About Bees & How to Encourage Them

Did you know there are more than 250 species of bee in Britain? By far the largest group are solitary bees who make individual nests in a variety of ways: mining bees tunnel down to make an underground nest; masonry bees seek out crumbling mortar; potter bees make a tiny earthen pot for their eggs; and leaf-cutter bees do much the same, but with a chunk of leaf carved off your prize rose-bush. Cuckoo bees don’t bother at all, but lay their eggs in the nests of other bees! However, the bees we are all familiar with are social bees: Bumble-bees, more than 25 species of them in Britain mostly with nests of a few hundred insects in banks or tree crevices; and the Honey-bee which has colonies up to 60,000. And it is these two which are vitally important as pollinators of more than 75% of food crops. With threats from pesticides, and loss of wild countryside due to building or modern agriculture, bees are becoming more dependent on gardens – so it is worth encouraging them to visit!

So what do bees need? Like all living creatures they must have water and food. Bees drink from dewdrops or the edges of puddles, but in dry weather they appreciate a shallow tray of water with pebbles to land on and prevent them drowning. Their food is nectar and pollen from flowers, but not all flowers have evolved to suit bees’ requirements. Bees have short tongues and a good sense of smell. They have excellent colour vision, but do not see well at the red end of the spectrum and being heavy insects they need flowers they can land on and hang on to while feeding. So old-fashioned ‘cottage garden’ flowers and single flowers, rather than double, are generally best. As well as food and water some bees look for shelter. Some solitary bees, such as Red Mason Bees – which are excellent pollinators – appreciate the commercially available ‘bee houses’, consisting of narrow tubes packed horizontally into a wall-mounted container. There is a large ‘bug hotel’ in the churchyard at Holy Trinity, to attract solitary bees and other insects.

BEE-FRIENDLY PLANTS

Here are a few suggestions for bee-attracting plants for various, preferably sunny, situations: In a tiny space: purple Crocuses, Grape Hyacinth (Muscari), Ice-plant (Sedum spectabile) is also loved by butterflies, Heathers (Calluna), Herb garden or pots: Chives, Thyme, Marjoram, Rosemary and Sage. Annuals: Pot Marigold (Calendula), Cosmos, Phacelia tanacetifolia (no English name) seed is sold specifically for bee forage and green manure. An informal pond: Water Mint (Mentha aquatica), also popular with some butterflies. A summer border: blue Globe Thistle (Echinops ritro), golden Rudbeckia fulgida eg ‘Goldsturm’, Catmint (Nepeta mussinii), Verbena bonariensis, any Michaelmas Daisy. Small shrubs: blue or purple Hebe, Rosemary, Lavenders (leave the seedheads on until spring, Goldfinches enjoy them). Medium shrubs: Rosa rugosa eg ‘Fru Dagmar Hastrup’ – large single flowers and red fruits for birds. Large shrubs, trees, hedges: Firethorn (Pyracantha), Cotoneasters, Hawthorn and Rowan, all provide autumn fruit for birds too. Lawns: Leave an un-manicured corner to plant perennial native wild flowers, eg Cowslip, White Clover, Red Clover, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Ox-eye Daisy, Knapweed, Scabious, Meadow Cranesbill

written by our dear friend & wildflower expert Pat Verrall, who sadly passed away December 2020