Ayrshire beekeepers plea to save honeybees

Feb 19 2010 by Edwin Lawrence, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

THE GLOBAL threat to honeybees is a threat to mankind too, say Ayrshire beekeepers.

And they believe we can all do our bit to help bees and other pollinating insects.

Tony Riome is current president of Ayr and District Beekeepers Association.

He points out: “To make a pound of honey, a bee flies around 55,000 miles, visiting 10,000 flowers on more than 500 foraging trips.”

Mr Riome and his fellow beekeepers also point to the latest science on bees. This shows one third of our diet coming from flowering crops, and honeybees pollinate 80 per cent of them.

Vegetarians and meat eaters both need bees, as they are necessary to pollinate forage like hay and clover, which is fed to animals for meat, milk and cheese.

All the more worrying then that bees have been reported dying off in unprecedented numbers.

A phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder has swept the world.

And although no single cause has been found, there seems to be several factors at work, including the use of pesticides and the loss of natural habitat.

Mr Riome says: “We need to provide flora for all bees and pollinating insects. Solitary bees such as miner bees, carpenter bees, mason bees and bumblebees rely heavily on pollen, which can be reduced by farmers and gardeners being too tidy.

“A female worker bee lives for only about six weeks, having worked herself to death. A queen bee can live for three to four years, during which time she can lay from 1000 to 2000 eggs per day. These hardworking social insects desperately need our help.”

Here are some simple tips to help the bees and other insects:

l Go back to nature: If you have space in a corner of your garden, let some of it become a bit overgrown and wild so that bees and other small creatures such as frogs and ladybirds can find shelter. They will help reduce garden pests such as slugs.

l Provide water: Bees and butterflies need water, as just like us they get thirsty. A bird bath or shallow tray with water – and a few twigs, so that the bees don't drown – will be very welcome on a hot day.

l Shelter: Bumblebees build nests in the ground, and some bees live in trees. The occupants of a bee box in your garden will pollinate your fruit and vegetables, and solitary bees don't sting.

l Check compost and seed packets: If they carry the names Clothianidin and Imidacloprid, these are deadly to bees and other insects. They may be described as ‘seed enhancers’ or ‘improvers’. The Co-operative, the UK's largest farmer, has banned the use of these chemicals on its own brand produce and is providing £150,000 towards research into why our bees are disappearing.

l Be adventurous: Look for plants that will provide the most nectar and pollen as possible when choosing them for your hanging baskets and gardens. Grow wild flowers. Scatter their seeds along hedgerows and waste ground.

l Become a beekeeper: Join the beginners’ class, to be held weekly from Wednesday, February 24, in Doonfoot Academy, Ayr, for six weeks. The first class is entitled An Introduction to Beekeeping, and will be given by Phil McAnespie, vice-president of the Scottish Beekeepers Association.

Mr Riome said: “Doing these simple things will bring a rich reward, as the bees and other pollinators will give you an extra special crop of vegetables, fruit and plants, and you will know that you are playing an important part in helping to save our native honeybee and other insects.”