Our bees
There used to be a dedicated honey room where the combs were spun to remove the precious honey. This tradition still continues to this day, but on a much smaller scale. Not only do we keep bees for their honey, but more importantly for the biodiversity of the gardens. Bees are exceptional pollinators and with their numbers on the decline it is important that we encourage them into the gardens.
Swarms
Our hives have been really buzzing, with a record seven swarms. Swarms happen when the number of bees in a hive grows and they run out of space. A new queen will hatch, and along with part of the colony, she will leave the hive to look for a new home. Alison, our beekeeper, has managed to catch some of the swarms and we have gone from two to five hives in one season.