What's happening to bees?

It is a cause of concern that bees have been dying in dramatic numbers in many countries around the world.  Bees are a vital part of our eco-systems and without bees agricultural yields would drop dramatically.

Watch a short film on what is happening to bees in the UK including information on their recent decline and the potential causes of this decline


The cause

There is strong evidence that bees are being poisoned by the use of a type of pesticides known as ‘neonicotinoid insecticides’.  Despite this neonicotinoid pesticides such as Imidacloprid, Thiamethoxam and Clothianidin remain on the European list of permitted agricultural chemicals.

The evidence

Four European countries (Germany, Italy, France, Spain and Belgium) have acted unilaterally to ban these chemicals.  As a result, bee populations in these countries have shown signs of recovery.

A leaked memo from the US Environmental Protection Agency showed their scientists have warned that bees and other non-target invertebrates are at risk from a new neonicotinoid pesticide and that tests in the US approval process are insufficient to detect the environmental damage caused.

A 2009 `Buglife' report that identified similar inadequacies in the European approval regime with regard to neonicotinoids.

The local dimension

The British BeeKeepers Association (BBKA) has been under fire from campaign groups, environmental experts and its own members for accepting around £17,500 a year from pesticide companies, and in return providing ‘bee friendly’ endorsements to certain pesticides that evidence suggests are toxic to bees.

A motion at their recent annual delegates meeting by Twickenham and Thames Valley BeeKeepers Association (TBKA) sought to prevent the BBKA from accepting any further funding from chemicals companies.  This was not carried but the BBKA gave in to pressure to stop endorsing the pesticides.

What is needed

At best, a permanent EU wide ban on neonicotinoid pesticides.  At the very least a suspension of their sale pending further research.

What we are doing and planning to do 

• Planning the launch of a major national campaign on bees with national Friends of the Earth and several other local groups
• During 2011 we collected hundreds of signatures on a petition to DEFRA asking for the use of neonicotinoid insecticides to be suspended - see the reply from DEFRA dated 18th November 2011 below
• Talking to the public about the threat to bees and ways to encourage them at fairs, including a display of bee-friendly plants
• Talking to Twickenham and Thames Valley Bee Keepers' Association
• Asking Pesticide Action Network UK to forward details of our campaign to local members and asking them to join/support us.
• Asking friends with MPs outside Richmond Park or Twickenham constituencies to suggest those MPs sign EDM 1267 (Vince Cable does not sign EDMs as he is a Gov. Minister and Zac G. has already signed this)
• Signing the Avaaz petition calling for a ban in the US and EU which stands at 1.25 million signatories (Nov 2011)
• Contacting the managers of our local Wickes and B&Q and asking them to remove offending products from their shelves –Read a list of products containing neonicotinoid pesticides and the products that contain them.
  

Read more about how to save the bees