Bee kind to our insects

May 1 2009 by Alan Shaw

I READ a report recently about Scotland’s bees disappearing and, now that I think about it, I can’t recall seeing a single one over the past couple of years.

It’s actually making me feel slightly guilty – had the antics of my eight-year-old self catching them in a jam jar contributed to this?

I would like to point out that no bees were ever harmed – I put holes in the lid, as well as some leaves and flowers inside.

At the worst, I probably just annoyed them a bit by seeing how many I could catch before letting them go. I never hung around after releasing them to see how peeved off they were.

But if it was my fault, surely that would only affect the thorny bushes outside my parents’ house, not the whole country, or indeed the whole world? It was suggested on an episode of Doctor Who that bees were aliens and have simply gone home. In Bee Movie they successfully sued the humans for stealing their honey and never left the hive again.

Sadly, the reality is that the bee population has been dying off, with everything from pesticides to mobile phone masts being blamed.

And I never realised what disastrous consequences could come from a lack of our buzzy friends. Pollination would suffer, crops would struggle to grow, and the price of those that did would go through the roof.

With everything costing as much as it does these days, that’s the last thing we need. However it’s not all bad news. Every time I’ve left the house recently I’ve seen bees everywhere. One even flew through the car when I was waiting in a queue for the local drive-through. It looks like they may be returning to save us from the credit crunch!

And now that I know what an important part these wee furry insects play in our lives, I’ll certainly be treating them with a lot more respect, rather than seeing them as pests. And I definitely promise – no more jam jars!

Remember that the women of West FM and West Sound are going to be taking part in the Ignis women’s 10K race on May 10, raising money for this year’s Cash for Kids appeal. Find out more about Team West and make a donation online – just go to the Cash for Kids section on www.westfm.co.uk for more details.

I’ll talk to you on the Breakfast Show, Monday to Friday from 6am on 96.7 West FM.