We were really excited to be taking part in the Great British Bee Count, which happened between 19 May and 30 June.
Friends of the Earth set up the Great British Bee Count to monitor the British bee population as the numbers of British bees are declining! Twenty species of bee have already been lost in the UK and this number will increase if action is not taken soon. Our Bees are in trouble!
British bees are threatened by many factors induced by the human population. These include: habitat loss and destruction, changes in land use (increasing urbanisation), toxic neonicotinoid pesticides and climate change. Bees are an essential component in helping to sustain our food and economy as we rely on them to pollinate around 75% of our fruit and vegetable crops.
Digbeth Community Garden is in full bloom, showcasing a rich wild flower habitat for bees and other wildlife to thrive. During the bee count, we spotted different species of bee and took lots of photographs. Check out our twitter page to see what we have spotted!
Along with monitoring the bees in the garden, we also tweeted a different bee fact every day throughout the bee count. Here are a few of our favourite facts:
- Honey bees fly at a speed of around 25km per hour and beat their wings 200 times per second!
- There are around 250 species of bee in the UK.
- Beekeepers wear white to keep the bees calm.
- In mathematical terms, a bee flies around the world one and a half times for one jar of honey (500g).
Be sure to follow us on twitter (@Bham_FOE) and see the good work we are doing for British Bees!
