Bees and Beekeeping

There's something of a buzz about our programme this week as we take a look at bees and beekeeping. The National Bee Unit estimate that in 2016 there were 4,280 beekeepers in Wales who produced 307 tonnes of Welsh honey, worth approximately three million pounds. But are we making the most of this important agricultural sector? Two years ago a project was launched to increase honey production and marketing in Wales, urging farmers and landowners to have beehives on their land and so help boost the Welsh honey industry. Cywain Bee has been working with beekeepers, looking at ways of boosting their businesses to bring added value within the agriculture sector.

Rachael Garside meets Peter Jenkins who is passionate about preserving struggling native bees. Our reporter Huw Jenkins travels to Anglesey to find out what a professional beekeeper gets up to in winter. Huw also meets a beekeeper in the village of Maentwrog in the Vale of Ffestiniog who is developing skincare products based on botanicals and what comes out of her hives. And Rachael learns how looking after bees can also help with PTSD and of course produce award winning honey!