Why Bees Belong at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary – Supporting Pollinators in Cornwall

When you think of the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, your mind might leap straight to whiskery faces, splashes in the pool, and the salty scent of the sea. But tucked away in our woodland is another group of residents working just as hard to support Cornwall’s biodiversity, our bees.

Since 2022, we’ve been working closely with the Cornish Black Bee Company to reintroduce the native Cornish black bee to our site. These bees play a vital role in pollinating plants, supporting other wildlife, and maintaining the natural balance of our sanctuary’s ecosystem.

The Cornish Black Bee Reintroduction Project

The reintroduction began with the establishment of a colony in a WBC hive, placed within the sanctuary’s wildflower meadow. This location provides a rich variety of nectar sources and is sheltered from the harsher coastal winds, making it an ideal home.

Our hives are closely monitored by Matt from the Cornish Black Bee Company, with the sanctuary team conducting observational checks from a distance every couple of weeks. This careful approach ensures the bees are thriving without unnecessary disturbance.

In the summer of 2024, we sadly lost our hive to an overnight colony collapse, a reminder of the fragility of pollinator populations. However, nature surprised us. While we waited for the next available colony, a wild swarm moved in and successfully established themselves. Following Matt’s advice, we left the new residents undisturbed, as they appeared to be a healthy native colony with less than 10% Italian bee influence. They will remain in place over the winter, with a health assessment planned for spring 2025.

Learning and Growing With Our Bees

Matt’s visits have been a huge source of knowledge for our team, helping us better understand the signs of colony health and giving us the confidence to share the importance of pollinators with our visitors. Our long-term plan is to expand from our single hive to multiple hives, creating an even bigger haven for bees on our site.

Alongside this, we’ve been working with The Wildflower Collective to reinstate grassed areas as wildflower meadows. The area surrounding the hive will also be improved by removing non-native plants and creating more suitable habitat for additional hives in the future.

We caught up with Matt from the Cornish Black Bee Company to find out more about why bees are so important, both here at the Sanctuary and across Cornwall.

Why are bees so important for local biodiversity, and how do they support the wider ecosystem here in Cornwall?

Can you tell us a bit about the beehives at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary; how many are there, and what makes this site a good home for bees?

Currently, there is one managed beehive at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, but there are also a number of colonies existing in the wild. It is a good site for honey bees as it provides for their needs. There is fresh water from various watercourses, pollen from wild flowers and gorse, nectar from various plants and trees and also propolis from the conifers in the area. The honey bees benefit greatly from the wide diversity of plants, as they have access to many different pollens containing different amino acids, essential for the development of healthy bee larvae.  There are plans to increase the number of hives in 2026.

What seasonal changes do you notice in bee behaviour, and how do you care for them throughout the year?

The bee colony works in harmony with nature, with many changes taking place with the changes in the length of the day. The population expands and contracts throughout the year, from 8,000 in winter to 45,000 in summer. The bees target their peak population to when the greatest amount of nectar is available and reduce it when there are shortages. They also have the ability to change the physiology of the new bees to suit the season. Bees which need to survive winter have slower metabolisms and greater fat reserves. The bees will also only consider swarming when conditions are optimal, typically between late April and early July.

Have you seen any positive impacts of your beekeeping efforts on other wildlife or plants around the Sanctuary?

The benefits of the honey bees are particularly evident in Autumn. Around the hive area, there are many blackberries, sloes, berries, acorns and other fruits from effective pollination. Over winter, we will see many birds benefitting from the ivy and hawthorn berries available in the Seal Sanctuary hedgerows. Similarly, small mammals will benefit greatly from the food provided by the efforts of the bees.

What simple steps can people take at home to help bees and support pollinators in their own gardens or communities?