The honeybee is arguably the world’s most remarkable animal. Not convinced? Then consider some of the things these insects are capable of. The “waggle dance” used by forager worker bees is one of the most complicated animal signals scientists have ever discovered. Unlike almost any other animal, honeybee workers are intensely altruistic, spending their lives rearing their siblings as opposed to their own offspring.
Honeybee colonies, meanwhile, are so efficient they have inspired engineers to devise new ever-better computer systems. Finally, in addition to producing honey and wax, honeybees are one of the world’s most important pollinators, responsible for the likes of almonds, apples, cherries, kiwi fruit, melons, peaches, pears, raspberries, soybeans and strawberries.
And yet, while the honeybee is quite possibly our most treasured insect, it is generally believed that the number of their hives has reduced by around a third in Britain over the last 100 years. In short, this not only means less domestically produced honey but also less pollination. In 1984, around 70% of the UK’s pollination needs were supplied by honeybees, according to research led by Professor Simon Potts from the University of Reading. More recent research suggests that honeybees now provide just a quarter of the pollination needed in the UK, the second lowest level among 41 European countries.
Dramatic decline
But what is causing such a dramatic decline in this impressive insect and does their apparent downfall signal the beginning of a devastating food shortage? Enter world-renowned bee-expert Francis Ratnieks from the University of Sussex, Britain’s only professor of apiculture (beekeeping).
“We aren’t going to run out of food anytime soon,” says Ratnieks. “This is because a significant amount of what we eat in this country is imported and so is pollinated by bees in other countries. The decline of the honeybee is by no means unique. Most British wildlife has been in decline for the last 100 years. This is largely a reflection of the intensification of agriculture, which has resulted in fewer flowers for bees to forage on – 75% of the UK is now agricultural and almost every square inch is managed in some way.”
This makes it more important than ever to increase the number of professional bee farmers, as well as to safeguard the health of the bees we do have. With the help of funding from Rowse Honey, Ratnieks has been able to breed disease-resistant honeybees and has been researching a natural chemical that is capable of killing 99% of deadly mites in a hive. By decoding honeybee dances, Ratnieks has also found that the most difficult months for the honeybee to find food are July and August. Some of the most important sources of pollen and nectar during these months – such as bramble, hogweed, thistle, knapweed and ragwort – are considered unwanted weeds.
“The good news is that helping honeybees isn’t hard as it sounds,” says Ratnieks. “The best plants for bees and other insects attract a hundred times more pollinators than the worst plants. And there are hundreds of bee-friendly varieties available, almost all of which are cheap and easy to grow.”
Read the inspiring stories of Britain’s young bee farmers
Interested in becoming a bee farmer? Then find out more at rowsehoney.co.uk/beeabeefarmer
