Spider has just become an important link on London’s bee ‘super highway’.

A special roof garden has been created on top of The Spider House in Leathermarket Street, Bermondsey, with the sole aim of cultivating bee friendly plants and flowers which will provide a valuable stopping-off point for the capital’s bee population.

The bee corridor is equally important to a great number of other insects in an effort to help reverse the decline in pollinating insect numbers over the last 40 years. The planting has been designed to ensure nectar-rich flowers from early spring to late autumn provide a steady source of food.

Sara Pearson, Founder and CEO of Spider said: “At first we thought we would like to have some hives on the roof for our own bees, but we were persuaded not to as the capital is quite busy with bees and honey production. What is in short supply are little oases of nectar heavy gardens where bees who travel up to 2 miles a day can come and forage. Whilst the Spider House is a splendid example of an original Victorian leather warehouse on 3 floors, one of its nearest neighbours is the ultra-modern and iconic Shard building, and now we have a little bit of the countryside in the heart of London.  Even as we were planting the bees were arriving, it was such a joy”.