It’s not the job of bees to pollinate cereals
SIR – As an experienced beekeeper I often see repeated the incorrect statement that bees are vital to the survival of mankind (“Cut back on mowing to get your lawn buzzing”, report, March 15).
The reported reduction in the world bee population is a cause of concern, but this is for a number of other reasons.
The crops that form the staples of the worldwide human diet – wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, rye – are all wind pollinated. Their production has nothing to do with bees.
Even among the crops that are pollinated by bees, it is crucial to remember that bees are not the only insects that are involved in pollination. Moths, hoverflies, wasps, ants and a host of other insects also play a vital role in the process and in the production of fruit and seeds.
Ian Wallace
Whitley Bay, Northumberland