HumbleBee is proud to present a portion of Hannah Miller's article: Prevent The Bee Apocalypse. Read on for reasons and ways to support bees.
Written by Hannah Miller - Full Article: https://diygardening.co.uk/help-bee-population/
Why Bees Are So Important:
There are so many reasons why the bee population should concern us.Bees are crucial because:80% of flowering plants can be pollinated by bees(5).It would cost UK farmers £1.8billion ($2.5billion) to manually pollinate crops(6).39 commercial crops are reliant on bees for pollination(7).Beeswax is used in thousands of foodstuffs and also products including ointments, lotions, skin creams and medicines(8).24 species of birds are known to eat bees including blackbirds, starlings and magpies(9).Mammals such as badgers and even bears consume the honeycomb, beeswax and young bees(10).Reptiles such as geckos and lizards feast on wasp nests and love the young larvae while several insects eat bees and honeycomb(11).
Why The Bee Population is Declining:
There isn’t a single cause of the bee population decline but rather, several issues that have combined to create a genuine threat:Land-use changes for urbanisation and agriculture(12).Pesticides that directly affect the bee population such as insecticides and fungicides(13).Pesticides that indirectly affect bees such as herbicides(14).Climate change and extreme weather incidents and temperatures(15).Invasive alien species such as the Yellow-Legged Hornet(16).
To put it bluntly, the all-important bee population is declining because of human interference.Too much concrete, too much tarmac, too many lawns, too many pesticides and weather changes as a direct result of our actions on this planetThere are also too few bee-friendly plants and too few safe places for bees live.Just ask yourself; how many meadows are there in your area?I bet there’s hardly any; most will have been trampled by dog walkers and runners or have been turned into another type of recreational space. The loss of natural meadows has been linked to the decline of bees, butterflies and other crucial insects(17).With the general bee population struggling, the number of managed bee colonies has also dropped to a record low level(18)
Actionable Steps ANY Gardener Can Take to Protect Bees:
Here at DIY Gardening, we believe that our government and is too slow, too reluctant and far too cosy with the chemical and farming industries to do anything about the harmful products that are killing bees and contributing to their decline.Waiting for or even relying on our government to act isn’t a viable solution. It takes years, often decades, just to get them to acknowledge a global problem.You, the consumer, the gardener, can act and do your bit to help the mighty bee. Try these simple steps:
To see all steps: https://diygardening.co.uk/help-bee-population/
Step 4: Bees Love These Plants So Add These To Your Garden
One of the best ways to help the bee population is to grow plants that bees are attracted to. Bees will extract the nectar from the plants listed below; not every plant is bee-friendly, and bees ignore many plants.Here are our 6 favourite bee-friendly plants that we’ve had in our garden for years, and below you find links to sites that list even more plants that bees love.
Lavender:Lavender is one of the best plants for attracting bees; they just love the nectar, almost as much as humans love the smell! Our favourite is French lavender, and the photo above was taken in our garden in 2020. If you live in a cooler climate, try English lavender as it’s slightly more hardy.
Bee Balm:Bee Balm really packs a punch when planted en-masse and, as the name suggests, is loved by bees and insects of many kinds. We recommend planting Bee Balm if you care about bees and insects. It’s a fairly carefree plant that’s easy to grow and available in most garden centres. Img by Kor!an | Licence.
Hardy Geranium:Hardy Geraniums AKA Cranesbills (not to be confused with Pelargonium Geraniums) are a mainstay of many gardens, and we have four varieties growing here. Bees just love them, and they are easy to grow and flower for months if located in the right spot.
Butterfly Bush:Butterfly Bush, AKA Buddleja, is a beautiful deciduous shrub that needs little care beyond a yearly prune. Grow in a sunny spot, and your plant will produce ample amounts of nectar for butterflies and bees, making this a must-have plant for bee lovers.
Rudbeckia:A popular coneflower, Rudbeckia is a herbaceous perennial with daisy-like flowers surrounding dark centres. Grow in borders or large pots; this plant is easy to grow. These plants also make perfect cut flowers and are a favourite for bees and butterflies
Honeysuckle:A vigorous climber and often found in wildlife gardens, Honeysuckle produces small tubular flowers from June to September. It also has a lovely fragrance that attracts bees, butterflies and many other crucial pollinators. Grow freestandig or train up walls or fences.
At HumbleBee we are pleased to collaborate with Hannah Miller in her quest to save the bees. Thank you for contacting us to feature this. If you would like your articles featuring send us an email at hello@hbhoney.com - Please see the Full Article here: https://diygardening.co.uk/help-bee-population/
Here's a other way to save the bees at HumbleBee www.hbhoney.com/adopt or https://www.hbhoney.com/product-page/help-a-hive
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