Voice of the beehive: the arcane art of beekeeping

With bees’ numbers in decline for some years, the resurgence of interest in apiculture sparked by the onset of the pandemic couldn’t have come at a timelier moment

Marie Cooney, who together with her husband Pat runs Boann distillery, got her first hive in 2016 as a means of pollinating the 6,500 apple trees that are used for their gin ‘Silks’. Picture: Gabriel Cassan

Whether we have been listening to the dulcet tones of David Attenborough or have simply noticed the wonderfully overgrown hedgerows across the country, the precariousness of the humble bee’s existence is something most people are aware of.

Bees’ numbers are in decline all over the planet, and the general public has become much more in tune to the vital role they play in pollinating flowers and plants. There are almost 100 types of bees in ...