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Sweetness out of strength
Bee-keeping has always been a popular hobby for clerics. But do modern priests still enjoy the buzz? And are they doing anything to save the bumblebee? Rebecca Paveley investigates
 Environmentally friendly: above: a bee-keeper at work; below: the congregation at St Edward the Confessor, Dringhouses, York, campaigning on behalf of the bumblebee |
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BEE-KEEPERS, in general, are a modest bunch in all areas except one: claims for their hobby. “It’s all about creation,” said one. “It’s timeless. . . People as far back as Old Testament times and beyond would have understood what we do,” said another. Scriptural and theological connotations crop up frequently when talking to bee-keepers. And there are dozens of references to bees and honey in the Bible. The relationship between priests and bee-keeping is a strong one, dating back centuries. Some attribute it to the tradition of keeping bees in monasteries — Buckfast Abbey in Devon and its late bee-keeper Brother Adam are famous — when monks used the honey for food and treating wounds, and the wax for candles. But the more recent connection between clergy and bees is likely to be found in lifestyle, argues Karl Showler, a bee-keepers’ historian and former president of the British Bee-keepers’ Association (BBKA). “By and large, Anglican clergy were leisured people in the 19th century, who often had curates. And they were interested in activities that made an extra living for the community. Many wanted to do it to help the poor of the parish. Keeping bees fitted the bill: without too much outlay they were able to generate some income.” Canon Stephen Palmer, who has recently been appointed a Chaplain to the Queen, agrees. “A lot of the major evolutions in the equipment and management of bees have been down to clergymen. Many were in country par-ishes, were of a scientific bent, and had more time then to do bee-keeping.”Keeping bees has therapeutic value, and is in tune with the Christian faith, Dr Palmer says. |
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“It’s about stewardship — looking after creation — and it teaches humility, too. A dominant bee-keeper isn’t going to get any honey: it is a collaboration between man and bee.”
THE THERAPEUTIC value of some honey has been well established, such as manuka honey, which has antibacterial properties. But there are also positive emotional benefits from practising bee-keeping as a hobby.
The Revd Christopher Wood, now a curate in King’s Lynn, set up hives in a care home for recovering alcoholics in London. He explains: “I was working in London, being involved in the management of a registered care home for dependent alcoholics. I thought I would set up a couple of hives there, though I had to go round and talk to all the neighbours first.
“The honey in London is very rich because there are lots of exotic flowers around in parks, and on balconies. It’s the best honey in England, which most people don’t expect.
“I trained people up to look after the bees, and they would say after they had done it that they had never gone so long without thinking about alcohol. . . It was therapeutic. Being able to do something that other people were sometimes afraid of, too, gave them a sense of responsibility, of achievement.
“You have to concentrate while you are with the bees. You can’t think of anything else. It is like sitting in Mother Julian’s cell, in Norwich, which I do quite a lot: you are completely there in the moment. It is as if God is working through you, and you are part of something in creation that has been done since Adam. There is something very prayerful about it.”
He is currently not able to keep bees — “life is just too hectic as a curate” — but hopes to do so again soon. His enthusiasm and love of it is palpable.
“The whole feeling when you lift the lid of the hive. . . the smell of propolis is quite addictive,” he says. “You do think that you are doing something that man has done for ever: there is something very timeless about it. The people in all the scriptures right back to the Old Testament would have understood it.”
PRACTITIONERS of bee-keeping are many and varied: there are an estimated 11,000 members of the BBKA. There are many more small-scale bee-keepers, from all occupations, who are not members.
“They are a very nice, decent bunch,” Mr Wood says. “At your average association, you’ll get everyone from a barrister to a retired allotment holder. Bee-keeping is a great leveller.”
It is a leveller in the clergy hierarchy, too: there have been several bishop bee-keepers in recent years, such as the former Bishop of Ely, Edward Roberts. And under the current Archbishop of Canterbury, bees have also returned to Lambeth Palace. |
 Natural resource: a bee pollinating PA |
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John Chapple, who chairs the London Bee-keepers’ Association, looks after the ten hives at Lambeth Palace.
“Archbishop Rowan asked the London bee-keepers to bring hives back to the site five years ago,” Mr Chapple says. “There had been some there for years, probably centuries before. All the honey goes to Lambeth Palace. They pay us a fair price for it, and then they sell it on to people who visit. His Grace is very interested: he wants to help the local community, and his wife takes an especial interest in the hives.”
Southwark Cathedral is also about to move back into bee-keeping soon, under the guidance of the London association.
But bees are having a tough time of it in the countryside. Thousands of colonies have perished — an estimated one in five last year in the UK — and it is not known why. The Government has cut its already small grant into researching bee health, although the BBKA is calling for it to be reinstated.
Across the world, bees are in decline: in the United States an estimated two million colonies have been wiped out by a mystery plague dubbed “colony collapse disorder”. Germany has also suffered devastating losses.
While this disorder has yet to strike in the UK, the outlook for British bees is not good. Three species of native bumblebees have disappeared, and seven more are at serious risk.
Some believe that the honey bee could die out in Britain in the next ten years. The increasing use of pesticides, antibiotic treatment for mites, and even mobile-phone signals have been blamed for the decline.
The potential cost to agriculture as a result of the decline is massive. Bee pollination is reckoned to produce at least £165 million a year of marketed produce. At least a third of what we eat depends on honey bees — food from broccoli to onions, and fruit, are all dependent on the humble bee. |
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| Bee-keepers are fighting hard on behalf of their ancient trade. The Church of St Edward the Confessor in Dringhouses, York, bears a poster saying “Save our Bees”. Although the vicar is not a bee-keeper himself, one of his congregation is, and the church is backing the campaign for more funding into bee research — proving that the historic link between the church and bee-keeping, at least, is as strong as ever.
Bees under threat
Which bees?
There are four types of “true” honey bee and about 25 types of bumblebee, plus so-called solitary bees who do not form hives. All bee species are considered to be under threat. Some bumblebees have already disappeared. How many bees? The UK has about 240,000 colonies, run by around 44,000 mostly amateur bee-keepers. What are the threats? One of the biggest threats to bees arrived in the UK in 1992. The varroa mite is a tiny insect that feeds off the bodily liquids of bees in the hive. It carries a damaging virus, and can wipe out entire colonies. At first treated with chemicals, mites are now becoming resistant to the treatments. A new phenomenon, “colony collapse disorder” (CCD), has also appeared. What is colony collapse disorder? CCD means that worker bees from a colony or hive disappear abruptly, and the colony dies. The disorder is thought to be due to stress, or viruses, or both. Even without CCD, a fifth of UK bee colonies have been killed off this winter by stress, bad weather, and disease. What can be done? The BBKA is calling for more investment in bee health. Ministers recognise the threat; they say they do not have the money to invest, but are working on other “strategies” to protect the honey bee. For more information, see www.britishbee.org.uk Keeping bees I’m interested in bee-keeping. Where do I start? It is best to start by going along to your local bee-keepers’ association. Visit a few hives, and make sure bee-keeping is really for you. If you decide it is, you will get plenty of advice from members on where to get hives and other equipment. Do I need a licence? No. Anyone can start bee-keeping, although if you live in an urban area it may be a good idea to talk to your neighbours first. You need to be fairly fit, as there is quite a lot of equipment to carry about. Will I get stung? Almost certainly: all bee-keepers get a few stings each season, and new bee-keepers are likely to get more than that. Most stings are caused by poor handling, which can be overcome with experience. How much does it cost? Second-hand equipment is available for a few hundred pounds: again, your bee-keepers’ association is a good place to source equipment. How much time does it take? From April to October you need to spend an hour a week on a colony, inspecting the hives. In the winter, you need only to maintain equipment. And how much honey? Depending on the area, you can expect from 40 to 60lbs a year. Good areas may generate more than 100lbs a year per colony. For more information and local associations, see www.britishbee.org.uk |
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