Thanks to Lourens and Dylan Kruger from the Cape Honey Bee Conservancy who shared their knowledge, experience and passion for helping to save Cape Honey Bees.
We learnt more about “Her Majesty”- the vital queen bee who is essential for the survival of a colony. She can live up to 5 years (on average 3 – 4 years). In peak season, she is a very busy bee, laying about 2000 eggs a day! The other bees only live weeks or months, depending on the season and their role.
Bees forage on the nectar and pollen of flowering plants. Besides making honey, bees play a very important role in pollination. Without them, the pollination of nuts, fruits and vegetables, as well as other plants, is at risk.
Urbanization, with the resulting habitat loss and diminished forage, and the use of pesticides/insecticides are two of the factors that negatively affect bees.
Some alarming “bee news” from further afield:
- In the 2022/23 season, America lost 48% of its bees.
- Some reports from March 2025 tell of unexplained deaths of 100s of millions of bees in the past eight months in the United States. This has been referred to as the worst bee loss in recorded history.
- The latest report in early April claims that America has now lost 68% of its bees, and another states that the honey bee die-off has destroyed about 1.6 million colonies.
As bees pollinate 75% of the fruit, nuts and vegetables in the US, this could have a huge impact on food production.
How can you help our local bees?
- Plant or maintain “bee-friendly” plants and flowers in your garden. We will share a list of suitable plants that are “biosphere appropriate’
- Encourage your friends and family to do the same – as every bit helps.
- Support bee-friendly products e.g. those that do not use pesticides harmful to bees.
- Don’t use pesticides such as Roundup in your garden
- Create a bee-friendly “water bowl”. See ideas from the pictures below.
(Images credited to the Internet.)
Please note that there are regulations for bee keeping which are important for safety. In February 2025, there was an incident in Somerset West where a hive was accidentally disturbed, resulting in some workers being severely stung.
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR THESE ALIENS!
The BBC recently responded to a request for removing a colony of bees at the Handevat Music School in Kleinmond. We contacted the Cape Honey Bee Conservancy who went to assist. The “bees” were actually invasive alien wasps and they were removed. The students are safe from the risk of being stung. Here is some information from Lourens Kruger to help you identify them:
Two species of invasive wasp are commonly found in most areas in the Western Cape: the German Wasp (Vespula germanica) and the European Paper Wasp (Polistes dominula). These two species are classified as NEMBA Category 1b Invader. This means that they should be removed and destroyed. These wasp species are spreading and they threaten our local insects and bee populations.
I have heard that the wine Industry suffers from wasp infestation as these wasps cause Sour Rot disease on grapes. Without proper measures in place, these two species will continue to go rampart in the Western Cape.
It is important to take note that special care must be taken when dealing with these wasps. Their removal should be done by a professional, who uses the correct protective gear, as both these species will attack you if their nest is threatened and will sting repeatedly.
I have been stung and it really hurts – from an intense burning sensation to swelling to secondary infections. These wasps should not be interfered with by inexperienced people.
At the Cape Honey Bee Conservancy, we are serious about protecting our local bees and insects, and we have developed a solution, which adequately and humanely takes care of the wasps.
Lourens and Dylan Kruger, Cape Honey Bee Conservancy: 076 564 8119
This is a good poster on these two wasps and the link is under the poster if you want to download it.
https://www.capetowninvasives.org.za/images/Wasps/Invasive-Wasps-ID-Kit.pdf
