Mansfields hive-star accommodation is bee’s knees
The ‘Bee & Bees’ have been created in 20 of Mansfields farms across Kent and are set to boost the declining species’ population.
Staff at Mansfields, are ‘buzzing’ about the new bee accommodation, with farms manager, Craig Rook, saying:
“Bees are part of the fine grain of Britain’s local biodiversity and are something to be cherished. As we know, the species is in decline, due to loss of nesting and feeding habits, so anything we can do to assist in conserving the species is essential.
“These homes are best suited to solitary bees which work far more efficiently than honey or bumble bees, particularly in the typical cold temperatures we experience around blossom time in the UK.
“This isn’t a short-term solution – these will be a permanent home for a bee’s lifespan, which is at least nine months, as it develops from an egg into a full-grown adult. We are also planting a wild flower seed mix for the bees, which is excellent for making a haven for wildlife.
“We’ve noticed an increase in bees ‘checking-in’ to their specially-made hotels and we will monitor this activity as we gradually increase the number of hives to 500 over the next five years, learning what works best in terms of shapes and materials through time.”
Dartford-based Chingford Fruit is one of Mansfields’ customers and is delighted with the new bee accommodation, with Horticulture Manager, Doug Hutton-Squire, recently visiting the development.
Doug said, “We appreciate how important the bee is to our industry – in terms of yield and quality. Good pollination is required to set a healthy crop with high seed counts, which improve fruit shape, firmness and eating quality. So, anything that can be done to help to protect this fascinating species is applauded.”
In addition to the bee hotels, Mansfields is also implementing ‘operation bumblebee’ to address the 70% decline in the species over the last 30 years.
Craig Rook continued, “Out of the 20 bumblebee species, one has disappeared altogether, with three on the verge of extinction and an additional six at precariously low populations. We recognise the bumblebee as a key species in what we do and our future plans so our aim is to try to increase the population of bumblebees and other wildlife, including butterflies, beetles and other bugs, with farmland birds also benefiting.
“Therefore, we have developed a series of wildlife corridors and have built beetle banks, seeded with a specific grass mix. Field margins have been enhanced and seeded with both pollen, nectar, butterfly and bee wild flower seed mix.
“Since the start of ‘operation bumblebee’, we have seen an increase in the bee activity, which is fantastic and something we wish to build on.”
