James Dearsley Surrey Beekeeper

Place of Residence: Dorking, Great Britain

Background:  Professionally James works as a Sales and Marketing Director in the overseas property industry which involves long hours and extensive traveling. As a young boy with his mother and father in the garden, being paid a paltry sum to dig up the weeds, started to pay off later in life as James is a keen gardener and this is where his interest in bees started.

James became a beekeeper almost by mistake. Late one night, reading the newspapers and seeing several articles dedicated to beekeeping, he became curious and the next day, while watering the garden it sealed his fate. Giving two honey bees a rather thourough wash with a hose while they investigated a foxglove, only then to be attacked by a cat tgat ran off with the bees, meant James had to do something about the situation. After all, he had just helped whatever it was attacking these poor insects by knocking off two more. Concerned about the plight of the humble honey bee James underwent extensive training to become a beekeeper and help the many other beekeepers dotted around the UK in the efforts to bolster bee numbers that were sadly decreasing at a rapid rate.

James is now a regular contributor to magazines such as the Ecologist, not to mention his blog, The Surry Beekeeper, with a large, vocal and loyal following. James also runs the world’s largest fan page for beekeeping with nearly 2,500 beekeepers from all over the world (and growing by the day!).