It's the bees knees: bee hotels donated to Yapton Primary School

The donation comes after a study published by University College London warned for an ‘insect-apocalypse’, explaining that insect numbers in some parts of the world have almost halved.

The two hotels were installed in a quiet part of the school grounds and should hopefully create a safe haven for the bees, far away from predators. Solitary species of bee, like Orchard, Mason and Leafcutter varieties, are also expected to benefit.

Primary school staff plan to use the space around the bee hotels as an emotional support and educational resource – introducing students to the ecological role filled by bees and other insects as native pollinators, vital for the spread of plants and flowers in nature.

Nicki Dennis, head of sales at Dandara Southern, the homebuilder behind the nearby Paddock View development, said: “Research shows that the bee populations are declining, so our hope is that the donation to the pupils will protect the local bees and reverse this trend but also stimulate discussions around the long-term conservation of these populations.”

Kim Hugget, head teacher at Yapton CofE Primary School added: “With our bees under threat and the prevention of even further losses of these pollinators absolutely crucial, this activity was a great way of ensuring the next generation is discussing this from an early age. We are glad to see Dandara encouraging this with the donation of our new bee homes and look forward to seeing in the autumn term if any bees have moved in over the summer!”

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