Earlier this year, we installed our very own beehives on the roof of 3 Shortlands and guess what, the bees have been busy!

The Rooftop Honey hives

Our rooftop apiary were installed in early 2021 amongst news of worrying decline of the national bee population. Bees are integral to stable and healthy food supplies as the world’s best pollinators. The majority of plants rely on fresh pollination including 90% of our leading everyday food crops as well as 80% of our wildflower population.

However, their decline in numbers is causing growing concern across the Globe due to the effects of climate change, the increase of pesticides and the loss of habitats. More than ever, bees not only need our help to survive but to thrive.

Our beekeeper collecting the Rooftop Honey

To support the environmental need for secure and healthy bee populations, we installed three hives on the roof of 3 Shortlands and therefore gave home to thousands of honey bees. A good thing too as one honey bee will make a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in it’s lifetime – it takes a colony to keep us in stock of the golden nectar. With the introduction of these hives, Huddle now has access to a source of fresh, natural honey, collected by a professional beekeeper who visits the building on a regular basis and maintains the hives.

Huddle Rooftop Honey
Huddle Rooftop Honey

You’ll soon see our honeypots around the building!

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of the bee population – see below some links to useful articles.

Why do we need bees? | Friends of the Earth

Bees are vital to a healthy environment and healthy economy. They’re also simply beautiful and fascinating little insects. But what makes them so special?

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2017.2140