More About Bees
What can we do?
Bees are declining around the world and yet they are an important part of the ecosystem, pollinating 80-95% of flowering plants. The majority of the crops that provide most of our nutrition are animal pollinated rather than wind pollinated. In the UK, insect pollination contributes £690 million to the economy each year.
The biggest reason for bee decline is habitat loss. In the UK, we have lost over 97% of our wildflower meadows in the last 70 years. Bees feed exclusively on nectar and pollen produced by plants. One of the best ways to help bees is to plants flowers. Even if you don’t have a garden, you can help by putting out tubs and window boxes - every flower counts!
Whether you are a farmer, a gardener, or a manager of urban or amenity spaces, there is something you can do to help support our valuable insect pollinators. There are five simple actions you can take to help pollinators and make sure their populations are sustained:
- Grow more flowers, shrubs and trees
- Let your garden grow wild
- Cut your grass less often
- Don’t disturb insect nests and hibernation spots
- Think carefully about whether to use pesticides
The Royal Horticultural Society has created three ‘Perfect for Pollinator’ lists of plants.
Types of Bee
The Bumblebee Conversation Trust has lots of information on their website and a Bee Kind Tool that helps you rate your garden and gives tips for bee-friendly gardening:
In the UK, we have over 270 species of bee. This includes one species of honeybee (Apis mellifera), 24 species of bumblebees and around 250 species of solitary bee.
Honeybees are generally kept by beekeepers and live in colonies that can reach 50,000 in the height of summer. They survive the winter by feeding on their honey stores and huddling together in a ball to keep warm, taking turns to be on the outside much like penguins do!
Bumblebees are bigger and fluffier than honeybees. They have an annual life cycle so a new nest is made each spring by a solo queen after she emerges from hibernation. Bumblebee nests are much smaller and depending on the species can range from 40-300 bees. Most nests are underground in old mouse and vole nests, but some species will nest in roofs or use bird boxes. All bumblebee nests will die out at the end of the summer, so if possible, please leave any nests you find in your garden and roof and have them removed during the winter.
Only 8 out of our 24 species of bumblebees, remain relatively common and widespread across the country. You can quickly learn to ID the common 8 and it is very rewarding being able to name the bees you spot in your gardens and local parks. Use the link below to download an ID sheet for the common 8:
You can get extra help through the ‘Bumblebees of Britain and Ireland’ iPhone app
Solitary bees come in a range of sizes and colours. They do not form communal nests but each female singlehandedly creates a nest and provisions it with nectar and pollen for her offspring. Some species nest underground, others in natural crevices in brickwork or in holes in wood formed by beetles, and some fashion tubes from leaves to lay their eggs in. One species use empty snail shells to nest in! Find out more about solitary bees and how to create nests for them using the link below:
You can also find out more about the different types of bee on the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society website, which contains detailed species profiles and plenty of pictures:
Bees Needs and Bee Keeping
The UK’s first National Pollinator Strategy was released in 2014 to look at how we can protect the pollination services provided by bees and established the Bees Needs Week.
Bees Needs Week is an annual event coordinated by Defra and involving a number of charities, businesses, conservation groups to help raise awareness of bees and other pollinators. This is part of the National Pollinator Strategy and the week happens every July. You can get involved by sharing information on social media using #BeesNeeds.
If you are interested in keeping honeybees or learning more about them, you can contact the local Beekeepers Association. The Association runs courses in beekeeping and their website also contains an abundance of information: