Here at Keat Farm we like to think we are doing our ‘bit’ to protect local Bees. Back in May we held a bee workshop at Quex holiday park, in association with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. We have recently started a “wild” initiative where we are letting areas of our parks grow naturally and undisturbed so that wildlife may flourish, and this has been very successful not only in maintaining our bee populations, but also in encouraging all sorts of wildlife. Even in our more cultivated Garden areas, we try to plant bee friendly flowers as we strive to keep up the Gold standard to maintain our David Bellamy Conservation Awards (and we have been maintaining this achievement for several years now!).

We are incredibly proud to see so many of our holiday homeowners caring for the bees as much as we do. Many of them are now planting bee-friendly plants in their own gardens. So, what exactly is bee-friendly, and how can we all achieve it in our gardens so our beautiful bees may stay with us for as long as possible?

Firstly, as we are rolling out on some of our parks, try letting a small area of your garden grow wild. Allow the dandelions and the clovers (some of the bees’ favourite flowers) to grow freely. Not only will this save you some gardening time, but it allows the natural balance of a habitat to return and become a great home for bees and other minibeasts. Also, steer clear of chemicals and insecticides. They may make the garden look better superficially but an all-natural approach will grow a beautiful garden without hurting the bees.

You could even create your own bee garden, a luxury, all-inclusive resort for the bees with a shallow container of water for them to rehydrate, some pebbles and twigs for them to land on and even a small area of plain ground and dirt for them to make their nests, and of course, lots of their favourite flowers across the seasons.

Once you’ve provided a habitat and some food for them, the best way to treat a bee is to leave them to their own devices. If you see a nest it’s best not to disturb it, and always be careful when clearing your garden after winter as hollow stems may well have bees overwintering. So it maybe best to tidy them into a pile at the back of the garden at least until summer rolls around.

So, we hope you’ve been inspired like us to take care of our nation’s finest pollinators. You can benefit from a beautiful garden that doubles as a bee paradise. Relax and enjoy!

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