Rare bees spotted

Species found in village

Endangered dark native honey bees have been found in West Lothian.

West Lothian Council’s Pest Control team found the nest of the rare honey bees, which are the native bee of Scotland, at a callout in Winchburgh recently.

The resident reported two wasp nests, and on inspection, one of the nests was actually a honey bee nest. A specialist beekeeper was contacted to remove the swarm, who identified the bees as very rare dark native honey bees, which are normally only found in remote parts of the UK. Dark native honey bees were nearly wiped out by disease at the end of the 19th century, with the majority of bees now in the UK originally imported from Europe. The dark bees are larger, darker and have thicker, longer hair than the more common European honey bees, and are better suited to survive in the UK climate.

West Lothian Council’s Pest Control supervisor, Craig Seath, said: “It’s very unusual to find dark native honey bees in West Lothian or across central Scotland. They are an endangered species so every effort must be made to protect them.

“The destruction of their nest would have also resulted in a large fine for anyone involved.

If you have an issue with wasps or bees, please contact the council’s Pest Control service on 01506 280000 for advice.”