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In 1998, when the Varroa mite first appeared in Ireland, the Dep. of Agriculture made an unfortunately unsuccessful attempt to eradicate the parasite. The approximately 340 colonies present at the time in the Sligo/Manorhamilton area were destroyed. Consequently, due to the impossibility of any kind of treatment, all wild colonies of bees died. No hybrids or bees of any race where left and a ban was imposed on beekeeping. The now completely bee-less area could be restocked with bees from Co. Wexford after the ban was lifted in early 1999. Later in the year a German beekeeper gave us six Buckfast queens, which served as the basis of our now well established breeding programme.
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