Drones have killed the queen!!!

[Jon]

Noticed a link to this story on the bbka site.
If anyone doubts the idiocy of the UK press with regard to reporting on bees, check out this story on the bbc website.
I cannot believe the beekeeper interviewed could have spoken this gibberish.

As part of the course we had to take a hive apart.

"Basically we had to blow smoke into the hive with a special device which makes the drones think they are under attack.

"They start to gorge on the honey - a survival instinct in case they have to leave the hive and this calms them and makes them docile.
Honey Students learn how to make their own honey

"We opened the hive at this point and found the drones had killed the queen bee so it must have been time for a new one - which was interesting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-18783400

[prakel]

I cannot believe the beekeeper interviewed could have spoken this gibberish.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-18783400

Now, YOU surprise me! Check out some of the other beekeeping forums and you'll find more gibberish than you can shake a stick at -often from people who have profile's that claim ownership of 6+ colonies. I sometimes wonder how they could manage a nuc, let alone multiple colonies.

[Jon]

On reflection....you may have a point! Or perhaps he was speaking in tongues.
But whoever may or may not have uttered those eyebrow raising words, it is nailed on, 100%, bone fide quality gibberish.

Any idea what the special device might have been? I pictured something like the Mars landing craft in my mind's eye.

How do the students make their own honey do you think.
Probably an implant of a honey crop when you pay the course fees and maybe a free vial of enzymes.

[chris]

"makes the drones think they are under attack.
they start to gorge on the honey - a survival instinct in case they have to leave the hive "

This link shows a drone gorged on honey which has left the hive and is searching for a US queen.

http://www.meretmarine.com/lienobjet...4514&id=119897