"Survivor bees" found in Blenheim Forest

[user 20297]

It is important, that Ice Ace is mentioned in the connection of Black Bees' history. I mean prehistory. History means fact documents.

Yes, in order to make it more plausible, they should have mentioned that the Blenheim Estate has been there for over 300 years, which is obviously from before the last Ice Age.

 

[Finman]

Bees must be a new species, Apis anglica, because it has not mixed to surrounding bees. 50 colonies in one oak forest.

 

[Murox]

Its thought that Apis cerana migrated westward and spread into the African continent from Asia, and that Apis mellifera split from A.cerana 5-25 million years ago. The Ice Age only started around 116 000 years ago, so mellifera had time to evolve before the Ice Age.

 

[Ian123]

I've yet to see it but I haven't been beekeeping for long.
Are certain types more likely to carry more than one queen?
Opologies I digress.

Hi mark cast swarms regularly contain multiple virgin queens it’s a common occurrence.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hi mark cast swarms regularly contain multiple virgin queens it’s a common occurrence.

Only ever had one cast swarm since I've been beekeeping, thanks I'm up to speed now.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Wild honeybees are resistant to the varroa mite

I've heard this kind of hogwash on here before. Isn't Oxfordshire a small county in the middle of LaLa land?

They’re happy to live near wasps and other honeybee colonies

As are all honeybees, same as all mellifera species swarm with multiple queens
I wonder what type of substance this bloke is on?
he'll be saying next that these bees have developed an unique way of living with varroa - by colonies dying out every four or five years.
To be honest, it's not often you read such a dire piece of journalism - even in this day and age!

 

[Amari]

The article speculates that the bees are a sub-species. Hopefully the forthcoming genome analysis will elucidate. Strange that swarms may be led by several queens.

 

[Ian123]

Only ever had one cast swarm since I've been beekeeping, thanks I'm up to speed now.

An RBI I spoke to quoted as high as 30% for colonies with multiple queens(supercedure). That may be high but most of us take the eye off the ball once 1 is found! I’ve found 1 carni hive that had 3 queens in. It was in the middle of a demonstration and at least 12 people watching

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Strange that swarms may be led by several queens.

Tongue stuck in cheek?

 

[Murox]

Cast swarms.

 

[Martinreed]

Looks like he's found 'native wild bees' before
StackPath
Used the same picture as well

 

[Ian123]

Isn't @oxnatbees the same person as Felipe Salbany?

It would be worrying indeed if there were 2

 

[Wilco]

Wait to see for genetic info. Half the picture available at present. Would be cool if it's true but not sure whether there are useful implications are for beekeeping - we tend not to want tiny colonies. Plus are they surviving due to frequent swarming, what counts as a colony surviving given they report hundreds of empty sites as well as the 50-odd they report with bees in, etc.?

 

[Finman]

e. Strange that swarms may be led by several queens.

Queens fly with the swarm. Queens do not lead swarms.

 

[Ian123]

It appears all we have to do is stick some old cork around a national and bingo we can save the bee

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I remember reading years ago that Calfornia had a higher density of crackpots per square mile than any other state - it seems to be a magnet for fruitloops.
With us, it's Oxford!!

 

[oxnatbees]

Isn't @oxnatbees the same person as Felipe Salbany?

No, Filipe lives about 10 miles from me and is much more experienced.

He has 40-50 years' experience in Portugal, Africa, America and Britain. Worth listening to - he has a wider perspective than most of us who have operated in one country.

 

[pargyle]

I suspect that they will be mongrels of some sort - it seems unlikely that they will have not been in contact with bees in other parts around the Blenheim estate - there has to be some overlap. Having said that bees are not kept anywhere on the estate so these bees are going to be feral of some sort.

I suspect that they may be low in varroa - small colonies, swarming regularly and foraging locally - the likelihood is that they will not be excessively exposed to varroa and the resultant vectored diseases. The multiplicity of natural hives in this ancient forest is clearly nearer to the natural environment that bees had access to in times past.

Personally, I'm not sceptical that these bees exist and thrive... I'm sceptical that they are 'survivor' bees from pre-1918 but I do think, in this location, they could have avoided (at least in part) being affected by varroa ... it's a pity he didn't do a few sugar rolls to establish if they are devoid of varroa rather than concentrating on the 'survivor bee' angle.

Bees are opportunists - they won't fly miles if there is good forage on their doorstep and the area around Blenheim has some excellent forage - if they are not flying far enough to interact with other bees ... who knows - they may be ferals that are surviving ?

It's a good story - I'd rather take the positives out of it rather than disparaging it.

 

[JonnyPicklechin]

Multiple queens in swarm and 4 deg c...

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...ybee-found-at-blenheim?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

 

[Ian123]

I wonder if bee base shows any local hives?