Thanks @wild edges for these links ...... my heart was sinking as I read the articles.
As a beekeeper we already have enough challenges trying to keep our bees healthy. I'm not sure that any beetroot is grown around here ... we are probably too far north ... but it will be a serious problem for beekeepers elsewhere.
The argument that beetroot doesn't flower so it's OK for bees just doesn't hold. The seed dressing affects the soil and bees will drink from puddles in fields where it has been used. They will be affected and may not make it back to their hive. Their colony will die out if this happens to too many bees.
I'm going to get in touch with the Scottish Beekeepers Association to ask them to lobby government to reverse this decision. I'm not hopeful as they have a history of sitting on the fence.
Bee x
Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
It’s a dilemma, British sugar or air miles imports?
Ah, while it's hard to imagine Tate & Lyle Airlines - they do have friggin great ships that actually belch out much more pollution but there's something else about sugar that even I didn't realise. Idly talking to a lorrydriver that was delivering to us (nothing to do with sugar) he said that he was off to Norfolk to pick up 40tonnes of beet sugar - big surprise that he was taking it to Belgium. He'd done several trips during that month 40 tonnes in bulk bags out and 40tonnes in small packets back - apparantly there is no machinery in this country to fill that size bags!
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As a beekeeper we already have enough challenges trying to keep our bees healthy.
I'm not sure that any beetroot is grown around here ... we are probably too far north ... but it will be a serious problem for beekeepers elsewhere.
The argument that beetroot doesn't flower so it's OK for bees just doesn't hold.
The seed dressing affects the soil and bees will drink from puddles in fields where it has been used. They will be affected and may not make it back to their hive. Their colony will die out if this happens to too many bees.
I'm going to get in touch with the Scottish Beekeepers Association to ask them to lobby government to reverse this decision.
I'm not hopeful as they have a history of sitting on the fence.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
I'm too angry to think straight.
Bee x
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
https://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/sugar-beet/no-neonic-treated-sugar-beet-seed-this-spring
https://www.agriland.co.uk/farming-news/emergency-use-of-neonic-seed-treatment-in-sugar-beet-will-not-be-triggered-this-year/
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Idly talking to a lorrydriver that was delivering to us (nothing to do with sugar) he said that he was off to Norfolk to pick up 40tonnes of beet sugar - big surprise that he was taking it to Belgium. He'd done several trips during that month 40 tonnes in bulk bags out and 40tonnes in small packets back - apparantly there is no machinery in this country to fill that size bags!