With World Bee Day around the corner (celebrated on 20 May annually) it’s only fitting that we highlight the plight of these little vineyard workers and raise awareness of the threats they currently face.

The Western Cape Bee Industry Association (WCBA) in collaboration with the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF-SA) recently met with wine industry stakeholders to discuss collaboration opportunities to help prioritise beekeeping in the pursuit of overall sustainable farming initiatives.

It is no secret that bees are threatened globally due to urbanisation and the prevalence of large, landscaped areas that favour green lawns and infrastructures (such as paving, parking lots, and roads). Though bees aren’t needed in the pollination of vineyards, due to Vitis vinifera being able to self-pollinate, bees still play a major role in the overall health of vineyards.

The Cape honeybee

The WCBA is specifically dedicated to supporting the Cape honeybee (Apis mellifera capensis), a special honeybee indigenous to the fynbos biome of the Western Cape. WCBA Chairman Chris Nicklin explains that the Cape honeybee is smaller and darker than the African honeybee and is only found locally, in the Cape Floral Kingdom which overlaps directly with the wine-growing regions.

“The Cape honeybee is the only honeybee in the world that can birth a new queen if it dies. They have a microbiological adaptation whereby worker bees can produce a new queen from an infertile egg,” says Chris. He further explains that the Cape honeybee has adapted to being the only honeybee resilient to Varroa mites, that prove to be fatal to other species of honeybees. “They [the Cape honeybee] control the disease in the larvae stage. Adult bees inspect the developing babies whilst they’re forming and remove the ones that are infected.”

This special bee species, therefore, needs to be protected. Alien vegetation removal at farm level, especially the uprooting of gum trees, is proving to be fatal to the bee population as studies have indicated that 80% of the Cape honeybee’s diet during winter periods consists of eucalyptus. Eucalyptus is high in antioxidants that the bees need to survive during the cold and wet winters of the Cape.

Riette van Zyl, Secretary and Treasurer for the WCBA says that they are currently reviewing the alien vegetation protocols document with Government to have the section on gum trees revised, given the identified need for bees. She mentions studies in Tanzania where there was a mass removal of gum trees five years ago to address water shortages and they are now replanting these trees en masse.

The importance of bees in the vineyard

Bees help to keep mealybugs under control in the vineyards by attracting wasps. Wasps are the natural predators of bees and therefore are found where bees are prevalent. Having bees in your vineyards is therefore a natural way to get rid of mealybug infestations.

Bees help to pollinate and care for cover crops, and this, in turn, helps to improve soil health and prevent erosion creating more water-retentive soils.

A recent Wine Enthusiast article also cites a study that Hogendroon published in Apidologie whereby it’s hypothesised that bees also aid in the development of grape berries and bunches and may also help to reduce the occurrence of bunch rot.

Farm-level adjustments to help bees

Bees need a chemical-free environment to thrive. Therefore, where possible, considerations should be made on alternatives to high chemical sprays in the vineyards. Reduce the use of pesticides and allow natural predators to control pests.

Cover crops in vineyards help stabilise the soil structure, improve water infiltration, suppress weeds, reduce compaction, and produce a layer of mulch that helps to reduce evaporation. Choosing cover crops that attract bees and other pollinators, such as white mustard (Sinapus alba) and phacelia (Tanacetifolia), as recommended by Barenburg, is a good starting point now in winter.

For more information on the Cape honeybee visit www.wcba.co.za or email info@wcba.co.za.

Free World Bee Day educational resources pack: https://www.twinkl.co.za/resource/world-bee-day-bumper-pack-za-kps-730.

Bee-friendly South African Plants: https://www.twinkl.co.za/resource/plants-that-are-the-bees-knees-za-nst-157