A NEW hotel has opened in Shinfield, but you can’t stay in it… it’s for bees.
Housbuilder Danara, which is constructing Oakwood Place, has donated a collection of bee hotels to Shinfield Allotment holders in a bid to boost nesting sites for the pollinating insects.
The gift was to mark the recent World Bee Day, which aims to raise awareness of the yellow and black striped flying creatures.
The housebuilder says not all bee species live in colonies, bee hotels offer a safe shelter in which solitary bees can lay their eggs.
Zoey Rampton, head of sales at Dandara, said: “We hope our donation to the allotments will encourage holders to develop their interest in beekeeping and pollinator conservation efforts.”
“Dandara is committed to enhancing and maintaining local biodiversity, as reflected in our work towards providing a net biodiversity gain at all new developments. With around 35 species of bee currently under the threat of extinction, we hope this provision of shelter for bees in the local area will provide a fun and exciting way for people to learn about and help preserve biodiversity in their community.”
The gift has been welcomed by the parish council’s Francesca Lane, who said: “Our allotment holders are very pleased to have installed new homes for the local bees, and we’re hopeful we will see them used this summer by some new visitors.
“We’d like to thank Dandara for the donation, and the great opportunity to learn more about the vital work bees perform.”
