SAFER BEES

At least something the Labour Government has done is good for nature. In recent years, the UK has faced increasing criticism over its stance on neonicotinoid pesticides (“neonics”), particularly but not exclusively concerning their adverse impact on bee populations. This class of pesticides is known to harm pollinators generally, and they were mostly banned in the European Union in 2018 due to their consequential ecological damage to bees and other pollinating insects. Despite the outcry from conservationists, entomologists, beekeepers and the general public, after Brexit removed EU rules for the UK, the government had permitted the “emergency” use of these pesticides, especially in sugar beet cultivation, particularly in the wake of serious crop diseases like “virus yellows”.

The NFU have a useful page of information on virus yellows at https://tinyurl.com/2ks86unh. Basically, it is a complex of three viruses causing leaf chlorosis which negatively impacts the beet plants’ metabolism, consequently reducing sugar extraction in factory processing as well as making plants in the field more susceptible to attack by the fungus Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissl. (1912). The peach-potato aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer, 1776) is the principal vector of the virus yellows disease which can result in loss of half the sugar yield. Climate change (yet again) exacerbates the situation as cold winters, which increase the mortality of this aphid vector, are now rarer.

In a significant policy change, the UK government announced in December last year that it planned to end the emergency use permission and effect a complete ban on neonicotinoid pesticides. The Environment Minister, Emma Hardy, noted that this follows the government's commitment to protecting pollinators and reversing the decline of affected wildlife. She announced, “Protecting bees by stopping the use of damaging neonicotinoids is an important step in supporting the long-term health of our environment and waterways, and our farming sector.”

Predictably, and not unreasonably, there have been concerns expressed by sugar beet farmers and the government is now encouraging alternative “pollinator friendly” control methods as well research into virus-resistant sugar beet varieties. This policy change marks a decisive step in the UK's environmental strategy, reflecting a growing recognition of the critical role pollinators play in both ecological health and agricultural productivity. By prioritizing the protection of bees and other pollinators, the UK aims to foster a more sustainable and resilient agricultural system.

As of this January 2025, neonicotinoid pesticides are completely banned in the UK, including for emergency use. The UK government denied an application for the emergency use of a neonicotinoid pesticide on sugar beet in England – a significant step in protecting pollinators.

Betts Ecology are delighted to see all measures that protect pollinators in these times of climate change and over-development. On our sites, we employ management practices to encourage pollinators and uphold our biodiversity objectives.