Honey and bees
Host: Adrienne
Who took part: Amelia, Patrick
Main points:
- Sweeteners: no sugarcane but sugar beet can be grown in UK
- Honey better than sweetener
- Bees important pollinators of tree crops etc
- Urban beekeeping: lots more variety in urban gardens
- Suppliers: Paynes of Hassocks
- Problem: disease (varroa), exhaustion (rapeseed foraging), sudden collapse. No wild honeybees any more
- Need training: Plumpton (Netherfield), bee inspectors, Lewes Beekeepers association
- Need to increase colonies, breed local bees adapted to local conditions
- Bees to be part of a community orchard/forest garden
- Identify areas for beekeeping in Lewes
- Need to encourage other wild bees and pollinating insects – and provide habitats – preserve dereliction – stop tidying up and overdevelopment of gardens and public spaces
Focus area:
Action: set up reskilling in Lewes in autumn/spring – high profile, inclusive
Get involved: contact hello [at] TransitionTownLewes.org.uk
