Bees are essential to biodiversity, agriculture, and the health of our ecosystems. With bee populations in decline due to habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change, there’s never been a more important time to support them – starting in your own back garden.
It’s World Bee Day on the 20th May and it’s fitting that these amazing creatures should have a day dedicated especially to them. When you think of bees, you might picture their iconic buzz or sweet honey, but these small insects play a far bigger role in our lives than many realise.
Bees are among the most efficient pollinators in the UK. Around 70% of our food crops – from apples and strawberries to oilseed rape- depend to some extent on pollination. Without bees, the availability and variety of these foods would dramatically decrease, leading to higher prices and less nutritional variety.
Bees don’t just help us – they support entire ecosystems. By pollinating wildflowers and native plants, bees contribute to the survival of countless other species, including birds, butterflies, and small mammals. A thriving bee population helps maintain the natural balance of our countryside. The economic value of pollination services provided by bees in the UK is estimated at over £600 million per year. So supporting bees isn’t just environmentally important – it’s a matter of food security and financial sense.
How you can attract bees to your garden
Even if you only have a small outdoor space, you can make a big difference. Here’s how to turn your garden into a bee haven:
Plant Bee-Friendly Flowers
Choose a variety of flowers that bloom across the seasons, from early spring to late autumn. Native and open-faced flowers are best – think lavender, foxglove, borage, marigolds, and comfrey. Bees love blue, purple, and white flowers in particular.
Avoid Pesticides
Many garden pesticides and herbicides are harmful to bees, even in small doses. If you must use something, go for organic or bee-safe alternatives and apply them in the evening when bees are less active.
Create a Bee Hotel
Solitary bees, like mason bees and leafcutter bees, don’t live in hives but still need safe places to nest. A bee hotel made of hollow bamboo sticks or drilled logs can provide shelter. Place it in a sunny, sheltered spot, ideally 1–2 metres above the ground.
Leave Some Mess
A perfectly tidy garden might look nice to us, but a bit of wildness is great for bees. Let parts of your lawn grow longer, leave dandelions until they’ve bloomed, or allow a patch of nettles to flourish – they’re surprisingly important for pollinators.
Provide Water
Bees need hydration too, especially on hot days. A shallow dish of water with pebbles or stones for the bees to land on will do the trick. Change the water regularly to keep it fresh and clean.
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