Nine new hives have been installed on the roof of the Cathays Park offices. The hives are part of Pharmabees, Cardiff University’s award-winning project which aims to host a community of bees on buildings in the city centre. There are other hives on the roofs of the National Museum of Wales, the St David’s Shopping Centre, Cardiff University buildings and in Bute Park.
Each hive will be home to up to 50,000 bees during the summer and will be managed by local bee keepers. The Welsh Government also has apiaries at its offices in Merthyr Tydfil, Llandudno Junction and Aberystwyth, along with other biodiversity projects on its estate.
The initiative is part of a number of Welsh Government biodiversity projects as part of its Action Plan for Pollinators. Pollination is also vital for crop production and worth more than £690 million to agriculture in the UK each year. Many wild flowering plants also rely on insect pollination for reproduction.
The Environment Minister, Hannah Blythyn, said:
“Bees are a crucial component of the food chain, acting as pollinators for a huge variety of plants and helping them flourish. But we’ve seen a decline in bee populations in recent years and we must take steps to reverse these trends.
“Our Action Plan for Pollinators in Wales sets out how we will provide diverse and connected flower-rich habitats for pollinators and raise awareness of their importance.
“Installing bee hives on public buildings is one way to highlight the importance of pollinators, with the added bonus of producing amazing honey at the same time!”
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