I know many from all over the world have visited Soggibottom's post of how to build a bee box. It's a great thought, there are bee boxes in palm tree's and pine forests all over the world.
Time has flown, it's nearly a year since we put our first bee box up in the Soggibottom garden.
The box has been so busy with bee's coming back and forth that the Soggibottom carpenter has built another box.
The new box is sited where we used to have a bird nesting box, high on a fence facing South West. The bird box relocated to a safer place away from Frank our cat who loved to sit under it with his mouth open, waiting patiently.
Bee's naturally look out for nesting sites along the edges of hedges or fences. Preferably facing South or South West.
This one is high on the fence but it also faces a wall on the other side of the enclosed garden, giving the box shelter.
We normally have honeysuckle that over laps the fence, it's starting to grow back after it was cut back while the fence was painted. By Autumn the new box will be covered in honeysuckle again.
There are many different types of bee around the world, bee numbers seem to be declining. Explanations including disease, habitat loss and pesticides.
So every tiny bit of help you give helps the world, not just your own garden.
No bee's, no flowers, fruit or vegetables.
I know bugs aren't for everyone, but this is a bug we try to help and encourage.
The boxes are ideal places for them to raise their young and over Winter.
They tend to block up the holes of the canes inside the box.
A well positioned bee box in a garden full of attractive plants and you're about as close to creating a 5 star attraction for a bee as you can get.
Bees love lavender, best of all sunflowers.
You can also give the birds the sunflower seeds, after picking a few flowers for yourself.
It's hard to believe that without the bee we would have no young apples on our apple tree.
No growing grapes on the vines.
No plums.
Bee's love the colour blue and purple.
The link of how to build a bee box is on the right of the screen.
As much as I love bees I wouldn't suggest you pick them up and give them a cuddle.
