Report on Bee Day

The daily survival of the Honey Bee is a challenge.

Imagine life with three blood sucking varroa mites attached to your back and neck the size of dinner plates and you get an inkling into what it must be like for the honey bee. This was how our first speaker, bee keeper Dave Bonner described the plight of the honey bee. Only on the Ilse of Man, the Iles of Scilly and in the Outer Hebrides is the honey bee safe from this debilitating predator. The bee keeper must remain vigilant in an ever more demanding environment and update his skills base to combat a variety of invasive insects.

What can we do?

It’s very important not to tarmac the whole of our front gardens and every year to update the plants in our gardens to include traditional plants that the bees can access easily for the pollen.

Our second speaker Chris Crean, of Friends of the Earth focused on the challenges faced by the honey bee caused by pesticides. He stressed that the farming community and the environment agencies were working closely together. Pesticides were rarely sprayed indiscriminately but on the seed so that the pesticide remained within each individual plant protecting it as it grew.

What can we do?

We might raise awareness at our civic meetings, contact our M.P and other local organisations.

Dr. Chandler, an entomologist from Warwick University spoke about the invalid research concerning the bees declining general health and weakening navigational skills. Pesticides were not to blame in this flawed research as the dosage given to the bees was too high and did not represent a life time impact. He made the analogy that a person who took 8 paracetamols in one go would become extremely ill but one or two taken at intervals would not be life threatening.

Scientific research reveals that part of the challenge is the ever-increasing demand for honey. Around the world, the honey bee is in decline in Northern Europe and the USA, Japan suffers heavy losses in winter. However in Australasia and S. America numbers remain stable.

The honey bee has a sophisticated immune system, given time evolution may protect them from the varroa mite and other invasive species. Sufficient time is not available. Another threat to the bees and mankind is the imminent

arrival of the Asian hornet able to fly the channel and settle here due to climate change. One was found in Tetbury in 2016 its sting can kill and a swarm of Asian hornets can wipe out a hive in under two hours. Their nests may be found in tall trees. A military style campaign is a foot to destroy this fast-acting pest.

The day also included a talk about bee friendly plants by Sally Cunningham and members bought plants provided by Charlie Brown’s Nursery. Our thanks for lunch and superb home-made cakes go to Broughton Astley WI and the crocheted bee badges made by Sue Pulsford of Newton Harcourt WI were much appreciated.

Sheila Sterynowicz on behalf of the Public Affairs Committee