Bee Rescue
Alfie Kay is pictured working on the the fallen trunk of the old beech tree in the Deer Park. This beech died several years ago but, rather than felling it, we decided to pollard the main branches and let nature take its course. Shortly afterwards a bee colony took up residence and, almost every year since it has been a very productive source of further swarms. We have done regular checks on the stability of the tree and, last December, it was decided that it must come down. Further checks revealed that the colony had survived the felling, so Ryan was called in to remove it to a hive kept in Moor Monkton.
Photo by Simon Casterton