Spring Bees

Have you heard the familiar buzz of bees flying around your garden yet? Many bees emerge in Spring to fill up on early nectar and find nest sites, so it's the perfect time for the teddy bears to go on a little bee hunt. The bears know that as long as they don't swat at bees or generally annoy them, bees won't sting them. The bears just have to be quiet and still - which admittedly is rather difficult for them!

Spring bees in the UK aren't just the bears' favourite fluffy bumblebees; many of the early risers are solitary bees. As their name suggests, these bees lead solitary lives rather than living in a nest with other bees.

They dig their own burrow and live in it alone. Depending on which type they are, a solitary bee nest can be found everywhere from holes in the ground and sandy banks to gaps in walls, special 'bee houses' and even old snail shells. Solitary bees won't sting and are incredibly important pollinators of flowers, fruit trees and crops like potatoes.