Battle to thwart 'Bee-Day'
"As a charity, we wouldn’t have been able to do this without the Awards for All Wales Lottery grant. It might sound dramatic, but it’s essential that we save this important species for the sake of mankind."
Richard Wilson, Pembrokeshire Beekeepers Association
Pembrokeshire Beekeepers Association breed native queen bees to safeguard against disease
Beekeepers in Pembrokeshire are pioneering a crucial project to prevent the extinction of the honey bee and help in the fight against a mysterious virus that some leading scientists around the world are claiming to be a “global catastrophe” in waiting.
There is a major and spreading problem with the world's bee population. Due to viruses spread by the varroa mite, bee colonies are facing total collapse, with none or very few left in the hive -- they simply disappear. The ‘Prevent the Extinction of the Honey Bee’ project, aims to stop the complete decimation of the Welsh Honey Bee for the benefit of Pembrokeshire, Wales and the World.
Although the majority of honey bee colonies were lost in 1921 due to an earlier outbreak of disease, pockets of native Welsh bees survive in isolated areas. These bees appear to withstand the disease, having evolved to meet local conditions.
The award has provided equipment to enable the group to establish a breeding programme using native bees. Sufficient new queens are being bred to re-establish the stocks of Pembrokeshire beekeepers free of charge and in time those of the rest of Wales. They hope this will eventually increase the stock of native Welsh bees and establish a greater number of disease and virus resistant colonies in Wales, ensuring the continued pollination of crops and protection and maintenance of the Welsh environment.
