Livingstone's Cage

.Close by Victoria Falls in Central Africa stands the Livingstone Museum with an exquisite collection of the "Great Explorer's" personal possessions, his cap, greatcoat, watch and one of his many diaries.

All very interesting, I found. However in one corner was a heavily barred Cage.

The sign said "Africa's most dangerous predator" 

In the back of this highly secure exhibit, was a large mirror reflecting the crowd of laughing humans on the other side of the bars - who suddenly realise the Joke!

With this little episode in mind I thought of the Warré beekeeping principles.
Currently the beehives of the world are under lethal attack from the Korean ectoparasite known as Varroa Destructor.

The term, parasite, is incorrect, really, for parasites actually live symbiotically together.

In the Olden Days beekeepers lived in the same way with their bees leaving them in peace all year , taking a little of the extra honey in the autumn and helping them through the winter by combining weak colonies.

Until in 1921,starting in the Isle of Wight, a deadly, invisible, microscopic, spider mite nearly wiped out British bees. There was no external signs of the disease, they just died. Rather like the latest Israeli paralysis virus.

However, ever since the Reverend Langstroth developed his eponymous, moveable frame hive, an even greater pest, has been interfering with the life of bee colonies, depressing their immune system, fanning all the endemic viruses into flame.

This scourge of bees,world wide, can be seen, behind bars,
in Livingstone Museum!