Help us revive Hams Hall Apiary!
Donation protected
We are hoping to raise funds to revive an old apiary that has been left unmanaged for years.
Their hives are rotten, and whilst there are some bees still living amongst the hives, many are broken and empty. From what we can see over the recent years, four hives have lost their bees because of the disrepair. The future for the current five active hives isn't looking great, as we can see signs that their numbers are falling.
UPDATE - what we thought was originally was five hives is now eight, more bees the better! But sadly our target has had to be increased.
Neither of us are experienced beekeepers! However, we have found ourselves a mentor from the British Bee Keeping Association, and with his help, we want to bring the area back to its former glory and see these little honey bees thrive again!
The Apiary is situated on private land just outside of Coleshill, North Warwickshire. The wildlife and fauna on the site itself is thriving, with over 200 species being recorded amongst its 50-hectare site filled with woodland, wetlands, reed beds and pools. It's a perfect location for an apiary and its eco system would benefit greatly from the hives being restored.
What would £1400 would mean to us?
- We could replace eight of the current active hides straight away to ensure full food stores for the upcoming winter.
- Clear away potentially old diseased hives that have been reclaimed by nature.
- Tidy up and ethically dispose of all old materials left around the apiary.
- Improve the site by encouraging growth and introducing more native pollinator friendly plants through careful habitat management.
- Have Funds to build a barrier fence around the apiary to keep visitors safe and out of the flight path.
- Ensure that the new hives are on solid foundations and secured.
- Insurance for the bees, visitors and the beekeepers.
…But why help?
Bees are a keystone species to our eco system; if we loose our bees our crops and local fauna will suffer. Many animals rely on bees pollinating flowers and crops including ourselves for food. Bee-lieve it or not but it could also been the end life as we know it! Our world currently is a crazy place and with the pressures to lower our carbon footprint and do right by our planet, getting involved in projects like this is one step forward in the right direction!
What are you doing now?
Until we find funding, we will be doing what we can - getting the bees on clean comb frames and doing temporary fixes to the hives so that they at least protected from the rain/wind and don't fall apart over the next few months. We shall also be treating for various diseases and parasites such as foulbrood and varroa mites, which could be currently being transmitted to other hives in a three mile radius and potentially further.
Until we find funding, we will be doing what we can - getting the bees on clean comb frames and doing temporary fixes to the hives so that they at least protected from the rain/wind and don't fall apart over the next few months. We shall also be treating for various diseases and parasites such as foulbrood and varroa mites, which could be currently being transmitted to other hives in a three mile radius and potentially further.
So if you can, please donate and help us restore this apiary.
s-warm wishes,
Dan, Luke & Owen.
Organizer
Daniel Freeman
Organizer
England
