As you may be aware, bee populations are declining significantly around the world. This is a serious problem for each of us, as bees help to carry out the pollination that is so vital in producing many of the foods we eat every day.
The British Bee Veterinary Association exists to promote awareness and education in the science of bee health, evidence-based medicine and management. The organisation is launching a simple, but highly effective initiative for the veterinary sector which we’d love you to be part of: the Bee-Friendly Practice Scheme.
What is the Bee-Friendly Practice Scheme?
• A national programme encouraging veterinary practices to plant a 1m2 plot with flowering plants that will attract pollinating bees;
• If each of the 5,321 UK veterinary practices planted up a tub or border to sustain visiting bees, together we can make a real difference for very little effort, brightening up your premises and raising the profile of your practice at the same time.
Why do we need a Bee-Friendly Practice Scheme?
• A third of the foods we eat require pollination;
• 80% of all flower-producing European plants reproduce through pollination;
• 97% of wild flower meadows in UK have disappeared, mostly as a result of intensive agriculture and the associated use of herbicides and pesticides;
• Varroa mites have caused serious decline in wild honeybee populations
How can I help?
Establishing a plot of bee-friendly plants in a border, window box or
planter at your practice will provide a much-needed source of nectar and pollen for bees, as well as bringing a splash of colour to your car park or front door. Any or all of the following species will help provide bees with a vital continuous supply of forage:
• Snowdrops
• Crocus
• Broom
• Flowering currant
• Cherry
• Borage
• Phacelia
• Marjoram
• Thyme
• Chives
• Lavender
• Fried egg plant
• Cornflower
• Cosmos
• Fuchsia
• Ivy
It’s easy to become a Bee-Friendly Practice!
We hope you agree that helping the bees helps us all, so please do your bit to sustain these all-important bees.
Promoting your ‘bee-friendly’ status can help raise the profile of your practice in your local community so be
sure to let your local paper know that you’re a bee-friendly practice!
Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Agria Pet Insurance you can received your Bee-Friendly Practice pack by emailing president@britishbeevets.com
You might also wish to join the British Bee Veterinary Association.
- Full Membership for veterinary surgeons is £40 a year
- Associate Membership for other practice members – is just £20 each year.
- Practice Membership is £60 a year.
You’ll be helping further the protection of UK bees and promotion of bee-friendly initiatives.
