Roger Williams, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, whose responsibility as a DEFRA Shadow Minister includes Bee Health and Bee Keepers, recently visited the Welsh Beekeepers Convention Association at Llanelwedd.
Roger Williams said:
"I talked to a number of beekeepers from the constituency and mid-Wales and the news this spring is better than last year, when a considerable number of hives failed to survive the winter.
"The survival rate this year is much improved and beekeepers are more confident.
"I met with Karl Showler [pictured], from Hay-on-Wye, who is a pillar of the beekeeping fraternity in Mid-Wales. He was demonstrating the old art of hand making skeps, which are used to capture and move swarms of bees.
"Many crops that are insect pollinated, such as beans, peas, rape, apples, pears and other top fruit depend on domestic bee populations to produce their yields. Wild bees are practically extinct in this country because of the effect of the bee disease Varroa.
