“Honey bees are wonderful creatures. Not only do they provide us with honey but they are also integral to our way of life. More than eighty per cent of all pollination in Britain’s insect-pollinated crop plants is carried out by honey bees.

“In fact, it is estimated that so important are honey bees to our environment, that if they ceased to exist then human life could only continue for another four years, which just illustrates how amazing they are,” says David Wood, of the Kent Beekeeping Association.

The presence of honey bees is something that we take for granted. We are so used to seeing and hearing them each spring and summer that the notion that they could actually die out seems improbable. Yet, increasing threats to native honey bees means that this could happen.

According to David, few people realise that honey bees in this country are entirely dependent upon beekeepers. “It’s the case that after millions of years of self sufficiency, honey bees now couldn’t survive without our work.

“Wild colonies are much rarer today than they were just a generation ago. What people see in their gardens now are managed colonies that without the intervention by people such as myself simply wouldn’t exist”.

So important are bees to our environment, that if they ceased to exist then human life could only continue for another four years

Rudolph Repka, of the Ruxley Beekeepers Association in Sidcup says that the principle cause of this has been the Varroa Mite. “This parasite, which came over in the 1990s, has really changed the nature of beekeeping in the UK.

“It originated in south east Asia, where honey bees specific to that region, the Apis Cerana variety, were immune to it. When it came to the UK, whether because bees had migrated or because someone imported this variety, it came into contact with the European honey bee, Apis Mellifera, which is much more susceptible to it.”

According to Rudolph, once the mite comes into contact with a colony of European honey bees, it can quickly decimate the population. “By feeding on bees the mites weaken them, which is a problem for any colony.

“However, of greater concern is the spread of diseases. The mites feed on brood when they are developing in the cell and infect them. These viruses and pathogens then spread throughout the colony once the bees have developed. The result is that once Varroa enters a colony, it cannot survive for very long without intervention by a beekeeper”.

The Varroa Mite was first indentified in the UK in 1992, when it was discovered in a number of hives in Devon. It spread quickly and, within a few years, had decimated colonies across the country. During the 1990s, in addition to destroying wild colonies, many beekeepers were put out of business, illustrated by membership of the British Beekeeping Association halving from 16,000 in 1990 to 8,000 a decade later.

Chemical treatments have since been established to manage the problem, which has led to a slight revival in the number of hives and beekeepers, but as yet the mite cannot be completely eradicated by human intervention.

Although the impact of Varroa has been limited, the future for the European honey bee remains insecure. The recent development of strains of Varroa resistant to treatments used against them poses new challenges to beekeepers.

Added to this, Nick Mengham of the Weald branch of the Kent Beekeepers Association says that many beekeepers are concerned about a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).

Across the pond
“This has been a big problem in the USA in recent years, where it has decimated colonies. What concerns us here is that it has been seen in several European countries too, even those close to the UK such as France. The problem with CCD is that it occurs very quickly and without any real warning.”

Nick adds: “Apparently healthy colonies are just wiped out. The bees either disappear or are found dead in the hive. At the moment, no one knows why this happening, although scientists researching the problem have so far put forward a number of possible causes, including excessive use of harmful pesticides, increased solar radiation through ozone thinning and the use of unauthorised bee treatments.”

The possible extinction of our honey bees is something that we all need to be concerned about. The role they play in pollination not only ensures the continuation of our local food supplies, but contributes to the national economy, too. This is also the case with regard to the honey market, which is now worth around £65 million to the UK each year and is one of our leading agricultural export industries.

Despite their importance and the numerous threats that now face them, Tim Lovett, chairman of the British Beekeeping Association feels that DEFRA aren’t doing enough to tackle the problem. “The Government is only spending £200,000 a year on research to protect all varieties of bee.

“There’s been an inexorable decrease in investment in beekeeping research. The work going on is pretty limited. All this ‘green chat’ from the Government is about recycling, but there is not half enough being done for something that actually has a serious role in the environment.”

There’s been an inexorable decrease in investment in beekeeping research

The future might look uncertain for beekeepers but according to David Wood, that shouldn’t stop people from getting involved. “This is a fascinating hobby. Bees are really interesting and beekeeping is something that I find very rewarding. Not only are you doing something to actively help our natural environment you also get a great end product, which is a wonderful source of pure sugar.

“It’s also the case that many bee products, such as honey, wax and royal jelly can be used to tackle several health problems. Bee venom can even be used to treat osteoarthritis. It just goes to show how important and versatile this little creature is.

David adds: “If anyone has an interest in protecting our honey bees, then I would recommend getting in contact with your local association and they can help you get started on creating your own colony, too.”