Meet Southmead Hospital’s very own beekeeper
Two hives introduced to the grounds of Bristol’s biggest hospital have begun producing honey, just over a year after the special ‘gentle and calm’ bees arrived. North Bristol NHS Trust invited a local beekeeper Derek Allen to set up the hives in the grounds of Southmead Hospital, after health bosses decided having bees buzzing around the gardens would be good for staff and patients.
Mr Allen installed the hives and brought in a particularly friendly species of honey bee, given that the hospital grounds are frequented by patients as well as visitors and staff. He said so far the bees have been a success, and they are now producing the first summer’s harvest of honey.
“The hives have been here for just over a year now and this is their first year that they’ve produced honey, so it’s all going well,” Mr Allen said in a video released by the trust. “We are now, believe it or not even though it is only the beginning of August, prepping for winter.
“The bees are really good at biodiversity. They are not a specialist like a lot of other insects, so they don’t specialise in anything in particular, so they are very broad ranging. They can go around and pollinate a wide range of stuff,” he added.
One of the conditions of the deal to bring the bees into Southmead Hospital was that the bees would be able to go about their business without being an issue for humans – something which they have done perfectly.
Southmead Hospital has its own bee hives and beekeeper, Derek Allen(Image: North Bristol NHS Trust)
“Because we are in a public area, we make sure that the bees that we use are fairly gentle and quite calm, so they are not going to cause a problem, become a pest or a nuisance and start stinging people,” Mr Allen said. “Everyone has been playing nice and that’s how we like to try and keep it,” he added.
A spokesperson for North Bristol NHS Trust, which runs Southmead Hospital, said as well as producing honey, having bees is beneficial for everyone in other ways.
Southmead Hospital has its own bee hives and beekeeper, Derek Allen(Image: North Bristol NHS Trust)
“These gentle bees aren’t just making honey, they’re supporting biodiversity, pollinating plants, and bringing a touch of nature to healthcare,” she said.
“It promotes environmental sustainability, supports local ecosystems and offers therapeutic benefits for staff and patients – a sweet reminder that healing happens in more ways than one,” she said.