Launch of native honeybee conservation area in Coalisland

Tomorrow will see the official launch of a Mid-Ulster native honeybee conservation area in the Washingbay Centre in Aughamullan, Coalisland.

Organised by the Low Country Native Irish Honeybee Association – also known as ‘Bogbees’ – the team are described as ‘a number of beekeepers located in South and East Tyrone who adhere to the philosophy of conserving our indigenous Irish honeybee’.

Coalisland based beekeeper and member of the association Packy Carty explains that “the aim is to protect a mating area for native Irish honeybee.”

Described as an ‘invaluable’ and ‘natural’ resource, the island of Ireland has one native species of honeybee, commonly known as the black bee or by its official term ‘Apis Mellifera Mellifera’.

Ireland’s native bee has been here since the ice age and has adapted itself perfectly to our wet Atlantic conditions.

A study at the University of Limerick identified Ireland as one of the last areas in Europe with almost pure strains of Apis Mellifera Mellifera, branding it ‘hugely important’ that we conserve the native honeybee.

“The main threat to the native honeybee is the dilution of its genetics with subspecies imported from Europe,” Packy explains.

“Imported bees will eventually breed with our native bees, creating aggressive offspring and losing the key survival traits evolution has given our native bees.”

Historically, imports have also been responsible for introducing exotic diseases that at times have decimated Irish beekeeping.

It only takes one beekeeper to act inappropriately to cause a disaster, just one hive imported into Ireland in the nineties infected every colony on the island with the terrible Varroa Mite, now everyone must treat annually for the parasite.

They say every third bite of food you eat has relied on honeybees for pollination. In failing to protect the native honeybee, the results could cause a major threat to our biodiversity and agricultural security.

If you’re interested in finding out more about what you can do to help these precious native bees, make your way to the Washing Bay centre this Friday night, March 3 to find out more.

The event will proceed at 7:30pm with main speaker Jonathan Getty.