Beekeeping at WeeTree

We at WeeTree Nurseries noticed about three years ago that our stock plants were not getting enough pollination this meant that the overall look of our plants were falling. So what to do about it?? Well we contacted some local experts and got their advice and that advice was to place nest boxes around the site or to get a local beekeeper to put a few hives on the site. We looked into this and decided to take the middle road option and after some hectic phone calls and a few classes in the winter evenings I became a beekeeper and now keep five full hives on and around the site. This has involved a lot of learning and a bit of give and take but the nursery is so much better for it, the plants always look good when in flower and most of them get covered in bees this does mean that we now get quite a bit of delicious honey that we sell for £3.40 in a 454kg jar (that is a pound of honey in old money).

Beekeeping can be a lot of fun if carried out with a bit of common sense, care and a little bit of respect for other people. It can be very good for you and is a terrific hobby and of course you enjoy fresh from the hive honey but unless you take it up on a grand scale you will never be a millionaire but it can be very rewarding, if anyone is interested in keeping bees or just need some honey don't hesitate to ask.

Here are a few good places to start looking for information about bees and beekeeping.