A talk exploring one of nature’s most remarkable insect societies - the honey bee colony. Together, we will look at every aspect of hive life: who lives within the colony, how it functions, and how the roles of the bees change according to age, season and circumstance.

The talk will also include a brief history of the beehive itself - how modern hive designs developed, why they work so well for beekeepers, and why they are not always ideally suited to the natural behaviour of bees.

Importantly, we will examine the wider world of pollinators, comparing honey bees with Ireland’s many native bee species and discussing why this distinction matters for biodiversity in both our gardens and wild landscapes.

We will also explore the different strains and subspecies of honey bees found in Ireland, their long-term viability, and the growing threat posed by invasive predatory wasps in Ireland.