In an attempt to assess the link between bee health and
diversity of pollen they encounter, honeybee hives from as many
as 10 National Trust sites were studied. The study found that
the bees from farmlands had a noticeably narrower range of
pollens than both urban and untouched "natural" settings. Hives
from Kensington Palace in London showed evidence of eucalyptus
and elderberry, while suburban sites such as those around the
University of Worcester - where the researchers who carried out
the study work - showed a rich mix including lily, blackberry,
rowan trees, and oilseed rape. However, at more rural National
Trust sites near farmland in Yorkshire and Somerset, the hives
were overwhelmingly dominated by oilseed rape pollen.Matthew
Oates of the National Trust said that although the results were
no great surprise, they were "a very useful piece of information
in terms of being able to quantify the problem that bees are up
against in intensive agriculture systems." "What is clear is
that there is a far greate