SOME members of the Okehampton branch of the Devon Beekeepers? Association reported the worst season for honey they could remember, as they gathered at their annual meeting. On a more positive note, the year brought an increase in membership with more young people coming into the craft and regular visits to apiaries around the county during the summer to add to the instructive winter indoor meetings. At the meeting held in the Methodist Hall, South Zeal, concern was expressed at Government cuts in the Bee Health progamme run by the National Bee Unit which it was felt would have disastrous effects on bee inspection in the South West. The identification of disease at a time when bee mite problems are increasing and when a particularly voracious beetle, indigenous to Africa, has been found in the EU, is essential. DEFRA is proposing to remove some diseases from the notifiable list, reduce the number of bee inspectors and rely on treatment that is yet unproven. Members said it was unacceptable that the Government was considering cutting the very resource that would protect honey bees from present, imminent and future threats. Beekeepers were asked to collect up-to-date research information from the NBU website -http://www.nationalbeeunit.com">www.nationalbeeunit.com- and write to their MPs regarding the issue. The meeting unanimously voted to retain Bob Hurdle as branch chairman and show secretary; Ray King as secretary; Jim Sampson as treasurer and to introduce a new post, assistant secretary with Margaret Harris taking that role.
