having to move it. Not much action right now, all the activity currently is on the frames facing the front. #beekeeping #apiarist #beestodon

I love that everyone is basically wandering around Mastodon right now wearing their weirdest hashtags and trying to find their people.

"Are you #Apiarist ?"
"No, sorry, I'm #ArduinoMusic ."

#ArduinoMusic turns around.

"ANYBODY INTO BEES?"

A hand goes up in the back of the crowd.

"NICE."

My friend the #apiarist brought me a gift of a jar of her honey today. By way of a thank you I made a donation to #BeesforDevelopment. It's a shame it's still on the bird site. A good organisation which could do with a boost.

@thibaultmol

Oooo - an #apiarist !
*sekret handshake*

Yay, for the #bees 👏 👏 👏
We're in a neighborhood, so I stealth-keep solitary #pollinators

Great #upcycle use for styrofoam. Genius.

Hypothetical question because #writing #alternatehistory. If #bees vanished, how much impact would it make on #tea? Camellia sinensis is #pollinated by bees, right? So would need to be hand pollinated? #horticulture #apiarist #entomology #botany

#introductionpost as I build a community here :)

I’m a #publichealth physician, #healtheconomist, health #researcher (with a focus on #womenshealth and #rural and #remote health/services) and #medical #leader, #philosopher and #ethicist. #portfoliocareer
I tweet in a personal capacity about all of the above.

I am also patrilineal #Jewish, a #chess player and #apiarist. I’m #deaf and #ASD and advocate for #disability rights. I live in #queensland #australia
#auslan (fluent) #french #hebrew