Kent bee keeper 'devastated' after death of thousands of bees in hive

ITV Meridian's report is by Charlotte Wilkins

When Ellen Neville discovered thousands of her bees dead or dying in a pile on the ground she knew they hadn’t died naturally.

" The tongue of the bee is sticking out, which is the number one indicator that the bee has been poisoned. It’s not a nice death - they rattle around before they get thrown out of the hive. "

Ellen says:

"I don’t mind saying I was heartbroken to watch it happen. It is a hobby but it’s a hard hobby though - back-breaking. You get a face full of smoke; you get very, very hot. You can get stung. You have to love beekeeping. It is one heck of a chore to get them through the winter, healthy, and I thought I’d got there. But to see this was absolutely devastating. "

"The crop of honey that I would have had from that hive is gone. I can produce another colony but I wouldn't get honey from that this year. "

"There are a lot of hygiene measures that you need to keep on top of. They need proofing against mice and hornets. There's a great deal of personal time and expenditure as well . You can't simply go and replace them. "

Other allotment holders rely on Ellen’s bees to pollinate their crops but she is also concerned about the wider impact on other pollinators like wasps, moths and beetles which contribute to the success of the cherry growing industry in Kent.

Ellen suspects the domestic use of weed killer or pesticide is to blame rather than from a farmer but she’s pleading with gardeners to be mindful when treating their pests and consider working with nature, rather than against it.