[Pollinator] The plight of the honeybee

[ladadams at aol.com]

>From ITN London

The plight of the honeybee

Nearly a fifth of the UK's honeybee colonies died last winter, figures 
from the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) have revealed.

The figure is an improvement on the previous year when almost a third 
of hives did not make it through the winter, but is double "acceptable" 
levels, the BBKA's president Tim Lovett has warned.

According to the BBKA, the period of really cold weather in the winter 
encouraged the bees to "cluster" together, helping them to survive, 
while good weather in early spring enabled them to forage for nectar 
and pollen.

The Association also believes beekeepers took more care to feed 
colonies where necessary to prevent them from starving.

But there is still a "worrying and continuing high level of colony 
loss" which the BBKA has put down to diseases threatening the bees.

Mr Lovett said: "It underlines the need for research into the causes 
and remedies for disease in order to ensure that our principal economic 
pollinator, the honeybee, can survive the onslaught of the threats it 
currently faces."

Bees are estimated to be worth around £200 million to the UK economy 
each year, as they pollinate many of the food crops grown here.

But in recent years they have been hit by agricultural changes which 
have reduced the availability of the wildflowers that are important in 
providing food for the insects.

Diseases such as t
he varroa mite have infected hives, killing the bees, 
while climate change and pesticide use have also been suggested as 
possible factors in the insects' decline.