Soula Dempster

Melinda's Bee Hive Soula Dempster

Melinda ensures that the new queen, Gael, departs on her quest to find a cure for the Varroa mite. She meets Anthony, the ant, who, along with the rest of his nest, help her to retake the hive and spray the bees with their good formic acid. The control by the Varroa mites has been broken and Gael has earned her place as their new queen. Melinda and the other foragers meet a hoverfly who is also a nectar drinker. At first they are suspicious but when Max, the hoverfly, explains why he may look like a wasp, they are much relieved. Wiley the wasp terrorizes the foragers but gets distracted by some jam tarts set out for a picnic. The foragers make it home safely. The final episode recounts the events during the year that characterise the lives of honey bees, their life cycle, and sets the tone for conservation requirements. It is in our interest to maintain healthy colonies of honey bees for our own existence which is dependent on their taking pollen from one flower to the next. This ensures that the plants will produce the fruit and vegetables that we eat.