To celebrate World Environment Day members of SI Tamworth heard an informative and passionate talk from amateur Beekeeper Jason Daniels.
Jason has only been keeping bees for three years and he spoke about the trials and tribulations of starting out in beekeeping.
Members learnt that as well as honey bees there are around 24 species of bumblebee and over 240 species of solitary bee in the UK. Jason’s bees are honey bees.
Honey bees drink water like other animals, but they also use it for other purposes. They need water all year so it is good practice to create a bee watering station in your garden.
Members also learnt that bees can see the colour purple more clearly than any other colour, so having purple flowers in your garden, such as lavender and alliums will attract bees. Tubular-shaped flowers such as foxgloves and honeysuckle also attract bees.
Jason also emphasised how important bees are. Honey bees are among the most numerous and efficient pollinator species in the world and can visit more than 2,000 flowers in one day. They are vital to both pollinate the food we need to survive and pollinate many of the trees and flowers that provide habitats for wildlife. However, they are sadly in decline on a global scale as they face many threats, from habitat loss, the use of pesticides and parasites such as varroa mites, which bite bees and infect them with fatal viruses.