Gardeners are being urged to put a teaspoon of sugar in their gardens as soon as possible — for a vitally important reason. With spring in full bloom and summer nearly here, bees are at their most active.
The UK is in the middle of a long spell of dry and warm weather, which can make life more difficult for these vital pollinators. You might see a bee crawling along the ground in summer and, if you do, there’s a good chance the little thing is in trouble, most likely out of exhaustion or even starvation (though this isn’t necessarily down to the weather).
In fact, Professor Dave Goulson told the BBC that bees have such a high metabolism and are generally so busy that, even with a stomach full of nectar, they can be “just 40 minutes away from starvation”.
But there is a way you can help. A simple solution of a bit of sugar and water resting in a teaspoon could be a vital boost for a struggling bee. You can offer this by placing it close to the bee’s head. The Save Bees blog suggests a 1:1 mixture of standard white sugar granules and water would be appropriate (but not brown sugar or honey). It also says that you should be able to see whether the bee is drinking or not by seeing the tongue “extended like a straw below her head”.
This should revive the bee long enough to get it moving again — it’s important they don’t consume too much.
However, there are other things to consider. Bug Life, one of the UK’s insect charities, told the BBC that “sugar solution should always be used as a last resort to help bees that look tired and exhausted as they are only able to give a quick hit”.
The charity added that since worker bees only live a few weeks, one that seems to be struggling may actually be coming to the end of its life if you see it on the ground and that people should instead attempt to put tired bees onto flowers, where they may be able to find nectar which, unlike sugar solution, contains nutrients they need.
However, it’s also possible that those flowers have already been drained of their nectar and energy so the sugar solution could be the short-term energy boost they need.
Why are bees important?
Aside from the fact that it’s never nice to see an animal struggling and that most of us are inclined to help in such circumstances, bees are of vital importance to the world around us.
The Woodland Trust explains: “Without bees (and thousands of other insect species that call the UK home), it wouldn’t be long before our ecosystem collapsed. Bees pollinate our wild trees and wild flowers, which then support other insects, which then support birds, bats, mammals and everything up the food chain with food and shelter.”
However, bees are facing an increasing number of challenges to their survival, including loss of habitat, climate change, invasive species like the Asian hornet.
Which all means your little teaspoon of sugar water could actually be making a big difference!