Beekeeping is one of the oldest professions in the World and Honey has been found in tombs of kings in ancient Egypt – still in jars and edible…

The beekeepers role is to manage the bees in such a way as to increase healthy bee numbers providing stronger colonies and a good yield of products. Honeybees produce Honey as well as Royal Jelly, Propollis and Beeswax. All of these products are used by man in one way or another and have been for hundreds of years. The honeybee has been mans friend for a long time and has been very useful in giving other products such as Mead – made from the fermentation of honey and water.

The beekeepers challenge is to keep the hives protected through extreme weather as well as from pests and diseases. Pests and diseases can take a variety of forms including;

• Mice – looking for dry shelter in winter
• Horses and cattle – who may knock over hives
• Woodpeckers – who love the taste of fresh bees for their lunch!
• Varroa – a flea like parasite that spreads disease
• Foul brood – a virus which infects the colony and has fatal consequences

Beekeeping can be very rewarding with a good harvest in the Summer months for the last year, struggling with pests, disease, and the changes in weather.

Beekeeping can also be the most difficult of personal challenges because of the increase of pests and disease with no cures, colony losses over the winter and the hard physical work involved.

Sustain-a-bee looks to promote beekeeping and education, encouraging new beekeepers to the craft as well as educating others on the work of the Beekeepers. We support research into bees and issues surrounding their decline in the UK.