As more of us are discovering the Zen-like joy of keeping bees, our intrepid reporter donned a bee suit to find out more about these fascinating and essential insects
by Deborah Gingell.

Bees are part of the life source of the human population – responsible for pollinating one third of our food.
Albert Einstein is reported to have said: “If the bee disappears from the surface of the Earth, man would have no more than four years left to live.”
Sceptics say this cannot be proved, but there seems to be an increasing buzz in the air, as more and more people are taking up the hobby of beekeeping.
Marvin Collins, a member of the Yeovil Division of the Somerset Beekeeper’s Association, confesses that his bees are something of an ‘all-consuming hobby’, although says his wife Susan calls it more of an obsession.
But after spending a delightful afternoon in his sunny cottage garden, it is clear how passionate he is about these insects.
So, with a certain amount of trepidation I donned my bee suit, tucked my trouser legs into my wellies and had my wrists gaffer-taped into my Marigolds!
Walking, David Bellamy-style through the trees and into an opening in Marvin’s garden, we entered a clearing to an apiary (group of hives).
It felt like the calm before the storm, with each little wooden house containing an average of 50,000 bees. I can be a bit of a coward when a wasp comes within breathing distance of my face, but Marvin put me at my ease as he lifted the lid on one of the hives and the air was alive with the sound of buzzing!
Feeling amazingly calm, my first taste of being an apiarist instilled a new-found confidence in me. I actually felt quite brave, and I am pleased to say I survived unstung.

Marvin’s bees, up close

Public service
Marvin is often called upon to help when an unwelcome swarm of bees needs removing from places like chimneys and trees.
One of the most unusual SOS calls he’s had was from staff at Yeovil Cemetery, who were halfway through a funeral service when a swarm of bees attached themselves to the coffin.
“The pallbearers were walking down towards the burial site when the queen came and landed on the coffin and the swarm then landed,” he said.
“It was a little bit embarrassing as they had to put it down very quickly and then gave it a rather wide berth.
“They rang me up and I shot down there as quick as I could, got it sorted and took the bees off and put them into a hive.”

Raw, local and lovely
Marvin said that honey is a wonderful, natural product and the benefits of eating locally-made honey is numerous.
He said his wife used to suffer from a severe hayfever allergy, but since she started eating a spoonful of honey each day her reactions have dramatically reduced. To help with allergies, you need to consume local, raw honey to ensure the allergens native to your area are present.
Did you know that honey is renowned for its health-giving properties? Stir a spoonful into your hot tea to soothe a sore throat, or make a hot lemon drink with added honey to reduce the lifespan of a cold. Honey is a natural antiseptic – smear it on cuts and grazes to improve healing.
Unprocessed honey boasts unique flavours that are lost when industrialised. In this case, it appears buying local is better, not only for your health but because it reduces polluting carbon footprints and saves resources. Marvin supplies honey to a number of nearby retail outlets.

Marvin fires up the smoker, used to subdue the hives before inspection

Helping the garden helpers
All of us can help to keep the bee population thriving by filling our gardens with native species of colourful, insect-attracting plants.
Marvin and Susan have created a bee haven in their delightful garden, which is bursting with a host of plants including lavender, sedums and Japanese anemone.
Buddleia, ceanothus and lilac also rate highly in the bee attraction stakes alongside foxgloves, honeysuckle and snapdragons, not forgetting the humble dandelion, of which my own garden features heavily!
So, if your interest has been sparked and beekeeping is something you would like to learn more about, then the Yeovil Division of the Somerset Beekeepers Association will be hosting a Beginners Course from January to March 2023 with tutors Bill Patterson and John Carnegie.
This will comprise 10 weekly sessions at Queen Camel Memorial Hall followed by some taster practical visits in the Spring with some hands-on involvement as the weeks go on.

For further information, email Bill at patterson_32@sky.com or google Yeovil Division of Somerset Beekeepers Association and fill in an online form.