Air Bee and Bee

By Scott Brown

The number of bee hotels has been reducing in recent years. This might be due to the fact that most people think that there is one type of bee. The honey bee. I lose track of how many I run into that brag about the new hive in their garden. The last thing we need is more of these pollen thieves. Just yesterday my son had his entire bag of pollen stollen. 

We are used to the armed nomad doing stupid things. It’s not called the cuckoo bee for nothing, but these honey bees lack respect. 

I’m a Bombus pascuorum, a common carder, or as your little one would say, I’m the fluffy bee in the garden.

 It wasn’t always like this you know.

The homeowners of yesteryear always planted things that suited all of us and everyone had gardens. Now it seems that efficiency and those dreaded cars take priority. Busy people have busy lives. It used to be us that got called busy. 

Everyone has a view on our future but I don’t think it’s as bad as all that. The trend of beekeeping has caused us some problems sure. The competition between honey bees is impacting the butterflies and hoverflies. A world without all types of us, is unthinkable. You know we pollinate almost every crop that grows. In most supermarkets, half the food stocked would not be available without us. 

Many crops are pollinated better by different breeds of bee too. The honey bees is only one type, and can’t actually pollinate everything that is grown. 

Now don’t get me wrong, some of those honey bees are indeed honeys, but they are often like the lager louts of the pollination world. Doing what they want, regardless of others. 

If you are reading my little tale, and would like to help me and my pals. Here’s what you can do.

1. if you want to or have to grow honey bees, keep it to a small size.
2. Keep a garden. It’s much more rewarding than all that fake grass we often see.
3. Plant flowers we like – foxgloves, marjoram, borage, fruit trees and wild flowers. The butterflies, hoverflies and birds love these flowers and don’t forget they are good pollinators too.
4. Get creative and build us a home. A hotel for us is essential. Old untreated wood is great as we can make tunnels in that and keep us safe. The bamboo built ones on the internet are fabulous. It’s like we are on holiday. But make sure it has a metal roof. Jim was in one last week and when the rain came it soaked everything.

Finally, don’t worry about having a perfect garden. Let us thrive in the wildness. Pollinators in the UK are down 18 per cent since 1970. Without us this UPF stuff you have already will be even higher. Let’s not let that happen. Bee well.