Are you allowed to keep bees on your allotment?

[Digger-07]

Hello HM, I did know you have them on your site but you are a bit more isolated than I am. My plot is close to the main road and very visible from it and nearby houses. I did question LCC when I had a plot at Seacroft but they said "no livestock" so allowing critters on your site must be a local arrangement that perhaps LCC don't fully know about.

[Headfry]

Digger-07, not sure of your situation but, you can put hives on a roof......? so long as you can work with your bees ok. Just a thought.

[Earthbabe]

I have asked, explained, and generally done everything bar grovelling pleading on bended knee and the answer is still no. Strange though as all the plotholders I've spoken to on my site think it would be a great idea. Ho Hum - I shall have to cultivate solitaries and bumbles instead.

[Headfry]

There seems to be lots of differing rules here! It would be great if the British Bee Keeping Ass. could help the bee keepers cause! Seems there is much work to be done in this area!
I have just joined the Oxford branch.....and once I get my 'feet under the table' I will see what may be done.

[Digger-07]

Hf - I'm not allowed any structure on the site other than compost bins. I know it sound strange but I think it's to do with the site being in the middle of a housing estate. I have thought about moving but the place is very secure, very close to home so transport is not a problem and there are a good set of people who all get on well together so all in all I must put up with the restrictions.

I once kept a colony in my garage so that the neighbours couldn't object (they didn't know about it!). Just placed the hive near a window and made a bit of a tunnel to the outside. Very successful and easy to work because any stray bees went to the light and outside.

[sanman]

I think that the biggest problem is the fact that an awful lot of people are frightened of the swarm turning on them.

I think that is a lack of understanding, people need to be educated. However this shouldn't be an excuse for the stance being taken by many local authorities in respect of bees on allotment sites. As gardeners we should be lobbying the authorities to reverse their stance regarding prohibiting bees on allotment sites. Obviuosly sifficient controls should be inplace an I think that anyone wanting to keep bees should be a member of the BBKA and therefore have the relevant third party insurance and that they should also be registered with the Bee Unit. Lets be honest without bees our crops of beans, peas and fruit etc would be very much reduced.

I was interested to learn at my beekeeping course last night that the price of bees has greatly increased over the last couple of weeks and that many of the colonies exchanging hands at the York auction seemed to be being bought by beekeepers from the South. Has CCD struck down there?

[TPeers]

My allotment, or rather the one I used to have that Dad now has do allow bees - there is one holder who has bees, he keeps them in the shade of a strip of woodland that borders the allotments and separates them from the embankment and road (A232) There has never been any trouble with them - even the idiots who break in have the sense to stay away!

I doubt the management wouls allow more hives though - they are careful not to put holders with small kids near the hives, even if this means 'altering' the waiting lists. I assume that this is becuse they don't want a child or parent 'panicing' about insects.....