12
HONEYBEES
I have been told that nearly all the feral honey bee colonies have now died out because of
Veroa mite. A particular nest I knew, near Gt. Leighs, looked sluggish and in poor
condition last autumn. There was no sign of activity in the spring. However, in late June,
I again saw bees flying and I thought the colony might have recovered. I realised , when I
saw a swarm a few days later, that it is far more likely that the hole has been recolonised
from elsewhere. Are bees swarming more to get away from the mite?
Chris Romer
PRIMULACEAE IN WEST ESSEX
We have known and walked in this interesting part of the county for over 40 years, and as
we have recently been surveying the area for the Essex Flora Project, perhaps now is an
opportune moment to comment on some of our findings, although direct comparsison
with past records is difficult because Jermyn's Flora of Essex, published in 1974 only
shows species distribution on a 10Km square basis.
COWSLIP (Primula veris) appears to be increasing both in distribution and numbers.
This species has flowered well in recent years on roadside verges and benefits from lack
of highway verge management which allows the seed heads to remain erect and mature
until the winter, when they finally shed.
On the chalky boulder clay of the area, the modern deep ditches on the arable land have
provided ideal habitat for P. veris. The bare sloping sides and poor soil is to its liking and
in places Cowslips can be seen in thousands, often in company with Viola hirta which
also seems to thrive in this situation.
OXSLIP (Primula elatior). Our recordings appear to show a decline for this species, both
in numbers and distribution. In well maintained woodland the Oxlip can still be seen to
be plentiful but many of our woods are neglected and lack of management has resulted in
a dense canopy. Here Oxlips are scarce and can only be found at the edges where
sufficient light can penetrate. Deer seem to have a strong liking for the flower-heads and
in some woods few are left to produce seed. It is likely that we shall see a continued
decline in P. elatior unless woodland management improves and deer are controlled.
PRIMROSE (Primula vulgaris). There is a serious decline in this species in N.W. Essex,
and many woods now appear to have no primroses at all. Carpets of them were once a
common sight but now it is rare to see them in quantity. We record P. vulgaris in most
lKm squares but these records are mostly from village churchyards where they seem to
thrive.
Lack of woodland coppicing may be the reason for the decline as most of our woods are
badly neglected. Drought and pollution are other possible factors. Many thousands of
plants were dug up in the 1960s, potted in small moss-lined hazel baskets, and hawked
door-to-door by gipsies. Many have been dug up by residents to be planted in gardens. If
present trends continue it seems that in years to come we may only see P. vulgaris in a
few of our woods - those which are well maintained.
It will be interesting to see if the pattern of decline of Primroses in W. Essex is repeated
across the county, or even, nationally.
C. & S. Watson
.Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 26, August 1998