Necessary knowledge: Most serious bee-health risks do not arrive dramatically. They arrive as a bargain colony, a borrowed extractor, an old box of comb or a queen sent through the post. Biosecurity means reducing the chance that bees, mites, spores or beetles travel with them. Different purchases carry different risks Purchase Relative concern Main questions […]
Necessary knowledge: Tropilaelaps is not “a new type of varroa”. It is a separate genus of parasitic mites that reproduces on honey-bee brood. Its resemblance to varroa, expanding geographic concern and ability to travel with bees make it one of the pests European bee-health authorities watch closely. What is Tropilaelaps? Tropilaelaps mites are ectoparasites of […]
Necessary knowledge: Healthy beekeeping is not about treating every unusual sight as a disaster. It is about recognising which observations belong in your notes, which require testing, and which mean you should stop moving bees and call the competent authority. Start with patterns, not a single symptom A patchy brood pattern, crawling bees or an […]
Necessary knowledge: A skep is more than the old basket-shaped symbol seen on honey jars. It is a complete system of beekeeping built around swarming, fixed natural comb and seasonal movement. A remarkable English-language film from northern Germany preserves that system in working detail. The film Traditional Skep Beekeeping in the Heathlands of Northern Germany […]