Swansea and District Beekeepers’ Society
The Bee Experience – Come and feel the Buzz….
Photo by Ade Bowen
Visitors examining a hive of bees at the Vale of Glamorgan Agricultural Show, 2009
The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society has invited Swansea and District Beekeepers’ Society, with their “Bee Experience”, to the Smallholder and Garden Festival again this year.
Last year saw the very successful launch of this fascinating demonstration at the Festival. In a nutshell, this event offers you the opportunity to have a go at beekeeping. If you have ever thought that beekeeping might be for you, here is an opportunity to “try before you buy”! You will be provided with all necessary protective clothing to go into the Bee Tent, assist in opening a working colony of honey bees, and have the opportunity to learn some startling facts about these amazing little creatures. The event is organised with all necessary safety precautions taken so that you can be confident and concentrate fully on the activity in the hive.
Honey bees are very much in the news at the moment, and more and more people are becoming aware of the importance of honey bees and other pollinators in the production of our food. It has been calculated that every third mouthful of food is dependent on these insect pollinators. The losses of honey bee colonies have been well documented in the media and beekeepers are now making a significant contribution to maintaining populations of the honey bee in Britain. Perhaps you don’t fancy keeping bees yourself, but you own land and would be happy for a local beekeeper to put their hives on your property? If so, Swansea and District Beekeepers can help you get in touch with beekeepers in your area.
Photo by Ade Bowen
The Tent at the Vale of Glamorgan Agricultural Show, 2009
Even if you are not an aspiring beekeeper, you are most welcome to come and experience the incredible organisation of a working colony of bees. To date, people from age 3 to 73 have enjoyed the wonder of a working beehive, and have been given a certificate to prove it! The activity inside the Bee Tent can be observed from outside, if you prefer, through the mesh panels of the tent.
The demonstration is run by volunteers from Swansea and District Beekeepers along with members of other Beekeeping Associations in Wales. There is no charge for this wonderful beekeeping experience, but the Society is very grateful for any donations our visitors wish to make: it helps with the upkeep of the suits and other equipment.
Swansea and District Beekeepers would like to thank the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society for the opportunity to stage the “Bee Experience” and help to raise awareness of the challenges facing the honey bee and other pollinators.
Swansea and District Beekeepers’ Society
Photos by Ade Bowen
For further details contact Claire Miller 01792 884068
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