No one knew they existed - The bees of Blenheim Palace

The ‘ecotype’, thought to have been wiped out by disease and invasive species, is thriving in the estate’s ancient woodlands.

“These bees are quite unique in that they live in nests in very small cavities, as bees have for millions of years, and they have the ability to live with disease. They have had no treatment for the varroa mite – yet they’re not dying off.” - Filipe Salbany.

This feels like a breakthrough article that for the first time in mainstream media acknowledges so many things that advocates of free-living bees have known for a long time:

• They exist

• They have a unique ecotype

• They thrive without human intervention

• The importance of habitat preservation

For more information see our earlier link post.