Hello everyone
By now I hope you’ll all have received the regular Allotment Newsletter and you may have noticed that Kevin has included a sheet regarding bees on allotments. Not sure whether this just went to Farnborough Road plot holders or went to all.
The purpose of Kevin’s sheet is to gauge opinion regarding the siting of a small number of bee hives at the Farnborough Road site.
The Shepherd & Flock site is already sharing the benefits of colony of local bees and we feel that it would be great if we could get something similar for Farnborough Road.
The “we” are 4 families who, I guess, are a loose co-operative who have worked plots 7 and 8 since the site was opened (re-opened?). We also share plot number 31 which is at the far bottom corner of the site, nearest the roundabout. We have had this plot for about a season and currently have about 2/3 of it given over to vegetables. But the very shady area towards the bottom fence would be ideal for a couple of bee hives, subject to the conditions that Kevin has outlined.
We feel that, as well as an interesting hobby with possible end product, the bees will be beneficial to all allotment holders.
There is a lot of bee related information available on the web and libraries and the National Society of Allotment & Leisure Gardeners (www.NSALG.or.uk) provides some sound views and advice on the subject of bees and allotments (http://www.nsalg.org.uk/uploads/article459/BBKA%20Allotment_Beekeeping.pdf and http://www.nsalg.org.uk/uploads/article459/Guide%20to%20keeping%20bees%20on%20allotments.pdf).
We recognise that beekeeping comes with a certain amount of responsibility so our two nominated beekeepers will be attending a local beekeeping course and tapping into the expertise at the Farnham beekeepers over at the Rural Life centre (http://www.farnhambeekeepers.org.uk/).
Our aim would be to set one or two hives up in early Spring 2012 but clearly we need the backing of other plot holders before getting the green light from Kevin and making the financial commitment.
That’s where you come in! We would very much like your support by positively completing Kevin’s questionnaire and returning it to him at Kevin Taitt, Town Council Office, South Street, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 7RN, or scan and email to him directly at kevin.taitt@farnham.gov.uk. If you don’t have a questionairre and would like one then please contact me and I’ll be glad to email you one.
Here’s to Farnborough Road honey at the 2013 Farnham allotment show!
Thanks, Shona and Ken
Filed under: Beekeeping Tagged: | bees, Farnborough Road
Good luck with everything. The bees have integrated seamlessly down at the Shepherd and Flock site, you wouldn’t even know they were there! We will have a honey harvest next year from our two hives.
thanks for the encouragement Dave and thanks also for the nice bee photo that you kindly inserted to my rather dull text!
Yes we are in favour of bees, and we have filled in Kevin’s questionnaire.
John & Susan (14)
I think its a brilliant idea, so no objection from Plot 28 Adrian Gunn
I am very nervous about having bees on the site and will need much more information please. I appreciate that we need the bees and am aware that they are beneficial. My allotment is my haven and I hope it will stay that way. I need more reassurance.
Why not pop down to the Shepherd and Flock allotment site? They invited us last year. I went. I think its a matter of getting used to having them around. I understand you are nervous initially, but if you go down and look and get used to them buzzing around, that might help?
Please could you tell me if the bee keepers have public liability insurance. Also when do I go to the shepherd and flock site, I think the bee keeper should bee there . I have done a lot of reading about bee keeping and am still annoyed that plot holders werent told before permission was given at our allotment, at least we could have found out more and our mind put at ease.
Hi Shirley,
What are you nervous about? They are bees not alligators?! We have 2 active hives on the S&F with no problems. They will only sting you if you attack them or surprise them.
David
Shirley,
Yes, all beekeepers who join the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) are automatically covered by public liability insurance. If you’d like to read more then the following leaflet gives more details. Although it is produced by the Avon Beekeepers Association, the same advice applies to Farnham Beekeepers Association.
http://www.abka.org.uk/handbook/Insurance%20for%20beekeepers%202008.pdf
I imagine that you, or anyone else, would be very welcome to pop along to the S&F site to chat to the beekeeper. Her name is Debbie Greenhill but I don’t have any contact details for her at present – perhaps someone else can oblige?
Am sorry if you feel that there was insufficient consultation on this but we really did try and get the message out. Kevin sent out a bee keeping questionaire to all plot holders back in October 2011 and I followed up with the above posting on this website to give further explanation.
I am really hopeful that the bees at Farnborough Road will work out well for everyone. The hive is to be sited in the far corner, surrounded by fencing to encourage the bees to get up and away. We have 2 beekeepers who have just completed an 8 session theory course and are about to embark on a 6 session practical course. A notice will be displayed at the hive area which has contact details for the beekeepers. We are also plot holders and have children who enjoy allotmenting so it is in all of our interests that the bee hive causes no disruption. Happy to try and answer any other question or concerns that you may have.
Ken
Thank you shona and ken for your reply. I dont think I will bother going there to see how its working. I feel more reassured after your reply, thank you for taking the time.
shirley.