Steve Donohoe @walrushoney.com

Endangered Status of Wild Honey Bees: A Wake-Up Call Discover why wild honey bees in the EU are now labeled as endangered and the implications for their conservation and biodiversity.

thewalrusandthehoneybee.com/wild-honey-b... #beekeeping #wildhoneybees

01.11.2025 15:17 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Essential Insights on Pollen Substitute Bee-Feed Research Discover the insights from Randy Oliver on pollen substitutes for bees and the importance of sterols and amino acids for colony health.

thewalrusandthehoneybee.com/better-bee-f... #beekeeping

23.10.2025 22:53 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Understanding Sustainable Queen Production in Beekeeping Explore the contrasts in beekeeping philosophies, from sustainable practices to breeding, in this insightful article on bee management.

thewalrusandthehoneybee.com/evidence-vs-... #beekeeping

12.10.2025 16:42 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

The Varroa Treatment Debate: Is Non-treatment Insanity? Explore the alarming trend of beekeepers opting out of varroa treatments, and understand the implications for bee welfare and farm productivity.

thewalrusandthehoneybee.com/non-treatmen... #beekeeping #varroa

07.10.2025 17:21 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Non-Treatment Sanity Check Podcast Episode · The Walrus and the Honey Bee · 24/09/2025 · 41m

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... #beekeeping

24.09.2025 08:27 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Varroa Reduces Bees’ Surface Antimicrobial Defences A recently published article in Scientific Reports suggests yet another way in which varroa mites are bad for honey bees. Varroa reduces bees’ surface antimicrobial defences. Apparently, many social insects do something called “venom bathing”, which basically involves coating their bodies with venom from sting glands. The main component of bee venom is melittin, which is antiseptic, antiviral, anti-fungal, and antimicrobial.

We’ve always feared Varroa for feeding damage and virus spread. But now there’s a third pathway: suppression of melittin, bees’ antimicrobial shield. The case for early Varroa control is stronger than ever.

25.08.2025 07:01 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

I had to look that up! We seem to be getting flowers earlier and quicker, with hotter drier summers but wetter winters. Our spring flow was great but summer not so good this season. Best wishes 😊

20.08.2025 08:27 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Important Beekeeping Tips 2025 A walrus studying beekeeping theory For those who start beekeeping, probably as a hobby, or to save the world, some will become obsessed for the rest of their lives, and many will give up within three years. When reality crashes into idealism, there are casualties. That’s actually a good thing; it makes sense to keep looking until you find your ‘happy place’ - the activity that brings you purpose and joy.

Important Beekeeping Tips 2025

A walrus studying beekeeping theory For those who start beekeeping, probably as a hobby, or to save the world, some will become obsessed for the rest of their lives, and many will give up within three years. When reality crashes into idealism, there are casualties.…

19.08.2025 21:36 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

YouTube video by Steve Donohoe Honey extraction, again

youtube.com/shorts/c5Cpv... #beekeeping #honey

12.08.2025 20:13 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Post Image

Recent Photos

To the handful of crazy beekeepers who wait in anticipation for my blog posts - there are a few, apparently - I'm afraid this one is basically a few photographs that I have taken this…

https://thewalrusandthehoneybee.com/recent-photos/?utm_source=bluesky&utm_medium=jetpack_social

01.08.2025 22:20 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Open Mating Queens Podcast Episode · The Walrus and the Honey Bee · 17/07/2025 · 53m

New podcast episode! podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

17.07.2025 01:13 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

YouTube video by Steve Donohoe Enya, Walrus, and Bees

youtube.com/shorts/JMdPc... #countryside

11.07.2025 21:21 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

YouTube video by Steve Donohoe Late season forage for honey bees

youtube.com/shorts/kE4jv... #beekeeping #nature

09.07.2025 15:21 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Yes, good point

08.07.2025 18:56 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Understanding Honey Bee Queen Mating Success Rates Explore the challenges of honey bee queen mating, including success rates and factors influencing effective reproduction in beekeeping.

thewalrusandthehoneybee.com/open-mating-... #beekeeping

08.07.2025 17:03 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Open Mating Queens Daughter of an II carniolan queen that has been introduced to Buckfast workers (Photo: Andy Sweet) It should be fairly straightforward, shouldn’t it? A colony makes several virgin queens, eventually whittles them down to one, and she flies off on several mating flights. She returns to the welcoming embrace of her workers, and begins the long process of laying hundreds or thousands of eggs every day during the summer, autumn, and spring.

Open Mating Queens

Daughter of an II carniolan queen that has been introduced to Buckfast workers (Photo: Andy Sweet) It should be fairly straightforward, shouldn’t it? A colony makes several virgin queens, eventually whittles them down to one, and she flies off on several mating flights. She…

08.07.2025 17:02 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Peacock butterfly with wings outstretched

Peacock butterfly - saw this today, lovely thing #butterfly

04.07.2025 17:46 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

YouTube video by Steve Donohoe Wasps!

youtube.com/shorts/r5G8z... #beekeeping

04.07.2025 10:32 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Walrus Wobbles (beekeeping blunders) Podcast Episode · The Walrus and the Honey Bee · 18/06/2025 · 14m

New podcast episode out now: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... #beekeeping

19.06.2025 07:36 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Queen Mating Failures: Lessons from Beekeeping Setbacks Discover the ups and downs of beekeeping as a seasoned keeper shares lessons from queen rearing to hive management mishaps.

thewalrusandthehoneybee.com/walrus-wobbl... #beekeeping

17.06.2025 21:48 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

YouTube video by Steve Donohoe Mini-plus mating nucs #bee #beekeeping

youtube.com/shorts/uLgx9...

15.06.2025 09:10 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Making queen honey bees #beekeeping

12.06.2025 17:05 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

[New post for sponsors] The curse of laying workers and why they're rarely seen in queenright colonies, the survival of eggs after grafting and the (ongoing) attempts to produce bigger, better queens. Biology and beekeeping, what's not to like?
theapiarist.org/worker-polic...
#beekeeping

07.06.2025 09:02 — 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0