Bees crucial to survival

MUCH has been spoken and written about recently regarding the dramatic decline in the bee population here and abroad. Now, without meaning to sound like a scaremonger, this is a very serious problem.

Without bees our favourite fruit and vegetables such as apples, carrots, onions, leeks, oranges and lemons could become a luxury of the past. That’s without mentioning honey. It is estimated that what the bees do in global food production is valued at €30bn, and in Ireland alone that figure is €85m.

Our gardens too, would be much less interesting and aesthetically pleasing as we would see an instant and dramatic decrease in plant varieties available to grow.