Our April Meeting was all about honeybees.  John Brownfield from Waveney Beekeepers was the lead speaker.

We learned that worker bees are female and live for about six weeks, while the queen can live up to five years and lays many eggs each day. Fertilised eggs become female worker bees, and unfertilised eggs become male drones. Drones do not work; their only purpose in life is to mate with the queen during her first flight, after which they die. Any drones still alive by winter are forced out of the hive.

Honey never goes off due to its very high sugar and low water content.  It has healing and antibiotic properties, particularly Manuka honey from New Zealand, which is produced by bees foraging solely on the manuka plant.

The flavour of honey varies depending on the flowers from which the bees collect nectar.

Bees also produce wax, royal jelly, bee venom and propolis, all of which can be used in medicines, food supplements and cosmetics.  

Waveney Beekeepers consider themselves ethical beekeepers as they only take surplus products from their hives, leaving plenty for the bees themselves.

At the end of the talk, u3a members bought honey and beeswax products, useful and tasty mementos of a truly fascinating talk.

-Janet C