World Honeybee Day is coming up on August 21st, and it serves to remind us of just how important these buzzing visitors are to our gardens. Bees collect nectar to feed themselves, and, in the process, pick up and then deposit pollen, which is essential for most flowers and vegetables to reproduce and grow.
Types of bees
Honeybees are the bees we most associate with beehives and honey production. Most honey-producing bees live in tended hives, where colonies can be as large as 60,000 bees strong. More likely candidates to be in your garden, however, are bumblebees, which are larger, more brightly striped and louder. Little conical mounds in your lawn are evidence of soil nesting solitary bees, which are also common in the UK.
Provide food and water
All bees love flowers, so the more flowers you have, the more bees will be attracted to your garden. Anything with purple flowers is ideal, as it is the colour that bees see best. Lavender, hellebores and buddleia are magnets for bees, and they also love tubular flowers like foxgloves, penstemons and snapdragons – in fact, the bumblebee has an extra-long tongue to reach the nectar inside. A full bird bath or a simple water bowl will also attract bees.
Avoid chemicals
Never spray pesticides on open flowers, and, wherever possible, avoid any strong chemicals around flowering shrubs and trees, as these can be harmful for all insects, including bees.
Offer nesting sites
Finally, wild bees love mounds of earth, piles of leaves and rotting wood. Leave these undisturbed and bees will move in, although you might want to avoid having these too close to your rattan garden furniture, as they also love sweet drinks and food leftovers!
