Feral Bees- Catherine Thompson

[Erichalfbee]

I have heard from Catherine Thompson and she has confirmed that her thesis is not quite ready for release - it is hoped that the thesis will yield four main papers that will be of interest to both beekeepers and academics. No doubt there will be some considerable interest once the research can be made public.

If anyone is in touch with Catherine or her academic heirs, if the samples survive etc etc it would be fascinating to update this research in light of the recent discoveries re DWV "B", the Swindon survivors etc.

BUMP!
Has anything come of this?

 

[wightbees]

I mentioned to Hivemaker a number of years ago that there's a wild colony not far from me. Well it's still there, whether that's still the case this spring I don't know. What I have noticed there this past year is it looks like it has multiple into two colonies, that or very big and has second entrance the year 2016. I'll post what happens this spring.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Actually, I found this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/28290890

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0105164&type=printable

"Samples of forager bees were collected from paired feral and managed honey bee colonies and screened for the presence of ten honey bee pathogens and pests using qPCR. Prevalence and quantity was similar between the two groups for the majority of pathogens, however feral honey bees contained a significantly higher level of deformed wing virus than managed honey bee colonies. An assessment of the honey bee race was completed for each colony using three measures of wing venation. There were no apparent differences in wing morphometry between feral and managed colonies, suggesting feral colonies could simply be escapees from the managed population. Interestingly, managed honey bee colonies not treated for Varroa showed similar, potentially lethal levels of deformed wing virus to that of feral colonies. The potential for such findings to explain the large fall in the feral population and the wider context of the importance of feral colonies as potential pathogen reservoirs is discussed."

 

[Itchy]

To confirm a colony has survived, you'd have to see pollen from the first spring flowers going in before any swarms appear, then monitor it daily to ensure it is active and that no other swarm has moved in.

 

[wightbees]

There's a lovely couple who watch it from there window, can't miss it really as it's in next doors loft. I'm there once a month and watch it, seems to be doing great.

 

[Finman]

To confirm a colony has survived, you'd have to see pollen from the first spring flowers going in before any swarms appear, then monitor it daily to ensure it is active and that no other swarm has moved in.

Sounds a miserable life. I would give poison to that colony and then I write : Dead.

Somebody educate himself 20 years up to university and then sitting every day under tree and...
Luckily no one pays fee for that.

Thomson's article was very realistic.

The whole idea, that it must be feral bees in some isolated place, it is mad in Britain, because you do not have isolated placed out there.
.

 

[user 6228]

Actually, I found this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/28290890

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0105164&type=printable

"Samples of forager bees were collected from paired feral and managed honey bee colonies and screened for the presence of ten honey bee pathogens and pests using qPCR. Prevalence and quantity was similar between the two groups for the majority of pathogens, however feral honey bees contained a significantly higher level of deformed wing virus than managed honey bee colonies. An assessment of the honey bee race was completed for each colony using three measures of wing venation. There were no apparent differences in wing morphometry between feral and managed colonies, suggesting feral colonies could simply be escapees from the managed population. Interestingly, managed honey bee colonies not treated for Varroa showed similar, potentially lethal levels of deformed wing virus to that of feral colonies. The potential for such findings to explain the large fall in the feral population and the wider context of the importance of feral colonies as potential pathogen reservoirs is discussed."

Figure 3. The effect of
Varroa
treatment on managed and feral colony log DWV levels separated by treatment but not all feral colonies are in similar circumstance. This graph shows a mixed situation for feral colonies compared to managed. it appears that there are other factors not described causing some feral colonies to have high DWV levels like the managed untreated and others to resemble the treated. Given the feral colonies live in much more diverse abodes (trees to man made wall cavities) with a larger range of stress (i.e. MCR) I can only say the study is inconclusive and requires further analysis to see if there is any trends based on the feral abode type.

 

[B+.]

sitting every day under tree and...
Luckily no one pays fee for that.

.

Isn't this how Sir Issac Newton discovered gravity (or so the story goes)?

 

[Finman]

Isn't this how Sir Issac Newton discovered gravity (or so the story goes)?

And not go mention Adam, who sat in Paradise and invented God.
.

 

[amigadave]

Actually, I found this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/28290890

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0105164&type=printable

As you asked about Catherine Thompson's thesis earlier, it is available at http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/5211/

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thank you amigadave, I'll have a read of that.

 

[Poly Hive]

I freely say I gave up reading at page 8.

I personally know of poly hives which are now in year 36 and looking as if they will do at least the same again.

I also know that as recently as last autumn of a tree colony which is as far as I know a wild one which has been in continuous existence for at least 6 years as it was flying in winters when my bees were. I passed it to see mine and always paused to check it out.

If anyone wants the locale I am happy to do so. Close to East Mids Airport if that helps winnow the interest.

PH

 

[wightbees]

As I have said before, I have a colony that is watched all the time, its been 3 or 4 years and is now 2 colonies up in the sofit . Hoping to see the people in a few weeks to see if they active.

 

[Beefriendly]

I also know that as recently as last autumn of a tree colony which is as far as I know a wild one which has been in continuous existence for at least 6 years as it was flying in winters when my bees were. I passed it to see mine and always paused to check it out.

If anyone wants the locale I am happy to do so. Close to East Mids Airport if that helps winnow the interest.

PH

Don't disagree with the observations but how do you determine if it's a feral colony that died out, been reoccupied, died out been reoccupied, died out been reoccupied, died out been reoccupied ad infintum? There is no more ideal nesting site for a new swarm than a previously occupied tree hollow with old comb.
It may simply reflect an ideal nesting sites for this years swarms...

 

[For want of a better word]

Don't disagree with the observations but how do you determine if it's a feral colony that died out, been reoccupied, died out been reoccupied, died out been reoccupied, died out been reoccupied ad infintum? There is no more ideal nesting site for a new swarm than a previously occupied tree hollow with old comb.
It may simply reflect an ideal nesting sites for this years swarms...

YES... they are called Feral Colony Sites.

Have knowledge of three FCSs in a 15th Century Skibber wall that have been occupied by colonies of bees for at least 200 years.
Farm records ( 1802 ) show " a gsiste of bees settled on the post by the pairlor and wente into the wall bye the skebbir doors"

Will put bait hives out again this year.... but typically of Cornish native bees, they do not swarm... tending to supercede.

Samples I have taken from the wall show a negative discoildal shift and are very black without any yellow on them.

Yeghes da

 

[Poly Hive]

Beefriendly?

Every time I went to my bees I paused and observed. apart from very cold spells there was activity from the tree.

Now this comes down to angels dancing on pins but...... I think if I see activity in Jan, and every month of the year it has not died out and been recolonised as there would be a gap?

I cannot of course prove it but in my mind I am positive it is continuous occupation.

PH

 

[wightbees]

I agree with that pH I visit a house every month and they are there flying and the owners next door love to watch them. Couple weeks time I'm hoping to find out if they made it this year

 

[Beefriendly]

Now this comes down to angels dancing on pins but...... I think if I see activity in Jan, and every month of the year it has not died out and been recolonised as there would be a gap?
PH

Maybe no gaps this year......
Just playing devils advocate

 

[melias]

We've had a honeybee colony in our chimney for at least 20 years (was already established when we bought the house 20 years ago). I remember discussing it with Catherine at one of her talks. During this time I have never seen a period when they weren't active (outside of winter). The bees do have Deformed Wing Syndrome (those ones drop to the ground so we see them), but overall the bees are fairly vigorous.

So while I can't say categorically that the colony has been the same one for all this time, if they died off and were replaced, it must have happened very quickly.

We've had the added bonus of honey dripping down the walls of the house during heat waves

 

[Gilberdyke John]

You think thats a bonus?