Help our bees

Have you seen a honey bee recently?  No, I am not surprised, honeybee numbers have been in decline over the last few years and have suffered further decline after the harsh winter. Although numbers are low the rate of decline appears to have slowed. The good news is that they is even a small improvement over previous years.

Think about what the bees do apart form produce honey; pollinating farmer’s crops, apple trees and other fruit trees. Without the bees many crops would go un-pollinated which in turn decreases the amount of food we are able to produce. The country would require much more food to be imported. The food chain that sustains our wild birds and animals would inevitably collapse.

So what can we do?  Why not plant some bee friendly plants in your garden too. Plant bee-friendly flowers, fruits and vegetables in whatever space you have available. Be it a window box, patio pots or a patch in the garden. Everyone can do their bit to help and our bee populations need our assistance. The greater the range of plants you put in, the more bees you will attract. It is best to use native plants; a good garden centre will be able to advise you.

We have planted an area of our own garden with a wildflower mix and hopeful this will attract the bees and other insects and we can look forward to a summer of colourful flowers and the garden resonating with the sounds of our pollinating friends.