| The familiar
Honey Bee is well known to most, but this former very
common species is now becoming increasingly less so. Many
former wild nests we have known, have now either
completely died out or possibly relocated to new nest
sites. Two former Eakring nests disappeared years ago and
we now know of only two in Sherwood Forest area. The main
threat to the Honey Bee is through the Varroa
destructor Mite, which arrived in the UK over a
decade ago and Colony Collapse Disorder. Colony Collapse
Disorder (CCD) has yet to be identified in the UK, but is
thought likely to be present and is now widespread in
America and parts of Europe. The number of colonies being
lost has steadily increased since 2001, due to the mite
becoming resistant to all available treatments. The two
photographs featuring a swarm of Honey Bees, were taken
in 2009 by Gary Joynt. |
