Bees are vitally important for pollination and honey production but they face several serious threats

Neil Carmichael, Parliamentary Candidate for Stroud, is concerned that the government is failing to understand the scale of the threats against the honeybee including the varroa mite, poor summers and the lack of support for research into their health.

To find out more about the plight of the honeybee, Neil visited members of the Stroud Beekeepers Association and Hugh Lewis, a beekeeper and honey producer in Middlewick, Dursley.

Neil Carmichael commented, “With the appalling summer weather, many colonies of bees are almost dependent on being fed by beekeepers and honey production has fallen to as little as 25% of what can normally be expected. These conditions are made even worse by the destructiveness of the varroa mite.

Neil added, “The honeybee pollinates up to one third of seeds and fruits so their role in nature is essential. They also produce £165 million of agricultural output, representing a classic ‘cottage industry’. Yet, today, honeybees face possible extinction within ten years.

“The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs must act to ensure that the honeybee can survive.”

Picture: Neil Carmichael looking for evidence of the varroa mite near Dursley

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