At NaturesZion, our passion has always been about working with nature, not against it. The NaturesZion Apiary is a natural extension of that philosophy. While many people know us for our invertebrates, beekeeping allows us to support biodiversity, conservation, and the incredible ecosystems that depend on pollinators.
Our apiary is still growing, and we have an exciting vision for its future.
Our Current Bees
Our colonies are currently headed by commercial Buckfast queens. Buckfast bees are well known for their gentle temperament, strong productivity, and excellent honey production. As a result, they are an ideal choice while we continue to establish and develop the NaturesZion Apiary.
Healthy colonies help us improve our beekeeping skills. They also allow us to refine our husbandry and build strong foundations for the future.
Looking Towards Britain’s Native Black Bee
Although our current colonies are Buckfast, our long-term goal is to work primarily with the British Black Bee (Apis mellifera mellifera), Britain’s native honey bee.
For many years, people believed these remarkable bees had disappeared from much of the United Kingdom after devastating colony losses during the early twentieth century. However, researchers identified surviving populations with strong native characteristics in several parts of Britain in 2012. Their discovery renewed hope for conserving this hardy and historically important subspecies.
The British Black Bee evolved alongside Britain’s climate for thousands of years. As a result, it is naturally adapted to our cool, unpredictable weather. These bees often use their winter food stores more efficiently, forage well in cooler conditions, and represent an important part of Britain’s natural heritage.
We want to support responsible breeding programmes that preserve valuable native genetics. We also hope to reduce reliance on imported stock wherever possible.
More Than Just Honey
For us, beekeeping is about far more than producing honey.
Healthy honey bee colonies pollinate wildflowers, fruit trees, crops, and garden plants. They play a vital role in supporting healthy ecosystems and increasing biodiversity.
The NaturesZion Apiary forms an important part of our wider commitment to conservation, education, and responsible animal keeping.
Learning, Improving and Sharing
Like everything we do at NaturesZion, our apiary is built on continual learning and improvement.
As our experience grows, we’ll share seasonal updates and hive inspections. We’ll also cover equipment reviews, queen rearing, swarm prevention, practical beekeeping advice, and the lessons we learn along the way.
Whether you’re an experienced beekeeper, thinking about starting your first hive, or simply fascinated by these incredible insects, we hope you’ll enjoy following our journey.
The Future of the NaturesZion Apiary
As the NaturesZion Apiary grows, so do our ambitions.
Our long-term goals include:
- Expanding our apiary with carefully managed, healthy colonies.
- Working increasingly with British Black Bees.
- Supporting pollinator conservation and habitat creation.
- Producing high-quality local honey and other sustainable hive products.
- Sharing educational resources to inspire more people to appreciate and protect pollinators.
Every flower our bees visit helps local ecosystems. Every healthy colony we nurture supports pollinators. Every person we inspire helps create healthier landscapes for wildlife and future generations.
Thank you for joining us on our beekeeping journey. We’re excited to share every step as the NaturesZion Apiary continues to grow. 🐝🌿
