How you can help
From climate breakdown to habitat loss, bees are facing more challenges than ever, but there are lots of simple ways we can all lend a helping hand.
Make a bee-friendly garden
Plant a range of flowers in your garden so bees have access to nectar from March to October. You can use the winter season to plan a garden full of nectar-rich plants that bees can forage in spring. Bees love traditional cottage garden flowers and native wildflowers, like primrose, buddleia, and marigolds.
Where the wild things are...
If you have space, leave a section of the garden untended – as some bees love long grass, or making nests in compost heaps or under hedgerows. Bees love large drifts of the same flowers. And they look spectacular as well!
A place to call home
You can also buy (or easily build) an ‘insect hotel’ using hollow stems like bamboo, twigs and string – just tie together a length of these and put them in a hedge or bush, or hang somewhere sheltered to provide a home for bees and other insects.
A helping hand for tired bees
A tired bee really does like a tiny bit of sugar (never honey!). Mix two teaspoons of white granulated sugar with one teaspoon of water and put a few drips on a plate or a flower to revive a tired bee (only use white granulated sugar and not other sugars).
Taking a break...
Sometimes you might see a bee lying on the ground and not moving, but it’s probably just resting. So after you’ve given it some sugary water, just simply let it be(e).