Library News


  • Why bees become aggressive?. A study designed to try to identify why some honey bees are more aggressive than others found that neuropeptides in the brains could be the source of aggressiveness. More information on:
  • Learning and memory of bees.A study from Royal Holloway University of London has confirmed that pesticides used in crop protection have a significant negative impact on the learning and memory abilities of bees. More information on:
  • Ireland’s genetic treasure.Based on both the mitochondrial and microsatellite results, Ireland is home to a significant pure population of m. mellifera. This population is comprised of bees that show clear linkages with European bees, particularly from France the Netherlands and the UK, and another group of bees that show distinct “Irish” microsatellite alleles and mitochondrial haplotypes. Together this data indicates a diverse population that does not suffer from inbreeding nor does it suffer from introgression from C lineages despite the continued imports and breeding of non Irish bees in Ireland. The presence of such a widespread and pure population of A. m. melliferain Ireland is now an incredibly important resource for the protection of this subspecies in Europe. Given the devastating impacts of varroa from introduced bees on this population, particularly on wild bees, efforts should be increased to prevent any impact on this subspecies from introductions of pests and diseases due to the continued imports of non Irish bees. More information on: