Dear Sir,

The Agricultural Exhibition 2016 is now history.

It was a shame that it was cancelled last year, as it is part of our culture and heritage. I look forward to it every year and take great pleasure in entering my exhibits. I hope that the Bermuda Government will not back out of sponsoring this event in the future just because some corporate backers saw fit to come to the rescue.

Each year for the past 35 years, I have entered jars of Bermuda honey and each year have come away with my blue ribbons. This year, to my surprise, I received the Beekeepers’ Cup. I did not realise that there was such, and was delighted to receive it.

My reasons for entering honey are at least twofold. First, I want to help to make the exhibition a success and, second, to help to promote beekeeping and to make people aware of the importance of this cottage industry. Beekeeping is not difficult, but it requires a lot of time and effort and so on. And while I enjoy it, I am mindful of the benefit that this brings to our country.

Many do not understand that bees are integral and essential to life and the environment, and I consider that I and others are doing a community service by keeping and managing them.

What bothers me is that people look at them as a nuisance and when a swarm arrives in the yard or enters the roof, the first thought is to get the bug spray to kill them. Then, if they call a beekeeper who says that there will be a charge to remove them, they act as though they are doing him, the beekeeper, a favour.

Little do people realise that we are all doing each other a favour in trying to save this species.

It’s for our own survival.

They do not realise that many times the bees do not survive, do not build up to produce honey, die off as a result of disease and/or varroa mites, which have devastated bees internationally, or they might even just abscond after all the effort.

Bees perform a number of benefits, and the sweet taste of local honey is the least of these. They, along with other insects, are vital to our survival.

They:

1) Pollinate our food crops

2) Pollinate the trees, shrubs and weeds so that the new seeds produced continue to provide new cover, keeping Bermuda lush green and cool

3) Through pollination of the woodlands, etc, provide habitat for birds and other wildlife, which distribute the seeds for the future growth of plants

4) Honey is not just a nice by-product for us, but in fact it, along with pollen, is the food that the bees need for their survival

In light of present conditions, I have been asked whether bees should be listed as a protected species.

When it comes to entering honey next year, I will have to rethink. When I entered my exhibits, I was a bit apprehensive because it was the only exhibit that had any commercial value and could be stolen.

I joked with the volunteers about that possibility. I arrived early on the Saturday evening to collect my exhibits, only to discover that my concerns were realised. One of the jars, part of the first-prize exhibit for three jars of different colours, was missing. Much of my joy was extinguished. I was left “blue tag”.

Needless to say, these are the things that spoil it for everyone.

Not only am I upset for myself, but others could not enjoy the whole display. Behaviour such as this spoils the whole atmosphere and spirit of the show.

I hope that we do not have to get to a stage where all the exhibits have to be sheltered behind glass partitions. It is to be hoped, it will not reach a point that Bermuda honey will no longer be entered into the show and that products containing honey will be the only items in this class on display.

Four jars were entered. The other jar got a third-place prize.

ALBERT SWAN