Hebrides  News                                       newsdesk@hebrides.biz

Hives donated to island bee keepers         7/6/11

Two hand-made bee hives are being donated to the Western Isles Beekeeping Association in a project to aid the survival of native honey bees.

Glasgow-based beekeeping company Johnny’s Garden (named after an old Stephen Stills song ) is gifting the hives to a crofter in Ness and a beekeeper in Point.

The hives are Warre Hives, a low maintenance, natural, eco-friendly structure which focuses on less intensive honey making and leads to happier, stronger bees.

One of the Johnny’s Garden directors is Mike Donald from Stornoway who now lives in Glasgow.

While working to set up urban colonies in the city, he is also looking to help establish new streams of income and revenue for crofters in the Hebrides through the lucrative honey markets.

He hopes the venture will tackle the decline of native bee populations across Scotland due to Colony Collapse Disorder.

The donated hives are made from reclaimed wood sources and finished

with natural Easdale slate.

The insulation is made from genuine Harris Tweed thanks to donations of material from the Harris Tweed Authority and Harris Tweed Hebrides.

Johnny’s Garden can provide bees, hives, advice and support for any crofter or smallholder in the Western Isles interested in taking up beekeeping and would like to thank the WI Beekeeping Association for their support and enthusiasm for the Warre Method of top-bar beekeeping.