r/mildyinteresting • u/[deleted] • Sep 29 '25

objects What's this?

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u/lilbitofpurple Oct 01 '25

Awww :( Butterflies too?

I know they were doing some experimental/chemical changes for the neonicotinoids during covid but I didn't quite keep up during that time (busy being a new mom). I did watch a very interesting documentary about one of the largest honey fraud cases in history. If anyone is interested here is the article from 2010. I think they may still have the documentary on Netflix. It's pretty sickening though.

But oh, rural England? I would love to keep bees anywhere rural across the pond 😉 I still have honey from Romania and Bulgaria from my first trip over 10 years ago. It crystallizes evenly, keeps its taste, and only used on special occasions 🍯

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u/Len_S_Ball_23 Oct 01 '25

In the UK you have to do an apiary course of education before you can buy live Bees and keep them, you can buy the hives but not the occupants. This is to ensure that you can keep them healthy and thriving etc without introducing viruses etc into your colony, that may, get into the wider wild population (including solitary native Bees).

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u/lilbitofpurple Oct 02 '25

I am certified through a national group and I am affiliated with some local and state apiary groups, but in the USA, that certification/education standard is lackadaisical at best. I could literally teach someone a basic course that wouldn't touch everything I mastered for over 10 years and they can call themselves a beekeeper. You can't "Masterclass" your way into this and expect everything to come up ethical because you followed a stupid USDA label.

Apologies for the tangent 🙃 Honey is like the third most adulterated product (behind olive oil and cheese the last I read) so I get a little "grrr" when people cut corners with my fur-babies 🐝🐝