Find out about what makes bees so incredible!
As you walk throughout the patch you will likely see many Bees at work. Around the fields of our farm we plant wildflowers to provide food to the bees - and here at the patch there's a lot of delicious nectar to support local bees too. That's why you are likely to spot lots of them!
How many bees can you spot on one Sunflower head?
You might be surprised to learn there are more than 250 species of bee in the UK. Bumblebees, mason bees, mining bees - these are just one small part of a big, beautiful family. Bumblebees nest in colonies, while solitary bees (like Mason and Mining bees) live and nest alone.
One species of honey bee – the European or Western honey bee – lives in the UK. These are farmed bees that have been introduced by beekeepers, rather than being native to our shores. Sadly it's now incredibly rare to find a truly wild honey bee colony.
What makes Bees so Important?
Bees have cultural and environmental importance as pollinators and producers of honey and medicinal products. The movement of pollen between plants is necessary for plants to fertilize and reproduce. Both farmed and wild bees control the growth and quality of vegetation — when they thrive, so do crops.
While there are other methods of pollination, including by other animals and the wind, wild bees can pollinate on a much bigger and more efficient scale.
Estimates suggest it would cost UK farmers an incredible £1.8 billion a year to manually pollinate their crops.
Did you know? Broccoli, carrots, fennel, parsnips, turnips, kale, apples, raspberries and tomatoes are among more than 60 British crops that rely on pollination by bees.
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