Urban Bees

The British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) launched an initiative at the Chelsea Flower Show to encourage urbanites to keep bees, which have lost some of their natural countryside. They suggest that hives can be installed on rooftops, behind garden walls and on allotments in towns and cities. There are about 44,000 beekeepers in the UK who look after some 240,000 hives. The UK produces about 20% of the honey it consumes, according to the BBKA - so an increase in domestic beekeepers could also help reduce food miles.