It’s World Bee Day!
Did you know the Tyne Tunnel has an apiary and a maintained woodland area? On site, we have 3 beehives that are maintained on a weekly basis by Beekeeper Ian who manages the hives and harvests the honey 🐝
Today, Ian showed us inside the hives and even pointed out the Queen Bee! The Queen stays in the lower levels of the hive laying eggs whilst the worker bees pollinate flowers and produce honey.
The hives, which were installed by the Newcastle and District Beekeepers Association, improve the landscape of the site, while helping to increase the number of honey bees in the local area.
The UK’s bee population has declined significantly since 1900, with 13 species being declared extinct and a further 35 species considered at risk. TT2’s beehive project will help to encourage more bee activity, and increase the insects’ numbers! One of the easiest ways to help out bees from home is by planting lots of bee-friendly flowers in your garden.
Bees favour a wide range of flowering plants, including foxglove, birdsfoot trefoil and red clover 🌻
Bees are a crucial part of our planet’s ecosystem and we are proud to be doing our bit to protect them 🍯 Beekeeper Ian says: “The hive’s placement is ideal because the bees will be able to visit a wide range of plants that flower in urban areas!”