Bees for Biodiversity

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In 2006, Bournmoor Conservation group got their first Beehive (donated by Mr Alan Hiscock).  Since then, our bees have gone from strength to strength, with hives being placed as far afield as York and the Scottish Borders.

Not only do the bees provide wax and honey for the Conservation Group to sell to increase funds, they also perform a vital role in the local environment...

Bees for Biodiversity is one of the ongoing projects run by the group to increase the sustainability and biodiversity of the local area.  Bees are one of the best pollinators in the world- often referred to as 'flying fertiliser'!  They pollinate almost a third of everything we eat- from fruit trees to runner beans, and without them our farming and horticulture systems simply would not exist. 

There has been a steady decrease in the number of wild bee populations surviving winters, so it is essential that more bee colonies (under the guidance of beekeepers) are established.  Managed bee colonies, such as the ones the Conservation Group look after, stand a better chance of survival as they can be treated for diseases such as Deformed Wing Virus and sustained over the winter if necessary with judicious use of feeders. 

It is a national (indeed, a worldwide) concern, with many groups, businesses and councils as well as individuals taking responsibility for protecting bees and developing colonies within their areas- any internet search will immediately show you the importance many people place on this problem.

In short, no bees = no plants.  No plants = no animals.  And we're animals.  

Bournmoor Conservation Group is always happy to provide help and advice- whether it's coming to look at our hives for a lesson in how to care for bees or giving you guidance in setting up your own hives.  We also have a member who can make Top Bar and National hives, so we occasionally can also provide fully stocked hives when our bee population grows a bit too much!  Please contact us to check prices and availability. 

HOSTING A HIVE. 

If you are interested in taking part in this project, please read the further information at the bottom of this page.

Packing up a hive This hive is destined for York. We split the locations of our hives for several reasons, but some are - to ensure that even if one hive fails to survive the winter, we have several other hives from which to re-establish our bee numbers. - to make sure each hive has enough vegetation and flora in the surrounding area to provide the best possible chance of collecting sufficient nectar to survive over winter. - to ensure that stable bee populations are spread out to increase biodiversity in areas other than our own little village.	Young Beekeepers at work Recently several young volunteers worked with Paul and Charlie to put a young colony of bees into a new hive. These bees had been produced by splitting a well behaved colony several weeks earlier and letting one half produce new Queen Bee cells. This split, as it is called, was then moved to our York site where the newly emerged queen could breed and set up house in her own small nucleus colony hive. The queen and her bees have done so well they are being moved up in hive size, to a National, and placed in the new Woodstone Wildlife Area apiary.
Bees on the comb Honey bees on one of the frames.

As one hive has an effect for up to 3 miles around it, we look closely at where we can place our hives for maximum impact.

There are several types of colony we can create, each of which is suitable for different needs and areas.  For example: 

• Some locations are suitable for 'mother hives', which produce relatively little honey but large numbers of bees.  As these require little maintenence, they are ideal for out-of-the way locations such as roof-tops or disused land.
• Other locations are best suited to hives based on a 'National' pattern hive, and these develop smaller colonies which produce larger amounts of honey.  These are usually checked every few weeks, with weekly in the honey flows, so require areas with a decent level of access, as well as sufficient flora in the surrounding area for the bees to build reserves.

Each site is selected and the hives situated according to the best possible scenario for biodiversity/pollination improvement. 

If you have a site you'd like us to consider, or would like us to recommend the type of hive/colony best for your area, please contact Paul on 0191 385 5770.