Bee Palace

The origins of the beepalace

Nick Edmunds joint founder of beepalace Limited

Nick Edmonds, joint founder of beepalace Limited

“Having been a gardener and landscaper in Hampshire for most of my life, I’ve always had a passion for plants and wildlife. As a gardener I spend most of my time outdoors and so I find myself observing the wonders of the natural world. It was about 10 years ago that my passion for bees began – for both honey and solitary bees.

Most of us know something about bees – but our knowledge is mainly about honey and bumble bees. Solitary bees tend to get less attention. This is because much of the publicity around the decline in the bee population has concentrated on honey bees.

There are approximately 275 species of bees in the UK – and of these 250 are of the solitary variety (these are fertile bees that inhabit a nest they make themselves). There are 24 species of bumble bee and just one species of honey bee!

It’s not widely appreciated that solitary bees don’t swarm, don’t sting or make honey – therefore they don’t need any maintenance, just places to nest. It staggered me when I found out that it can take up to 20,000 honey bees to pollinate an acre of apple orchard, whereas it can take only 250 solitary bees.

Being familiar with some basic nesting homes for solitary bees that were available, the thought occurred to me that a better designed, longer lasting and more stylish nesting place would have much more appeal and that would also help raise the profile of the importance of these amazing pollinators. My idea was to create something very special that looks beautiful in a garden, patio or balcony.

Over the last 3 years I have worked with a friend, Duncan Green, to create such a home – the beepalace.

Made entirely in England by an artisan potter in Stoke-on-Trent the beepalace is slip cast in small batches and hand glazed. It is designed to be a focal point in a garden and to look attractive on its own or in group – just hang it on a wall or fence.

Remember, solitary bees are docile and will nest close to human activity. They very rarely use their weak sting and do not swarm.

The nesting tubes inside the beepalace are made of cardboard and replicate the type of nesting places solitary bees seek out in nature.

I hope you find owning a beepalace to be a very positive experience and that you enjoy being part of an innovative journey to make gardens brighter and more alive”.

Buy a beepalace now
 
Beepalaces look very attractive on their own on a brick wall or a fence. here the nesting tubes that the be lays her lavae in are very visible

A beepalace in the colour ‘forest green’

Remove the bee from the earth... at least one hundred thousand types of plants... will not survive. 
Albert Einstein.

 

It is generally accepted that one in three mouthfuls of food that we eat is bee pollinated. 

 

Insect pollination contributes in excess of £400 million to the UK economy.