Tips to make this Half Term the turning point for bee survival….and get the kids out of the house into the fresh air
Leading bee keeper, and founder of healthy bee product business Bee Good, Simon Cavill is encouraging school children to use this half term as the turning point for the future of bees.
Hot on the heels of the insect extinction report, and the nationwide school demonstrations on climate change, now is the time for the next generation to start recognising the importance of bees to their future food supplies.
'The changing seasons make right now an excellent time for showing an interest in bees and the critical work they do in pollinating the countries flowers and crops,’ says Simon Cavill.
‘Whilst most people believe a bee is just a bee, there are in fact over 20,000 different species of bees, and several of the more common ones can be spotted now, collecting pollen from early flowering plants, particularly in the south of the country. The Hairy Footed Flower Bee, the Painted Mining Bee, the Buff Tailed Bee, the Tree Bee, and the common Bumble Bee should all be out and about now, and it is more important than ever that our children see them as critical to their own well being as opposed simply to being annoying buzzing insects to be swatted.’
Simon Cavill has four key tips for the parents tired of seeing their sons and daughters glued to computer screens:
1. Treat the kids to a guide encouraging them to spot the different bee species. There are several easy to follow reference books, from the relatively inexpensive ‘Know Your Bees’, which identifies 32 of the more common wild bees, to the fuller ‘Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland’. Any of these will see keen youngsters showing an interest in outdoor nature without the need for Wifi signals.
2. Target the most likely plants that attract bees at this time of year. Look for colour and flowers. Crocuses, Anemones, Grape Hyacinths and Snowdrops should now be in bloom, alongside Hellebores. All these are pollen rich and attract bees. Very soon they should be joined by Wallflowers and early flowering Camelias. Some trees are important too. In particular look out for furry Catkins covered in the yellow pollen that bees go for in swarms.
3. Get the Grandparents to treat them to a Bee Hotel or Nesting Box. They are not expensive, and available even from supermarkets. But they will see their young owners showing a constant interest in the visitors from now and right through the summer. They should soon see the tube nesting Mason Bees, and Orchard Mason Bees arriving.
4. This might seem pretty boring to some, but sow some sweet pea seeds. When they flower, they are likely to attract Leafcutter Bees, Carpenter Bees and Bumble bees. The lucky ones will also see the Violet Carpenter Bee, which is a large black bee with violet purple wings the colour of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate foil wrappers.
Whether it’s contributing to the creation of healthy cosmetics, the making of honey with all its health benefits, or the broader pollination of the crops that we rely on, Bee Good is dedicated to encouraging the next generation to show as much interest in bees as they do the next video game.
‘If we care about our kids’ future,‘ says Simon Cavill, ‘we should be teaching them how to ‘Bee Good’ right now.’
ENDS