The plight of Bermuda’s bees and the ongoing efforts aimed at restoring the population have featured in a leading US publication.

Renowned US beekeeper Ross Conrad visited the Island this year and met experts, beekeepers and conservationists to discuss ways of tackling the global problem. His in-depth report about the trip was published this month in Bee Culture magazine.

“I found the beekeepers and people of Bermuda to be wonderfully friendly and full of a warm hospitality that rivals their subtropical climate,” Mr Conrad said.

“Bermuda appears to be a beekeeper’s paradise and, in some ways, it was before the Varroa mite was first discovered on the island in 2009.

“No one knows for sure how the mite made it to the Island, located 650 miles off the North Carolina coast.

“The only bees that had been imported on to the Island in recent memory were queens from Hawaii.

“These queen shipments were promptly discontinued however, once Varroa was found in Hawaii in 2007.

Since then no bee importations have been allowed.

“This has created a challenge for the Island’s beekeepers, since the only way they can increase their hive numbers is to either make splits or nucleus colonies and let the bees raise their own queens, or capture swarms.”

Government statistics indicate that the average value of the Island’s honey crop was more than $170,000 between 2000 and 2009, but had dropped to $50,000 by 2010.

The number of managed hives also dropped from about 350 to between 60 and 70, while beekeeper numbers decreased from two dozen to about 14 today.

In his report, Mr Conrad added: “One idea being considered is to allow the importation of queens that have a scientifically proven level of mite tolerance such as Varroa Sensitive Hygiene bees.

“The only other viable option is to do what many beekeepers all over the world have started to do to keep their bees alive in the face of Varroa mites without placing any foreign substances in the hive for mite control.

“That is to resort to a combination of cultural management techniques, each of which in the long run is ineffective on its own, but when combined can suppress the impact of the mites enough to keep colonies alive year after year.”

In August 2013, a group of concerned Bermudians came together and formed The Buzz to address the declining bee population under the auspices of the Bermuda Environmental Sustainability Task Force.

The group’s chairwoman, Judy Motyer, welcomed Mr Conrad’s report.

“Ross’s visit was wonderful for Bermuda for a variety of reasons,” she said. “He had a lot of information for our beekeepers and the general public on natural ways that we can care for hives and retain the population.

“It also brought together the Beekeepers Association and rejuvenated some interest in this industry.

“It is great that we have been able to showcase what is going on in Bermuda to the wider world.”