Bumble bees are good for business

If you've been to visit us here at the Halen Môn Saltcote, you might have spotted our planting. The borders have just started to come to life and put on their flowery show that will carry us into the end of the summer now. Not only does it bring a lot of joy, it has a purpose.

Bumble bees need our help. 97% of the UKs flowering meadows have already been lost, two of our 26 species now extinct and 2024 was the worst year ever for the busy bumble bee with a 22% decline from average year, but we can all do our bit to help. 2025 was a much better year for the bees, despite still being in decline. 

Not just the cute and cuddly insects of children’s books, bees are an essential part of our delicate ecosystem, their hard work gives us tomatoes and so many other fruits as well as all-important well-being and health products like St Johns Wort and Lavender. They are vital thanks to their famous ‘superpower’, their ‘buzz’ vibration loosens sticky pollen and helps pollination.

The Bumble Bee Conservation Trust knows there is a lot that businesses can do to help, alongside making bee-friendly gardens at home - 

Protect any bee habitats you already have

When you are tidying up a space, make sure to protect any existing flowering plants which bumblebees are visiting, flowering trees and hedges, flowers in lawns, even the dandelions and most importantly potential nesting sites: long, tangled grass, woodland edge, under hedgerows, and other dense vegetation.

Let some grass grow so that the wild flowers can follow

Mowing grass too short too often stops native low-growing wildflowers like dandelions, clovers, and vetches from flowering. These humble flowers, often dismissed as ‘weeds’, are absolutely vital for bumblebees. Encourage your landscape contractor to take part in ‘No Mow May’ and reduce the mowing regime to once every six weeks from April.

Plant the right flowers on your site 

Bumblebees need a constant supply of pollen and nectar-rich flowers between March and October. When you see a bumblebee flying around and visiting flowers, it’s only ever 40 minutes from starvation! You can help by planting up a ‘bumblebee garden’: this could be a flower bed if you have the space, some containers by the front of your office or carpark, or even a couple of window boxes.

All pics thanks to Jim Marsden. You can find out more here.