In European heraldry, a symbolic reference such as a bee, castle, drawbridge or wheatsheaf is known as a “cant”. Cants invariably have centuries of cultural significance and/or more than a bit of baggage. In the arms of Napoleon III, for example, (think Les Misérables*), there are figurative hives of bees, a desperate invocation of his […]

Did you know that bees navigate using both visual markers and a “compass” of iron compounds in their bodies (that reacts to the orientation Earth’s magnetic field). Amazingly, they measure distance too by charting their own energy expenditure. They convey all of this information to their sisters back home using the famously intricate ‘waggle dance’

Every year, before the weather turns warm enough for beekeeping to be on the agenda, the arrival of baby lambs takes priority. The ewes belong to another family member and have their lambs undercover on Penlan Farm, not far from the Quarry Field in fact. Although it is dry in the lambing sheds, the weather

 Martin Giurfa is a Professor at the Research Centre on Animal Cognition, Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France. He recently published an article in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) that suggests that bees are more like us than you might think. “It has already been shown that bees are able to

On Friday, a London judge refused to support a Trading Standards complaint against a beekeeper on the sticky question of what constitutes “Raw Honey”. The judge poetically referenced Winnie the Pooh in his summing up, quoting Piglet’s truism that “the things that make me different are the things that make me me’. (LBWF v Odysea

Although it is only possible to identify the plants that honey comes from with a microscope or a DNA analysis, watching the bees is a habitual and pleasurable pastime. Most pollen comes in distinct colours that can be checked against Farrow & Ball type colour charts. There are few things that beekeepers like more in

According to legend, Pharaoh Pepi II Neferkare of the Sixth Dynasty (c. 2345 BCE–c. 2181 BCE) had an unusual way of protecting himself from ancient Memphis’ many and varied flies. Neferkare liked to cover slaves in honey and position them around his person as living insect attractors. The Pharaoh was reportedly very pleased with the

We posted this picture on our Social Media page for St. David’s Day with the following text… “HAPPY ST. DAVID’S DAY : Today is the first day of Meteorological Spring and also St. David’s Day in Wales. Whichever you are celebrating, have a great day.”