Beebytes has been very proud to be involved with the B4 Project’s Symposium looking at issues relating to sustainable beekeeping, honey bee imports, the risks from pests and diseases, and protection of both native and locally adapted genetics within the UK population.

Beebytes, along with other members of the UK and European academic community specialising in honey bee research, will be presenting on a range of important topics, including the issues with imported pests and diseases; the current state of native genetics in the UK, Ireland and Europe, and ongoing conservation work relating to honey bee sub-species across Europe.

The symposium takes place in Calstock, Devon over 2 days: Saturday will feature a tour of the Mt Edgecumbe native bee reserve and discussion around managing conservation apiaries, while Sunday will feature talks from key speakers and a discussion around the issues of honey bee imports. The Sunday session will also be made available online for those who wish to attend remotely.

Beebytes will be talking about the current status of A. m. mellifera native honey bee colonies in the UK – looking at levels of hybridisation in different regions, and discussing different studies which have looked at trends in honey bee genetics in recent years.

More information on the Symposium, including links to sign up, is available here:

https://www.b4project.co.uk/post/the-b4-project-sustainable-beekeeping-a-future-without-imports

Recordings of the talks will be made available on the B4 Project Youtube channel.