Buzzworthy Action: Your Guide to Helping Bees

Bees are crucial to keeping our ecosystems healthy so read this blog to find out how you can help them thrive in your garden, on your windowsill or even in a local green space! 

Bee Power: Fuelling Our Planet  

Why are bees so important? Bees are essential pollinators for a wide variety of wild plants. By helping these plants grow, bees maintain plant diversity, an important element for healthy ecosystems. This plant diversity supports countless wildlife species that rely on it for food and shelter, including us! Did you know lots of the food we eat needs pollinators to help grow? Also, when bee populations thrive, ecosystems become more stable and resilient to environmental changes like climate change or habitat loss. 

Plant Bee-Friendly Flowers

One of the best ways to support bees is by planting nectar-rich flowers. Choose native plants as they are better adapted to your local environment and are often more appealing to local bee species. Look for a mix of wild flowers that bloom at different times throughout the seasons. Some great options include:

• Spring: Crocuses, bluebells, and daisies.

• Summer: Sunflowers, lavender, and coneflowers.

• Autumn: Goldenrod, asters, and sedum. 

You should avoid using pesticides or herbicides in your garden or green space, as these can be harmful to bees. 

Build a Bee Hotel 

Solitary bees like mason bees love having safe places to rest. It’s easy to make a bee hotel at home, check out my tips below:

What you will need:

• A clean, empty tin can or small wooden box/container

• Paper straws, hollow bamboo canes, sticks

• Eco-friendly glue

• String

• Optional decorations

To make your bee hotel:

1. Cut some paper straws to fit inside the container and pack them tightly. 

2. If the straws are loose, use some glue to hold them in place. 

3. You could also try adding other materials to your hotel like small sticks or old hollow bamboo canes.

4. Tie some string around the container, making a secure loop, and hang it outdoors about 1.5m to 3m off the ground in a warm, dry spot near flowers if possible. 

5. Replace the paper straws every few months to keep them clean.  

Provide Fresh Water

Bees need water like people and animals. Recycle an old dish or tray (make sure it’s shallow so the bees don’t fall in and get stuck), fill it with water and place it outside with some small stones or twigs in it. These give bees a place to land safely while they drink. Keep it in the shade so the water stays cool. Change the water regularly to keep it clean.

By planting bee-friendly flowers, creating bee hotels, and providing fresh water, you can make a significant impact on local bee populations.

Bee Inspired!

All your efforts count, and together, we can support healthy ecosystems where bees, plants, and wildlife flourish together. You could encourage others in your community to help out too and turn your area into a haven for pollinators. Together, we can ensure that bees will continue to play their crucial role in our environment and our ecosystems in the future!

Thanks for reading!