Did anyone watch Queen of the Savannah

[Bridget]

Did anyone else see this programme about feral bees in Africa? Excellent photography, the life cycle of a queen and her colony in an tree. Natural World last Thursday night and it's on BBC iplayer. Showed two virgin queens fighting to the death, lots of camera work from inside the colony. Annoying voice of Tamsin Greig who to me will always be Debbie offa The Archers. nice shots of a beecatcher catching bees and some strange slow motion effects of the bees flying with sounds effects as well which seemed odd to me. Worth watching though.

[gavin]

Missed it as I was busy but I had thought of catching it on the iPlayer. Now that I know Tamsin narrates I will definitely watch ;).

OK, Debbie off the Archers but also a fine actress from Black Books and the lovely Caroline from the much lamented Green Wing .... where she couldn't stop ruining scenes with her giggling ....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM4FbkcdI1w

[Neils]

I finally caught up with it on iplayer. I thought the photography was excellent, but I did think it was a little light on some of the facts, though that might just be looking at it and, hopefully, knowing enough about our bees to be interested in those elements that dealt with the behaviour of African bees.

The bit at the end I was less impressed with, confidently asserting that feral colonies are extinct, for example. And on the one hand claiming the colony numbers are in decline while pointing out bbka membership has apprently trebled in the last few years on the other. Somehow I don't see how both can be true.

[madasafish]

Enjoyed it.

Contrast between African taking comb with zero protection and UK beekeeper dressed in what looked like a biological warfare suit was hilarious...

Took little of it as factual - cos it probably was full of specially set up situations..

As for urban bees - or rather city bees replacing country ones! but no feral colonies here that i know of.. nor likely to be in the near future.

[Neils]

There's a site near me that seems to attract "feral" colonies, there's been a colony since I've known it but they died out or perhaps moved on last year. It'll be interesting to see when/if another swarm moves in, preferably not one of mine.

[gavin]

I'm one of the army of Scottish beekeepers who monitor local feral colonies. Mine died out but I know of others that appear to be long-lived. Seek and ye shall find.

[susbees]

Quite so Gavin. Quite a few in Wales. I watched half on iplayer and fell asleep...THAT voice (yawn). Will we watch the other half tonight?! I found the lack of a VQ sex life hilarious....well we have this new queen and wow she's laying eggs :)