Survey results are still coming in but "234 #beekeepers found average recent losses well over 50%, with a combined financial loss of over $139M". That's a combined loss rate of 70%-100% over the past 12 months, says Honey Bee Health Coalition.

Private detective agency helping #California #beekeepers combat hive thefts, which have increased 87% since 2013 with losses estimated at $3.5 million.

The yellow-legged hornet (#VespaVelutina) has made its way to the Azores - a nest has been found on Sao Miguel island. A 5km security area has been established, 30 traps installed. #beekeeping

It seems that #DavidBeckham is going commercial with his #beekeeping. He has applied for a trademark through his company DB Ventures Limited to sell the #honey.

The oldest known drawing of a bee's brain. 17th century by Johannes Swammerdam. #beebrain #honeybee

We are now also on #Bluesky @vitabeehealth.bsky.social

Sampling the sound of #bees to monitor types of #pollution.

Beetle Blaster offers quick, cheap and easy identification. #SHB #Beekeeping #bees

The world's honey exporters (top) and importers (bottom) from

Clocking out and clocking in, counting them out and counting them back. #RFID tagging reveals how long #honeybees are away from home, but not yet where they are going. #beekeeping

Want to learn about beekeeping around the world? #PennStateUniversity is offering a free, six-week webinar series starting on 6 Feb. First up is #Brittany, #France. Details:

In 2024, #France seized record amounts of illegally imported #honey laced with Viagra and other hidden chemicals. One haul took 13 tonnes from Malaysia. #erectilehoney

In 2024, how many yellow-legged hornet nests did the city council of Matosinhos, near Porto, #Portugal remove? 488! 236 in trees, 82 on roofs, 60 on walls and 46 in buildings. #Asianhornet #YLH

Ten #robotic insects under development.

The dangers of #honeybee breeding - valuable and rare genetic traits can be lost. The solution? Keep only native subspecies of bees with open mating to restore population structure and keep bees resilient. Academic review paper:

We've all seen those scare stories and sometimes amusing stories about #madhoney. Here's a serious medical look at the issue. Grayanotoxin is the culprit chemical - fortunately rarely found in plants other than in #Turkey's Black Sea coastal regions.

Screaming bees? Here are the sounds of #Apiscerana (eastern #honeybee) when attacked by 'murder' hornets, #Vespamandarinia.

Here's an odd one. A mystery person is regularly leaving bananas and #honey in a street in #Nottingham. No one knows why.

Drought has reduced South #Australia's #honey production to less than 10% of the annual average.