Our bees are in trouble, and we are the solution.
With three species of bumblebee already extinct, we can’t afford to sit back and watch our bee population continue to decline so dramatically.
We need bees. They are essential to our food supply, economy and quality of life:
- Bees pollinate 75% of our most vital crops and favourite foods.
- Without bees our economy would suffer – UK farmers would have to fork out £1.8 billion a year to pollinate our crops.
- Bees are essential to our gardens, parks and countryside – vital to other insects, birds and animals
We’re supporting Friends of the Earth ‘Bee Cause’, which wants to secure our bees’ future. The Bee Cause wants people to join together to ask David Cameron to help save bees by introducing a National Bee Action Plan. By signing the ‘Bee Cause petition’ we’re taking a small action that can ultimately help make a very big difference.
We’ve done it… you can too. Click here to sign the petition now!
In addition, there are other actions you can take to help bees now.
- Grow bee friendly plants – like flowering herbs (chives, marjoram, sage); low growers (crocus, bluebell, snowdrop); bushy shrubs and perennials (hebes, lavender, buddleja) easy edibles (strawberries, tomatoes), and trees (hawthorn, hazel, holly, willow). We also suggest others here.
- Buy local British honey – support local bees and beekeepers by keeping it local and buying their products – from pots of yummy honey to beeswax candles.
- Look at your home from a bee’s perspective – are there plenty of plants in your garden that are popular with pollinators? Encourage bee friendly planting with your neighbours and community too.
- Help bees through the seasons – plant bee friendly seeds, in the garden, window boxes, or pots, and try building a bee hotel (learn how to make one here) – providing ideal nesting space for bees.
- Tell a friend – spread the word about The Bee Cause – the more people that join, the stronger the campaign – including the message to David Cameron – will be.
For more on the Bee Cause, visit the Friends of the Earth’s specially developed website here.