Beekeeping is booming. Britain's leading association for the insects is struggling to meet demand from would-be apiarists. Despite fears that British bees are at risk of falling into a catastrophic decline from which they may not recover, a growing number of celebrity beekeepers are helping to fuel interest.

Courses in beekeeping are so oversubscribed that people are already on waiting lists for next year. Nearly 1,000 wannabe apiarists applied for 60 places on an introductory course in London this year. And the pattern is being repeated across the country, with the British Beekeepers' Association (BBKA) having seen its membership rocket by almost 50 per cent since 2007, from 10,000 to 14,500.

The company that made the hugely popular Eglu, which fuelled a boom in urban chicken-rearing, plans to capitalise on this later this month when it launches a futuristic plastic beehive.

The profile of beekeepers is changing fast, according to Tim Lovatt, the BBKA's president: "The average age is dropping quite noticeably. It used to be in the mid- to upper fifties but is now in the lower forties. We are also seeing more and more children becoming involved, and growing numbers of women, too."

Retailers are looking to exploit the trend. Fortnum & Mason, in central London, will start selling honey next month from its own rooftop beehives. And guests at the Royal Lancaster Hotel near London's Hyde Park are able to have honey from bees kept on the hotel roof.

The interest in all things bee-related has extended to Hollywood stars:the actor Samuel L Jackson recently bought Scarlett Johansson and husband Ryan Reynolds a beehive as a wedding gift. "Scarlett," he said, "was always talking about how the bees were dying and the planet was going to die."

Bees will be a central theme in a "Pestival" event at London's South Bank next month. Omlet, the company behind the Eglu, will be launching the Beehaus in two weeks' time. It has spent 18 months developing the brightly coloured, plastic beehive. It will come in various colours including red, green, yellow and purple.

Johannes Paul, one of the team behind the new hive, said: "It looks like a little sort of moon lander and is almost insect-like. We think it will appeal to urban beekeepers as it is much more modern and contemporary than traditional hives."

Clearly aimed at capturing the "green pound" of eco-conscious Britons, a complete kit - including a beekeeping hat and protective suit - will cost £495. Mr Paul added: "The idea is to simplify things and make it all more accessible." 

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