Things to look out for in the garden - bees and how to help the right ones

Most bees are docile, even near the nest because the males have no sting; and the female workers who can sting have much more important things to do. Sometimes bees approach to check if you are a food source and if you, or visiting children, scream and wave their hands, a bee may sting out of self defence, so when you see a bee, stay calm! Bees are good for your garden - they're vital for pollinating plants and honey is fantastic, so encouraging them into your garden is a great idea. But bees, the solitary ones in particular, are vanishing fast because of the lack of nesting areas and food plants.

 

 

Bee species fall into three categories:

1. social bees which live in hives and produce honey
2. cuckoo bees that kill the young in a hive and replace them with their own eggs
3. solitary bees which nest in holes in wood or the ground.

Try to leave dead wood, leaf litter and dried plant stems in undisturbed corners. Earth banks, fences and sunny walls with old mortar are also important bee-nesting habitats, especially for solitary bees. To make a deluxe version, fill a section of a drain pipe with split canes and place it in a sheltered corner. Don't disturb it over the winter and keep children away from that area in summer.

A range of nectar and pollen is needed for food, especially late in the summer, and growing good nectar plants in your garden really helps the bees survive and make good honey. Here's a list of ideal nectar plants.

Flowers

• Sea hollies
• Scabious
• Sweet peas
• Sages
• Snapdragon

Trees and shrubs

• Apples, cherries, plums
• Flowering currants
• Heathers
• Hawthorn
• Buddleia

Garden bee photograph by Gaetan Lee, used under a creative commons attribution licence.

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