David and Helga Aldersey, a local couple in Bournemouth, have been beekeeping for over 20 years and currently have 17 hives filled with bees in their garden.
In a year, they can produce up to a tonne of honey, which is then sold to local businesses, residents and stores across Bournemouth.
David describes this hobby as something that ‘keeps the brain cells ticking’, and says his bees are ‘well behaved’.
With climate change becoming more of a threat each year, David said: ‘We do notice the problems the bees can have’.
‘If they can’t get out to visit the flowers for pollen, the colony can start suffering very quickly. Climate change is causing dryness and the flowers can look lovely but if we’ve had a very dry winter and they’re stressed with the lack of water, the flowers can look beautiful to us but the bees find no nectar.’
The ever-changing climate can affect when the bees can fly.
Helga explained that she has to provide the bees with their food earlier in the year due to the wet or windy weather conditions, and found them ‘starving’ months before they are usually fed.
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