Concerns about the decline of the bee population in Cyprus were expressed on Friday by co-chair of the bicommunal technical committee for the environment Michalis Loizides.

Preliminary studies, he said, indicated the decline in the population to just 25 per cent of the total number of native bees in the north areas and that a similar problem may exist throughout the island.

Loizides told the Cyprus News Agency that the population of bees imported from other countries, such as Italy, Turkey and Israel, was increasing at the expense of the Cypriot bee, which did not produce as much honey as the imported ones.

This finding is relatively recent and extensive studies have not yet been conducted, but the preliminary studies presented showed that there was a risk and that the issue should be examined in greater depth, he added.

Loizides said the presence of bees from abroad in the south was significant, however the was no clear picture yet as to the extent.

In order for the Cypriot bee population to recover within a decade, it was necessary to breed Cypriot bee queens and place them in apiaries to replace the imported ones, he explained.

Referring to the programme implemented with the UN to curb the increase of rodents close to the buffer zone, Loizides said it involved placing owl nests in the area to keep the rodent population under control.

The pilot in Denia, he said, has been a success and other communities interested should submit applications, as nests will be placed in October.