Bees need trees - trees need bees!

Bees need trees. But the story doesn't end there. A tree is a rich provider: an English Oak supports over 500 different species, from lichens and invertebrates to nesting birds, pollen-gathering bees and acorn-loving mammals. And a single Lime (Linden) tree will provide bees with forage equivalent to 300 sq metres of wildflower meadow.

It's the extraordinary combination of biodiversity, environmental benefit, natural bounty and longevity which makes planting and maintaining trees so vital for so many other flora and such varied fauna.

The amount of food available for pollinators from one tree can be equal to all the food from a whole field of wildflowers! Trees like Lime, Pear, Hazel and Willow are all great sources of nectar for bees. Planting a tree is a great gift for future generations and helps our vital pollinators - so get planting if you can!

Farming practices and agricultural policies since World War II have led directly to the decline of bees and other wildlife, through loss of habitat, use of insecticides and fertilisers and monoculture. But more enlightened farming is happening. People simply not understanding that trees are the key source of forage for many species of bee, especially honeybees, is at the heart of some of the worst messaging going on around their survival.

Author unknown

The author of these words remains unknown but I felt it was an important point to spotlight.

Another really interesting story on wild bees was recently published on the BBC website, please click on the link below to read it.

Honeyland: Life lessons from Europe's last wild beekeeper