Country diary: A fine place to be a bee | Tim Earl

Ballabeg, Isle of Man: By design and luck, we are free of two big threats to the island's honey bees, which are now enjoying our feast of spring habitatsBees returning to their cosy hives next to the fertile allotments here have much to waggle their tails about. Within their foraging radius there is a wide range of habitats sporting spring flowers, plus the hives are free from two pests found in "the adjacent isle" - mainland Britain.Ballabeg means "small place" in Manx Gaelic, but it is surrounded by big nectar sources. Behind the sleepy village overlooking nearby Castletown lie the upland pastures of Arbory and the controversial moorland site of a proposed wind farm. In front of the hives are the lowland fields of Great Meadow, Scarlett Headland with its chequered pattern of arable land, and Ballawhetstone Farm, where crops of sunflowers will provide summer pollen. Dandelions have been plentiful this year - an essential food supply early in spring when honeybees can be seen returning to their hives carrying bulging golden pollen-sacks on their hind legs. Continue reading...