In the last couple of years we have seen the numbers of Western honey bees in the UK drop significantly; even as much as 90% in some areas. 1 in 3 beehives in the UK are considered to be lifeless and there appear to be several contributing factors.
Colony Collapse Disorder can be caused by loss of habitat both in agriculture and in back gardens. Agricultural fields have increased in size over the years with reduced hedgerows that are ideal nesting areas for bees and this is compounded by the increased use of pesticides which provides for an increasingly unaccommodating habitat. Similarly, as back gardens become ever more designed and groomed there are fewer and fewer spots for the honey bees to nest.
The sharp fall in numbers means that surviving bees have more pollinating to do which is critical to the health of many commercial crops as well as Britain's back gardens. This larger workload has taken it's toll on the remaining population leading to more frequent sights of fatigued bees crawling on lawns. What they need are nearby nests to rest and recuperate but with fewer of these around many die. The BeeStation provides people with the means to help the bees in their back garden with a small ceramic ornament that acts as an artificial nest.
As the Summer approaches we can help tackle the reducing numbers of these crucial bees by making our gardens more bee friendly. This is good news for husbands up and down the country because on Saturday afternoons they can now justify not doing the gardening and watching the football instead.
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