VIDEO: Inside a hive with Worthing beekeepers
AS honey bees are busy collecting nectar and pollen, members of Worthing Beekeepers are making the most of the bee season.
"Bees are fascinating insects and are relatively easy to keep," said Pauline Ford, president of the association.
For the past 25 years, Pauline, 63, from Ferring, has kept several bee hives in her garden.
Click on the green play button to see video of Pauline and her hive.
She said: "I've just finished teaching an 11-week beekeeping course telling people about the fascination of bees and their importance to the ecology of Britain."
The course, which was run ahead of bee season at the Broadwater Northbrook College campus, was so popular it quickly became oversubscribed, leaving people on a waiting list.
Now, tucked away in gardens from Ferring to Findon and Worthing to Washington, dozens of beginners are keeping bees after completing the course.
Recession beater
Worthing Beekeepers secretary Sarah Rose, 44, is a novice beekeeper.
She said: "I think people have become very keen on being self-contained during the recession.
"Growing your own food and keeping a garden.
"People forget the simple pleasures that come from nature."
The mum of three from Castle Goring added: "I think I'll be keeping bees for the rest of my life now, it's straightforward once you know how."
Taste of honey
The Worthing Beekeeping Association has about 70 members. In the past two years alone, the number of members has doubled.
The group meets during the summer months at a training apiary, or hive, near the A27 in Worthing to teach beginner and novice beekeepers how to handle a hive.
One of the main benefits of keeping bees is harvesting the honey that is produced.
Honey is usually extracted from May onwards and can be eaten, used as a sweetener or in cooking.
Bees wax
The wax produced from keeping a hive can be used to make candles, and economically the wax is used to coat pills and make bees wax polish.
It also goes into some face and hand creams, as does Royal Jelly, which is fed to the queen bee because it is protein rich and thought to provide youth-giving properties to human skin.
Propolysis, a sticky substance used by bees to fill gaps in the hive, has antibacterial properties and can be used for medicinal purposes and to varnish violins.
Swarms
From this time of year onwards swarms of honey bees can appear.
Swarms should be left alone, but if there is a problem Worthing Beekeepers Association will voluntarily try to arrange to have it removed.
If you find a swarm of bees in your garden or want to express an interest in becoming a beekeeper in Worthing, contact Steve Newport on 01903 500 974.
To find out more about Worthing Beekeepers Association, visit www.worthingbeekeepers.fsnet.co.uk
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Weather for Worthing
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North
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Sunny spells
Temperature: 3 C to 9 C
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