Food and lodging for pollinators

Across Europe, the vast majority of bees don't live in hives: they're solitary bees, often small and unassuming, that lay their eggs in hollow stems, wood or the ground. Along with bumblebees, hoverflies and butterflies, they pollinate wildflowers, fruit trees and vegetable gardens. Helping them takes two things, in this order: flowers, then shelters.

Flowers first, because a shelter with no food nearby stays empty. Sow local, nectar-rich species, such as phacelia or a wildflower meadow mix, and stagger the flowering from spring to autumn. Shelters next: a solitary bee shelter with cavities of varied diameters, placed in the morning sun and sheltered from rain, or a ground-level bumblebee shelter in a quiet corner.

To choose and position a shelter well, read Insect hotel: choosing and installing it well. The project A garden for pollinators brings together seeds and shelters.

Flowers before shelters

A shelter is useless with no resources nearby. Many solitary bees forage within a limited radius of their nest: the flowers therefore need to be close by. The ideal is a flowering period spread from spring to autumn, with varied shapes and colours to suit different insects.

Choosing your nectar-rich seeds

• Local species mixes, suited to the climate and insects of your region.
• Phacelia, a heavily visited annual that flowers shortly after sowing and can also serve as a green manure.
• Perennials and herbs, such as lavender, sage, thyme or oregano, which usefully complement the sown areas.

Sow on worked, weeded soil, in spring or autumn depending on the mix, and mow late to let the plants set seed.

Shelters for solitary bees

Solitary bees are not very aggressive: they don't defend a colony and very rarely sting. They lay their eggs in cavities, hollow stems or holes in wood. A good shelter has tubes of varied diameters, closed at the back, smooth at the entrance and free of splinters. Place it in the morning sun, facing south or south-east, at least a metre off the ground, firmly fixed and sheltered from rain.

Bumblebees

Bumblebees often nest at ground level or just above it, in old burrows or tufts of grass. A bumblebee shelter is placed on the ground, in a quiet spot sheltered from damp, and isn't moved once it's in place.

No pesticides

Insecticides, herbicides and fungicides harm pollinators, either directly or by removing their resources. A garden that welcomes them does without.

The project A garden for pollinators brings these elements together, and the guide Insect hotel: choosing and installing it well covers positioning shelters in detail.