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--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal">FROM: The Bulletin (Xpats)</p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.xpats.com/too-many-bees-brussels">http://www.xpats.com/too-many-bees-brussels</a> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><h1 style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:16.0pt">Too many bees in Brussels, say environmental groups</span></h1><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="field-content"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="field-content">May 8, 2014</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Alan Hope</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Brussels is now home to too many bees as a result of companies, municipal authorities and other organisations trying to present a more “green” image, according to environmental group Apis Bruoc Sella, which specialises in educating the public about wild and domesticated bees.</p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“We’re in the process of making catastrophic mistakes,” said the organisation’s co-ordinator Marc Wollast. “Every municipality and association these days wants to have a beehive on the roof or in the garden, but they don’t think about the consequences.”</p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">Those can include, he says, a disruption of the ecosystem for other bees and other insects. “It’s as if people were to buy a cow, although they have no grass in their garden,” Wollast said. Bees need food, and there is not enough for the city’s wild bees at present.</p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">The city’s bee population, estimated at about 55 million, keeps on growing. Last year two hives were placed on the roof of City 2 shopping centre, joining hives on the nearby administrative buildings of the city. The Jette district this week unveiled two new hives, following on from Etterbeek, Molenbeek and Elsene.</p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt">“Often it’s a question of greenwashing,” Wollast said. “Companies and organisations want to do something about biodiversity, but that’s a difficult challenge. A beehive is a relatively simple solution, and it’s also popular, since the honey works as a sort of calling card – a way to show off one’s green credentials. Watermaal-Bosvoorde, for example, gives out pots of honey to newlyweds.” Jette now plans to do the same with the product from its hives.</p>
<p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><a href="http://www.apisbruocsella.be/" target="_blank">Apis Bruoc Sella</a> is joined in its call for a census of beehives by the environmental organisation <a href="http://www.leefmilieubrussel.be/Templates/Home.aspx" target="_blank">Leefmilieu Brussel</a>, which would give a clear picture of the situation. The two groups also support a campaign to encourage companies and others to try other options for improving biodiversity, such as installing green roofs and climbing plants.</p>
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