Everyone can help to prevent the bee population from declining further; you don’t have to become a professional beekeeper. Listed below are just a few of the ways you can help.
* Support the 'Keys for Bees' scheme:
The 'Keys for Bees' scheme aims to create beehives in urban areas with the help of the community. The 'Keys for Bees' scheme aims to use scrap metal (from keys / nuts and bolts) in order to fund the creation of beehives. For more information regarding the 'Keys for Bees' scheme please visit:
*Encourage bees into your garden:
There are several different ways to do this.
You could leave a small patch of your garden to grow wildflowers in. This may not seem like a lot, however, hundreds of bees can feed from one single patch of wildflowers.
Also it is important that you do not use insecticides on your plants because these kill bees in the same way they kill garden pests. Instead endeavour to use more organic methods of pest control.
Ensuring that there is a plentiful supply of mud and water available is also key for attracting bees as certain species such as mason bees use these materials for building.
You could also create some nest areas for bees. This is remarkably easy to do. Just placing an upturned plant pot in a shady area on top of some bedding can create a suitable nesting area.
The best way to encourage bees into your garden however is to ensure that you have a wide range of plants and flowers in bloom. The following are renowned for attracting bees:
* Herbs: Borage, Catnip, Coriander, Fennel, Lavender, Mints, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme
*Annuals: Asters, Clovers, Marigolds, Poppies, Sunflowers, Zinnias
*Fruit and Vegetables: Blackberries, Cucumbers, Peppers, Pumpkins, Raspberries, Squash, Strawberries, Watermelons
* Purchase organic fruits and vegetables
Pesticides are used on a great deal of crops which end up in our supermarkets. By purchasing organic produce you are sending a message to retailers and consequently farmers about their use of pesticides.
* Learn about bees and create awareness about their declining population
Speak to your friends and family about the declining bee population. You could even encourage them to purchase organic foods and create suitable habitats for bees in their own gardens.
Add your name to call on the UK Government to carry out a systematic review of the impact of pesticides on our most important pollinators.
*Get your own beehive
