Liverpool's 'Bee Whisperer' Barry Chang on the importance of bees in our world
Video report by ITV Granada Reports journalist Lauren Ostridge
A beekeeper who has dedicated most of his time to caring for hives says record rainfall in the UK this summer is making life hard for bees.
Jamaican-born Howard 'Barry' Chang has been the heart of his local community in Liverpool for more than two decades.
The septuagenarian has earned the nickname 'The Bee Whisperer' for his countless rescue missions to save unwanted swarms - all without wearing any protective clothing.
"When I was a little child I used to love to just sit and watch the bees", Barry said. "In Jamaica, they make hives inside of the tree trunk
"My grandfather used to keep bees, so it's in my genes to be a beekeeper."
He cares for more than 40 of his own hives across the city and works tirelessly to share his passion for the misunderstood insects.
Barry said: "Without the bees, most of the food we eat wouldn't be pollinated so we'd have less food like apples, pears, pumpkins which all need to be pollinated.
"Bees are on endangered species list so I am trying to get them off that list and onto a top graded list."
Barry works with local schools to create a buzz about beekeeping, encourages others to connect with the natural world and teaches the importance of bees for growing food.
Ibrahim and Natalie are two of Barry's students. They believe more people need to take up the craft in cities.
Due to his deep connection with his hives, he does not wear protective clothing when tending his bees.
The calm natured beekeeper says he is rarely ever stung but insists if he is it is "like medicine".
"They are my pets. Some people have dogs and cats, I have bees. It’s the love you have for bees, they can feel it", Barry explains.
When asked whether or not the bees love him, he replied: "They don't love anybody. You work with them and they can feel it."
This year's summer has seen record rainfall in the North West, which can have an impact on the way honeybees work.
Rain can both wash away pollen and in some cases wipe out flowers completely that bees feed on – at a time when their colonies are at their largest.
Barry says smaller bees, like honeybees, can often struggle to fly in rainy weather, which limits the amount of foraging they can do.
"The bees have less food to collect and bring to their home. The pollen is what they call the bee's bread - it's what they use to feed their babies.
"Without that, they will not have sufficient enough food to survive the winter."
Barry wants everybody to do their bit to help the bees - and planting flowers is the best way to do that.
It doesn't matter if your garden is a balcony, allotment or window box, pots and tubs; pollinators can benefit from a banquet of pollen and nectar right throughout the year.
According to the Beekeeper's Association, these are the top 10 plants to attract honey bees:
Verbena species
Sedum species
Cosmos
Crocus species (winter-flowering)
Common Snowdrop
Lavender
Cutleaf coneflower
Echinacea
Salvias
Helleborus
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