THE POLLENIZE BEEHIVE EXPERIENCE
“I really enjoyed the opportunity yesterday at the Marjon hives and the two Pollenize representatives were incredibly friendly, professional and very knowledgeable. I found everything really interesting.”
HOW DO I GET INVOLVED?
Pollenize patrons have the unique opportunity to attend regular guided visits to our beehives during the beekeeping season (April to August).
Patrons are invited to attend as often as they like on a first come, first serve basis.
Please note that these visits can be weather dependent.
The team are always excited to share the magic of bees with our valued members. You can learn about the cultural and environmental importance of bees whilst also gaining first hand knowledge about the process of beekeeping. Want in?
EARN YOUR BADGE
Once you’ve attended one or more apiary inspections alongside the Pollenize team, you can claim a bespoke digital badge to acknowledge your achievement!
Proudly display your Community Beekeeper Badge via your social media channels, on email signatures, or even a CV to showcase your commitment to supporting local environmental groups and boosting pollinator populations.
WHAT IS IT LIKE?
“My wife and I joined the Pollenize team as they were doing their weekly beehive inspections. On what seemed like the hottest day so far this year we joined them at the Devonport Guildhall to inspect the 4 hives there.
They provided us with the full body suits and we spent an hour or so meticulously inspecting the hives. We learned more than we could possibly contain at the time and we got hands on with all elements of the inspection.
Being that close to many thousands of bees was the most profound experience. We were buzzing..... for hours afterwards. The guys were super informative, welcoming and generous with their time, knowledge and expertise. If you are thinking about joining them on one of their inspections, you absolutely must. We will be going again, hopefully many times. Can't recommend it highly enough.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Before visiting any Pollenize apiary we need to give you some information that will make your visit more enjoyable, but most importantly keep you as safe as possible. If you have a question which we haven’t answered below, please do not hesitate to contact us.
IS IT SAFE?
Honeybees are social animals and their whole lives are dedicated to making their colony as successful as possible. They do not carry an inherent wish to sting you – in fact when they do it is fatal for the bee, so they have to have a really good reason to do so. The challenge is that protecting the hive is one of those reasons; opening their hive can activate the colonies defences if it is not done properly.
This is why it is important to make sure that we do everything we can to create a calm environment while the hive is open and protect the people visiting our apiary.
WHAT HAPPENS IF I GET STUNG?
We take every precaution to make sure you are well-protected with equipment and a check on the suit, but the risk of being stung does exist. If a bee does manage to sting you it will try to inject its venom into your body via its sting.
Unlike most other stinging insects, honeybees leave their sting in the victim and this continues to pump venom until the venom sac is empty. Therefore, if you are stung it is important to remove the stinger as soon as possible and you can do this by simply scraping the sting off your skin with a hard edge, e.g. the edge of a credit card. We’ll be there to help if this happens.
For the majority of people, the effects of being stung are no more than a small amount of swelling, irritation and pain. There are some exceptions to this; if you are stung in the mouth or throat, or have an allergy. People, who have had severe allergic reactions to insect stings in the past, will probably have a similar or worse reaction if stung again.
Some susceptible individuals can go into anaphylactic shock when stung by bees and this can have serious and potentially fatal consequences.
IT IS VITAL THAT YOU INFORM US BEFORE VISITING ANY OF OUR APIARIES IF YOU HAVE AN ALLERGY TO BEES OR OTHER INSECT STINGS.
YOU MUST BRING YOUR OWN EPI-PEN IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC.
WHAT DO I NEED TO WEAR?
You do not need to buy any specific clothing when visiting the Apiary as we have a supply of protective equipment (suits, hoods and gloves, (but not shoes) we can loan you during your visit.
If you have your own bee suit/gloves please feel free to bring these with you.
You are going to be outdoors and possibly exposed to the weather, so you should ideally wear Wellington boots, other types of boot or walking shoes (definitely no heels or open tops) and clothing appropriate to the weather expected. If you have a zip-up anorak please wear it.
Bees are very sensitive to smell so do not wearing strong perfumes, aftershave, deodorants etc
Please make us aware of any pre-existing medical conditions that may affect your safety while visiting the Apiary.
You will be escorted at all times by an experienced Pollenize beekeeper and briefed at the beginning of your visit. In order to ensure the health and safety of yourself and others, it is essential to follow the advice you are given. Bees are very sensitive to changes in their environment and inappropriate behaviour around them may create risks to persons.
You may see many bees flying about but remember that you are wearing a protective suit. If you find that you are disturbed by the bees’ behaviour then simply walk slowly away from the hives and wait for one of the instructors to join you.
Anyone behaving inappropriately will have to leave the Apiary.