Darwen beekeepers clash with Sunnyhurst Friends over spreading weed

11:08am Friday 21st November 2008

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By Tom Moseley »

BEEKEEPERS have waged war against plans to wipe out a prolific plant from a Darwen beauty spot.

Conservationists have claimed that Himalayan balsam was turning Sunnyhurst Wood into a ‘jungle’ and could turn to herbicides to get it removed.

But the news has angered local beekepers, who said the insects depend on the nectar and pollen in their flowers in order to survive.

Now council bosses, who are to vote on whether to spend thousands of pounds to get rid of the plant, face a decision between the bees and axing the weed.

The situation was top of the agenda at last weekend’s meeting of the Lancashire Beekeepers, who plan to protest at the next meeting of the Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood.

Jean Fulton, of Pole Lane, Darwen, has kept bees for almost 40 years.

She said: “It’s fair enough if they want to keep it under control, but this year has been one of the wettest we have had for some time.

“Himalayan balsam is the only thing they’ve got, and if you rip it out I don’t think a lot of people realise how desperate it is.”

Her husband and fellow beekeeper Robert Fulton, 74, warned of the effect on the already declining bee population if plants like Himalayan balsam were removed.

He said: “If we didn’t have Himalayan balsam this year bees would almost have been wiped out.

“This idea about Himalayan balsam taking over is rubbish and seems to be becoming a political issue. It’s a very attractive plant and is extremely important for bees.”

Experts across the world are looking into a sudden decline in the population of bees, which play a key role in the food chain through pollination.

This week the European Parliament joined a growing chorus urging action to save the bee population.

A decision on whether to treat the Himalayan balsam – which would involve a number of years’ financial commitment – has to be made by the end of the year.

Dennis Gillibrand, of Friends of Sunnyhurst Wood, said he did not want to comment on the beekeepers’ complaints.