This is a text-only version of an article first published on Thursday, 11 May 2017. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
CHURCH WARDEN Martin Knops came to the rescue when a swarm of bees caused a real buzz in the car park at Church House Oxford.
Martin Knops encouraging bees out of the tree at Church House Oxford.
Despite being aware of the need to encourage populations of honey bees, staff at the Diocese needed to find a way of making the bees, which were building a nest in a tree, to buzz off. Luckily Martin, the church warden at Holy Cross Church in Shipton, happens to be a bee expert.
He was visiting Church House for a meeting, when he spotted the nest and immediately stepped in. Martin used a feather and a special smoke machine to encourage the honey bees out of the tree and into a special box.
He then re-homed them in a sacred hive at the Holy Cross Allotment in Thrupp. "I've just been to see them.
They are all locked up right now.
We need them to stay there and settle rather than go somewhere else.
Over the weekend we'll be letting them expand a bit.
My hives have bees from Buckfast Abbey.
They are known for being gentle bees and I'll be giving them one of my queens. "The allotment is a church initiative that aims to bring the community together producing things and raising funds for the church.
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