Three ways to get bees back in your garden – and how your dog's hair can help

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DAVID Beckham loves them, the Princess of Wales tends her own beehives at Anmer Hall, and even Queen Camilla's honey is on sale at Fortnum and Mason to raise money for charity.

And this is because they, like the rest of us gardeners, appreciate not only how brilliant bees are, but also because they are one of the most endangered pollinators on the planet. We must take action.

David Beckham with his children in their bee clothes

A bee completely covered in pollenCredit: Getty

Bees, especially wild solitary bees and bumblebees, are in serious decline worldwide.

According to Friends of the Earth, in Britain alone we have lost around 13 species and a further 35 are currently endangered.

And if we lose the bees, we lose all the flowers, vegetables and fruits they pollinate. In short: a total disaster.

That's why the RHS this week launched a national initiative to spot 'Bumbles on Blooms', to help determine which plants bees like most in spring.

Until May 31, they are asking you to record and photograph any sightings of bees on flowers in gardens and parks across the UK.

Supported by the Bumblebees Conservation TrustUltimately, the RHS wants to boost bumblebee populations by ensuring gardeners get the best possible advice on what to plant and when – and improving understanding of our pollinator friends.

At the same time, between February 21 and March 1, the Royal Parks are asking visitors to take a photo of every bee they see and submit it online, to find out when the Queen Bee will emerge.

This means they can adjust their planting schedule to best benefit the bees.

Helen Bostock, wildlife specialist at the RHSCredit: © RHS

Helen Bostock, RHS Senior Wildlife Specialist said: 'Bumblebees are an essential part of our ecosystem, pollinating our crops and flowers and playing a key role in much of the food we eat.

“Given the large-scale changes in rural areas and the resulting decline in their numbers, flowers in gardens and parks are an increasingly important source of pollen and nectar for bumblebees.

“The better we understand which plants these industrious insects depend most on, the better we can help them thrive.”

For more information about the RHS project, visit www.rhs.org.uk/bumbles-on-blooms.

Visit for royal parks www.royalparks.org.uk/queenbees

Take care of the bees and they will take care of usCredit: Alamy

BEE-SY RIDERS

DIRECTIVE end of February, Buff-tailed bumblebees And Honey bees may be accompanied by the male Hairy-footed flower bee whose arrival heralds the beginning of spring.

According to apiary experts Urban Bees, which teaches urban communities how to save our buzzing friends, the buff-tailed types are “chubby, gold-striped bumblebees with a thick winter coat” if you live in the south, and in the north it will in fact be the queen that you may see foraging close to the ground.

And the website states that honeybees are so much slimmer and more flexible than bumblebees that there is little chance of them being confused with each other.

Hairy-footed flower bees “their distinctive hovering and darting flight and loud buzzing sound make them easy to recognize,” says Urban Bees.

For more information, visit their site at www.Urbanbees.co.uk

Urban Bees helps educate urban communities about the importance of beesCredit: Not known, clearly with photo agency

THE BEES NEED

The BEES breeding season runs from March to October and according to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust there are three ways gardeners can help.

Let a patch of grass grow long and tangled to attract the common carder bumblebee
Set up a birdhouse with straw, leaves, moss, wool or pet hair to encourage tree bumblebees.
Be less tidy! Some species nest in old vole and mouse burrows – including the white-tailed bumblebee, buff-tailed bumblebee and garden bumblebee
For more information, visit www.bumblebeeconservation.org

THE POLLEN SOCIAL

BEES need flowers when they are around, and they need easy access to pollen.

So to encourage them during winter and early spring you can add Helebores, Daffodils, Crocus, Willow catkins, Snowdrops, Aconites, Clematis and Mahonias among others.

Early emerging bees need pollen, so get some spring flowers in your gardenCredit: Getty

TOP TIP!

REVIVE tired bees with a sweet treat. Mix 2 teaspoons of white granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon of water on a plate or drop on a flower

Prepare a sweet treat for bees by dripping a mixture of sugar or water onto a plateCredit: Alamy

THIS WEEK'S VACANCY!

If you have any bulbs lying around that haven't managed to get in – fear not – you can STILL plant them now for a beautiful display in late spring.

Now put your bulbs in the ground for a show in late spring.Credit: Getty

TO WIN!

DOGS and lawns aren't a good match, but Tuffgrass thinks it has created a seed mix that can withstand those pesky spots.

THREE lucky winners can get their hands on enough TuffGrass With Dog Patch resistance for 200m² of lawn – worth £55 PLUS a liter Neudorff CleanLawn Moss control for lawn concentrate worth £13.50.

Get enough lawn seed to cover 200 square feetCredit: TuffGrass

Also win a liter of moss control for lawns in the lawn care bundle.Credit: Neudorff

To enter, visit www.thesun.co.uk/TUFFGRASSCOMP

Write to Sun TUFFGRASS competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Please include your name, age, email address or telephone number.

UK residents 18+ only. Ends at 23:59 GMT 02/03/24.

Full terms and conditions can be found here.

TO LEARN

My winter plants look bad, what could be the problem? Peter Wareing, via email.

Helleborus leaves can turn brown in winter, so it is best to prune them back in NovemberCredit: supplied

This essentially amounts to frost damage in winter – and with absolute pressure on Leaf Spot.

Try to cut back hellebore leaves in November or before temperatures drop to prevent the leaves from turning brown and developing leaf spots in the spring.

It is a common disease that turns the leaves black and is common today.

Anyway, it's not a disaster. Prune everything back, remove any fallen leaves, store them instead of composting and see what happens.

TO RESCUE!

Make your garden sparkle with this bee hotel Thorns DIY for £11.99

Thorns DIY bee hotel brings the bees to your gardenCredit: supplied

Or keep them busy with this Robert Dyas version for £32.99