Leading local homebuilder David Wilson Homes South Midlands is helping to protect the British honey bee by planting bee friendly plants at its Bedfordshire developments.
Teaming up with leading bee charity, the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA), the developer is also installing bee hotels, in which the insects can shelter, at each of its Bedfordshire developments and is giving away packs of bee-friendly plant seeds and a fridge magnet to all new homebuyers.
Honey bee numbers have been in decline for a number of years and scientists believe this could have serious implications, since many plants rely on bees and other insects to transfer their pollen and continue their reproductive cycle.
Jackie Day, Sales Director for David Wilson Homes South Midlands, said, “We want to help boost bee numbers and raise awareness of the insects’ plight.
“We are planting bee friendly plants such as roses and poppies, and installing a bee hotel at each of our developments in Bedfordshire, and we are also giving away special bee-friendly gifts to customers as part of their welcome pack.”
Bee friendly plants bloom from early spring through to late autumn, and include roses, clematis, geraniums, buddleia, fuschias, poppies, pansies and fruit trees. One in three mouthfuls of food consumed by humans is reliant upon pollination, including strawberries, apples, pears, chocolate, sweet peppers, chilies, margarine, mustard and herbs.
Jane Moseley, Operations Director at the BBKA, said, “Unfortunately honey bees are rare in the wild due to the threats of disease and lack of forage diversity. We don’t all have to be beekeepers to become keepers of bees. By providing plants that are in bloom from February right through to October, we are providing plentiful sources of pollen and nectar for honey bees and other pollinators.”
David Wilson Homes currently has a number of prestigious developments in Bedfordshire, including Bedford Meadows and Woodlands in Kempston, The Fairways in Great Denham and Marston Park in Marston Moretaine.
A well-established homebuilder, David Wilson Homes prides itself on creating exceptional homes in the finest locations and recently achieved the maximum five star rating in a customer satisfaction survey ran by the Home Builders Federation.
For more information about David Wilson Homes, or to register your interest, please call 0844 811 4477 or log on to the website at www.dwh.co.uk
For more information on the BBKA please visit www.bbka.org.uk