Page 12 - ALG Issue 3 2018

General
Applying to put bees on an allotment
Many local authorities are coming round to the idea that allowing beekeepers to put honey bees on allotments is a good thing.
However, this can be fraught with difficulties which can be overcome, and that need to be addressed carefully by both the beekeeper as a prospective allotment holder, and the site management committee.
I have kept bees on my allotment in East Manchester for the
last seven years, and apart from one wayward summer, they have always been under reasonable control. These are wild animals and will do what they will do – and, as many beekeepers say, they have not read the bee manual. The beekeeper will try to avoid letting the bees swarm, and becoming a nuisance to other plotholders, but sometimes bees will do what bees do.
The National Allotments Society has a very useful leaflet about beekeeping on allotments – but there are several issues which must be addressed before any bees are put onto an allotment:
Are you even allowed to keep bees on your site?
This should be addressed in your contract or tenancy agreement. If there is no mention of bees in your contract at all you must get permission from your local authority or landlord.
Don’t just put them onto your plot and hope no one will notice.
What about your neighbours? How do they feel about having bees near them? Have you asked?
Are you qualified to keep bees?
Do you know what you are doing? These can be quite dangerous to allotment holders, the public and any livestock in nearby areas.
Get trained at a proper beekeeping club. If you are a new beekeeper, it is a good idea to have someone more experienced you
can call on to assist. It also makes the job far easier, as beehives full of honey can be very heavy.
Place your hives carefully
Your hives need to be positioned well away from all the main footpaths and out of everyone’s way. They should not be too close to outside fences where their flight paths could cross public footpaths, or neighbours’ washing lines. The apiary should have a 2m screen around it to encourage the bees to fly up and up and away, rather than across the plots.
Contact Numbers
The beekeeper’s contact details should be displayed at the apiary in case they swarm, or rather for when they miss a swarm.
Allergies to bee stings
This is very serious; unfortunately until the sting occurs, many might not know they have an allergy. Some beekeepers can even develop the allergic reaction after having kept bees for many years – and they then may have to consider giving up.
If you know that a plotholder on your site has this allergic reaction, you must ask yourself: is it wise to have bees on the site?
Finally: If you are allowed bees on your allotment
Join your local beekeeping club and the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA), register your bees on Bee-Base, and enjoy your bees.
J.G. Irwin, NWCAA
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