World Bee Day is on May 20 every year to celebrate the vital role of bees and other pollinating pals in our ecosystems and food security. In today’s blog one of our Museum Supervisors, Danielle Jones, shares the story of a bee-autiful new project she’s been working on.
At Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums we care for Aberdeen’s wide-ranging collection of artworks and objects, but did you know that we also care for a colony of buzzing bees? One of our current projects has involved working with a local beekeeper to introduce bee hives at one of our sites!
We had heard of other museums supporting local beekeepers by agreeing to store hives on spare spaces that they had and we thought it was such a good idea, but had no idea of where to start. By sheer chance a message came through that an Aberdeen City Council colleague was looking for somewhere that they could relocate their hives and we jumped at the opportunity!
Over the Winter we were in discussion with the beekeeper about the best location for the bees and which venue would work best for their needs and safety. Then all we had to do was wait for the weather to turn and for the Spring months to arrive. Spring is one of the busiest times in a beekeepers diary and definitely the most unpredictable, as this is when the colonies grow fastest.
The bees have now arrived, and our beekeeper will continue to support the hive as they become familiar with their new home. They appear to be settling in and are ‘bee’-having themselves! It has been great to see the bees are already returning to the hive covered in bright yellow pollen. We wish them an amazing Summer and hope they will enjoy their new home.
Whilst we are keeping their exact location under wraps, it's great to have them with us! So far we have two hives on one site. We are proud to support local beekeepers and the amazing work that our bumbling and industrious friends do!
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and X to stay up to date with the hives’ progress!
