Garden guest: People living in towns and cities are being encouraged to keep hives in a bid to save the honey beeA campaign to save Britain's honey bee by encouraging people in towns and cities to keep bees in their back gardens is launched today.
The Co-operative says urban hives could reverse the worrying decline in bee numbers over the last few decades.
But while some people will welcome the arrival of colonies of honey bees in their streets and suburbs, the spread of urban beekeeping could lead to tensions between neighbours.
Bee numbers have fallen dramatically in Britain over the last few years. In England, the population has shrunk by 54 per cent since the 1980s as a result of pesticides, industrial farming and disease.
Farmers say the decline could be disastrous for agriculture. The insects are vital for pollinating crops and are worth an estimated £200 million to farming each year.
Now the Co-op is launching a campaign to encourage people in towns and cities to take up beekeeping - and put hives in their gardens and on their rooftops.
Last year, it piloted a scheme to train would-be beekeepers on allotments in Manchester. This year, it will roll out the idea to other cities.
Paul Peacock, an amateur beekeeper who is helping to run the project, said people did not need a large garden to keep bees - but conceded they could be a source of neighbourly tension.
However, careful positioning of hives - which can contain 30,000 bees - and sensible beekeeping removed most of the problems.
Living the hive life: Urban beekeeping is becoming increasingly popular 'You can stop them from swarming and landing in your neighbour's garden by artificially swarming them once a year,' he said.
'And if you build a frame around the hive with fences, hedges or a shed, then the bees are forced to fly up 10 feet in the air before they leave the garden, making it unlikely that a neighbour will notice them at head height.'
Urban beekeepers taking part in the scheme will be encouraged to take out insurance, just in case.
Paul Monaghan, head of social goals at the Co-operative, said: 'Nature's number one pollinating machine appears to be breaking down and no one knows for sure why.
'Urban beekeeping is becoming increasingly popular and could be a vital tool in the reverse of honeybee decline in the UK.'
Under the scheme, people can attend a free two-day course on beekeeping - and are provided with free equipment, bees and a plastic "beehaus" hive.
The company is also be giving away hundreds of thousands more packets of wildflower seeds, containing bee favourites such as poppies, cornflowers, white campion and corncockle.
Last year the Government's conservation agency Natural England urged householders in towns and cities to consider keeping bees in their gardens and on rooftops or even balconies to counter declining honeybee populations.
Natural England, also backed the launch of the "beehaus" design of beehive and called on people to support bees - including wild bumblebees - by planting insect-friendly plants in their gardens.
UK beekeeping courses are regularly oversubscribed in the UK. Last year, the British Beekeepers' Association reported a 25 per cent jump in membership to 15,000 people.
source: dailymail
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