In the south of the UK, a record spring crop presaged a bumper year. Unfortunately, on the bank holiday Monday, 7th May, the good weather ended and had not really reappeared by mid-August. For two months cool, wet weather prevented the bees from gathering what looked to be a really good lime crop amongst others. It was hard work getting bees ready for and onto the borage, although the rain meant that whenever the bees could get out to forage they were finding all the nectar they could handle.

But our problems in the south paled into insignificance when compared to those faced, firstly in and around South Yorkshire, and a couple of weeks later in Gloucestershire and surrounding areas. The rain there was of a completely different order, more like a monsoon, and I have had reports of hives being unapproachable with any vehicle. One member was thigh-high in water rescuing his bees at one time, with hundreds of colonies unprepared for the borage, and sixty nucs to make up, with the rain coming down in buckets. Another member had fifty hives washed away without trace. Many members had hives submerged by floodwater with the bees drowned or scrabbling under the roof to survive (but no chance for the queen or brood), and large amounts of un-removed spring honey ruined.

The return of half-way decent weather more or less coincided with the end of the main flow, but even so every couple of good days were followed by some days of rain for a while. To be positive, with all the rain we had the heather was exceptionally good except where pollen beetle made serious depredation such as Dartmoor and in the lower areas of the New Forest at least was yielding heavily in early August.

(October: In general, the honey crop this year seems to be poor to average. The early spring made up for the poor main flow in the south, giving an average yield with a few members having a very good year. Further north the situation is worse as the floods destroyed many crops and, as stated, honey and bees. In addition the spring crop was less good as chill winds suppressed the flow. Some members in Wales and the West have had no crop at all.)

The question now, is what can we expect in the future? The British climate is notoriously unpredictable, but has never been extreme. This seems to be changing. Last year in the very south where I live, the crop was low because the weather was too hot and dry, although not much further north some rain meant a bumper year. Between May and late July this year has been cool and wetter than since records began. West France suffered the same conditions. Yet the Eastern European mainland has suffered the hottest and driest year ever. Whether or not Global Warming is man-made, the fact remains that climate change is happening, and the I fear that the results will not be a warmer Mediterranean climate for the UK but will be disrupted weather patterns of the type we are now seeing, worse each year. Add to this the problems with Varroa and maybe small hive beetle and CCD (if it is in fact a new disease), and making a living from beekeeping will be more of a challenge than ever.

Members of the BFA and the BBKA have been getting a fair bit of exposure in the press and on TV this year. To name two examples, John Home (the BFA vice-chairman) appeared (complete with pun) in the BBC programme “Ever wondered about food?”; Gareth Baker from the Wye Valley starred in a wonderful programme in the “Natural World” series on BBC2; various members have been quoted in several items appearing in the newspapers; and I have lost count of the number of phone calls I have received from the media, although other things seem to be claiming their attention at the moment. It’s nice to know that the media people are realising that far from beekeeping being the hobby of vicars, retired army officers and madmen, it is a serious business for commercial and hobbyist beekeepers alike and that bees are more important than the general public - and more significantly the government - give them credit for.

John Howat