UK schools to become Polli:Nation Habitats thanks to £1.3m Heritage Lottery Funding
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has announced support for the UK-wide biodiversity project – Polli:Nation, a programme which supports schools in helping to protect the future of our seriously dwindling bee population. The Polli:Nation project, developed by the school grounds charity, Learning through Landscapes, will receive the initial support ¹ of £1.3m, including a […]
Bee project highlights nectar supply gap
Initial findings from its five-year Bee Project (see panel below) suggest that while many farms are doing a lot to encourage bees and other pollinator insects through stewardship schemes, much of the emphasis is on mid-season pollen and nectar production, resulting in comparatively low food supply for such insects in early spring and autumn. March […]
UK MEPs vote to hide GM pollen in honey
The report adopted, brought from the Environment Committee by UK MEP Julie Girling, upholds Commission attempts to redefine pollen as a “constituent” of honey, rather than an ingredient as ruled by the European Court of Justice. Of the 673 MEP votes, 430 (64%) supported the report. [2] Of 73 UK MEPs total, only 15 voted […]
Archbishop becomes patron of Bees Abroad
This is a particularly appropriate move as his official residence, Lambeth Palace, has its own bee colony producing honey and also wax for scented candles — and Justin Welby has a long association with helping to relieve poverty in developing countries. “I am delighted to lend my support to Bees Abroad by becoming a patron,” […]
Be a bee scientist in your own back garden, thanks to new app
Launched today, Bee-friend your Garden has been developed by international environmental organisation Earthwatch in an exciting new partnership with Waitrose and The Crown Estate. The app invites its users to become “citizen scientists” in what could be the biggest pollinator study ever. Numbers and types of insects seen on the bushes and flowers in […]
MEP slams Commission for dunking a ‘witch’
The European Commission has today (08.05.13) over-ridden the wishes of the UK government and restricted the use of certain insecticides from the neonicotinoid group. This action has been taken in response to declines in bee populations. Many crop experts and farmers are unhappy with the decision and claim that there is insufficient data to confirm […]
Important industry project aims to boost bee numbers on UK farms
The five-year study, jointly funded by national merchant Gleadell Agriculture and the agronomy specialist Hutchinsons, has already identified considerable variations in the seasonal availability of pollen and nectar, which are likely to be contributing to the reducing numbers of bees that are regularly being reported. Ways of tackling these shortfalls are currently being assessed, to […]
BCPC supports UK call for EU impact assessment of neonicotinoid insecticide use suspension
On 15 March, a proposed two-year suspension of seed treatment use of the neonicotinoid insecticides, clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethixam, on specified crops attractive to bees, failed to gain the necessary qualified majority vote from EU member states. It is tempting to conclude that the result was due to rejection of the findings of the recent […]
Bee health joint proposal announced
Bayer CropScience and Syngenta, today unveiled an action plan to unlock the EU stalemate on bee health. This follows the failure of the European Commission to reach agreement with Member States on an appropriate response to EFSA’s report on the theoretical risk to bee health from neonicotinoid crop protection products. Dr. Rüdiger Scheitza, Member of […]
