Bees are struggling to survive - how we can help

July is here and we have reached the end of a year of articles where we have been finding out about bees, we hope you have enjoyed learning along with us. This month we will be finding out why bees are struggling and what we can do to help.

03 July 2023

Image: Habitat loss is one reason that bees are struggle to survive.

Bee numbers are declining

Explore the meaning behind the words in bold in our glossary at the bottom of this page.

The number of bees (and other pollinating insects) is declining. Here are some of the reasons why:

Environmental change is killing bees

There are many reasons why the number of bees is going down, including:

Loss of habitat and nesting sites
Not enough flowering plants for bees to feed on. There are fewer flower-rich verges, hedgerows and wildflower meadows than there were in the past, and the remaining ones are often small and in poor condition. Bees (and other pollinators) find it difficult to fly between these patches to find food, nest and breed. Find out more about this and about bee corridors here.
As weather and temperatures around the world are changing due to climate change, some places are becoming less suitable for bees to live. This means it may be too hot or too wet for some species of bee to survive.
Sometimes people use chemicals called pesticides in their gardens to get rid of the insects they don’t want, but these chemicals can harm bees and other pollinating insects.

Image: Roadside verge without flowers

Humans are causing environmental change

Bee numbers are going down because human actions are causing changes to the environment, and this is making it difficult for bees to survive. Habitat loss, lack of food, climate change and pesticide use are all related to human activity. Our actions can either harm or help bees.

Image: There are fewer wildflower meadows like this one today (Credit: RHS Carol Sheppard)

What can we do to help?

There are lots of things that you can do to help bees where you live. Click the buttons below to discover different bee resources.

Your questions answered: Q&A with our wildlife expert

Image: Helen Bostock - RHS Senior Wildlife Specialist

We asked RHS wildlife expert Helen Bostock some of your questions about bees, here’s what she had to say:

If you find an injured bee what should you do?

"This is sad to see but most bees do not live a long time, some only a few weeks so they will naturally die, get injured or become prey for other animals. So in most cases it’s best just to leave the bee alone and let nature take its course.

Sometimes we can think a bee is in trouble when it is simply resting. If it is on the ground and in danger of being trodden on, then you could ask an adult to help move it or put a plant pot or other marker near it until it has flown away.

In sudden cold or wet weather bees can lose body temperature and become exhausted. The best thing to help them recover is to place a nectar-rich flower such as a hellebore, chive or clover flower next to the bee so it can have an energy-rich drink. Giving a bee sugar water is a last resort when no flowers are available."

Why are we seeing more bees on days where the temperature is lower?

"Bees can get overheated in hot weather, especially bumblebees whose thick furry coats have evolved to make them suited for cooler climates. So you may see fewer bees flying in a heatwave compared to when the weather cools down.

It follows that bumblebees will also be more active on colder days than, say, honeybees. When it gets too cold, such as in winter, however, it is too expensive in energy for bees to be active, so they either stay in the hive or nest.

Of course seeing more bees in any weather may simply mean you’ve done an excellent job of providing suitable flowers at that time of the year, maybe where there weren’t any before!"

Where do all the bees come from?

"If we look back really far into the history of how life on earth became more diverse, then we can tell that bees developed in the insect order called Hymenoptera (meaning ‘membrane wings’) and are closely related to ants and wasps, sharing the characteristic of having a sting. It is thought that bees evolved from predatory wasps around 120 million years ago, though unlike wasps who feed their larvae meat (such as caterpillars and flies), bees feed their larvae pollen and nectar. This is why flowers are so important.

The bees that visit our flowers could come from lots of different places. Honeybees usually fly from a hive which will be managed somewhere in the neighbourhood by a person called a beekeeper, though some honeybees live more naturally in tree hollows and other holes. Bumblebees come from smaller colonies and, depending on the species, will have flown from a nest in the ground, a compost heap, the roof space of someone’s house or a bird box. Solitary bees emerge in the spring from small holes in the ground, hollow plant stems, holes in wood or from someone’s specially made bee hotel nearby."

Helping bees at St George's Primary School

The Bee Garden at St George’s Primary School in Camberwell is now full of flowers, which are providing pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinators.

Images: Bees at St George's School (Credit: Sam Tilling)

The children have been thinking about what bees might need in the warmer weather this month. They realised that bees need water to survive so they have added some to the top of their bee houses:

Image: Providing water for thirsty bees (Credit: St George's Primary School)

Glossary

Colony (colonies is plural)	Large group of one type of animal that is living and working together. Social bees lives in colonies, including honeybees and most bumblebees. Honeybee colonies are given the specific term ‘hive’ or ‘beehive’.
Corridors	Allow movement from one place to another (an area which links two other areas together).
Declining	To reduce in size or number.
Environment	The surroundings in which anything living is found.
Evolved	To have changed over time in order to be able to survive better.
Habitat	A home for plants and animals.
Hive	A structure where honeybees live and raise their young.
Larva (larvae is plural)	The active immature stage of an insect, usually referring to those insects that go through a pupal stage where the larva looks very different to the adult.
Pollinating	When pollen is in the process of being moved from one flower or plant to another.
Prey	An animal which is caught for food.
Species	Animals or plants that have similar features to each other. They are closely related enough that they can successfully breed with each other.
Survive	To continue to be alive.
Verges	Narrow areas beside roads where grass and flowers grow.
Wildflower meadows	Fields where grass and wildflowers grow.

Find out more about bees

If you are just buzzing to find out more about bees, check out our monthly updates:

Learn more about pollinators:

September update

Find out more about pollen:

October update

What happens to bees in the colder months?

November update

How many types of bees are there in the UK?

December update

Discover how bees help put the food on your plate:

January update

Explore the lifecycle of a bumblee:

February update

What to sow to help bees in June:

March update

Find out about bee corridors:

April update

Learn which flower shapes bees like best and why:

May update

Why do people count bees?

June update