28th April 2009

Over 70 people squeezed into the Star Anise Cafe on Friday night to hear three speakers on bees. Below is a report by Chair of the evening Miriam Yagud from Dursley and a call to action by Philip Booth, a local District councillor.

Call for action

One action that people could take was to call for a ban of a pesticide that is thought to be accelerating the decline of bees in this country. Farmers and other food producers, gardeners and allotment holders, as well as beekeepers, see this as a potential disaster as so many plants depend on bees for pollination. There is much speculation as to what has caused the catastrophic decline or 'colony collapse disorder', although it has been accepted in parts of Europe that a group of pesticides known as Neonicotinoids are implicated in killing bees, and, as a result, they are banned in Germany, France, Italy and Slovenia, where as many as two thirds of honeybee populations have been wiped out. The Soil Association in this country and leading experts have also called for these pesticides to be banned.

Philip Booth, a Green party District councillor who attended the Coffee House Discussion said "The decline in the bee population means that urgent, decisive action is needed. The UK needs to be taking a leaf out of the book of our European neighbours and ban harmful Neonicotinoid pesticides at the earliest opportunity. I would like to encourage others to write to Hilary Benn today to call for action".

Where have all the bees gone?

By Miriam Yagud

Apocalyptic headlines in newspapers and TV programmes have predicted the end of life as we know it if bees die out. So 70 fans of the bee turned up to discuss the causes of the bee crisis and what we can do to halt their decline. There were gardeners, retired, active and aspiring beekeepers, scientists, environmentalists and concerned councillors. 

It would appear that the Bee is under threat from two main directions: pesticide use in farming and our general ignorance of pollinators and the vital work they do in sustaining life on earth.

Stroud beekeepers, Tom Williams and Sheila Allen, told us about the threat to local honey bee colonies in recent years, largely due to pesticide use and parasites. Local Honey Bee colonies are gradually recovering due mainly to improved education of farmers about pesticide use set aside schemes that create safe havens for native wildlife, pollinators and other insects, conversion to organic methods by more farmers and better cooperation between beekeepers and farmers.
 

Carlo Montesanti of The Global Bee Project dispelled the myth that there are only bumble and honey bees. Most people were surprised and delighted to learn that there are 256 species of Bees in the UK, but concerned when we learnt most of them are among the most vulnerable to extinction through pesticide use because they are ground nesting bees. The decline of native plant species is closely linked to the decline of native bees. Questions were raised as to why Pesticides that kill bees have been banned in other EC countries but not in the UK?

Protect and Promote Pollinators
As gardeners, we can create bee havens in our gardens and grow plants that attract and support bees. We can become Bee Guardians and begin to track the health and populations of a wide variety of pollinators in the South Cotswolds and protect and encourage them. We can work with local landowners and environmental projects to protect and extend the rich biodiversity where these bees thrive. We can encourage Gloucestershire County Council to adopt pesticide free farming on the 2500 hectares of land it owns and rents out to small farmers across the county. We can teach children in schools about bees and how to protect habitats. We can lobby the government to ban pesticides that are a known threat to bees. Learn bee keeping skills at Hartpury College and with Stroud beekeepers association. The Global Bee Project will have a shop in Stroud from 1st to 30th June where you can learn how to support bees. The Biodynamic Agriculture Association is also holding a beekeeping workshop on 22nd to 24th May. Contact BDAA on 01453 759501

Guest Speakers
Carlo Montesanti - The Global Bee Project
Contact: Email:     generalsupport@theglobalbeeproject.com
Website: www.theglobalbeeproject.com
Tom Williams and Sheila Allen - Stroud Beekeepers Association

This report was from the Coffee House Discussion 24/4/09    (4th Friday of Every Month 7.30 – 9.30 at Star Anise Café). See more by clicking on Coffee House on this website.

See previous call for action by SW Greens here.