Based in the North East of England, Pure Buzzin provides beekeeping services in the community.
My name is Stephen Douglas, most people call me Dugy, and i run Pure Buzzin Community Interest Company. As well as the usual hive based products such as candles and honey, we provide alternative education sessions alongside our popular beekeeping experience. We aren’t a honey farm as such, our aims are not producing lots of honey or selling the best bees, there are other companies in the North East doing a very good job at that. Pure Buzzin has three main aims and it’s all based around building better communities.
- To reduce social isolation
- To promote disability inclusion
- To promote better health and well being
We do this through the craft of beekeeping. Reading our story might help you understand why these three points are so important to me and how Pure Buzzin came to be.
Follow our beekeeping story
Beekeeping Experience
Ever wondered what goes on inside of a hive? Would you like to learn more about what a beekeeper does and find out about honeybees and pollinators?
You can book onto a Beekeeping Experience and enjoy a few hours delving into the world of honeybees. This is great for those thinking of becoming a beekeeper but also for those with an interest in honeybees and pollinators. Attending session is a gateway to the world of pollinators and insects which underpin our world.
If you have bought or received a voucher to attend, use the code at check out – any issues using the voucher just get in touch.
Remember to check both the Morning & Afternoon sessions to find the best time for you. If a session isn’t listed get in touch and we might be able to accommodate.
Feeling nervous about the experience?
If you are nervous, we are here to reassure you and ensure that you get the most out of your session. Many of us have been told from a young age to avoid flying insects such as honeybees and wasps and it can be nerve racking, at first, stepping into our community apiary. During our sessions you will be given a full body beekeeping suit to wear. Please wear your own wellies or walking boots. We are never in a hurry and aim to meet your needs, you are welcome to talk to us before or during your session.
Participants who start the beekeeping experience a little more apprehensive, soon find that their curiosity takes over and they begin to learn more about the honeybee.
What you can expect during your experience –
The session last for around one and a half hours. Once you have you beekeeping suit on, we head to the apiary and then light the smoker.
Inside of the apiary there are beehives and you will see honeybees coming and going from the hives, usually with their pollen baskets laden with colourful pollen.
There is ample space for you to be a fair distance from the hives before you get up close, take it at your own pace. Standing at the beehive, with Dugy, you will get an up close and personal view of the honeybees, you might even see their Waggle Dance!
Ask any questions you have to help you understand more about the way of the honeybee and listen as information on the colony is shared; all of our Queens are marked with a bright dot, but you might spot a worker bee emerging from her cell – they are so fluffy!
Sessions cannot go ahead if it is too cold, it is raining, or too windy. You will be notified in as good time as is possible in the event of a session needing to be cancelled. In such circumstances, you can book another date.
Adopt a Bee
A perfect gift and great way to support Pure Buzzin Community Interest Company to continue our work with pollinators. Our adoption scheme comes with a posted certificate and can include a personalised video introducing you to your bee.
Inclusion
Promoting inclusion is one of our core aims as a Community Interest Company. You can read more about what we think about inclusion here
Accessing activities, especially if you have a disability can be difficult – there are often extra costs involved and the many different activities soon add up. We offer a 50% discount for anyone who is either diagnosed with, or considers them self to have a disability. Just use the code: inclusion at the check out when booking your session. Carers also go free, just use the code: carer at the checkout. Be sure to get in touch with any problems using the discount codes and we will get it sorted out.
If you require an exclusive session, or feel we need to know something before you come to see our honeybees – drop us a beemail at hello@purebuzzin.co.uk
Sponsor a Hive
We work with local high schools as part of an Alternative Education Programme. Youngsters assemble hives, learn the craft of beekeeping and find out how to support pollinators. Groups will be required to develop and use communication skills and problem solving. I work to increase young people’s self esteem; every child should be allowed and supported to reach their true potential. Every participant has something to offer and become a valued member of the group.
You can help us deliver this work by sponsoring a hive for the school groups to assemble and use.
You might choose to gift a hive and dedicate it to someone, have your own hive placed in North Tyneside, or arrange for your business or organisation’s logo to appear on the hive.
Sponsoring a hive helps us continue to grow, we have two parts of our company: communities and managing beehives. We want to expand our current number of hives and you can enable us to do that.
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Sponsor a beehive£175.00
Swarm Collection
Have you found a swarm of honeybees? Don’t worry, they are usually harmless and will be on their way to find anew home.
You can send us a beemail and we will make every effort to come to collect the swarm. If we cannot then we will help you find someone who can (most beekeepers are eager to collect a swarm and the service should be free)
Contact us at hello@purebuzzin.co.uk or use social media
I do not like to list my phone number as it would never stop ringing from June until August
When a colony becomes too crowded, the queen bee runs out of space to lay eggs – she is usually laying around 2000 eggs in 24 hourse. Essentially, the queen bee and a portion of the worker bees leave the original hive to form a new one. The swarm usually contains thousands of bees and can be quite intimidating to bystanders. It’s an incredible sight – seeing thousands of bees in flight.
During the swarming process, scout bees will search for a suitable location for the new hive. Once a location is chosen, the swarm will cluster around the queen bee while scout bees continue searching. The bees in the swarm are generally not aggressive unless they are provoked. Eventually, the swarm will move to the chosen location and the new hive will be established. The old hive will typically raise a new queen and the remaining bees will continue living there.
Here’s a video of me attending to a swarm found under a garden chair in Gateshead
We are a Community Interest Company, company number 13277804.
