Saving the bees – an update
Philip Barron looks at the steps being taken to save bees and gives suggestions on what we can do
Despite an international campaign on their behalf, the plight of the world’s bees remains critical. Apart from producing honey, these industrious insects play a vital role in pollinating food plants and an estimated one-third of our human diet depends on their efforts. As reported in the Friend (19 June) honey bees are coming under threat from pests and diseases for which treatments are not well understood or fully effective. Bees in several countries are being badly hit by the so-called colony-collapse disease. In the UK, we are losing our bee population at the rate of twenty per cent a year (up from just six per cent in 2003).
You need to login to read subscriber-only content and/or comment on articles.