Morning:
8°c
Italian bees creating a buzz on Fortnum's roof
Evening Standard21 Jul 2008
Some 200,000 honey bees have taken up residence on the roof of Fortnum & Mason.
Based in four hives, the Italian carnaroli bees are known for being placid and should produce a rare, super-sweet honey. They will gather nectar from the exotic flora within a three-andhalf mile area of the Piccadilly store, including Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace and Kensington Gardens, as well as pollen from chestnut and lime trees.
The white oak hives, each with a historically-themed arch, were designed by Fortnum & Mason sweet grocery buyer Jonathan Miller and are sited on the Jermyn Street side of the store. The bees have their own keeper, Steve Benbow, and are expected to produce 800 halfpound jars of honey each year.
Mr Miller said: "The honey will taste much richer than that from the country because the bees are feeding on such a rich diet."
Reader views (3)
Carnica bees are really gentle : I have 1 observation hive with that strain of bees and I was very suprised when I discovered how gentle they were : almost no smoke is needed!! I could stand for hours next and very close from the entrance of the hive watching them. I could even stick my hand in the entrance hole and get no stings or bee attacks!!!!
As for the italian bees they are as well very gentle when its a pure strain ; when they are crossbred with an other one its very different.
The honey produced in paris (where I lived last year) is very good ; I was first expecting somthing nasty full of pollutent but it was nothing like that!!!! There are no pesticides in Paris and my bees are doing much better in town !!! This year I live in the country and they had almost no pollen stores in automn!!
- Christophe Im, Paris France, 11/01/2010 11:26
Report abuse
There is no such thing as "Italian carnaroli bees". There is, however, Carniolan bee (Apis mellifera Carniola or Carnica) which is Slovenian and not Italian.
Italian bee is Apis mellifera ligustica and is not as good for urban beekeeping as Slovenian bee.
And as for "carnaroli" - as far as I know this is a type of rice.
- Diridonda Slavonica, Walthamstow, London, 11/01/2010 10:26
Report abuse
I certainly wouldn't want to eat honey made in central London. Think of all the pollution there.
- Mikko Takala, Drumnadrochit, Scotland, 11/01/2010 10:26
Report abuse
