This time of year the flowers on our Pyrocantha hedge (also called Fire Thorn hedge) are in full bloom and attracting insects. From Spiders lying in wait for prey to Bees collecting pollen and pollenating the plants as they go.

There are many different species of bees that visit the flowers, from bumble to honey.

The Wildlife Trust have a good guide to bees on their website that can be used to identify them.

So far I have spotted:

• Honey Bee’s (Apis mellifera)
• Buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
• White-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lucorum)

Thankfully not many Wasps (Vespula vulgaris)

Bees are in decline due to many factors, but the main one is humans and what we do to the planet. Bees and other pollinator’s play an important roll in the ecology of nature helping nature to flourish and thrive. We need to do more to help protect the bees and their habitats.

You can easily help saving bee’s by planting flowers that attract bees and pollinator’s in your garden. It can be as much as a single plant, but every one helps.