As British Bee Veterinary Association (BBVA) Bee Friendly Practice, last Spring we flagged up the plight of the bee. And we’re doing it all again this year! This month we’re giving out free packs of bee and butterfly-friendly wildflower seed for you to grow in your garden to help feed the bees this summer. Stocks are limited, so make sure you don’t miss out!
With 97% of wildflower meadows having disappeared since the 1930s* and food supply restricted by contemporary crop farming, bee nutrition is an issue. Of the threes main factors that appear to be responsible for the decline in numbers of bees – pesticides, disease and concerns about food supply – the President of the BBVA believes issues with food supply pose the greatest threat.
We want to help! The variation in plant life in urban areas is becoming increasingly attractive to bees. We can all do a little bit of planting to supplement a bee’s food supply. We’re giving away free wildflower seed to sprinkle now for summer flowering. But if your flower bed space is limited, you can plant bee-friendly plants in window boxes, hanging basket or in planters by the front door. And they don’t need to be restricted to summer flowering. Ideally, we should be trying to provide a continuity of different bee food sources throughout the year. Check out the Royal Horticultural Society’s website for lots of bee friendly plant ideas for different seasons. Or pop into the practice during May to find out more from our ‘bee friendly’ waiting room display.
Happy planting!
*Friend of the Earth website