Organised by the Croydon Division of the Surrey Beekeepers’ Association, the event was well attended, with an estimated 80 to 100 of us eagerly listening in. Before I go any further, I should emphasize that this report is neither peer-reviewed nor entirely accurate—just the enthusiastic recollections of a keen beekeeper who understood about 50% of the presentation but enjoyed the cakes and networking 100%!
Following a lively introduction of the speaker, the audience settled in, relieved to have arrived at the correct venue (though I must admit, if not for the postcode, the rest of the address confused Google Maps more than it helped). One perk of the beekeeping community? It made me feel relatively young—even at 56! That said, we do need more beekeepers in their 20s and 30s.
Norman’s main argument is that native bees—those indigenous to a specific geographical region rather than introduced by humans—tend to be more disease-resistant than imported ones. Two key graphs supported this claim:
A study across 16 regions in Europe where 18 different bee strains were monitored over five years without varroa treatment. The survival rate was around 20% for native bees, compared to just 10% for non-native ones.
A series of UK heatmaps from 2007 to 2021 showing shifting “hot zones” of disease outbreaks. The culprit is likely to be the importation of queens and colonies from abroad.
While the natural spread of bees is limited by the distance drones can fly, a fascinating experiment on the Isles of Scilly demonstrated that, when lured by queen pheromones (and assisted by the wind), drones can travel farther than previously thought.
One reason bee imports are increasing is that we’re not rearing enough queens domestically. Requeening hives is common practice, but in the UK, unpredictable weather often sabotages queen rearing. Norman joked that there are four reasons we struggle to raise queens: weather, weather, weather, and weather! When a newly raised queen is ready to mate, a cold spell or rain can ruin the entire process. It’s much easier (and more profitable) to rear queens in France, Spain, or Romania.
Interestingly, statistics show that bee imports declined slightly post-Brexit—one rare silver lining of that self-inflicted arm! However, it turns out many imported bees now enter Britain via Ireland and Northern Ireland, bypassing direct restrictions.
Not everyone agrees that preserving native bees is crucial. Personally, I do not feel like becoming an activist for the cause. Some argue that bees evolve naturally over time and that economic realities must be considered—after all, 900 professional beekeepers depend on imports to sustain their businesses. (Franck’s note)
A prime example is the Buckfast bee, which isn’t native but is widely praised. Developed by Brother Adam in the early 20th century (in response to the Isle of Wight disease), Buckfast bees remain commercially popular today. However, Norman pointed out that despite claims of a consistent lineage, Buckfast bees now vary significantly in appearance and genetics.
The Q&A session featured some highly technical discussions, much of which went over my head. Wanting to make Weybridge proud, I managed to ask a question—even if the only thing I have in common with Norman is that I started beekeeping 40 years ago!
One thing I don’t share with Norman, however, is his enthusiasm for laser pointers. While his use of it was effective, I found myself getting dizzy watching the red dot dart across the slides like a fly trapped behind a window.
Eventually, we moved on to networking, where the conversations were engaging, and the cakes were absolutely amazing (all for a small donation). I wish you had been there!
Franck Crosnier