In pictures: World Bee Day in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
'World Bee Day' is celebrated on 20 May each year, and aims to acknowledge the role that bees - and other pollinators - play in our ecosystem.
One third of the UK bee population has declined in the last 10 years. The main causes are loss of habitat for nesting and foraging, climate change and the use of chemical pesticides.
The easiest way we can help our bees thrive is by planting bee friendly, native plants in our gardens that flower at different times of the year.
Asking local public spaces to plant wildflower meadows and leave grass verges alone will also encourage, and in turn protect, our bee population.
Bees Feed Us
Almost 90% of wild plants and 75% of leading global crops depend on animal pollination. 1 of every 3 mouthfuls of our food depends on pollinators such as bees.
Help A Bee
The best thing to do if you see a bee struggling is gently put it onto a bee-friendly flower. If there are no bee-friendly flowers around, mix 50/50 white sugar and water to give the bumblebee a one-off energy boost, providing the carbohydrates it needs to fly.
They Rarely Sting
Only female bees can sting. Male bees don’t have the anatomy to do so. And - unlike the more aggressive relation, the wasp (yellow jacket) - bees rarely sting...only when they feel threatened. It is only the honey bee that will die after stinging, not the bumble bee!
They're Speedy!
Worker bees can reach a speed of 15-20 mph when flying to a food source, and about 12 mph when returning laden down with nectar, pollen, propolis or water.
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