With expert help from volunteers, City of York Council has opened its first apiary to its first tenant and is inviting more beekeepers to rent space for their hives.

An unused plot at Bootham Stray Allotments has been transformed with help from local beekeepers and volunteers from the allotment, into a site where bees can be kept – and there’s a real buzz to this Smarter York project!

The first hive has been installed with more booked in ready for the bees’ major spring-time awakening, and others are invited to apply.

Numbers of honey bees and other important pollinators have declined in recent years, but a revival in beekeeping means that demand is now rising, according to local apiarists.

The out of town site welcomes new beekeeping tenants, in particular those who have been trained or are in training. York and District Beekeeping Association will work with the council to promote the plot which can accommodate 20 hives with potential for expansion if needed.
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