It is no secret that the bee population is in crisis as they face the dangers of habitat loss, climate change and poisoning from pesticides, however not everyone is aware that some of the plants in their garden could not be helping bees but harming them.

Check the following flowers are not in your garden; rhododendrons, azaleas, oleanders and angel’s trumpet. It’s important to avoid these flowers because their nectar is toxic to bees and can therefore potentially harm some already endangered species. Also check for yellow jessamine as both its vines and flowers are highly toxic. There are several more than these but these are the most harmful, some like oleander can even result in mass hive wipe outs.

Of course this is just one of the ways you can help support the declining bee population, you could also purchase a ‘bee’ hotel or simply leave areas of open soil as some species make individual nests for their larvae here. These are known as ‘solitary bees’ and there are over 200 kinds of them living wild in the UK, unsurprisingly their decreasing habitat has had a harsh impact on their population sizes. Furthermore these bees do not make honey or live in large hives making them the perfect garden guests.

Alternatively you could donate to ‘The Bee Cause’ on the ‘friends of the earth’ website to help fund the creation of bee friendly spaces and receive a ‘Bee Saver Kit’. The kit includes a pack of wild flower seeds, a bee ID (to help you identify the different types of bees), a garden planner and a guide offering information on how to grow your own ‘bee haven’.

There is plenty more information available online about making bee hotels or finding the right one for you depending what species are local to your area so don’t hesitate to take a look.

By Jasmine Helm-Stovell

Rosebery