How to Attract Bees to Your Garden

Bees are essential pollinators, but their numbers are declining. A few simple changes to your garden can make a big difference to local bee populations.

Why bees matter

Bees pollinate around a third of the food we eat, including fruits, vegetables and nuts. They also pollinate wildflowers that support other wildlife. Without bees, our gardens and countryside would look very different.

Best plants for bees

Bees need flowers that provide nectar and pollen. The best plants have open, simple flowers that bees can access easily. Avoid double flowers – they look pretty but often have little nectar.

Spring:

• Crocus, snowdrops, hellebores
• Pulmonaria, primroses, grape hyacinths
• Flowering currant, willow catkins

Summer:

• Lavender, catmint, salvia
• Foxgloves, alliums, geraniums
• Buddleia, honeysuckle, roses (single varieties)

Autumn:

• Sedum, asters, dahlias (single varieties)
• Ivy flowers, helenium, verbena bonariensis

Provide flowers all year

Bees are active from early spring to late autumn. Some bumblebees even fly in mild winter weather. Aim to have something in flower in every month – early and late flowers are especially valuable when food is scarce.

Create nesting sites

Different bees nest in different places:

• Bumblebees: Nest in old mouse holes, under sheds, in long grass, or in bird boxes placed at ground level.
• Solitary bees: Nest in holes in wood, hollow stems, or bare soil. Bee hotels with drilled holes or bundles of bamboo canes provide homes.
• Mining bees: Dig burrows in bare, sunny soil. Leave some patches of bare ground undisturbed.

What to avoid

• Pesticides: Many insecticides kill bees. Avoid using them, especially on flowering plants.
• Weedkillers on lawns: Clover and dandelions are valuable bee food. Consider leaving some.
• Over-tidy gardens: Dead stems and leaf litter provide shelter. Leave some areas wild.

Let the lawn grow

A lawn full of clover, dandelions and self-heal is a feast for bees. Consider leaving part of your lawn unmown, or mowing less frequently. Even raising the mower height helps – taller grass allows more flowers to bloom.

Provide water

Bees need water, especially in hot weather. A shallow dish with pebbles or marbles gives them somewhere to land and drink without drowning.