New danger for bees

Intensification of farming nationwide has led to a reduction in wild flowers and is putting at risk the British honey industry, worth an estimated 13m, plus the pollination of crops estimated at 7bn.

Bees have been affected by a deadly mite varroa since 1992, which attacks bees before they hatch, but Professor Francis Ratnieks of Sussex University has warned that a healthy beehive also needs an abundant food supply from wild flowers and forage, and that without it bees are under threat.

The South of England Agrcultural Society is highlighting the danger to the survival of native British Bees by making the theme for its forthcoming South of England Show at Ardingly from June 10-12 The Year of the Bee.

A spokesman said: "With the loss of bees will go flora, fauna and one third of our diet."

Meanwhile, Professor Ratnieks is leading research into honey bees at Sussex University, where he heads a laboratory of apiculture. He and his team of researchers are currently running a breeding programme to raise hygenic bees that can help keep hives free of diease. They are also decoding the waggle dances of bees to determine where bees forage for nectar. The distinctive waggling is a code which tells other bees in a hive where to go to find flowers to feed on.

Last year, Professor Ratnieks, who is a beekeeper as well as a scientist, called for action to avert a more serious situation and launched a 1m appeal for funding for his university projects which are currently researching the decline and death in British honeybee colonies

He received an initial 369,000 from private individuals, companies and charitable trusts, including Rowse Honey, local benefactor Michael Chowen and the Ninevah Trust. His target is to achieve 100 hives plus 10 observation hives, 14 researchers and another three apiaries on the university campus by the end of this year.

He said: "Honey bees are the principal pollinators of food crops and flowers, contributing 191.8m per annum to the UK crop pollination per annum."

Last week, he received a cheque for almost 3,000 from the university RAG group. He said: "It could fund a student to study in the lab or buy an important piece of equipment, or pay for a new project, such as a bee-friendly bed of lavender."

Tim Lovett, president of the British Beekeepers association has described Professor Ratnieks leadership as ' a beacon of hope' not just for beekeepers, but also for the future of the honeybee and its vital role in food production and the wild evironment.

More funding is urgently needed to enable the University of Sussex to continue with its important research.

The issue will be raised with Agriculture and Food Minister Jim Paice MP, who will visit the South of England show on the opening day.

He will be greeted by schoolchildren in bee costumes at the Meet the Farmer area and join them in the opening ceremony.

New danger for bees

Major funding urged for Sussex research project to save our honey bees