Archive for NEEPS North East Eco-friendly People's Site
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wildgarlic
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New life for the ancient black honeybee | Quote: | For decades, Britain's native black bee has been an outcast. The Victorians threw Apis mellifera mellifera out of hives in favour of more industrious foreign species. Modern beekeepers brand it lazy and aggressive.
Now, the nation's original honeybee is coming in from the cold. Scientists believe the insect that made honey for the tables of medieval kings could reverse the collapse of bee numbers that has imperilled the annual pollination of crops worth £165m.
The Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders' Association (Bibba) believes the black honeybee, which has a thicker coat, could be hardy enough to survive the 21st century. Its researchers hope to map wild populations across the British Isles with a view to reintroducing it to commercial hives, which produce 5,000 tonnes of honey a year. People are asked to take pictures of it whenever they see it. |
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wildgarlic
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Has anyone seen any of these?
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BikeOnBye
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Yep, there is a few around, but not in huge numbers.
Normal Bee
Black Bee
A Bee with a short fuse!
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