Five things you can do to help bees:
1. Colour matters: Although bees have excellent colour vision it is shifted towards the ultraviolet spectrum. This means they find it hard to see red; to them it is in the same wavelength as green, making it difficult for them to distinguish the flower from the rest of the plant. Therefore it is best to plant yellow, white, violet, purple and blue flowers which can be found in plants such as; lavender, sunflowers, sage, rosemary and honeysuckle.
2. Bees get thirsty too: Putting a shallow water basin filled with pebbles, marbles or sea glass in your garden provides the bees with a water source, helping them remain longer in your garden.
3. Don’t use chemicals: When treating your garden with chemicals you are ultimately causing damage to the local honeybee system. Try using chemical free sprays made from household products if needed. Alternatively, don’t be afraid to let your weeds and wildflowers to live a little, they can be some of the most important food sources for native bees.
4. Buy local honey: By doing this you will be supporting local beekeepers who are far more likely to care about the health and wellbeing of their bees rather than the large production companies.
5. Understand that bees aren’t out to get you: Bees are vegetarians, meaning all they want is to forage pollen and nectar from flowers which can be up to three miles from their hive. Contrary to popular belief, they are not out to sting us. Learn to stay calm if they come near you and don’t swipe as it will agitate the bee.
