"Survivor bees" found in Blenheim Forest

[BeeKeyPlayer]

400 acres is tiny for bees;

It's true that the Guardian journalist states that Blenheim Estate is 400 acres (which, I agree, is tiny for bees) but, depending where you look it up, it seems to be more like 6000-12000 acres.

 

[user 20297]

It's true that the Guardian journalist states that Blenheim Estate is 400 acres (which, I agree, is tiny for bees) but, depending where you look it up, it seems to be more like 6000-12000 acres.

That does put things in a slightly different perspective. But as has already been pointed out, the perimeter of this area will be within the flying range of a significant number of kept bees and the inference that this has a series of preserved colonies of a distinct type of bee seems to be of dubious foundation.

In the Ardnamurchan Peninsula in Scotland "The Apiarist" has said that because there are so few beekeepers in the area, bees are varroa-free. With sea on three sides and a wild and mountainous land barrier to the landward side., this is the sort of area where I would expect bees to have prospered whilst keeping under the radar. The area of Ardnamurchan is a more realistic 396km2. I have seen no claims that there are any numbers of "survivor" bees there, although admittedly, this is a much more hostile environment than cuddly Oxfordshire.

 

[Finman]

It's true that the Guardian journalist states that Blenheim Estate is 400 acres (which, I agree, is tiny for bees) but, depending where you look it up, it seems to be more like 6000-12000 acres.

Does it make any diffenrence to honey bee genepool in that district, how big is some estate.

The estate is not isolated in the middle of England, because Winston Churchill was born there.

I remember that Mr Tamar Valley, who generated what ever stories around native bees and Ice Ace. And every week.

Like in Blenheim estate, there is zero reason to that , that Tamar Valley could have its own bee subspecies or own bee breed

Where is now Mr Tamar Valley now?

When I last met him, his face name was Apple.

Finland has too remote places, which do not have varroa . But it does not help those beekeepers, which live on varroa district. To my area varroa arrived 40 years ago, and to Western Finland varroa achieved 30 years ago.

 

[Frizzaldo]

That is easy to see. Honeydew is to be seen in lowest branches too. And lots of insects making noise. Oaks have often honeydew. But then comes a rain, and food is washed away.

yes but the article says "and have been recorded foraging for honeydew on the treetops in temperatures as low as 4C"...maybe he has a drone with a camera or long ladder

 

[rolande]

That does put things in a slightly different perspective. But as has already been pointed out, the perimeter of this area will be within the flying range of a significant number of kept bees and the inference that this has a series of preserved colonies of a distinct type of bee seems to be of dubious foundation.

In the Ardnamurchan Peninsula in Scotland "The Apiarist" has said that because there are so few beekeepers in the area, bees are varroa-free. With sea on three sides and a wild and mountainous land barrier to the landward side., this is the sort of area where I would expect bees to have prospered whilst keeping under the radar. The area of Ardnamurchan is a more realistic 396km2. I have seen no claims that there are any numbers of "survivor" bees there, although admittedly, this is a much more hostile environment than cuddly Oxfordshire.

Didn't Kate have difficulty getting her native bees to mate well due to the weather in Ardnamurchan?

 

[user 20297]

Didn't Kate have difficulty getting her native bees to mate well due to the weather in Ardnamurchan?

I know there was project which was abandoned and the reason of weather rings true. Ardnamurchan is wet, but so is much of the west coast of Scotland. It's not usually all that cold. There are a lot of broadleaved trees and it's well known for the large areas of oak by the coastlines. There probably isn't enough forage in sufficiently dense stands to make things favourable for bees. But I'm sure that a determined search would find bees living "wild".

 

[Finman]

yes but the article says "and have been recorded foraging for honeydew on the treetops in temperatures as low as 4C"...maybe he has a drone with a camera or long ladder

What he says, makes no sense Bees do not forage at the temp of 4C. That I have seen, that with the help of sunshining bees forage drinking water, because they are thirsty.

I have seen bees foraging honey dew at the temp of 11 C in the morning. But in the evening my bees stop foraging at 18C.

Aphids are in the treetops too. Nothing odd in it.

But if bees forage at too low temperatus, lots of bees will not achieve home hive any more.

That cold flying does not make a beecolony different.

I have noticed that Btitish beekepers love situation that bees forage near freezing temperature.

 

[user 20297]

What he says, makes no sense Bees do not forage at the temp of 4C. That I have seen, that with the help of sunshining bees forage drinking water, because they are thirsty.

I have seen bees foraging honey dew at the temp of 11 C in the morning. But in the evening my bees stop foraging at 18C.

Aphids are in the treetops too. Nothing odd in it.

But if bees forage at too low temperatus, lots of bees will not achieve home hive any more.

That cold flying does not make a beecolony different.

You're right; I wish my bees would just stay indoors just now!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's true that the Guardian journalist states that Blenheim Estate is 400 acres (which, I agree, is tiny for bees) but, depending where you look it up, it seems to be more like 6000-12000 acres.

I think they're talking about the area where these magical unicorn bees are hidden

That does put things in a slightly different perspective.

How? do you believe that there are no maintained apiaries in that area? It's not one big single entity controlled by the robber barons at Blenheim, there are countless tenant farms, villages and small town who just carry on living, working and doing their own thing. Which includes keeping bees.

 

[user 20297]

Beebe said:
That does put things in a slightly different perspective.

How? do you believe that there are no maintained apiaries in that area? It's not one big single entity controlled by the robber barons at Blenheim, there are countless tenant farms, villages and small town who just carry on living, working and doing their own thing. Which includes keeping bees.

Saying "That does put things in a slightly different perspective." doesn't mean, "Oh, there probably are "survivor" bees there after all"; it's simply showing a bit of respect and acknowledgement for the more accurate information @BeeKeyPlayer has provided.

 

[rolande]

Saying "That does put things in a slightly different perspective." doesn't mean, "Oh, there probably are "survivor" bees there after all"; it's simply showing a bit of respect and acknowledgement for the more accurate information @rolande has provided. I thnk it's called good manners....something which occasionally seems to be present in inverse proportion to the amount of beekeeping experience someone has.

I think you mean @BeeKeyPlayer

 

[user 20297]

I think you mean @BeeKeyPlayer

I know I do. Thank-you

 

[Finman]

8

Saying "That does put things in a slightly different perspective." doesn't mean, "Oh, there probably are "survivor" bees there after all"; it's simply showing a bit of respect

What heck are the survivor bees in the middle on England?

The whole story is pure fake, but ... so nice.

 

[Boston Bees]

I'm getting deja vu.

 

[user 20297]

8


What heck are the survivor bees in the middle on England?

The whole story is pure fake.

I don't know if the story is fake; I hope the beekeeper truly believes what he thinks he sees and isn't deliberately deceiving, but I agree with the unanimous verdict here, that these bees are not what he says they are.

 

[Finman]

https://images.app.goo.gl/LT1vtXeyhJGyvq2T7

Here is the estate, where the bees live. Somewhere on the backyard.

 

[user 20297]

I'm getting deja vu.

I'm getting deja vu.

I'm getting deja vu.

Yes, have you heard about these survivor bees on the forest at Blenheim Estate.

 

[user 20297]

https://images.app.goo.gl/LT1vtXeyhJGyvq2T7

Yes, that's the place we were just talking about, how weird it should appear here.

 

[Finman]

I don't know if the story is fake;

Such is life

 

[Somerford]

Oxfordshire - Varroa was first Identified by a Beefarmer in 1992 I think so the chances they haven’t got it are slim at best