A MID Wales honey company has formed a mutually beneficial partnership with Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.

The Trust is allowing Hilltop Honey, based at Caersws, near Newtown, to locate an apiary each with up to 10 hives on three nature reserves. The bees pollinate plants on the reserve and surrounding land while producing top quality Welsh wildflower honey and the company makes a monthly donation to the Trust to support its work.

The first nature reserve apiary was established last summer and was such a success that Hilltop Honey is to locate two more on other undisclosed reserves this summer.

A “perfect marriage” is how Hilltop Honey’s owner Scott Davies, 28, described the partnership.

“The nature reserves are brilliant sites for wildlife and producing honey as they have protected wildflower meadows for the bees,” he said.

“The main things we look for when establishing an apiary are good forage, south facing if possible and good access without being seen in remote locations. All three nature reserves meet those criteria and have great honey making potential.

“In return, I enjoy supporting Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust which is doing positive things to help bees and other wildlife. The partnership works well.”

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