A few months ago, Beechworth Honey placed stickers on its products asking customers to use their honey sparingly. They also took products off the supermarket shelves to reserve them for later. 

Beekeepers that supply Beechworth were down by 50-90 per cent in production this year due to severe droughts and bushfires. 

It’s not just about the honey though. Bees play a huge role in agricultural productivity in Australia and around the world. It is estimated that bees contribute $4-6 billion towards the Australian agriculture industry. 

Did you know that one third of our food crops rely on bees to pollinate them?

If the flowers aren’t pollinated then the fruit won’t be produced. Different crops rely on bees in varying degrees. Foods that are very reliant on bee pollination include almonds, blueberries, apples, cherries, pear, mango, avocados, cucumber, squash, pumpkin, kiwifruit, Brazil nut, watermelon, macadamia nut. 

Would you ever miss munching on a juicy mango or watermelon on a hot summer’s day? Or would you miss warming yourself with a bowl of pumpkin soup on a cold winter’s day?  

Bees are important to our food security in Australia and around the world. Jodie Goldsworthy, the director of Beechworth Honey says that “if we want to feed the masses for the future we have to have a sound beekeeping industry in Australia”.

However, bees are facing many problems all around the world. The US, UK and Eastern Europe have experienced a large decline to their bee populations recently. The decline of the bee population has been termed colony collapse disorder and has been attributed to the varroa mite infesting bee colonies, the use of a group of pesticides called neonicotinoids, global warming and habitat loss.

So far Australia’s bee population has been more fortunate. But how long can Australia defend its shores from the varroa mite? 

The varroa mite is a parasite that is destroying bee populations around the world. It yet to be found in Australia however is present in our neighbouring countries New Zealand, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.  It originated in north Asia in the 1950s and spread to Europe in the 1970s. It then spread to the USA, South East Asia, South America and Africa. 

The Department of Agriculture estimates that the introduction of the Varroa mite into Australia could reduce the wild honey bee population by 90-100 per cent which would have dramatic effects on the yields of crops reliant on bee pollination in Australia. 

The EU and US both banned the use of certain neonicotinoids, a type of pesticide, from December 2013 due to the effects it was having on bee health. However in Australia they are still approved for use.

What can we do to help bee populations?

l Buy organic or chemical free food so that you are supporting agricultural practices that don’t use pesticides. 

l Plant a garden where bees have access to food throughout all the seasons. See the following website for a comprehensive list of plants. http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/plants-for-bees.html#Q.

l Learn about bees and then buy your own bee hive. Urban bee keeping has increased recently with many hives located on roof tops. London now hosts 3200 hives, New York has approximately 400 hives and popularity is now gaining in Australian cities. 

l Reward farming practices that help wild bee populations thrive, such as leaving habitat for bees in their surrounding paddocks, alternating crops so bees have food all year long, and not using harmful pesticides. Assistance should be provided to farmers who plan to support a wider variety of pollinators beyond just bees.