Saturday, 12 March 2011

Bees solve the travelling salesperson Problem

I love just stories, showing that the world of bees is unexplainable beyond individual intelligence and that even the most brainiest scientists can explain how they do it!


Researchers at Queen Mary, University of London and Royal Holloway, University of London have discovered that bees learn to fly the shortest possible path between the flowers, even if they discover flowers in a different order. Bees solve effectively "Travelling salesperson Problem", and these are the first animal found to do this.




The travelling salesman must find the shortest route, which makes it possible for him to visit all locations on its route. Computers resolve it by comparison of the length of all possible routes and choose the shortest. However, solving it without computer assistance bees using a brain size of grass seeds. [...]


Co-author and Queen Mary colleague, Dr. Mathieu Lihoreau adds: "there is a common perception of that smaller brains restrict animals must be simple retro-machines. But our work with bees shows advanced Cognitive capacity with very limited neuron numbers. There is an urgent need to understand the neuronal hardware supports animal intelligence, and relatively simple nervous system of insects such as do this mystery more tractable.


As long as the scientists think only of bees as individual insects, they will continue to miss the point.  Same to the planet really.  As long as Governments to see us as individuals, they will also miss the point.  Time for more research in swarm intelligence and subtle energies allow colonies to survive and thrive.

Friday, 11 March 2011

Honey Bees and Beekeeping: A Year in the Life of an Apiary, 3rd Edition

Honey Bees and Beekeeping:  A Year in the Life of an Apiary, 3rd EditionBeekeeping is enjoyable and satisfying, whether you're a professional or a novice. With a bit of ingenuity and a little knowledge, anyone can successfully raise honey bees. Learn how to set up and maintain your own honey bee colony from Keith Delaplane, Ph.D., one of the nation's foremost entomologists as he guides you through each step, from buying tools and selecting healthy bees, to havesting and selling honey.

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The New Complete Guide to Beekeeping

The New Complete Guide to BeekeepingA classic text from one of the world's experts on bees. This comprehensive guide will give beginners all they need to start and maintain a healthy bee colony, while experienced beekeepers will find advice on expanding into new areas of the business and how to refine their skills. Subjects covered include: • Buying a colony of bees • Managing bees throughout the seasons • Selecting equipment and a good apiary site • Preventing swarming • Extracting, processing, and selling honey • Controlling pests, predators, and diseases • Rearing queen honey bees Photographs and technical drawings illustrate the text, and appendixes define technical terms, list sources of supplies, and tell you where to go to find more information. 49 black and white photographs, 3 illustrations, index.

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How To Become A Bee Keeping Pro - Discover How You Can Be A Successful Beekeeper! AAA+++

How To Become A Bee Keeping Pro -  Discover How You Can Be A Successful Beekeeper!  AAA+++Do You Have A Passion For Choosing The Road Less Traveled? Do Bees Intrigue You? Do You Feel You Are The Daring Kind To Get Into Beekeeping, But Unsure Where To Start And How To Start?

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* Queen Bee – The Key To Survival Of The Hive
* History of Beekeeping
* Swarming – A Natural Process Of Mating!
* Processing Of Raw Honey
* How to market your honey
* Honey – Natures Sweetness Delivered By The Bees!
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* Curbside Honey Sales
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* Packaging Your Honey
* Marketing The Honey Locally
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Thursday, 10 March 2011

Global Bee emergency!

Click here or on the image below to sign the petition to save the bees and our crops and send this link to everyone you know!



Calm, globally, billions of bees dying, threaten our crops and food. But a global ban on one group of pesticides could save the bees from extinction.


Four European countries have begun to ban these hazardous substances, and some bee populations recover. But chemical companies lobbying hard to keep all killer pesticides on the market. A global outcry now in favour of a ban in the United States and the European Union, where the debate is raging, could provoke a total ban and a ripple effect around the world.


Let us build a gigantic global buzz requires these dangerous chemicals, outlawed in the United States and the EU until and unless they are proven to be safe.


Click here to sign petition to save the bees and our crops and send it to all.


More on: http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/call-to-ban-pesticides-linked-to-bee-deaths-2190321.html

Heater bees

A large programme from the BBC on the heater bees broadcast tonight.


Unfortunately, you can't see the entire application more, but there are some clips here:


http://www.THE BBC.Co. uk/programmes/b00rqgh4 # Clips


And this amazing photograph:


 

Escaped prisoners!

It is a while since last I wrote a post.  Life has been a little hectic.  I was expecting to have been even more hectic, as we are halfway through compromise rme season, but I have only collected a swarm so far this year.  The rest of this entry is about to swarm.


A few days ago I received the pleasant calls at around 16.00 from anyone in the local city to say that he just had seen a swarm of bees land in his back garden.  I had received about eight calls so far this year, but for one reason and another, I was not able to intercept the bees.  So I was determined to get this one.  In any case, I have two people in our area who wanted to start beekeeping – which had no bees-so that was even more pressure on me to collect.  Swarm was right at the top of a pear tree – around 10-12 feet, but the owner had only a 6 ft ladder.  So here I was, however, the opportunity to test my new probe catch contraption, which I had designed after the only swarm, which I do not catch properly last year (it was around 16 ft in the air – although on the call, the woman had told me it was only about 8 ft.  Height from the ground and accessibility are two really important question, when catch swarms!


Nevertheless, I went to the House.  It was a beautiful summer evening.  I made up a very "Heath Robinson" contraption from string, duck tape all at core box used which was then connected to the end of a pole long yellow heavy expansion that painters use for painting high ceilings.  It worked a treat!   Here is a picture of it:



In one movement swung into the box up at the top of the tree, pretty right on top of the swarm.  I assured then the handle of the bar to the top of the step ladder with some more duck tape so that the pole remained in position until it was time to swing box back down to Earth.


I went shopping for approximately one hour and waited for bees to climb in the to box.  When I returned, most of them in.  With a little smoke went the rest time approximately 15 minutes.  I took the pole and lifted the box from the top of the tree.  It was much heavier!  In swung box back to Earth and placed on the market step ladder to invite the rest of the flying bees in the to box.  Overall, it was a great success.  Swarm was housed in my garage overnight before deciding who to give them to.


The next morning I rang the prison.  They were happy.  It was only the day before had they say, they wanted to have some bees.  So I went over there with Andrew to put them in their new home.  Since our first site visit (where we had found the old place where vodka bees were kept), prison staff had decided to move the site for new Apiary to prison gardens – behind the wire.  So that is where we put the bees.  It took about an hour, and I gave a short lesson at the same time.  Mick, prison groundsman was enthusiastic.  The bees finally returned back to prison.


Since I left through the main gate, I joked on guard that he now had around 30,000 new inmates, that none of them had names or passport, and that an entire was already break out through the fence!  He laughed.  A little knew how true my analysis was.


It was only yesterday did I ring Mick to find out how they got.  I wanted to give him some help on his first inspection.  He was quite low in spirit.  He had gone in the hive in Monday and only found around 100 bees in it — even though they had very lengthy comb.  Last Saturday was a very hot day, and I can only think that they had become uncomfortable in their new hive and found a better location.  So swarm really had escaped.


In other words, it is back to the drawing board.  We must find a location where the bees will be.  I am in favour of the old site (bees of course seems to return to where they have been before.  We shall see.  One thing is certain, but the bees don't like be kept prisoner.  They will surely buzz-off if you do not give them a good place to do their home!  I think in this case, the site was a little exposed and possibly quite unpleasant in sunlight at about at 10: 00 am the next morning.  We live and learn!