Give us a buzz if you see bees

A beekeeping couple are asking residents to keep an eye out for swarms of honeybees in nearby parks and forests to help the struggling honey trade.

Ann Westwood, 62, and her husband Michael, 64, from Weston-super-Mare, have been beekeepers for the past 15 years and say that the situation is worse then ever.

They are urging residents to keep an eye out for swarms of the bees in nearby green spaces, forests and orchards.

Michael, a civil engineer, said: "Now is the time people of Weston, Bristol and all over Avon can help by keeping an eye out for the swarms.

"It is crucial that people report these sightings as soon as they can so the swarm liaison team can get down there and safely capture them."

Once the bees have been captured they can be treated for pests and then introduced in to a hive where they can begin to create honey.

This year's bad weather and the increase in the Varroa mites, which leech on to the bees and weaken their immune system, have caused a huge decrease in the number of honey bees.

Ann, who is vice chairman of the Weston-super-Mare branch of the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA), said that all 23 members of the Weston branch are extremely concerned with the lack of funding going into bee research.

The BBKA is the leading organisation representing beekeepers in the UK who believe in promoting beekeeping, beecraft, education and environmental sustainability.

Hundreds of BBKA members marched down Whitehall to deliver a petition to 10 Downing Street signed by more than 140,000 members of the public calling for immediate government action.

The petition calls on the Government to increase the £200,000 currently spent each year on bee health research to £1.6 million annually for the next five years.

Ann, a former night sister at Weston General Hospital, said: "The situation is so frustrating as we love the English honey and are so fearful that it will disappear completely."

Michael and Ann's passion for honey bloomed 15 years ago when they visited a beekeeper's stall at a food fair.

Michael said: "I would never eat the honey they sell in supermarkets as there is just no comparison."

Tim Lovett, president of the BBKA, said: "Bees are probably one of the most economically useful creatures on earth, pollinating a third of all we eat. They provide more than 50 per cent of pollination of wild plants on which birds and mammals depend."

For more information, log on to www.avonbeekeepers.co.uk. To report a swarm in Weston, call Mark Tilley on 01934 822 210 or for Bristol, call Brian Steadman on 944 5741.