Bees: questions and Band 8 answers

Yes, quite often actually, especially in the spring and summer. There is a community garden just around the corner from my flat with loads of lavender bushes, and they are always buzzing with bumblebees on sunny afternoons.

Not really, to be honest. I know they can sting, but as long as you leave them alone, they are pretty harmless. I used to be terrified of them as a young child, but nowadays I just let them get on with their work.

Yes, I did. I remember our primary school science teacher explained how essential they are for pollinating crops and flowers. We even built a small insect hotel in the schoolyard to help protect local solitary bees.

I do, quite a bit. I usually stir a spoonful into my porridge in the mornings or add some to hot lemon water if I have caught a cold. I try to buy local, unpasteurised honey from the farmers' market whenever possible.

I do not think so, no. It seems like a fascinating hobby, but it requires a lot of specialised equipment and time that I simply do not have. Plus, living in a flat without a proper garden makes beekeeping pretty much impossible.