Going Alone

Did you know that there are thieves in the world of honey bees? I recently enjoyed a full day bicycle ride up and over the rugged peaks surrounding holy Mt. Ryuso in central Japan. At one point I discovered an active bee hive by the side of the road. The hive was occupied by indigenous Japanese honey bees (Apis cerana japonica or ニホンミツバチ in Japanese). Though they produce less honey than the European honey bee the Japanese bees are a better match for this region as they are ad