A Lincolnshire bee farmer is offering local land owners free, organic bee friendly flower seeds as part of his campaign to halt the decline of the British honeybee. Jez Rose, bee farmer and owner of Bees for Business based near Peterborough has pledged to provide the seed to any landowner who can provide suitable cleared land and is prepared to sow the seed.
Jez Rose said: “As part of our campaign to halt the honeybee’s decline, Bees for Business is already installing 250 hives over the next five years that will help to build the honeybee population up to more sustainable levels. That initiative has proved very popular, so we have decided to extend it to include free packets of bee friendly seeds. Alongside this, are also inviting local businesses to sponsor the seed sowing to make it as successful as possible.
“Our commitment is to provide bee friendly flower seed to cover up to 250 acres of land that will attract bees to pollinate. It is in the interests of all gardeners and land owners to create an environment where wildlife of all kinds can thrive. Farmers need to continue to be encouraged to farm with biodiversity in mind and anybody with a little bit of land can play their part in planting flowers and grasses that encourage bees and insects to breed and multiply. It is my hope that we are not too late to halt the terminal decline of the honeybee.”
Burghley House and Estate at Stamford near Peterborough has already committed to planting two hectares of bee friendly seed on part of their land.
David Pennell, from Burghley House and Estate at Stamford said: “Burghley is excited to support an initiative that looks at innovative ways to help our native honey bees. We have recently sown over 2 hectares of parkland with a wildflower bee seed mix that will help provide a wide base of flora and fauna for not only the bees but other insects and wildlife critical to creating a diverse habitat. It is wonderful to see such exciting sustainable activities going on in such a historic Capability Brown listed park and across the Estate”.