What do Bees Eat and Why we all Need to be Talking about Honey Bees Favourite Flowers

What do bees eat and why we all need to be talking about Honey Bees Favourite Flowers

The decline of the bee population in the UK is one of many worrying environmental issues that is being widely talked about. So how can we help?

OK so first let’s start with why bees are important. According to Sustain, the alliance for better food and farming there are more honey bees than other types of bee and pollinating insects globally and this makes it the world's most vital and important pollinator of food crops. Around one third of the food we eat each day is reliant on pollination by bees (other insets and birds and bats also, play a role).

Pollination is vital because it allows fruits and vegetables to reproduce (produce seeds). It begins with flowers. Flowers have male parts that produce very small grains called pollen. Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from one flower to another. Although plants can self-pollinate, it is much more effective when plants cross pollinate which bees and other insects and birds help with.

So how can we help? Well firstly it’s important to ask ‘what do bees eat’? And then let’s look at honey bees favourite flowers and what we can do to avoid harming our bee population.

So What Do Bees Eat?

Bees eat pollen and nectar from a variety of flowers which they make into honey to feed their young. Honey bees are attracted to gardens and fields that offer a variety of flowering vegetation.

What can we to do help bees?

Plant bees favourite flowers in your garden if you can. Some of bees favourite flowers are listed below. Don’t have a garden? Then check out initiatives in your local area, in London some keen bee enthusiasts joined ranks to create a 7 mile bee corridor to boost the declining population of bees. You can read more about it here.

Here are some of bees favourite flowers with links to buy from our partners. Click here to buy Black eyed Susan from Waitrose Garden and Echinacea also from Waitrose Garden. Thompson and Morgan also, sell a wide range of plants that bees will love, check out their wide range of Asters and their honey bee seed mix which has a mix of 19 species of nectar and pollen rich annual and perennial flowers that are rich in pollen and nectar and definite favorites for honey bees. Thompson and Morgan also, sell a wide range of sunflower seeds and sunflower plants which bees also adore. Lavender are also, a firm favourite amongst bees and Gardening Express have a great range.  

According to Friends of the Earth “There is growing public and political concern at bee decline across the world. This decline is caused by a combination of stresses - from loss of their habitat and food sources to exposure to pesticides and the effects of climate change.”

The impact of pesticides on bees is huge, let’s all do our bit, buy organic if you can afford it, don’t use harmful pesticides and weed killer in your garden which can kill not only bees but also, frogs and toads and birds who come into contact with it. Friends of the Earth have a petition that you can sign here to put pressure on the Government to reduce the use of pesticides, click here to sign it.

Check out the deals we’ve pulled in from Thompson and Morgan, Waitrose Garden, and Gardening Express. 

And for all of the latest deals on plants, trees and all things garden related and for some inspiration please visit VoucherShares garden category vouchers and discount codes.

Miranda Coombes, mother of 2, passionate about the environment,

keen horse rider, marathon runner and a business owner

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