A LANDFILL site will be buzzing with activity after taking delivery of its first beehive.

The site, owned by Veolia Environmental Service, had the hive put in by members of the Essex Beekeepers Association, who will also manage it.

The move aims to encourage better biodiversity on the site as well as a protected home for the honey bees, which are under threat.

Martyn Davies, chairman of the Essex Beekeepers Association, said “We are delighted to have been invited by Veolia to site beehives at its Pitsea landfill site.

“This is a great opportunity for our members to place their colonies in a secure and accessible location with excellent foraging potential while contributing to the rich biodiversity of the area.”

European honey bees normally nest in hollow trees.

But when they live in artificial beehives it allows them to pollinate nearby crops or flowers and provides a safe haven for them to produce their honey.

Keith McGurk, regional director at Veolia, said: “This is fantastic project and we are hopeful that eventually we will have perhaps five or six hives operating on the site, adding to the diverse nature of wildlife that calls the landfill site home. Personally, I’m looking forward to trying some of our very own Pitsea honey.”