Group's 10-year plan to safeguard future of bees (From Craven Herald)

Group's 10-year plan to safeguard future of bees

2:00pm Sunday 15th March 2009 in News

Wharfedale beekeepers are looking for signs that their bees have survived the winter and are healthy for the coming year.

For the past two years, honey production has been lower than normal after the poor weather resulted in lower pollen and nectar levels. In some cases last year, there was not enough honey to take from the hives and all that had been produced by the bees – averaging 30 to 40lbs per hive – was needed to feed them over the winter.

Despite this, The Wharfedale Beekeepers Association is looking forward to the next 10 years as it prepares to establish a teaching apiary at Tarn Moor.

Association secretary Allan Thompson said: “Also new this year is a weekend course that we are running over May 16 and 17. It is being arranged in co-operation with Kilnsey Trout Farm and plans are in hand for a demonstration area, plus an observation hive to be in place for the summer for local school children to visit.”

However, the association’s biggest project is the teaching site at Tarn Moor. Plans include a series of 12 hives for people to share, a teaching and demonstration area with seating or a picnic site and improved hedging to create a screen.

A flight path for bees will be created and sowed with wild flowers, and there will be access from the Tarn Moor car park with additional parking for students and visitors.

“We are looking to get Craven College horticultural students involved and draft in as much help as possible to keep costs down,” said Mr Thompson.

“We are also looking at getting the message out to local gardeners who can do their own bit by planting early-flowering shrubs to give the bees some pollen to collect in spring. These gardeners can help enormously.

“Our fear is that the bees will become active early in the year and have little to feed on. This disturbs the hive and can cause losses.”

Mr Thompson is also looking at the Tarn Moor site itself and is hoping to liaise with the owners to encourage tree planting, particularly species which are bee-friendly.

Nationally, the British Beekeepers Association has been awarded funding from the Government, believed to be around £4 million, for research as the varroa mite – a parasite which attacks honey bees – spreads around the country.

The Co-operative Society has also donated £150,000 through the launch of Plan Bee. The money will go towards research with a particular focus on UK farming, pesticides and gene-diversity.

“It is estimated that around 80 per cent of what we eat has been pollinated by bees and a wholesale loss of the insect will be devastating to world food supplies.

“I don’t think people realise how important it is to keep the bee population healthy. We constantly strive to provide natural food sources for them and will even arrange to have hives moved to field crops to help with pollination, as well as produce honey,” said Mr Thompson.

For more information visit the Wharfedale Beekeepers Association website at wharfedalebka.org.uk