There's a buzz in the air once again

Last year I didn't see a single one in my garden at Norton.

So imagine my surprise and delight when they turned up in abundance this summer.

These were the bees of my childhood, lately almost wiped out by a nasty disease carried by a parasitic mite.

Almost all the wild honey bees and many domesticated ones were killed.

Bumblebees on the other hand have done rather well in our gardens, and a recent report (a paper in the Journal of Applied Ecology) highlighted that this is now the most important habitat for bumblebees.

So much so, that bumblebee numbers have increased in gardens as honey bees have dropped off.

It is not all good news though. There are 25 native species of bumblebees and three are nationally extinct with 15 others in decline. Sadly, much of the decline is due to modern, intensive agricultural methods. We've lost the old hay meadows and pastures and the bits of rough ground. These are the places where the bees nest and forage. Old lanes with hedgerows and grassy verges are good bee habitat, with up to 30 bumblebee nests per hectare (which is about half a football pitch). They need the rich wildflowers and their nectar, and then rough ground and more dense vegetation for the nests.

You can help the bumblebees in your garden by leaving some rough areas a bit unkempt. It is best to locate a bee area somewhere sunny, and where they won't be disturbed.

A few upturned, broken plant pots and maybe a little rubble will also help encourage them. Then just stand back and wait for nature to take its course.

Also, there's absolutely no need to worry about getting stung. A bumblebee will sting, but only in extreme circumstances. Unlike hive bees or wasps, around the nest they are very placid.

The big bees are the fertile females, and the nests have numbers of smaller worker bees. You can safely stand by the nest and watch the activities of the workers coming and going with their pollen sacs full.

Of course they are also doing a hugely important job in pollinating all the garden and agricultural plants too.

This is one reason why farmers and horticultural growers, such as fruit farms and orchards, were so worried about the decline of the honey bee.

They are very important to the economy. No bees = no fruit.

In the case of the honey bee, it is likely that they too have suffered with the way the environment has been damaged over the last 50 years or so.

Well you can do your bit to help, and it is really quite easy. This won't solve the bigger problem, but surely every little step in the right direction is worthwhile?

Leaving some rough, sunny parts of the garden undisturbed helps, but what bees like is nectar and pollen.

They love flowers!

So the next step is to plant all sorts of good old fashioned herbs and cottage garden plants; good rich sources of nectar and pollen.

I have loads of marjoram in flower at the moment and the bees are all over it.

It self-seeds and there are two good varieties, one with the standard green foliage and the other a golden variety with lovely golden-yellow leaves.

Other things to plant include lavender and all the varieties of thyme.

The aim is to have flowers out and available at all times of day throughout as much of the year as you can.

You will really enjoy it, literally getting a buzz in your garden, and you’ll be helping nature as well.