A wonderful post by Professor Simon Leather. Don't Forget the Roundabouts The book! I have written a lot of papers (more than 220 according to Web of Science) and quite a few books, two real ones (Leather et al., 1993; Leather & Bland, 1996) and eight edited volumes, over the last forty odd years. Up until now I thought the most exacting piece of writing I had ever done was my entry for the Biological Flora (Leather, 1996). I mention this because it has a very similar feel to my most recent, most difficult piece of writing, Insects, A Very Short Introduction. I did my PhD on the bi ..read more

The world has changed a lot since I last visited my blog. The other day Constance and I stopped on our morning walk to watch a bush buzzing with bees. “Look mummy! Bees!” said Constance. “That means spring is coming!” She talks now. Yet in many ways, the world has stayed the same. This past week has been emotionally exhausting. International Women’s Day highlighted the achievements of women throughout a global pandemic, but also the huge setback it has caused in terms of gender equality as the larger share of childcare has fallen upon women working from home. A disproportionate amount of hate ..read more

It was the night before Christmas, when all through the garden not a creature was stirring, not even a fox.  The bees were nestled all snug in their hives, while visions of spring danced in their heads… A little Christmas story from the bees to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy new year ..read more

A few lingering butterflies rested their wings on the ivy flowers in November, but they were too fleeting to catch with my camera. November is a good month to plan next year’s garden by taking note of which plants have thrived best in which parts of the garden, and which have attracted the most insect visitors. My bee garden calendar is slowly coming together, starting with spring flowers and spring-flowering shrubs (snowdrops, crocuses, bluebells, cotoneaster, hebe, smoke tree), long-lasting summer flowers (salvia, scabiosa, toadflax) and late summer to autumn blooms (snowberry, sedum). All ..read more

Summer came back in October – word had reached her of the ‘backwinter‘. The bees made the most of the ‘backsummer’. The hive entrance was too busy to put on mouseguards as foragers flew home with baskets of yellow pollen. However, a quick inspection showed that nectar was out of stock. I filled the syrup feeders, and filled them five times again in October, and the bees drank up every last drop. Since then I have been unable to visit the apiary and my husband John, my mum Ronnie, and Ealing beekeeper Thomas have put on mouseguards and fondant for winter. In the garden, the salvia was pleasi ..read more