Honeybees have been having a difficult time recently. The last few decades in particular have seen declines in numbers of honeybees, mainly in the number of wild colonies.
The number of colonies managed by beekeepers increased in the decades following World War II, before interest faded and new diseases discouraged. There is currently more interest in learning the craft, and numbers of managed colonies have risen slightly in the last few years.
However, the bees (and beekeepers) are up against it. Gradually over the last century, the way we produce food has changed, becoming more intensive and mechanised. Hedgerows have disappeared, woodland has been felled to make way for more housing or replaced with monocultures of exotic conifer species which do not support the same variety of insects. Our landscape is awash with chemicals, sprayed by agriculture or emitted by vehicles and industry.
To add to all of this, transport of bees from one place to the next has led to importation of various pests and diseases. One of the most problematic of these is the Varroa mite. Varroa mites were first discovered in Southeast Asia in about 1904, but are now present on all continents except Australia. They were first discovered in the UK in 1992. Varroa is a small parasite which attaches itself to the back of honeybees and feeds on the body fluids of adult bees and larvae. These parasites can weaken a colony until collapse, and are also a vector for a variety of viral diseases such as Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and acute bee paralysis virus. Varroa is an example of a parasite which has jumped species from Apis cerana, the Asian Honeybee to Apis Mellifera, the European Honeybee. It is easliy spread from one colony to the next as honeybee drones are known to fly from one colony to the next.
Beekeepers around the UK are also on the lookout for a couple of pests that have inflicted themselves on other parts of Europe. The Small Hive Beetle (Aethina tumida) originated in Africa, and spread to the United States, where it is a major problem. In 2014 it was discovered in Calabria, Italy, and efforts are being made to monitor and eradicate it. Another potential pest is the Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina). This is a predator of bees, and has started to rapidly spread across France after arriving from China in a consignment of pottery. The same population has been discovered in Gloucestershire last year, but the nest was found and the hornets eradicated. Ongoing surveillance is required to ensure that this invasive alien species does not get a foothold in the UK.
Another problem that has been it the news for the last few years is Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Beekeepers have reported the sudden collapse of honeybee colonies for no apparent reason, and a numbers of factors may be responsible. Further research is needed to find out what the cause is. The use of certain pesticides has been implicated in this – a group of pesticides called neonicotinoids. The use of these has proved controversial and the use of them is now limited in the European Union, due to the effects that they can have on bees. The spraying of pesticides is a big problems for honeybees and other bee species, as many are indiscriminate on the insect species they kill. In some cases seeds are impregnated with pesticides, which then flow throughout the plant systemically, and will affect any insect feeding on sap, nectar, leaves or even the pollen. Honeybees collecting nectar and pollen from these plants will either be killed or will transport the contaminated harvest back to the hive thus weakening the colony.
Despite all these challenges, it is possible to ensure that our honeybee colonies thrive, and there are many things we can do to help both managed honeybee colonies, and other native solitary bees (including the ubiquitous bumblebee). Planting of bee friendly plants in our gardens is one such way. A large variety of plants are useful to bees, and if plants are selected to provide a source of nectar and pollen throughout the year then bees will find your garden a paradise. A number of tree species are valuable to bees such as lime, rowan, sycamore and fruit trees such as plum, apple, pear and cherry. Another way to help is to leave clover and dandelions to flower in patches on your lawn, or even sow wild flower patches. Many of our so called weeds such as nettles, blackberries and thistles are important sources of food for many insects, so leaving a wild patch in your garden really can help. Personally I don’t use any chemicals in my garden, but if herbicides are used then they should be applied in the evening once the bees have gone to rest.
Councils and local authorities can be lobbied to think about our bees and wildlife, for example, by varying the height and incidence of cutting verges, and making provisions for wildlife in construction projects. Joining a conservation charity, and getting involved in their fundraising or projects
Where possible, buying organically produced food, is best, or try to purchase food from sustainable sources, where the land is managed for the benefit of wildlife. Buying British honey and other bee products will support British Beekeepers, and in turn benefit our bees.
There is something special about watching a bee buzzing around working a flower to extract its precious nectar. On a fine sunny day, endless hours can be lost watching these marvellous little insects, but it is humbling to think of all the pressures on these creatures, many of them caused by us.
More information:
Beebase – www.nationalbeeunit.com – has further information about honeybee pests and diseases
BBKA – www.bbka.org.uk – British Beekeepers Association has lots of honeybee related information
Soil Association – www.soilassociation.org – the UK’s biggest organic certification
Wild About Gardens – www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk – garden tips for attracting bees, insects and other wildlife to your garden
