With 4,500 trees in the ground, now absorbing around 112,500 kg of carbon every year we decided it was time to look at ways to expand the benefits of a nature places.
So we had been in touch with David, The Bee Farmer, McDowell, and met up to see if there was the possibility of him using Co-Treetment land for creating an apiary. David was chosen as he was local to us but also from what we’d seen and read, an expert on bee farming with a passion, like us for doing the right thing.
So on 29th March 2024, and after preparing the bees, along with the hives, with David, Lisa and Tom, moved four hives to the field to create an apiary.
Thankfully they recorded how they did this, and we have attached that in our post today, as we found it very interesting, and with every day a school day there’s likely something in there for all of our followers to learn. On that basis we are sharing a few facts about bees that compliments what we have shared previously about trees; so bees and trees.
- Bees are insects with 6 legs, 2 pairs of wings, and branched hairs.
- Only female bees have stingers, which are modified egg-laying organs.
- Bees are closely related to wasps and ants, and belong to the clade Anthophila.
- Bees are important pollinators, carrying pollen from flower to flower on their legs and body.
- Bees can produce honey by following a 10-step process that involves collecting nectar, regurgitating it, and evaporating it.
- Bees have been around for about 30 million years, and there are 20,000 distinct species of them.
- Bees are facing threats from habitat loss, pesticides, diseases, and climate change. This is one of the reasons we wanted to provide land and a safe space for the apiary.
For those wanting to learn more about bees then don’t hesitate to contact David, The Bee Farmer, McDowell using the details on the website link https://www.thebeefarmer.co.uk/
Simon Evans
Darrell Taylor
Keith Cox
David, The Bee Farmer, McDowell
