World Bee Day

20th May each year is World Bee Day. A day dedicated to raising awareness of the world’s pollinators. In the UK alone there are over 270 different species of bee, ranging from the tiny solitary Scissor Bee at just 6-7mm to the large fluffy bumblebees you see in your gardens that can be up to 22mm long. 
So what can you do to help pollinators?
If you have a garden or any kind of outside space then planting some flowers will help. As well as being nice for you to look at they will provide a source of nectar and pollen to keep the insects going. Open flowers are best, think daisy or sunflower type, and things that flower early or later in the season are also good. A tray of water with pebbles or sticks is good if there is no nearby source of water, allowing the bees to drink and not drown. 
Another way to help is to support your local beekeepers, buying honey from small businesses feeds into the local economy and you’re getting a far superior product to that found in supermarkets.
The Hairy Beekeeper is based in Syston – so named as his bees were featured on the Hairy Bikers, for more information on honey and the many other hive products please head over to www.beesoap.co.uk (for soaps and cosmetics made using beeswax and honey) and website coming soon for www.hairybeekeeper.co.uk