Your Garden's Natural Caretakers: The Mystery of Bees!

I think Bees are incredible. This may seem like a strange thing to hear, but they really are. Bees are the ultimate team player, and I don’t just mean honeybees, I mean all bees. Bumble bees, Leafcutter bees, Sweet bees, Squash bees, spelling bees and the list could go on. Every type of bee has its job in nature and just does it. We often pass off their roles as insignificant as we do not see them working all the time on the big screens. They are crucial for the upkeep of our environment all around the world (to be completely fair, pretty much every insect does, but I’m biased towards bees because some of them give me honey!).

What’s a bee’s favourite haircut? A buzz cut!

Did you know: Bees use the muscles in their thorax to flap their wings, this happens at a frequency over 200 times per second, this causes enough downforce and air movement beneath them to produce a buzzing sound up to 65 decibels!
What do they do?

All Bees play a vital role in pollinating our crops, ensuring yields stay high, keeping our forests growing and parks full of flowers. They do this by transferring pollen from one flower to another as they collect nutrients for themselves; without bees, many crops would suffer and farming would be far less rewarding.
Honey bees (Alpis mellifera) produce honey. Actually, all Bees produce honey, it’s just the Honey Bees produce too much for themselves in case of a prolonged winter, decline in hive activity or if they are being sieged by another Bee clan. Despite some common myths, it is possible to farm these Bees for their honey within reason, without it having an adverse effect on their health or wellbeing..

Bees contribute heavily to biodiversity by pollination of wild plants, helping to maintain diverse ecosystems and support other fauna. They build nests in various habitats, including tree hollows, soil and crevices. These nests can help to create homes for other organisms. They also help to spread pollen to non-flowering plants, aiding seed dispersal. They even act as a natural pest control, preying on pests or parasitizing them.
Unfortunately, bees face threats of their own, some of which are normal or natural, others are completely avoidable and often our fault.

Invasive plants and insects are a very common threat towards Bees as non-native plants may settle in areas near a hive and compete with the native plant, affecting bee populations. Foreign bees may also compete, which would lead to reductions in available energy sources or ‘fights’ between colonies or individual bees to gain territory. Other insects may pose a threat, such as hornets or larger wasp species who like to eat bees as a protein source. Not to mention Winnie the Pooh could come and eat all their honey supplies!
Urbanisation, agriculture, deforestation and other human practices may reduce biodiversity in certain areas, leading to declines in bee populations due to a reduction in nesting and foraging areas. These practices often do not impose a threat on bees if done correctly, however if harmful practices such as, commercial bee management (can spread pathogens), chemical pesticides, chemical germicides, artificial fertilisers are used, bees can take a hit for the worse along with other flora, fauna, and insect species and families.
There are some ways to help protect bees, here are some ideas:

1.    Plant Bee friendly gardens – this means not aggressively cutting back your lawn and the hedges surrounding, growing native plants and a large variety of wildflowers wherever you can. Consider adopting the “no-mow” May regime to help the bees.

2.    Avoid using pesticides, instead you can cover your plants with nets, use natural alternatives, or if you have to use pesticides – use them during non-flowering periods

3.    Provide Bees with nesting and refuge areas such as dead wood, hollow stems, or even the bare ground. If you would like to go above and beyond or even take up a new hobby, try building Bee hives or take up Bee-keeping!

4.    Create green urban spaces – this goes hand in hand with a friendly garden, having forests and parks in cities and town can do so much good for these furry little babies 

5.    Support organic farming – it is becoming increasingly easy to choose who you buy your food and clothing from. With a little effort, you could decide to buy from local farmers, eco-friendly brands or organic organisations

6.    Educate others! I challenge you to talk to three people about Bees this week and your most interesting fact or funniest Bee related joke!

I hope you enjoyed this blog and can see through the jokes and take a step toward supporting Bees soon because it is one of the serious topics we never talk about.
Cheers for now, have a bee-rilliant day,
Woody Strongman.
At Staerk London, we aim to provide Premium products sourced and created with the environment and sustainable practices at the forefront of our mind. Our products aim to be all natural and use organic ingredients. If you would like more information please reach out to:
woody@staerklondon.com