RESEARCH Projects
Wild Honey Bee Study
Through citizen science, and in collaboration with the Irish National Biodiversity Data Centre, we are discovering the number and distribution of free-living honey colonies in Ireland.
Outside the Box
With this project we aim to better understand how Irish free-living honey bee colonies are able to survive, unaided, outside of conventional beekeeping settings.
FREE-B
FREE-B Studying FREE-living honey Bee colonies in Europe: nature-based solutions to safeguard diversity, ensure resilience, and promote transformative change in beekeeping.
Recent honey bee papers
de Carlos, I, Strachan, L, McCormack, Grace P, Gorjanc, G, Obsteter., J Modelling the impacts of imports and non-native subspecies hybridisation in honey bees. bioRxiv 2025.07.16.664955; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.16.664955
Michez*, D., et al. (2026). Measuring the pulse of European biodiversity using the Red List. European Red List of Bees. Brussels, Belgium: European Commission. xi + 176 pp, https://doi.org/10.2779/521877
Valentine A, Moro A, Briggs E, Collier B, Sandoval K, Binetti C, Richardson M, Wragg D, Browne KA, Barnett M, NIHBS, McCormack GP. (2024). Introgressive hybridisation puts the distinctive population of Apis mellifera mellifera in Ireland at risk: evidence from a multidisciplinary approach. Journal of Apicultural Research. 64(1), 202–216. doi.org/10.1080/00218839.2024.2404297
Moro A, Albouy V, Dickey M, Kohl P, McCormack GP, Remter F, Requier F, Rogenstein S, Rutschmann B, Thiele MJ, Visick O, Dubaić JB. (2024). A protocol for monitoring populations of free-living Western honey bees in temperate regions. Bee World. doi.org/10.1080/0005772X.2024.2402109
McCann M & McCormack GP (2023). Increased levels of introgression evident in Irish honey bees, Journal of Apicultural Research, DOI: 10.1080/00218839.2023.2262872
*65. Smith S Moro A, McCormack GP (2023). Exploring a Potential Avenue for Beekeeping in Ireland: Safeguarding Locally Adapted Honeybees for Breeding Varroa-Resistant Lines. Insects 2023, 14,827. https://doi.org/10.3390/ insects14100827
García, C.A.Y.; Rodrigues, P.J.; Tofilski, A.; Elen, D.; McCormack, G.P.; Oleksa, A.; Henriques, D.; Ilyasov, R.; Kartashev, A.; Bargain, C.; et al. (2022) Using the Software DeepWings© to Classify Honey Bees across Europe through Wing Geometric Morphometrics. Insects 2022,13,1132. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/insects13121132
Keith A. Browne , Jack Hassett , Michael Geary , Elizabeth Moore , Dora Henriques , Gabriele Soland-Reckeweg , Roberto Ferrari , Eoin Mac Loughlin , Elizabeth O’Brien , Saoirse O’Driscoll , Philip Young , M. Alice Pinto & Grace P McCormack (2020): Investigation of free-living honey bee colonies in Ireland, Journal of Apicultural Research, DOI: 10.1080/00218839.2020.1837530
Henriques D, Lopes AR, Ferrari R, Neves CJ, Quaresma A, Browne KA, McCormack GP, Pinto MA. (2020). Can introgression in M-lineage honey bees be detected by abdominal colour patterns? Apidologie. DOI: 10.1007/s13592-020-00744-7
Henriques D, Browne KA, Barnett MW, Parejo M, Kryger P, Freeman TC, Muñoz I, Garnery L,Highet F, Spencer Jonhston J, McCormack GP, Pinto MA. (2018). High sample throughput genotyping for estimating C-lineage introgression in the dark honeybee: an accurate and cost-effective SNP-based tool. Scientific Reports. 8:8552 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-26932-1
Hassett J, Browne KA, McCormack GP, Moore E, Native Irish Honey Bee Society, Soland G, Geary M. (2018). Significant Pure Population of Apis mellifera mellifera remains in Ireland. J. Apiculture Research. 57:3, 337-350, DOI: 10.1080/00218839.2018.1433949.