'Bees are considered part of the family and if they are not told, tradition has it that they will leave'
An Irish beekeeper has told of the ancient tradition of personally telling the hive if a loved one in the family has passed away.
"My mother was involved in the business side of things such as administration and the bottling and labelling of the honey jars at the Galtee Honey Farm, which my dad has now passed on to my sister Aoife. Eoghan added: "I was minding bees for a friend of mine a few years back and when he died, I went out to tell the hive. The thinking behind it is that they will tell the other bees.
"In early Irish Church times, the bees were revered. This was because the virgin comb's bees wax was used for the best church candles and the Queen was thought to be a virgin, hence associated with the Virgin Mary so bees were highly regarded."
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