What would happen if the bee disappeared?

THE plight of the honey bee will be the buzz word today (Thursday) when members of the Okehampton branch of the University of the Third Age meet.

The group have invited Ray King, chairman of Okehampton Beekeepers' Association, to give a talk on the trials and rewards of beekeeping, the threats and dangers facing the honey bee and what it would mean to the countryside and food crops if the bees died out.

Scientist Albert Einstein once said that 'if the bee disappears from the surface of the earth, man would have no more than four years to live.'

Indeed, over the past two years the bee population in the south west has dropped by 25% to 30%. In the USA bees are mysteriously disappearing from their hives by the hundreds of thousands, a phenomena called 'colony collapse disorder'. But why is it happening and what are the consequences to us of a falling bee population?

If you would like to find out more about the bee or about joining the Okehampton branch of U3A go along to the meeting at Fairplace Church, Okehampton at 2.30pm.

For more information on U3A activities and membership, contact Gill Atkins on 01837 55882.