I strongly approve of Natural England’s campaign to encourage more people to keep bees, to, at least, to grow more insect-friendly plants.
I first took an interest in the plight of the honeybee in 1995, shortly after I had been selected as the candidate for Conwy. At that time, the national stock of bees was being ravaged by the varroa mite. Fourteen years on, and the problem is still with us; honeybee numbers have fallen by over ten per cent over the last two years.
Natural England says that even city dwellers could keep bees, by placing hives on their balconies or rooftops. Perhaps Defra and WAG could take a lead in this regard, by keeping colonies on their rooftops in Westminster and Aberystwyth.
The value of bee pollination to the British economy was estimated by the National Audit Office earlier this year at £200 million; in fact, the value of bees to civilisation itself is much higher, some would say fundamental.
There is some dispute as to whether Albert Einstein actually uttered the words often attributed to him:
“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”
On the other hands, as the Italians do say, if it isn’t true, then it is very well founded.
Excellent blog. I’ve been worried about the Honey Bee’s population for years, ever since an elderly lady bought it to my attention in Waitrose one day.
Perhaps we should encourage schools to keep a few hives. Sod health and safety.
I’m a great believer in getting schools more involved in animal husbandry and the countryside. I’ve found it very effective with youngsters.
sonofmuff.
We look forward to Mr Jones being the bees friend when in government. And no. I’m not taking the (a)pis.
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If you can’t keep honey bees, and there is a bit of work to keeping hives, then anyone can keep lone orchard bees.
Dead easy, don’t sting, kits available for less than a tenner, or make your own from a few bamboo sticks.
And solitary bees like the lone orchard bee and the red mason bee do far more pollination per bee than honey bees.
We kept one kit last year, and our garden was full of them this year pollinating flowers and fruit.
Downside, of course, is they don’t make honey.
Link to Oxford Bee Company that makes the kits:
http://www.isis-innovation.com/spinout/oxbeeco.html