To bee or not to bee…

Two hives have been installed on the roof-top of Brecon House with specialist sustainable beekeepers Blorenge Mountain Bees of Abergavenny advising on the siting and management of the bees which have arrived just in time for World Bee Day on 20 May.

The bees have been selectively bred from Blorenge Mountain Bees’ own stocks. Breeding queens are selected from colonies known to have a good temperament, and to be both hardy and productive with a high disease and varroa resistance. Bees or queens are never imported.

Mark Griffin is site supervisor at Mamhilad Park Estate. He explains: “In addition to being one of the major pollinators, thus ensuring food and food security, sustainable agriculture and biodiversity, bees significantly contribute to the mitigation of climate change and environmental conservation.

“We’re working hard to introduce new biodiversity and sustainability initiatives on-site here at Mamhilad with investment in electric vehicles and renewable energy generation. We’re also opening-up woodland walks and creating wildflower gardens. Personally, I’ve always been interested in bees and how important they are to the eco-system, so I’m really pleased that we’ve now got the opportunity to further improve our biodiversity with our two new beehives. We may even make some honey!”