Hive hopes: How to save Britain’s bees
Guest blogger Damian Grounds, founder of the Help Save Bees campaign, explains why he cares so much about Britain’s bees and what we can all do to help.
The Plight of the Humble British Bee
Our native British Bees are dying out and with them will go our flora, fauna and one-third of our diet. We may have less than a decade to save them and avert a catastrophe.
In the UK alone, there are approximately 250 species of bee (made up of Honey Bees, Solitary Bees & Bumblebees) of which now only 25 are Bumblebees; half of what we had in the 1950s. Three species have already become extinct, with five currently under serious threat and two more precariously close.
There are a number of factors involved in the dramatic decline in bee numbers, including habitat loss over the last 60–70 years; an ever-increasing need to improve farming yields through the use of fertilizers and pesticides; and increasing pollution from both noise and waste.
Honey bees have also been dying in there millions over the last few years. Last year alone, it is estimated that one third of the colonies in the UK were wiped out. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is being blamed in large part for this, along with the Varroa mite, nutritional stress caused through habitat loss, Neonicotinoid-based pesticides, waste and poorer wet summers.
The main areas of concern associated with CCD appear to be:
- Habitat Malnutrition
- Pesticides
- Genetically Modified Crops
- Migratory Beekeeping
- Declining Genetic Biodiversity
- Beekeeping Practices
- Parasites & Pathogens
- Toxins
- Climate Change
Some or all of these factors are certainly causing increasing distress to all types of bee – a species that we need to ensure our long term survival. Without bees, not only is our food at risk, but all other insects and animals.
Why we need bees
Food pollination is carried out very efficiently by a huge number of insects and other animals, and bees play an invaluable part in this. Bumblebees in particular are important pollinators of wildflowers and crops such as oil seed rape, tomatoes, green beans, raspberries and other soft fruits and form a vital role as pollinators within our whole food production in the UK. Wildflowers pollinated by bumblebees have disappeared faster than other wildflowers in recent years, with far-reaching consequences on the biodiversity of whole regions.
Honey bees, whilst important for the pollination of many crops, aren’t as good at pollinating many of our vegetables or soft fruits. However, they do contribute enormously to the pollination of crops and flowers and produce honey, wax and comb.
Commercial hives, moved from place-to-place, tend to be more reliant upon the single crop they are temporarily surrounded by, so a poor crop season, lack of diverse wildflower planting and poor weather can significantly impact upon a colonies survival.
Help Save Bees
It was hearing about the plight of our bees from an increasingly wide variety of sources that really galvanised me into action to set up Help Save Bees, a not-for-profit organisation that I run in my spare time.
The campaign has two main aims: To help raise public and political awareness of the plight of our British bee and to help raise money that will go towards research projects and institutions that will identify, solve and benefit all types of bee in the UK.
I see Help Save Bees’ greatest impact being made through the use of social media, such as Twitter, connecting and inspiring people from all walks of life to become involved in some small way.
What you can do
Each of us can contribute to the wellbeing of bees by planting even just one more bee-friendly plant, such as mint, chives or lavender, in our gardens; whether that is just a window box, courtyard garden or several acres where perhaps fruit trees or wildflower meadows could be grown.
Cutting out the use of pesticides in our gardens will also rebalance the biodiversity in even the smallest of gardens, attracting more insects, bees and butterflies to watch and enjoy.
Attracting solitary bees and Bumblebees into our gardens is quite safe and can easily be achieved by installing simple nesting boxes, bee houses or nests that you can make yourself or buy.
Another easy way each of us can help is to contribute or donate towards bee research, or by joining an organisation like the Bumblebee Conservation Trust – who are dedicated to researching the decline of the Bumblebee. Signing online Bee Research Petitions at Number 10 also helps raise political awareness that in turn influences environmental, farming educational and business policies.
On a larger scale, we are all aware of the need to buy less and waste less. Small reductions, such as cutting back on our personal level of pollution, whether that be driving less, throwing away less rubbish or consuming more than we really need can collectively have a huge impact upon our environment.
Encouragingly, a number of national and global businesses have been, and are starting to become, involved in schemes that are designed to raise awareness of the plight of our bees, campaigning government departments and creating initiatives that support the planting and maintenance of bee habitats. We all need to do what we can to get these invaluable insects thriving again.
Email info@helpsavebees.co.uk
Twitter http://twitter.com/helpsavebees
IMAGE CREDITS:
Image 1 by Flickr user
Image 2 by Flickr user
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Originally posted 2009-05-26 09:33:00. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
