At this time of year these clever creatures are already looking for food and shelter to make a home for the coming months. Join us in helping our buzzy friends by creating the perfect bee hotel.
Not to be underestimated, bumble bees have one of the most important jobs in our eco system – pollinating vast numbers of flowers and crops for the benefit of their fellow animals and us humans too. In fact, without their services, many of our wildflowers and crops such as beans, peas, raspberries and tomatoes would struggle to reproduce.
This time of year is a particularly important time to help, as the hungry queens go in search of sustenance. Ideal bee friendly early summer flowers include allium, catmint, poppy, snapdragon, sweet pea and thyme, while perfect late summer flowers include buddleia, cornflower, echinacea, honeysuckle and lavender.
It’s also a great idea to simply leave a patch of lawn unmown and see which wildflowers grow!
Once they’re fed, next on the agenda for the bumblebees is a new home, which you can help them to create using things you may already have in your garden shed.
Find out how to create the perfect bee hotel, as well as discovering more about these fascinating creatures in our Bumble Bee Fact File.
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