Bees

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

health and wellbeing

I'm a Cork beekeeper — here's how you can help native Irish honeybees

Important for biodiversity, ecosystems and pollinating crops, bees work hard at achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals so don't swat them even if they come buzzing into your house! Cork-based beekeeper Hanna Bäckmo talks about the importance of our native Irish honeybee and how we can help

world

Millions of bees escape after lorry overturns

<p> Biodiversity experts have said the trend towards plastic grass and 'too neat' gardens is worrying. </p>

outdoors

How can we save pollinators in Ireland before it's too late?

outdoors

It's not too late to avoid a litany of missed opportunities to look after wildlife habitats

outdoors

Telling the bees: Why this ancient mourning tradition has endured

world

Stressed bees make pessimistic choices, research shows

Limerick facility becomes area of conservation for native Irish honey bee

The new initiative aims to raise awareness about the importance of pollinators and their contribution to sustainable development

Wed, 22 May, 2024

Galway researchers call on citizen scientists to support ‘Plan Bee’

'With the data that is provided by the public, our citizen scientists, we can devise conservation strategies'

Sun, 19 May, 2024

kids set for creativity, collection of colorfull fall, leaves for herbarium

Donal Hickey: Do kids still need nature tables in their classrooms?

Almost half (46%) of teachers surveyed stated that nature tables are no longer in their classroom

Thu, 25 Apr, 2024

Why hasn't my apple tree produced many fruits?

Anja Murray: Do more for pollinators by doing less in the garden

I constantly encounter well-meaning community or business initiatives in which people decide that setting up a few honey bee hives is a good idea to tackle the biodiversity crisis. This is like being worried about the decline of wild birds and deciding to get a few hens as a response

Wed, 24 Apr, 2024

Drivers told to close windows after five million bees fall off lorry

About an hour after police put out a notice on social media, several beekeepers were in touch with police offering to help.

Wed, 30 Aug, 2023

Swarm of 20,000 honeybees stalls Cork cricket game

The Munster Reds were taking on the Northern Knights at Cork County Cricket Club on Wednesday when the insects made a beeline for the pitch and play was halted for more than an hour

Thu, 08 Jun, 2023

Urbanisation threat to global food crops as bees struggle to source food and nests

Urban 'heat island' effect caused by human activity is disrupting the ecosystems of plants, meaning that bees and other pollinators are mistiming their foraging, with flowers blooming sooner than expected

Sat, 20 May, 2023

World Bee Day is on May 20 — here's why it's important

We have a Native Irish Honey Bee which is under threat... find out here how to help it survive

Sun, 14 May, 2023

Bumblebees learn to solve puzzles by watching more experienced peers – study

Experts from Queen Mary University of London trained a set of bees to open a puzzle box containing a sugar reward

Tue, 07 Mar, 2023

Richards Collins: Busy bees still make time for play

Young bees rolled balls more frequently than did older ones, just as children and pups play more enthusiastically than adult humans and dogs

Thu, 10 Nov, 2022

Juanita Browne: Brighten things up with bulbs for bees

Plenty of tips on how to get the most out of your bulbs here — but remember that in terms of value for wildlife, tulips or daffodils are like planting plastic flowers outdoors

Tue, 01 Nov, 2022

Woman charged with setting swarm of bees on deputies at eviction

A Massachusetts woman who released a swarm of bees on sheriff’s deputies as they tried to serve an eviction notice is facing multiple assault and battery charges, US authorities have said.

Thu, 20 Oct, 2022

US woman accused of assault for releasing swarm of bees at officers

A Massachusetts woman is facing multiple assault charges for allegedly releasing a swarm of bees on a group of sheriff’s deputies as they tried to serve an eviction notice.

Wed, 19 Oct, 2022

Peter Dowdall: White flowers add a cool, clean and calm look

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Wed, 15 Jun, 2022

Juanita Browne: Celebrate World Bee Day by helping our wild bees

We also need to protect the flight paths used by birds and bats — and the commuter belts which are important to our hedgehogs, foxes and badgers

Tue, 17 May, 2022

Juanita Browne: Let's help the all-important females of the wildlife world, like queen bees

Let’s hear it for the bumblebee queens!

Tue, 15 Mar, 2022

Cork start-up creating a buzz with technology to monitor hives

ApisProtect has created a monitor which can be used by beekeepers to help them reduce honey bee losses and increase productivity.

Sun, 15 Aug, 2021

Michael Moynihan: It's easier than you think to bee a better citizen

You may not have the resources to build the huge apartment blocks needed for your fellow man, but there's another housing crisis that some Cork children are helping to solve right now, writes Michael Moynihan.

Thu, 29 Jul, 2021

'Alarming decline' in pollinator species threatens serious implications for the food chain

10% of bee and butterfly species in Europe are nearing extinction

Fri, 28 May, 2021

Thursday TV Tips: A treehouse on stilts — and how about this chic chicken coop!

plus new comedy We Are Lady Parts, and gripping thriller, The Sister

Thu, 20 May, 2021

Darina Allen: Nettle and wild garlic soup is literally a top pick

It's time to step up to the plate and work on our sustainability

Sat, 08 May, 2021

Milan gets buzzier with bees in designer hives

Italy’s financial and fashion capital Milan has got a little buzzier with a project that mixes biodiversity with art.

Thu, 22 Apr, 2021

Beekeeper in Brexit row with UK government over threat to burn 15m baby bees

A beekeeper trying to bring 15m bees into the UK says he has been told they may be seized and burned because of post-Brexit laws. Patrick Murfet wants to import the baby Italian bees for his Kent business and to help farmers pollinate valuable crops.

Tue, 02 Feb, 2021

Six Cork towns buzzing with bee-friendly pollinator plans

It's going to be the 'Bee's Knees' in terms of providing an ecological lifeline to one of the most important insects on the planet and will come with the added bonus of brightening up six towns in Co Cork.

Thu, 15 Oct, 2020

Donal Hickey: Praying for rain — in Ireland

Being 'bee-friendly' is quite the buzz

Upside of pandemic is we have more time to notice nature

Mon, 24 Aug, 2020

Here's how you could save the bees with your Saturday night takeaway

With 42 species of bee either threatened or endangered in Ireland, it is important that we know how to protect them.

Fri, 16 Aug, 2019

My effort to save a bee has a sting in the tail

You know in the past when you saw a bee, you’d start flapping your arms around and opening windows and shouting ‘a bee, a bee!’ as though a venomous winged reptile was preparing to dive bomb your head. You might have even reached — whisper it — for a rolled up newspaper.

Mon, 22 Jul, 2019

Watch: 'Panic' as thousands of bees swarm Limerick city

Thousands of buzzing bees swarmed Limerick city centre yesterday causing “panic” on the streets.

Wed, 10 Jul, 2019

'You have to be emotionally regulated' - How beekeeping is helping teach mindfulness to vulnerable teens

A University College Cork student is using beekeeping to teach mindfulness to vulnerable young people in a Cork city school.

Mon, 20 May, 2019

If bees die out, there will be a sting in the tail

There are 98 bee species in Ireland, but one-third are at risk of extinction. Without them, most of the plants we need for food would not be pollinated, says Una FitzPatrick.

Fri, 17 May, 2019

How employers can help to save our hard-working bees

Ireland’s threatened bee species can benefit from businesses large and small signing up for the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, writes Ellie O’Byrne.

Fri, 17 May, 2019

Clonmel gives refuge to insects

Ray Ryan reports on award-winning efforts by Clonmel Tidy Towns committee to create refuges for pollinating insects.

Mon, 25 Feb, 2019

Insect apocalypse now: What does it mean for life on earth

The numbers are stark, indicating a vast impoverishment of an entire insect universe, writes Brooke Jarvis

Sat, 08 Dec, 2018

Cork bee protection firm receives €1.5m investment injection

A Cork agricultural technology company that uses the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor honey bee colonies has received a €1.5m investment from investors that will allow it to create 25 new jobs and expand internationally.

Tue, 20 Nov, 2018

Changes needed to protect pollinators as 40% of Irish bees may have died due to harsh weather

The harsh winter and prolonged drought may have killed up to 40% of Ireland’s honeybee population.

Thu, 09 Aug, 2018

Watch: There's a buzz in Ballyvourney with the success of a new beekeeping co-operative

Rosaí McCarthy is flushed with the success of a new beekeeping co-operative in Ballyvourney, Cork

Sat, 02 Sep, 2017

Bees facing threat of extinction

One third of the 98 bee species in Ireland are threatened with extinction while three-quarters of the country’s wild plants require insect pollinators.

Mon, 21 Aug, 2017

Beekeepers are vital to the success of a hive

What marks a queen out from a crowd of other bees? A beekeeper’s skill, says Mary O’Riordan

Sat, 20 May, 2017

B&Q takes ‘trailblazing’ step to stop decline in bees

All flowering plants sold by B&Q will be grown free from the pesticides that are linked to a decline in the bee population.

Wed, 10 May, 2017

The loss of the world’s bee population would have catastrophic consequences

We all know that without bees, we are in trouble. And I don’t just mean as gardeners, I also mean as a surviving species on this planet.

Sat, 29 Apr, 2017

Ancient skep beehive making is still used today

Sat, 15 Apr, 2017

Trinity College Dublin’s plan 'bee' causes a buzz on campus

Researchers at Trinity College Dublin are asking the public to help name a Royal VIP after installing a beehive that will house thousands of honeybees on campus.

Wed, 12 Apr, 2017

Dog killed and man injured by swarm of bees in California

A swarm of thousands of bees killed a dog, injured their beekeeper and prompted a warning to stay indoors in a California neighbourhood, fire officials said.

Tue, 04 Apr, 2017

Richard Collins: Bumblebees on a learning roll

At school in the 1950s, we were taught that only humans were capable of using tools writes Richard Collins. 

Mon, 06 Mar, 2017

Bees

I'm a Cork beekeeper — here's how you can help native Irish honeybees

Millions of bees escape after lorry overturns

How can we save pollinators in Ireland before it's too late?

It's not too late to avoid a litany of missed opportunities to look after wildlife habitats

Telling the bees: Why this ancient mourning tradition has endured

Stressed bees make pessimistic choices, research shows

Limerick facility becomes area of conservation for native Irish honey bee

Galway researchers call on citizen scientists to support ‘Plan Bee’

Donal Hickey: Do kids still need nature tables in their classrooms?

Anja Murray: Do more for pollinators by doing less in the garden

Drivers told to close windows after five million bees fall off lorry

Swarm of 20,000 honeybees stalls Cork cricket game

Urbanisation threat to global food crops as bees struggle to source food and nests

World Bee Day is on May 20 — here's why it's important

Bumblebees learn to solve puzzles by watching more experienced peers – study

Richards Collins: Busy bees still make time for play

Juanita Browne: Brighten things up with bulbs for bees

Woman charged with setting swarm of bees on deputies at eviction

US woman accused of assault for releasing swarm of bees at officers

Peter Dowdall: White flowers add a cool, clean and calm look

Juanita Browne: Celebrate World Bee Day by helping our wild bees

Juanita Browne: Let's help the all-important females of the wildlife world, like queen bees

Cork start-up creating a buzz with technology to monitor hives

Michael Moynihan: It's easier than you think to bee a better citizen

'Alarming decline' in pollinator species threatens serious implications for the food chain

Thursday TV Tips: A treehouse on stilts — and how about this chic chicken coop!

Darina Allen: Nettle and wild garlic soup is literally a top pick

Milan gets buzzier with bees in designer hives

Beekeeper in Brexit row with UK government over threat to burn 15m baby bees

Six Cork towns buzzing with bee-friendly pollinator plans

Being 'bee-friendly' is quite the buzz

Here's how you could save the bees with your Saturday night takeaway

My effort to save a bee has a sting in the tail

Watch: 'Panic' as thousands of bees swarm Limerick city

'You have to be emotionally regulated' - How beekeeping is helping teach mindfulness to vulnerable teens

If bees die out, there will be a sting in the tail

How employers can help to save our hard-working bees

Clonmel gives refuge to insects

Insect apocalypse now: What does it mean for life on earth

Cork bee protection firm receives €1.5m investment injection

Changes needed to protect pollinators as 40% of Irish bees may have died due to harsh weather

Watch: There's a buzz in Ballyvourney with the success of a new beekeeping co-operative

Bees facing threat of extinction

Beekeepers are vital to the success of a hive

B&Q takes ‘trailblazing’ step to stop decline in bees

The loss of the world’s bee population would have catastrophic consequences

Ancient skep beehive making is still used today

Trinity College Dublin’s plan 'bee' causes a buzz on campus

Dog killed and man injured by swarm of bees in California

Richard Collins: Bumblebees on a learning roll

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Mick Clifford

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