Help the Bees Plant Flowers!

Help the Bees – plant flowers!

Photo by M Stott

Following the government’s decision to allow farmers to increase the range of crops treated with Neonicotinoids, I have been asked to write an article about the threat this poses to bees. I am a passionate Beekeeper who is always happy to ‘talk bees’. However, the use of Neonics and other pesticides is just one part of the bigger picture. Modern intensive farming practices are threatening our bee population and biodiversity in general. While many of us feel strongly about the need to protect our native wildlife, the issues on a National level are so large-scale and complicated, it’s easy to feel helpless. I am sure I am not the only person who feels that my lone voice will not have much impact. So in this article, I would like to bring the discussion back down to the local level where I believe we can all make a real difference.

The arguments for and against Neonics are complex and ongoing and there are lots of people better qualified than me to explain why these chemicals should not be used. However, the loss of native habitat to large-scale farming is well documented, with over 95% of flower meadows lost since the 1930s. The first step is to understand that with the changes in farming practises, suburban areas are fast becoming important sanctuaries for wildlife. Recent research at Sussex University has shown that honeybees kept in the Sussex countryside arehaving to commute into Brighton during the summer to collect nectar and pollen. This research confirmed that many garden plants provide valuable sources of pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies at times when there are few wild flowersblooming. Soit follows that one way we can all help our bees, is by planting more summer flowers in our gardens and local spaces.

That brings me on to the question I often get asked- what are the best bee plants? This is always a difficult question to answer as there are so many to choose from! There are websites that publish lists of bee friendly plants, but they don’t always take account of local conditions. What grows well in one part of England might not do so well in another area. So I would like to suggest a different approach.

Why not take advantage of the summer to go into your garden and look at the flowers? Yes, I know it’s an arduous task sitting the garden looking at flowers, but if you don’t do it, who will! After a few minutes you will see which flowers are attracting the most insects. If you haven’t got many flowers in your garden or you want to try out some new varieties,then why not go to your local park and see which plants are attracting insects. Then you can use this new found knowledge to add more of the bee-friendly plants and reduce those that are less attractive to wildlife. The great thing is that many of the bee friendly plants are also beautiful and easy to grow. So it’s a win for the bees and for your garden.

In my case, I recentlyspent several minutes intensively researching a friend’s garden on a sunny afternoon. From this ‘research’I was able to establish that the Marjoram was covered with honeybees and butterflies; by contrast, the Catmint had lots of bumblebees and hoverflies. Back at home I find Borage, Comfrey and Phacelia are easy to grow and much loved by bees. A personal favourite is Nasturtiums. Not only do young nasturtium leafs make a great addition to a salad, they produce abundant flowers until the first frosts and are covered in honey bees well into October.

The next step after improving your own garden might be to contact Croydon Council or join one of the “Friends of the Park” groups and talk to them about increasing the amount of wildlife-friendly planting in our local parks. I am sure we all know of open spaces in Croydon that could be improved at little or no cost. In some cases it might even save money! For example, leaving areas of grass to grow longer allows the wild flowers to develop and insects such as butterflies and moths to reproduce.

Finally, for anyone who wants to know more about beekeeping in the area,Croydon Beekeepers have range of activities and training courses.

Why not check out thewebsite croydonbeekeepers.org.uk or come along to the Croydon Honey Show in Selsdon on 26th September.

Mark Stott

Chairman Croydon Beekeepers