As a result of lockdowns and reduced travel in 2020-2021, the UK's bee population has been given a fighting chance
Wildflowers on road verges have been left to grow and a reduction in traffic fumes means bees shouldn’t have to travel as far for good quality pollen. What’s more, there’s been an increase in people trying out beekeeping for themselves – the number of beekeepers registered on Beebase, the National Bee Unit’s voluntary database, is two-and-a-half times what it was 10 years ago, having gone from 16,000 in 2010 to 42,000 in September 2020.
The UK is home to over 250 bee species, including 24 bumblebee species and one honeybee species, while the remainder is made up of solitary bees.
These figures are good news – bees are vital for a number of reasons. Not only do they pollinate crops, which improves food production levels, but they help plants to survive. In the UK, the estimated value of insect pollination to crops resulting in higher yield and better quality of seeds and fruit is £400m - £700m. Bees produce honey which has antibacterial properties and is therefore of health benefit both when ingested and when used in various skincare products. They also create wax, which can be found in candles, beauty products and furniture and is often used to preserve produce.
Beekeeper Dan Paul from Surrey explains: “I’ve kept honeybees for three years now, but before that, I spent almost 12 months researching the idea and educating myself. I have an apiary of 10 hives with my grandfather and find it an extremely rewarding pastime.
“My bees produce around 250kg of honey per year, which has therapeutic benefits for my mother, who suffers from ME and hayfever. I’m passionate about saving bees because of their importance to our whole ecosystem – we need to start appreciating them and spreading the word about their benefits.”
One of the brands of PGH Beegone is Beegone Live Bee Removal, pioneers in the live bee removal field. The safe process removes honeybees and combs from chimneys, walls, roofs and trees without using insecticides. Beegone Live Bee Removal extracts bees alive and relocates them, before bee proofing the structure to prevent more returning. The company carries out all aspects of the work in-house and provides unrivalled benefits to clients.
The PGH Beegone vision is to become the leading national provider of environmentally-friendly pest control and live bee removal services. To learn more about starting a business to save honeybees, PGH Beegone‘s franchise business development lead, Caroline Szeremeta, has more information.