BEES and beer don’t usually mix - but they are vital to one Swindon brewery’s organic tipple.

And the head brewer at the town-based Arkell’s brewery paid a visit to Swindon’s Honeybee Conservation Group recently, ahead of the firm’s plans to roll out its multi-award-winning Bee’s Organic as a permanent keg beer.

Alex Arkell met the group of six, which included founder Ron Hoskins, at a secret location to find out more about the conservation research they are doing involving a mite which is depleting bee numbers across the country - but not in Swindon.

Through research the group is hoping to learn more about why their bee colonies are not adversely affected by a bee mite called Varroa, which has killed millions of honey bee colonies across the world.

The Varroa is a blood-sucking mite that lives on the blood of the baby bee, causing Damaged Wing Virus. This virus prevents bees flying.

Most beekeepers use chemicals to try and control mite numbers, but chemicals have an adverse effect upon the adult bee, and allow the varroa that are not destroyed to become stronger.

However, the Swindon Honeybee Conservation Group has not used chemicals for 20 years and has been selectively breeding bees able to groom varroa mites and un-cap breeding cells in order to remove larvae under attack from varroa.

Alex said due to Soil Association rules, the firm’s organic beer could not feature honey from the Swindon bees.

“I had a fascinating morning talking to Ron Hoskins, about the group’s bees and we would dearly love to use local Swindon honey in our Bee’s Organic,” he said.

“However, we are audited every year by the Soil Association which has strict criteria and currently we are required to source our organic honey from further away.”

Group founder Ron, who is 84, has been keeping bees for 72 years and has been instrumental in helping keep the pursuit going in Swindon.

The group runs at least two training courses every year for amateur beekeepers.

Anyone interested in finding out more about honey bees, the work of the group and the courses on offer, can visit their website at swindonhoneybeeconservation.org.uk.

Arkell’s Bee’s Organic in keg is available in many of Arkell’s pubs.

For more information about the beer and to find out where it is on sale visit the website, which can be found at www.arkells.com.