Episode Details

Beekeeping challenges rarely stop at national borders. This week, Jeff and Becky cross the Atlantic for a conversation with Dr. Andrea Quigley and Norman Carreck, co-editors of the UK-based Beekeepers Quarterly.

Norman, a longtime beekeeper and bee scientist, introduces listeners to the UK's extensive beekeeping education system and his work conserving the native dark European honey bee, Apis mellifera mellifera. The conversation explores what locally adapted honey bees can teach beekeepers about genetics, winter survival, colony size, temperament, and management.

Andrea then takes us inside Beekeepers Quarterly, an independent, internationally focused magazine published by Northern Bee Books. She explains how the quarterly combines practical beekeeping, science, conservation, and perspectives from contributors around the world.

The discussion also turns to two emerging threats with international implications: Tropilaelaps mites and the yellow-legged hornet. Norman and Andrea explain why early detection, understanding pest biology, and cooperation among researchers, government agencies, beekeepers, and the public matter—and what North American beekeepers might learn from the European experience.

It's a wide-ranging conversation offering a decidedly international perspective on honey bees, beekeeping, research, and the challenges ahead.

Websites from the episode and others we recommend:

• Beekeepers Quarterly: https://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk/blogs/bkq
• Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org
• Project Apis m. (PAm): https://www.projectapism.org
• The National Honey Board: https://honey.com
• Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com

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