There are two important stories about the native British Honey Bee
Our native honey bee is like no other, it has exclusive qualities that make it uniquely suited
to the climate of the British Isles.
It was almost wiped out due to a disease called ‘Isle of Wight’.
However, that condition never actually existed!
What makes it so special..?
There are four main races of the European honeybee sub-species, Apis Mellifera (A.M.).
The Italians – A.M. Ligustica
The Caucasians – A.M. Causcasica
The Carniolan – A.M. Carnica
The British – A.M. Mellifera
Apart from some species of Meliponinae, bees of the genus Apis are the only bees which contribute to the world’s supply of honey and wax.
Of the 25,000 or more described species of bees in the world, and more recognised every year, we’re only interested in one.
The missing evidence...
In this section, we look at the investigation of ‘Isle of Wight’ disease that nearly wiped out the population of the British native honeybee. However, fact is stranger than fiction, this malady of the early 20th century has never been proven to exist.
Misinformation, disinformation or conspiracy theory? Over a century later, with clearer heads and the benefit of extended hindsight, this myth has still managed to propagate around the world to this day.
