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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment

Social inequality is thriving in the hive

A queen surrounded by workers inside a bee hive
A queen surrounded by workers inside a beehive. Photograph: Frans Lemmens/Alamy

The beehive may not be quite the utopian dream it first appears to be (Letters, 9 February). Worker bees need to be so active during the summer months that they typically only survive for about four to six weeks. Drone bees’ longevity is not much better. The lucky ones may get to service the queen, but die as a consequence. Unsurprisingly, the queen fares much better.
Tom Challenor
Ealing, London

• So Jim Ratcliffe is sorry for his choice of language use in relation to immigration (Report, 12 February). What about being sorry for his sentiments? Could I suggest that he spends a week as a bed-bound inpatient in a NHS hospital before he makes a judgment about the contribution of immigrants?
Liz Thompson
Oxford

• Regarding pillow talk (Letters, 11 February), the late Tommy Cooper once said: “Last night, I dreamed that I ate a ten pound marshmallow. When I woke up the pillow was gone.”
Philip Clarke
Bridgford, Nottinghamshire

• On this Valentine’s Day please could you spread the love by not publishing any letters containing the words Trump, Epstein or Farage?
Toby Wood
Peterborough

• It’s not really Valentine’s Day unless you’re bobbing about.
Ian and Christine Grieve
Gordon Bennett, Llangollen canal

• Have an opinion on anything you’ve read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.

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