Buzzing off
FIVE swarms of 50,000 rare Welsh black honeybees—previously thought to have died out in all but the most remote parts of northern Britain—have had temporarily to move house, while repair work at their home in Gwynedd, North Wales, is underway. Picturesque manor house Plas yn Rhiw, within the microclimate of the Llŷn Peninsula, dates back to the 17th century and was rescued and restored by three sisters, Eileen, Lorna and Honora Keating, after they acquired it in 1938. They were happy to share their beloved home with the honeybees that lived in the roof, even when their numbers multiplied and honey seeped through cracks in the walls in summer. When they gave it to the National Trust in 1952, they stipulated that the bees not be removed: ‘We earnestly wish that the wild bees be undisturbed. May all occupiers of the property be requested to refrain from using poisonous sprays and preparations for the control of pests and advice on harmless methods be sought.’
However, with Plas yn Rhiw in dire need of re-roofing for the first time in 200 years, the bees—which share their roof home with common pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle and whiskered/Brandt’s bats (also being protected during works)—are on a temporary holiday in nearby hives, thanks to bee-relocation specialist SwarmCatcher. The restoration will take place in stages, using some 4,000 Welsh slates from the nearby Penrhyn quarry.
‘They were moved about 10 miles away—if they had
