Save the Honey Bee
The World Honey Bee Crisis
Around the world, the population of honeybees is declining dramatically. In 15 states of the USA, 36% of bee colonies mysteriously disappeared due to a phenomenon known as "Colony Collapse Disorder". Various theories include: bees being stressed by being moved thousands of miles for pollination; a parasite called Varroa which debilitates bees and the fact that bees are becoming resistant to the approved treatments for Varroa; other bee diseases such as Nosema Ceranae; the effect of climate change; the usage of new pesticides which are potentially killing honeybees.
UK beekeepers reported average losses of 25% over the 2007/8 winter and spring compared with 18% the previous year. Honeybees are responsible for pollinating 25% of the food that we eat and pollinate 90 crops in all worldwide. UK crops such as apples, pears, peaches, strawberries, blackberries, carrots, broccoli and onions are affected.
The threat posed by the diminishing bee numbers was featured in major newspapers in the UK in 2008, including the Daily Mail:-
"Beemergency! A mystery plague threatens Britain’s bees and the result could be worse than foot and mouth"
Daily Mail, 2 June 2008
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Because of the world honey shortage, Rowse Honey is having to pay 60% more than a year ago to secure supplies of honey for quality blending honeys, explaining why Rowse Blossom has increased in price in the supermarkets. The world honey shortage is also similarly affecting the costs of other honeys such as supermarket own label blends and other brands of honey.
Rowse Honey commits £100,000 to bee health research campaign
Following a meeting in Wallingford on 28th August 2008 with the BBKA, BFA and NFU, Rowse Honey confirmed its commitment to invest £100,000 in honey bee health research over the next three years.
The meeting was most beneficial as the beekeeping organizations had not previously met with the NFU team to discuss the honeybee crisis.
The group strongly endorsed the campaign of the BBKA for increased Defra funding for bee health research. The BBKA and BFA have already committed funds to support research into bee health.
The NFU expressed its concern regarding the serious impact on the environment and agricultural output if the honey bee population continues to decline.
The group has agreed to meet regularly in the months ahead to campaign, monitor and act in concert in the face of critical declines in the bee population. It calls on DEFRA to reconsider its position with urgency, and agree to fund the necessary research.
Charlie Dimmock Challenges the Nation’s Green Fingers to Help Save the Honey Bee
Following a dramatic decline in the honey bee population leading to English honey running out by Christmas, much needed support to help the honey bee is on hand from gardening expert Charlie Dimmock. The green fingered expert has teamed up with Rowse Honey to recommend her ten best shrubs to attract this precious creature to your garden.
"Bees are looking for two things when they forage on flowers," says Charlie Dimmock, "The first is nectar which is loaded with sugar and the bee's main source of energy. The second is pollen which provides proteins and fat for a balanced diet. My top ten shrubs that are ideal for this include:"
- Ceanothus
- Heathers - Erica and Calluna
- Thyme - Thyme Vulgaris
- Lavender - Lavandula
- Hebe
- Candytuft - Iberis Umbellata
- Escallonia
- Sage - Salvia Officinalis
- Pyracantha
- Broom - Genista
"The honey bee is vital to our environment and I passionately encourage gardeners to plant the shrubs which are ideal for them to forage on," comments Dimmock. "Everyone can help do their bit for the environment and the honey bee whether they own a garden, allotment or even window box."
Rowse Honey Bee research being conducted at the University of Sussex
The £100,000 research funding by Rowse Honey has been committed to Professor Francis Ratnieks - the UK's only Professor of Apiculture - at the University of Sussex.
The donation will support research at Sussex into breeding strains of "hygienic" bees, which swiftly remove infected larvae and so reduce the spread of the disease within the hive, thereby helping the hive to keep on top of disease problems.
The work will be carried out by Professor Ratnieks and his team in the UK's leading "bee lab" - the University of Sussex Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI), which researches all aspects of the honey bee and social insect biology.
Professor Ratnieks says: "Given the current problems faced by honey bees, the donation from Rowse Honey is timely and significant. Over the next three years, it will enable us to breed our native British honey bee for greater disease resistance. We will be able to test them with the help of the Bee Farmers Association (BFA), and to start providing breeder queens for British beekeepers to multiply the hygienic stock for use in their own hives."
The BFA will support the project by helping to test colonies with hygienic queens in 100 hives across Britain, to see if they are also good at making honey.
DEFRA increase funding for bee research
On 21st January 2009, Defra announced a £4.3 million increase in bee health funding. Of this £2.3m would be spent supporting the National Bee Unit over the next two years to help England’s beekeepers deal with the problems facing their bee colonies.
In addition, Defra will increase bee health research funding by £400,000 p.a. for the next 5 years.
Stuart Bailey, chairman Rowse Honey Ltd said: "This is excellent news. We welcome DEFRA's recognition that the bee health issue is serious and that they have a leading role in tackling it. We do, however want to understand the detail of their plans to ensure that they are tackling the right things with the right vigour and speed. We are asking the Minister for this clarification".
For the latest in the bee crisis visit our news section.
