b'WELCOME TO THE HIVEWelcome to The HiveKelly Group is passionate and fully committed to carrying out our corporate social responsibilitiesthroughoutouroperation.AstheGroupembarksonanew Sustainability Plan, honeybee hives were installed in our Dunstable depot to support our local communities biodiversity. Our Dunstable depot was identified as the ideal trial location due to the sites sufficient land and the relatively few people working in the external depot area. In early July 2021, the Groups Dunstable team reached out to the Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association proposing the idea of supporting a local beekeeper by hosting hives on our land. Once the temperature dropped during December and the bees had clustered to survive colder days, we took the opportunity to install three hives within their new area. Our Kelly Group hives are currently maintained by local beekeepers every couple of weeks. An Experts Insight into BeekeepingThe marketing team recently suited up to join Stephen Edwards and his John from the Bedfordshire Beekeepers Association, to have a closer look at the Kelly Group hives and gain an insight into our local hives maintenance. Throughout the experience Stephen shared a wealth of interesting facts about his trade and the art of beekeeping. Safety First Most beekeepers wear protective clothing. They usually wear gloves and a hooded suit or hat and veil. The face and neck are the most important areas to protect, so most beekeepers wear at least a veil. Defensive bees are attracted to the breath, and a sting on the face can lead to much more pain and swelling than a sting elsewhere.Stings retained in clothing fabric continue to send out an alarming pheromone that attracts aggressive action and further stinging attacks. Washing suits regularly and rinsing gloved hands in vinegar minimizes attraction.Mostbeekeepersuseasmoker,whichisadevicedesignedtogeneratesmoke from the incomplete combustion of various fuels. Although the exact mechanism is disputed, it is said that smoke calms bees. Some claim it initiates a feeding response in anticipation of possible hive abandonment due to fire. It is also thought that smoke masks alarm pheromones released by guard bees or when bees are squashed in an inspection. The ensuing confusion creates an opportunity for the beekeeper to open the hive and work without triggering a defensive reaction.Our Hives InfrastructureOur Dunstable installation features vertical beehives which features frames in boxes (or supers) that are stacked vertically one on top of the other when extra space for growth is required. The bottom of these boxes is called the brood boxbecause it houses the queen and the brood. All of the above boxes are referred to as supers. Inside each box you can find removable frames; the number of frames in each box will either be eight or ten. Each frame has fine taught wire across them to support the wax sheet, which is gently melted onto the wire to keep it in place.The bees maintain the internal temperature of their hive at about 35 C. During hot weather, the bees cool the hive bycirculatingcoolairfromtheentranceupthrough the hive and out again; and ifnecessary,byplacing water, which they fetch, throughout the hive to createevaporative cooling.46 .The Networker Spring 2022'