Rare forest honeybees appearing to be the last wild descendants of a native honeybee population have been discovered in the ancient woodlands of Blenheim Palace.
The newly discovered subspecies, or ecotype, of honeybee is smaller, furrier and darker than the honeybees found in managed beehives, and is believed to be related to the indigenous wild honeybees.
The oaks found on the Blenheim estate are between 400 and 1,000 years old, and are the remnants of a medieval hunting preserve of ancient kings.
