Bees in the News - Amazing Bees - Beekeepers from Melbourne Australia

News and media releases about Bees and Beekeeping

Neonicotinoids banned in Europe while Australia is asking for more research to be done

Neonicotinoids banned in Europe - BBC News 30-April-2013 - EU to ban neonicotinoid pesticides. The European Commission will restrict the use of pesticides linked to bee deaths by researchers.

While Europe has banned the three chemicals, imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, at least for two years, these pesticides are all currently approved and used in Australia.
According to an article in SBS World News "More research is needed...???"
Why not give credit to the research already conducted in Europe and follow the ban? It appears to be such a waste of resources, time and money.

Note: Quite common, but not spoken about much in Australia is the fact that substantial numbers of bee colonies die every year during pollination jobs due to pesticides. "You have to take it on the chin or lose your customer" was the reply of an industrial beekeeper when asked the question. Sometimes the pollination service provider (beekeeper) is financially compensated by the grower, sometimes it is simply booked as risk factor. From our own experience we received a reply from a DPI officer along the lines "Yes, that Chemical should not have been used but we are all on a learning curve and hopefully it will not happen again" - So why is more research needed?

More info on CCD in our Beekeeper Section

Bees on caffeine buzz pollinate better - article SBS World News 8-Mar-2013

Scientists say caffeine boosts bees' memory and makes them better pollinators, in research that could help find ways to reinvigorate the species. >>read more>>

"More than Honey" The movie - Documentary by Markus Imhoof

Everyone talks about dead bees. This is a documentary about their lifes, capturing audiences around the globe.  >>link to the movie blog>>

“More than Honey” overtaken by 007 only
In Swiss movie theatres, the only one capable of overtaking the bees was 007 (in Skyfall). More than Honey comes second in the eyes of the spectators (measured in movie theatre entrances), right after the new James Bond movie. What an immense success for a documentary with a serious storyline!

This movie is making headlines in Europe and the USA - you can purchase the DVD, Blu-ray or book from amazon.de

(Note: Although substantial parts of this documentary are in English, this is a documentary in German language)

Here a link to the movie trailor on YouTube and to Bonus Material from the movie Pesticide and Brain

Bumblebees find and distinguish electric signals from flowers 21st Feb 2013 - Science Daily

Flowers' methods of communicating are at least as sophisticated as any devised by an advertising agency, according to a new study, published in Science Express by researchers from the University of Bristol. However, for any advertisement to be successful, it has to reach, and be perceived by, its target audience. The research shows for the first time that pollinators such as bumblebees are able to find and distinguish electric signals given out by flowers. >>Read more>>

There's more to bees than honey - article by Reese Halter, ABC The Drum 13-Dec-2012

I'd like to suggest that we all take a couple moments and give gratitude to the world's 1.7 trillion honeybees for giving us our food, cotton, beeswax, honey, and medicines, and for inspiring next-generation innovations. >>read more>>

Free hive registration incentive for hobby beekeepers 13-July-2012

The Victorian State Government is providing free online hive registration to hobby beekeepers with five or less hives this year. Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh said registration was usually $15 a year for any beekeeper with 50 or less hives. “All beekeepers are legally required to register their hives with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) on an annual basis, however many hobby beekeepers fail to do so,” Mr Walsh said.
“As an incentive to register, hobby beekeepers with five or less hives can register them free of charge this year via DPI’s online service. “Registering all managed hives means DPI is better placed to effectively assist the industry should there be an incursion of the devastating varroa mite. Read more...>

To register with the DPI or renew your registration on-line follow this link>

HOBOS - The Honeybee research website for students, parents, teachers, scientists and beekeepers.

Since 2006 bee expert Professor Dr. Jürgen Tautz has been developing HOBOS (Honey Bee Online Studies) as a novel and interactive teaching concept. A preliminary stage of HOBOS came about in June 2009 and made it possible for school classes from nine countries to delve into a real honeybee colony via the Internet. These countries included Germany, USA, China, Luxembourg, Northern Ireland, Italy, South Africa, Switzerland and Jordan.

Controversy Deepens Over Pesticides and Bee Collapse - Wired Science - 6-April-2012 - A controversial new study of honeybee deaths has deepened a bitter dispute over whether the developed world’s most popular pesticides are causing an ecological catastrophe.