Tag: bees

Holyrood Hives: Parliament’s bee population swarms to over a million

The Scottish Parliament’s burgeoning bee population has grown to over one million bees.

As the population continues to thrive, the number of beehives onsite has also grown, increasing from 11 last year to 15.

The beehives were first installed in the Members’ Garden of the Scottish Parliament in 2014.

During the summer months, the bee population in Holyrood’s grounds rises to in excess of a million bees, falling back to a third of that figure through winter.

The Rt Hon. Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament said: “As a Parliament we are keen to do everything we can to ensure that the future is a sustainable one for all of us.

“We’ve had these bees with us since 2014 and they’re very much part and parcel of our grounds.

“They play a really important role in highlighting all organisations and institutions should do their bit when it comes to promoting biodiversity, tackling climate change and looking at how we produce our food.”

Stuart Hood, beekeeper and owner of ‘Hoods Honey’, who look after the beehives, said: “This is our ninth year having beehives on site in the Scottish Parliament. In that time we’ve gone from four hives up to fifteen now.

“The bees love being based here and thrive in this environment, and I’m proud to say all of the hives on site have been bred here and so are a unique strain to the Scottish Parliament.”

Key info:

  • The bees typically forage for pollen and nectar at a distance of up to 2 miles, but with Holyrood Park on their doorstep, they do not have to fly very far. 
  • In the height of summer each hive will have between 65,000 and 70,000 bees.
  • On a daily basis, one hive’s combined flight distance for all the flying bees will equate to flying from the Earth to the Moon.
  • They fly at an average speed of 17mph when flying to plants and 12mph coming back fully laden with their goods. 
  • The beeswax (which is a by-product of beekeeping) is used to fill the Great Seal of Scotland and seal acts of the Scottish Parliament.
  • As the world’s most important pollinator of food crops, it is estimated that one third of the food that we consume each day relies on pollination, mainly by bees, but also from other insects, birds, and bats.

Dobbies creates a buzz with free workshops in Edinburgh

Garden Centre shows customers how to create a bee-friendly garden

Dobbies, the UK’s leading garden centre, is hosting two free interactive workshops at its Edinburgh store this Easter, where experts will educate customers on the wonder of pollinators and how to transform the garden into a bee haven.

Designed for the whole family, Dobbies’ April workshops are a great way to learn more about gardening, whether you’re a novice looking to pull on gardening gloves for the first time, a seasoned gardener hoping for some direction, a gardening pro eager to enhance your gardening expertise or some helpful tips on how to keep your little ones busy in the garden this Easter.

Dobbies’ Grow How session in Edinburgh will be held on Saturday 1 April at 10:30am where customers will be invited to discover how to make their garden a haven for pollinators. Using plants, shrubs and flowers, Dobbies’ horticultural experts will outline the benefits of supporting wildlife in the garden, the best varieties of plants to encourage more bees into our gardens, and which perennials to plant now in preparation for summer.

Dobbies’ April Little Seedlings Club will focus on the magnificent bee and takes place on Sunday 2 April in its Edinburgh store. Packed full of interactive activities, this workshop is perfect for kids aged 4-10 years old and is a great way to keep them busy during the Easter holidays.

Children will come together in a relaxed group setting, discover fun facts about the different bee species and why they are so important, the science behind how these insects pollinate flowers and a fun experiment to get everyone engaged. Attendees will also receive expert advice on how to create a bee-friendly garden with a Lavender planting activity, and how they can do their bit to help save the bees.

Dobbies’ Community and CSR Communications Executive, Chloë Bell, explains why pollinators are so important, she said: “Pollinators are vital in supporting the health of our natural ecosystem.

“Bees are currently under threat with the species facing extinction, so as a garden centre we’re constantly looking at educating the next generation so that in years to come, the world is a more pollinator-friendly place.

“There’s a lot to learn about the wonderful pollinators that call our green spaces home, and we hope our two workshops in Edinburgh help families across the country play their part in supporting and protecting these vulnerable insects.”

Sustainability is at the core of both workshops, and the horticultural experts will highlight the great selection of environmentally friendly products that can be purchased.

For more information about the two workshops at Dobbies’ Edinburgh store and how you can take part, visit www.dobbies.com/events

Dobbies Garden Centre: Lupins set to be Edinburgh’s most popular bloom this spring

Spring it on with Dobbies!

With spring well and truly here and the gardening season in full swing, research from the UK’s leading garden centre retailer, Dobbies, has found that 65% of Edinburgh locals are looking forward to doing more gardening this spring. 

The research, from Independent Media News, looked into this year’s gardening trends, attitudes towards gardening, garden centres themselves and some of the misconceptions about the UK’s favourite pastime.

Dobbies’ Edinburgh store has had a great start to the season and looking at customer trends from last year and this year to-date, General Manager, Jenna Bavidge, predicts Lupins will be the most popular plant for Edinburgh gardeners this spring.

Perennial Lupins, a favourite cottage plant, is a haven for bumblebees and butterflies with striking, tall bright blooms that come in a variety of colours and shades. These are wonderful pollinators and will inject gorgeous colour into the garden right the way through spring and summer and will continue to bloom year on year.

Research from Dobbies shows that just under half of Edinburgh residents are hoping to encourage more wildlife into their garden, and Lupins are the perfect plant to do that.

Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles, encourages Edinburgh residents to Spring it on this year by sharing his top tips on Lupins and why they are so popular in East Scotland: “Lupins is a great addition to any garden, no matter the size or shape of your borders.

“We recommend planting Lupins in early spring to maximise their flowering potential and mulching well with peat-free compost to encourage strong growth and good moisture.

“These hardy blooms thrive in a bright spot that benefits from partial shade. If you don’t have a garden space, Gallery Lupins have been bred to be smaller and can flourish in a balcony space.”

For more information on what’s in stock at your local Dobbies’ Edinburgh store, visit www.dobbies.com.

If you would like to explore Dobbies full SS22 range, you can do so via their digital Look Book and Look Book Video.

SCRAN FIR BEES!

North Edinburgh Arts is working with local artist Natalie Taylor on a butterfly and bee friendly art project in Muirhouse and West Pilton.

Not only does this landscape art intervention offer nectar rich flowers for our struggling pollinators, but also it delivers a serious message in Scottish slang whilst adding a splash of colour to a busy roadside verge

SCRAN FIR BEES is a huge community artwork written large near the Red Bridge on Ferry Road, passed by hundreds of cars and buses every day, and highly visible from the cycle path bridge which passes over it nearby.

Bees’ needs? Just food and a home!

There are five simple actions you can take to help make our environment more friendly for bees, butterflies, moths and other insect pollinators, says DEFRA:

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Did you know here are at least 1500 species of insect pollinators in the UK? These are insects that help plants reproduce by carrying pollen from flower to flower as they feed. They include bumblebees, honey bees, solitary bees, hoverflies, wasps, flies, beetles, butterflies and moths. Continue reading Bees’ needs? Just food and a home!

Buzz of excitement as Flora serves up Holyrood honey

Flora Shedden - Scottish Parliament Honey

Great British Bake Off star Flora Shedden brought a buzz of excitement to the Scottish Parliament this week as she joined the Presiding Officer to unveil a specially commissioned bake made with honey from the Scottish Parliament’s beehives. Continue reading Buzz of excitement as Flora serves up Holyrood honey

MP calls for action to halt bee decline

Local MP Mark Lazarowicz is calling for a precautionary moratorium on three pesticides – imidacloprid, clothianidin and TMX – linked to the decline of the UK’s bee populations. The North and Leith MP is a longstanding member of the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee and its new hard-hitting report on Pollinators and Pesticides is published today.

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Mark Lazarowicz (pictured above) said: “As part of our inquiry into insects and insecticides we looked at the sharp decline in the number of bees in the UK and there’s growing concern that the use of certain chemicals might be to blame. Bees matter to both gardeners and farmers because of their role in pollinating fruit and vegetables as well as flowers. They are fundamental to our ecology and economy. The scientific evidence points to the need for a precautionary moratorium to be introduced. DEFRA should listen to it and act.”

Two-thirds of wild insect pollinator species – such as bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies, carrion flies, beetles, midges and moths – have suffered population declines in the UK. Managed honeybees have also experienced unusually high mortality rates, decreased fertility, increased susceptibility to disease and the loss of hives. Similar trends have been observed in the US and other European countries.

Disease, habitat loss and climate change can all affect insect populations, but a growing body of peer-reviewed research suggests that the use of one group of insecticides is having an especially damaging impact on pollinators — neonicotinoids. Applied to seeds, these systemic pesticides are widely used in the UK on oilseed rape, cereals, maize, sugar beet and crops grown in glasshouses.

Authorities in France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia have already suspended the use of some neonicotinoids in certain circumstances. The European Commission has also proposed an EU-wide moratorium on the use of imidacloprid, clothianidin and TMX on crops attractive to bees, following a recent risk warning from the European Food Safety Authority. The UK has refused to take domestic action or to support the EU proposal.

Many of the UK’s largest garden retailers, including B&Q, Wickes and Homebase, have voluntarily withdrawn non-professional plant protection products that contain neonicotinoids. The report recommends a full ban on the sale of neonicotinoids for public domestic use in order to create an urban safe haven for pollinators.

Pesticide manufacturers often claim that studies linking their products to bee decline are flawed or inconclusive and that other factors are primarily to blame, such as the Varroa mite. But although the agrochemical industry has produced many studies on the environmental effect of pesticides, it keeps most of its data secret on grounds of commercial confidentiality.

The report warns that this lack of transparency is preventing a fuller understanding of the problem. The MPs call on the industry to place the results of its trials and studies in the public domain so that they can be subjected to open academic scrutiny. Defra should help companies establish which genuinely commercially sensitive details need to be redacted to make this possible.

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