Honey bee

A bee infestation in some parts of Istanbul has taken locals by surprise, as they fear bee stings and possible allergic reactions, but an expert has declared that there is no need to be alarmed.

The swarming period, which occurs every spring with honeybees reproducing, has caused some anxiety among locals in Istanbul.

After mass bee deaths in Canada and Australia at an unprecedented rate, eyes have now turned to Türkiye, one of the leading countries in the beekeeping industry.

Türkiye ranks second in the number of hives and sixth in honey production worldwide. But today, it is facing serious losses due to the unconscious use of agricultural pesticides and non-practical beekeeping training.

Dubai – The exhibition room in Slovenia’s Expo pavilion in Dubai is home to a gigantic 3D model of the Carniolan honey bee. The 100:1 scale model has proven to be a popular attraction and over 100,000 people that have seen it thus far.

Ljubljana – The first monitoring of wild bees in 2021 did not yield encouraging results, with the bumblebees count dropping five-fold compared to last year. “This is bad news for both agriculture and nature, as bumblebees are among the most important pollinators,” the National Institute of Biology (NIB) said on Monday.

Honeybee venom contains a compound called melittin, which “destroyed cancer cell membranes within 60 minutes”

Lukovica – A 3D model of the Carniolan honey bee, native to Slovenia, was unveiled in the Brdo pri Lukavici Beekeeping Centre on Friday evening. The 1.5-metre model displays the bee in a 1:100 scale and its resemblance to the insect is more than 90% accurate, the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association said.

Ljubljana – The Slovenian Beekeeper’s Association has urged the government to reject any EU proposal to lower protection standards for honey bees or other pollinators. The beekeepers fear this could happen as part of the EU’s revision of guidelines on risk assessment of pesticides.

Some people in the eastern province of Malatya are making honeybees sting them in the false belief that they could be protective against the coronavirus.

But doctors are warning them against this, saying bees could cause fatal allergies in some people.

People who think bee stings enhance their immune systems let bees sting them periodically.

The Earthwatch Institute named bees the most important living thing on the planet in its latest debate at the Royal Geographical Society in London in 2019.

The researchers also reminded that bees are already at risk of extinction. Recent studies show that about 90% of the world's bees are extinct.

Propolis, a resinous substance obtained from honeybees, has become a new source of extra income for beekeepers in Turkey.