The decline of British honeybees

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Beekeeping, that’s something I have been interested in for a long time but like most (leisure) activities, the effort involved seems to outweigh the fun.
It is not just a hobby for people with a huge garden in the country.

Apparently you can keep a hive in a small garden or flat roof in the city with no problems at all, and it doesn’t take a lot to get started.

I was talking to a beekeeper on a market stall in the centre of the city of London and he said he knew there were at least ten hives in the vicinity.

We have friends who live in the country and keep bees, and they produce great honey, one is now semi-professional after passing exams on the craft.
Anyway, the reason for talking about bees.....

Apparently the UK is facing a bee crisis.

The “managed” - farmed - honeybee population has plummeted by more than a half in the past few years, with wild bees almost extinct.

Bees are essential for plant and crop pollination and according to Friends of the Earth it would cost the UK £1.8 billion every year to hand-pollinate without them.

That’s 20 per cent more than previously thought according to their research released yesterday to launch The Bee Cause - a campaign to save the bee.

It is unimaginable when any animal faces extinction, and I learned today some species of the bumblebee have disappeared altogether.

The decline in bee population is mainly due to urbanisation, pesticide use and intensive farming.

Friends of the Earth is urging Prime Minister David Cameron to commit to a British bee action plan to help save this humble creature.


This includes taking bees into account when town planning and the Government funding experts to work to restore the population.

Nature Campaigner Paul de Zylva said: “Unless we halt the decline in British bees our farmers will have to rely on hand-pollination, sending food prices rocketing.

“Bees are responsible for most of our favourite fruit and vegetables so as well as the huge blow to our economy, our diet would also suffer.

“David Cameron must make the changes needed now to give our bees a fighting chance and save Britain billions.”

The charity is providing information on how to help bees in  gardens and communities, with  20,000 packets of wildflower seeds up for grabs.

To support or for more details click here.

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