The Wonders of Nature
Here at Rockingham Forest Park, we work closely with our local beekeepers who regularly come and advise on the swarms/nest that visit us here. The above pictures are of amazing honeycombs found in a fallen tree on site. It really is so amazing to see nature at its most spectacular.
Some Fun facts about bees
Honeybees are not the fastest fliers in the bug world they have a top speed of 15-2o miles per hour. They are built for short trips from flower to flower, not for long-distance hauls. Their tiny wings must flap 12,000 to 15,000 times per minute just to keep their bodies aloft for a flight home to the hive.
A colony can contain up to 60,000 bees.
Nurse bees care for the young.
The Queen’s Attendants bathe and feed her.
Guard bees keep watch at the entrance to the hive.
Construction workers build the beeswax foundation in which the queen lays eggs and the workers store honey.
Undertakers remove the dead.
Foragers bring back enough pollen and nectar to feed the entire community.
One bee produces 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey, it takes tens of thousands of workers to produce the 60 pounds of honey to sustain the entire colony over the winter.
Below is a picture of a swarm on the edge of the bridleway in our park, who were carefully removed by our local beekeeper and moved to its new home at a local Blueberry farm.
