UnBEElievable! Londoners unite in efforts to protect the honeybee

It’s the latest conservation story to be hitting the headlines of newspapers, from the Evening Standard to the Telegraph. Attempts to save the honeybee are on the rise in the nation’s capital, as a increasing number of Londoners are growing aware of the problems facing wildlife and want to do their best to prevent the fragile bee population from dying out.

John Chapple from The London Beekeepers Association John installing a new beehive on an urban rooftop garden in Hackney , London

According to The Standard, the number of people in the capital who are hosting their own bee colonies in their back gardens has more than doubled in the last 5 years to 3,500. This, in part, is due to the success of several high-profile campaigns, for example The Co-Operative’s Plan Bee drive which was launched in response to the dwindling number of pollinating insects.

A promotional photo from The Co-Operative’s Plan Bee initiative

According to figures from the British Beekeepers Association, nearly 10 in every 100 colonies were lost between October 2013 and March 2014, claiming that habitat loss and rising pollution were the main factors in their demise.

Some have blamed the urban beekeepers for swarms appearing on London’s high streets. While bee swarms are generally considered to be harmless to the public, they still cause concern to the unsuspecting passerby. However this hasn’t stopped founders of beehive installation and management company Paul Webb and Chris Barnes from being inundated with requests to construct new hives, as the demand soars.

One thing is for certain. Londoners are taking the issue of conserving the honeybee population seriously and it seems many are keen to play their part in maintaining sufficient numbers of healthy colonies. After all, bees are vital to our food chain and at least one third of the food we eat would not be available if it wasn’t for the contributions of this highly underestimated insect.

A bee mural in London with the slogan “when we go we’re taking you with us!”

For more information about the importance of Beekeeping and how you can make a difference in your local community visit The British Beekeeping Association.