All posts tagged: bee

20-Minute Walk Could Help You Keep Bee Populations Healthy

20-Minute Walk Could Help You Keep Bee Populations Healthy

Published by Sam Flores

Today (Monday, 20 May) is World Bee Day, an annual event that commemorates the birthday of Anton Janša, a beekeeping pioneer and respected bee expert. The 2026 celebration focuses on “how humans and bees have been working together to nourish and sustain people and the environment,” the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations said. The pollinators, which are key to our ecosystem and food supply, have seen their numbers wane by a third in the last 30 years, the RSPCA explained. And according to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BCT), a one to two-kilometre walk could help to keep experts better-informed on how those numbers are doing via a “BeeWalk”. What’s a “BeeWalk”? It’s a short, fixed walk – as we said, usually around a kilometre or two, which takes most people about 10-30 minutes depending on the terrain and your usual walking speed. On a monthly walk from March to October, volunteer BeeWalkers are asked to record the number and types of bees they see on their stroll. Then, enter these into the …

Ah, ah, ah, ah – I saved my dad’s life with a little help from The Office and the Bee Gees | Culture

Ah, ah, ah, ah – I saved my dad’s life with a little help from The Office and the Bee Gees | Culture

Published by Sam Flores

It was a boiling hot day last summer, four days after my dad’s 73rd birthday. Mum was plating up dinner and Dad was on the sofa complaining about how stifling it was. I was meant to head to work, for my job as a personal trainer, but decided to take the evening off. It was just as well: as I turned back to Mum, Dad collapsed backwards and suffered a massive cardiac arrest. Mum was hysterical. She called the ambulance as I tried to stay calm but inside I felt mad with fear as she relayed what the 999 handler was saying. “Check if he’s breathing,” she told me. I put my hand on his chest but felt nothing. “Move him to the floor.” I laid him on the wood flooring. The call handler told Mum to begin CPR. Dad was motionless as she pushed on his chest. I’d attended first-aid training years ago, while working at a bowling alley, but remembered nothing. Something seemed off, though – the timing wasn’t right. Then I remembered The Office. double quotation mark I took …

Queen Camilla faced with unfortunate bee attack during solemn US State Visit moment

Queen Camilla faced with unfortunate bee attack during solemn US State Visit moment

Published by Daniella Wilson

Queen Camilla was forced to break official protocol during an official tribute in Virginia on Thursday, as she appeared to be attacked by a bee.  The royal, 78, was joined by her husband, King Charles, at the Arlington National Cemetery to lay a wreath and posy at the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier. A military band played four muffled ruffles and taps before a moment of silent remembrance. However, the solemn moment was briefly interrupted when a bee appeared to fly into the vision of the King’s wife during the official salute. Camilla was forced to break her composure to swat it away, only for it to fly towards Charles.  She tried to protect her husband from the insect by wafting it with her hands, forcing her to take a step backwards and break formation.  The tomb is the final resting place of an unnamed US war hero from the First World War, followed by conflicts in 1958 and 1984. It has been guarded by soldiers 24 hours a day since 1937 and was also …

Bumble Bee Queens can survive underwater for a week – here’s why

Bumble Bee Queens can survive underwater for a week – here’s why

Published by Jenni Sidey

Spring flooding was supposed to be a death sentence for them. Buried underground, dormant, with no way to surface, bumble bee queens caught in rising water seemed like straightforward casualties of a seasonal hazard. The assumption made sense. They are large, terrestrial insects with no obvious business being submerged for days at a time. That assumption was wrong. New research from the University of Ottawa shows that bumble bee queens can survive being completely underwater for more than a week. Afterward, they emerge and recover as though nothing particularly unusual had happened. The findings, led by Professor Charles-Antoine Darveau of the Department of Biology, reveal a layered physiological strategy that no one had previously documented in this species. It is one that may matter more as climate patterns continue to shift. Bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) queen foraging to build energy reserves in preparation for overwintering diapause. (CREDIT: Lucas Borg-Darveau) Underground, and Then Underwater Every autumn, mated bumble bee queens burrow into shallow soil to wait out winter. This state, called diapause, is something like hibernation. …

Sewing Bee winner Annie Phillips’ guide to upcycling clothes: from patching to quilting

Sewing Bee winner Annie Phillips’ guide to upcycling clothes: from patching to quilting

Published by Sam Flores

If you’re a Great British Sewing Bee fan, you might remember my face. I’m Annie Phillips. I won the 2022 series of the show and now I sew for a living. I divide my time between running my own fashion house (Made by Annie) and leading upcycling workshops to breathe new life back into your wardrobe. I’ve even written a book on the subject called Upcycle: A Modern Maker’s Guide to Sewing and Mending a Preloved Wardrobe. Some of the people who sign up for my classes have never used a sewing machine before, while others are more experienced, but most are coming for the same reason. They’ve fallen out of love with their wardrobe, but they can’t bring themselves to buy new clothes when their old ones still have so much wear. If that sounds like you, then you should try your hand at upcycling. It’s just another word for the “make do and mend” ethos that has inspired generations of sewers. Here are my top tips for first-timers. You can see all the …

How bee brains are shaping next-generation computer chips

How bee brains are shaping next-generation computer chips

Published by skeptic

Tom Cassauwers discusses how researchers are creating computer chips inspired by bee brains and their impacts for the field of robotics. Bees navigate their surroundings with astonishing precision. Their brains are now inspiring the design of tiny, low-power chips that could one day guide miniature robots and sensors. When a bee leaves the nest, it already has its own version of a GPS in its head. By analysing patterns in the sky and its flying speed, a bee can keep track of its location and safely return home. Researchers are now taking their cue from this, hoping to transform how computers navigate. “A bee finds its way back without a smartphone or satellite navigation,” said Anders Mikkelsen, professor at Lund University in Sweden. “They do this by looking at the polarisation of the sky, and their speed. Based on that, they don’t get lost.” Mikkelsen is part of a group of scientists in an EU-funded initiative named InsectNeuroNano who want to replicate the bee’s internal navigation system on a computer chip. Today’s chips can already …

How to set up your sewing machine, according to a Sewing Bee winner

How to set up your sewing machine, according to a Sewing Bee winner

Published by Sam Flores

Now, there are just a few key things to check before you get start sewing. Firstly, look at your sewing pattern and make sure that you have selected the right stitch, length and width. Stitches tend to be illustrated in some way on the machine, and your instructions will explain the function of each one. Make sure you have the right needle type and sewing foot on your machine, too. Then, check your tension. This is important as it is the difference between loose and secure stitching. Often, the average tension is indicated on the dedicated dial. It tends to sit between three and five and denotes the best setting for a normal piece of cotton. A lower number gives less tension, and higher provides more tension. Your sewing pattern instructions will explain if this needs to be set in a specific way for your project, otherwise it’s a case of playing around to see what settings your chosen fabric needs (more on this below). Just before I start sewing, I also like to check …

Sewing Bee winner Annie Phillips answers Telegraph Recommended reader questions

Sewing Bee winner Annie Phillips answers Telegraph Recommended reader questions

Published by Sam Flores

How did your sewing journey start? Lorna, South East My sewing journey started when I was around eight. My grandmother is Ghanaian and it’s a part of her culture to make her own clothes. So she, without question, said: “You’re learning! You’re learning how to sew!” to me and all my cousins. But I was the only one that pursued it. I’m really glad I did as it gave me a different outlook on dressing, clothing, altering and vintage that I continued into my adult life. What inspired you to innovate with sustainable dressing? Charnjit, West Midlands For me, reworking from home is something that’s always been in my family. My dad has upcycled furniture for a long time. I can’t remember anything that we had from new, so it wasn’t a conscious choice. As a student it was out of necessity but also being experimental. Then, working in the fashion industry, I saw how much waste there was and I thought this is something I can practically do as a conscious choice to try …

Asian hornets UK invasion MAPPED as bee killers spread across country | UK | News

Asian hornets UK invasion MAPPED as bee killers spread across country | UK | News

Published by Sam Flores

2025 was a record-breaking year for Asian hornets (Image: Getty) Record numbers of invasive Asian hornets were spotted last year – as new evidence found in 2026 shows this bee-killing pest has spread further across the UK than previously thought.  The insect, also known as a yellow-legged hornet, is a harmful invasive species originating from east Asia and was first recorded in Europe in 2004. Earlier this month, a dead nest was found near Wrexham, prompting calls from the Welsh Government for people to be “vigilant” in the coming months and to report any suspected sightings. It is the first confirmed discovery of the insect in Wales. It follows a record year for Asian hornet sightings in the UK. In 2025, 161 nests were found and destroyed. A record 176 sightings of the insect have so far been confirmed by lab tests, but Defra (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) says there were 544 credible sightings last year.   This widget requires javascript to work. The previous record was in 2023, when there …

Travelling Auctioneers star Bee Harford’s big life overhaul for career

Travelling Auctioneers star Bee Harford’s big life overhaul for career

Published by Daniella Wilson

Briony Harford, aka Bee Harford, is a new face on Antiques Road Trip and The Travelling Auctioneers and her day job is working for international auction house, Bonhams. She is the Regional Manager covering Yorkshire, Derbyshire and the North East of England, but that’s miles away from her roots.  In a brand interview on the Bonhams website, Bee explains that she was “born and raised in the Malvern Hills,” which is a three-hour drive from where she works now as she is based at Bowcliffe Hall, near leads. “My parents ran a graphic design agency from the ground floor of our family home, so art and design were a huge part of my life and upbringing,” she added. © BBC/STVThe Travelling Auctioneers: Briony Harford As well as her move up north, Bee’s job also takes her to the UK capital, London for auctions as well as overseas to the USA. Well versed in travel, she then joined the Travelling Auctioneers in 2025, and we’ve since seen her star appear alongside other experts like Raj Bisram …