COMMUNITY OPTION

Bee1 engages with community organisations, forming part of our campaign to raise awareness about the importance of bees and other pollinators to our environment. Methods of engagement comprise of biodiversity awareness sessions, discussions around climate change, mental health, well being and other local challenges.

To complement communities, we also offer tailored programmes for Local Authorities, public bodies, affordable housing and other organisations, informing our existing and future generations about the importance of pollinators and pollination.

80%

of the whole insect population are honeybees.

75%

of crops for human consumption are pollinated by bees

Whether you have a small patio, a large garden, or a communal space, nurturing flowering plants is an effective way to help Britain’s bees and other pollinating insects. With our help, you can build a bee hotel, plant wildflower meadow or sponsor a hive - providing a valuable home and food source for our bees!

Honey bees exist purely to support the community in which they live, and through our community option, you can do that too.

THE COMMUNITY OPTION INCLUDES:

An adopted hive with full colony of bees and a Queen*
Locally produced, organic honey
Certificate and poster for you and/or your community scheme
A scheduled visit to your own beehive**
Your own community hive produced honey

*If you are already a competent beekeeper, or enrol with your local Beekeeping Association and become qualified, we can arrange for your hive to be relocated, subject to suitable provisions.

**Pre-booking is essential

We need to work together and become a globally responsible Wales. A Nation which, when doing anything to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales, takes account of whether doing such a thing makes a positive contribution to global well-being.

Become a part of the bee-volution

Click here to find out more

HOW BEE1 IS HELPING THE
LOCAL COMMUNITY

Bee1 provides swarm control and collection. A member of the local community, a physiotherapist from Swansea City FC, called upon us to collect a swarm at his residence in Baglan.

The swarm congregated on his gate post, and our head beekeepers Mark along with the chairman of the West Glamorgan Beekeeper Association ethically captured the bees and safely transported them to their new home.
If the safe option is unavailable, contact Preventapest Ltd to tackle the more difficult captures. Or call Huw Richards at 07811650459.

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP

You've heard the phrase "Think globally, act locally". Pollinators are vital to the production of many of the foods we eat. But many pollinators, including honeybees and native bees, are in trouble. Populations are in sharp decline due to pesticide use, disease and parasite problems, and loss of food and nesting habitat.

How can you help?
Just like people, pollinators need food, water, shelter and a safe and healthy environment to live in and raise their young. Here are some ideas for ways you can help pollinators in your schoolyard, community garden, home landscape, or even your work-space. If you want to know more about each idea, simply click on it!

Plant a pollinator-friendly garden with a variety of flowering plants to give a succession of bloom from spring to fall

This will provide pollinators with nectar and pollen to feed on all season long. Remember that many flowering trees and shrubs are important sources of food for pollinators early in the season. Especially when planting flowering annuals and perennials, try to group each kind of plant into clumps of three or more rather than dotting them individually throughout your garden. This makes it easier for pollinators to locate plants!

Include lots of native plants in your garden

Native plants have evolved along with native pollinators, making them generally the most beneficial to these insects. Choose native plants that are adapted to the soil, light and moisture conditions in your garden and you'll help pollinators and make your garden care easier.

Include plants to feed all stages of pollinators' life cycle

There are no butterflies without caterpillars! Make sure you have plants that will feed both immature as well as the adult stages of pollinators. For example, while adult Monarch butterflies feed on many kinds of flowers, their caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed plants. Similarly, the caterpillars of Eastern Black Swallowtails feed on plants in the carrot family, like Queen Anne's lace, carrots, parsley and dill. And accept that these caterpillar host plants will be chewed on - plant them in an inconspicuous spot if you don't want to look at ragged leaves.

Minimise the use of pesticides, even organic ones

Even pesticides approved for organic gardens may harm pollinators, so try to keep any pesticide use to a minimum. If you do use one, choose a pesticide with the lowest risk to bees and other pollinators; check the label for bee hazard information. Spray in the evening after they have stopped flying.

Go Wild!

If you can, let a corner of your schoolyard or back yard go "wild". A wooded area, hedgerow, or unmowed "mini-meadow" will provide shelter, food and nesting areas for many pollinators.

Provide a source of water

A shallow basin of water set in the ground with some stones or piles of gravel in it, on which insects can perch, will help pollinators quench their thirst. Some insects, especially butterflies and some pollinator bees, prefer a mud puddle. Let a hose or faucet drip just a bit to form a damp, muddy sipping pot. Add a bit of sea salt or wood ashes to the mud to add micro-nutrients and minerals to their diet.

Don't be too tidy

Leave some leaf litter and plants standing over the winter to provide spots for pollinators over winter. If you can, leave some dead wood standing in an out-of-the-way area to provide nesting sites for native bees.

Build bee housing

Make nesting blocks for pollinating bees that nest in wood, such as Mason Bees, by drilling at least 10 holes 4 - 8 inches deep and 5/16" in diameter, in a block of untreated wood. Hang your bee "condo" with the holes set horizontally at least 3 feet off the ground and facing as close to south-east as possible.

Enhance your lawn

Lawn "weeds" like white clover and dandelions provide a source of food for pollinators when they're in bloom. Think of your lawn as pollinator habitat and embrace the idea of letting more than just turf grasses grow there.

Spread the word

One pollinator-friendly garden is good; an entire neighbourhood or community of them is even better! Share information with your school community, neighbours and others in your town or city about the importance of protecting and nurturing pollinators, and encourage them to make their gardens and landscapes welcoming to pollinators too.