From pollenating flowers to creating honey, bees play a vital yet often overlooked role. Despite providing around 1/3 of our available food, the population of bees is in decline as a result of factors like disease, urbanisation, intensive farming and Colony Collapse Disorder.
Britain only has 25% of the bees needed to pollinate crops, and Europe is missing 13.4 million bee colonies – or 7 billion honeybees.
Pesticides and agricultural intensification have had an impact on bees’ natural habitats; 97% of the UK’s wildflower meadows – where bees were once found – have disappeared since 1945.
This infographic, from Suttons Seeds, looks at the importance of bees, the risks they face and how we can be more bee-friendly in our gardens.
Sorry we don't have any suggested related content at the moment. Please check back later.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Weekly ethical news, offers, comps and a free digital mag (quarterly) – what’s not to love?
