A chance to see bees beyond the hive will be presented on World Bee Day later this month.

The artificial grass area adjacent to platforms 5 and 6 at Carlisle railway station will be transformed, where an observation hive will be placed from 10am on May 20.

There will be live bees in the see-through glass hive, and the queen bee will be marked so it’s easier to understand how the bees move around.

Carlisle beekeeper Harold Bowron said it’s the idea of Avanti West Coast, which manages the station, and who asked him to lead the session.

“In the waiting room I’ll be there with an actual hive with no bees in, and I’ll show the children from three school parties which are coming where the bees normally live, and how.

“There’s a film for them as well showing them about the life of a bee, and then outside there will be stalls for anyone selling bee-related products.

“The children will also be able to make bee bombs – compacted mud filled with seeds that can be thrown onto grass to plant flowers,” Mr Bowron explained.

The event aims not only to teach children about bees from a biological perspective but also from an environmental one, as bee population reduction has grown concerns of climate change and lack of pollination.

Mr Bowron explained: “That’s the whole thing in China, where they have destroyed a tremendous number of bees.

“You must never buy Chinese honey – you can’t legally buy it in Britain but if you had the chance to buy it you must never, because it’s full of chemicals.”

He said practices there involve killing bees needlessly and it’s led to people trying to hand-pollinate.

“The children are dead keen to know about bees.

“They really are interested about their environment because they’re taught a lot in school about it, and it’s very important to youngsters, it’s their future as well.

“I’ll be long gone before it takes a big effect, but you can see the climate now – we’re absolutely ruining it.”