Workshop to be held by Offaly beekeeper on rearing the native Irish honey bee queen

The Native Irish Honey Bee Society (NIHBS) has announced a series of Bee Improvement and Queen Rearing Workshops to show beekeepers how to rear their own queen bees and prevent the importation of non-native honey bees. These workshops are for both new and experienced beekeepers and anyone interested is encouraged to attend. The second  one takes place in Tullamore on Sunday 9^th  June. 

Tullamore man, John Summerville, said: “Ireland is home to 100 species of bees, a third of which are threatened with extinction. While the honey bee, in general, is not under threat, the Native Irish Bee is. Ireland is the last stronghold in the world of a pure population of  Apis  mellifera mellifera  (Amm), our native honey bee. This bee has taken 6,500 years to evolve to perfectly meet the demands of the Irish climate and is now in massive risk of extinction due to hybridisation as a result of imported non-native bees.”

Summerville continued: “Honey bee hybridisation in Ireland increased from under 5% in 2018 to over 12% in 2023, with some areas having more than 30% hybrids. Many beekeepers confirm that hybrids are  increasing, leading to aggression and other undesirable characteristics. If this trend continues, the genetics will be lost, and part of our natural heritage - our native Irish honey bee, will be lost forever.”

  Speaking about the Queen Rearing and Bee Improvement Workshop which is taking place in his Apiary John said “The primary aim of NIBHS is to promote the conservation and reintroduction of the native Irish Honey Bee and, in order to do that, we need to reduce the demand for imported non-native queens. A local native queen always does better than one that has had to travel for miles, so we have established over 40 queen rearing program’s scattered around the country which are working well at a local level to introduce native queens into apiaries. 

“I am inviting all members of the public in Tullamore and the surrounding area to come along to my apiary on the 9^th. The workshops are great fun, and we have live practical demonstrations. Everyone who wants to get some hands-on experience will be given the opportunity. There are many different methods that can be used when rearing queens. There really is something for every level.”

NIHBS has nearly 1,100 members and was founded in 2012 due to the huge desire by beekeepers for an all-Ireland organisation to conserve our native honey bee.

The workshop is taking place  on Sunday 9th June, the event  starts at 2pm  and as it is being held in an active apiary, clean protective clothing is required to attend. 

NIHBS Bee Improvement & Queen rearing workshop, Sunday 9th June 2024 Venue: John Summerville, Clonminch  apiary, Tullamore  R35 H7K4,  starts at 2.00 pm.

For more information on the workshops:  https://nihbs.org