City center buzzing with activity from urban beekeeper

An urban beekeeper in Leeds is setting up beehives in the city center to enhance the local pollinator population. A report from the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust in 2024 revealed that certain bee species have seen a 50% decline, reaching their lowest levels. Tom Szpitter, 40, aims to restore these populations by placing hives on rooftops of offices, airports, power stations, and city canals. He also conducts workshops for office employees to teach them beekeeping, with honey harvested from the hives gifted to the offices. "I like to put bees everywhere and introduce them to people," says Tom, who established Band of Bees in 2022.