Tuesday 20 May 2025 is World Bee Day!
The Atkinson was lucky enough to be able to rehome a colony of bees from Formby earlier this year. The bees were a swarm that was caught in Formby and given a temporary home at Formby library where they spent the winter in a nuc hive.
A nuc or nucleus hive is a small, usually temporary, hive for caught swarms or a smaller colony to help them establish themselves. They usually have everything a colony needs, just on a smaller scale. The nuc was moved to the Atkinson a few weeks ago and the bees have now been placed into larger accommodation to allow them a bit more space and they appear to be making the most of it!
After just a week they have already started building up their stores of pollen, nectar and of course honey. Our beekeepers also report that the queen looks to be in good health with plenty of eggs and brood to be seen. These will become the worker bees of the future and a good sign that the colony is healthy.
Honeybees can forage up to five miles away from the hive, although usually a little closer. This means our bees could be helping to pollinate plants all over Southport. So, if you see a little honey be on a flower, say hello, it might be one of ours.
