Tony Gray, expert bee keeper at bee charity Adopt-a-Hive, has put together some top tips to keep your garden bee bee-friendly this summer.
The British honey bee population has declined at an alarming rate over the last few years.
In the UK there were 27 species of bees and now 3 are extinct with many more under threat!
According to Lord Rooker, Environment and rural affairs minister, this decline could result in the honey bee population being wiped out in just 10 years.
Oswestry Beekeeper, Tony Gray, founder of Adopt-a-Hive has put together some helpful tips to get bees to love your garden!
Don‘t use pesticides: Bees won’t want to visit your garden if you’ve sprayed this everywhere so try not to use one – it’s not very welcoming! If you have to use one, choose the least toxic one you can find.
Use local native plants: Bees love native plants much more than exotic flowers. These plants adapt well to the chilly British weather and don’t require much looking after – plant some of these and your bees will be completely at home.
The more colour the better: When bees are buzzing through the air, they’re naturally attracted to colour as this helps them find the yummiest flowers full of nectar and pollen. Colours including blue, purple, white and yellow help to attract bees.
Group lots of flowers together: Clusters of lots of flowers all together look a lot more inviting. Allow four feet or more in between each clump to give the bees some space to land and take off.
All shapes and sizes: No two bees are the same, so make sure you have lots of different shaped flowers so every type of bee is welcome.
Have a range of plants flowering all season: Some bees like to fly in spring and some in the summer so make sure you have a range of plants for them to feed on throughout the seasons.
Location: Bees prefer sunny spots in the garden with a little shade – they love to wear their sunglasses. They also like some shelter from strong winds – otherwise, it’s a bumpy landing!
For more information about how you can help to save the bees, visit www.thehiveadopt.co.uk
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