The Buzz about Bees and some simple things we can do to help them out.

Did you know that in the UK, there are well over 200 types of bees? No, neither did we! That said, you would need a hand lens with at least 10 times magnification to be able to actually identify them all.

*A BumbleBee prepares to take flight from Lavender.

'Blooms for Bees' have created a website dedicated to the humble Bee. They tell us that there are many species of Bee with the UK having 25 types of bumblebee alone!

Friends of the Earth claim that Since 1900, the UK has lost 13 species of bee, and a further 35 are considered under threat of extinction. None are protected by law. Across Europe nearly 1 in 10 wild bee species face extinction. The Bee is just one of the 40% of the world's insect species that are in decline with some scientists suggesting this is a sign of a 6th mass extinction.

In Scotland, the native Honeybee has been around since the end of the last ice age having adapted to Scotland's harsher weather but is now at risk of extinction. A group called Scottish Native Honey Bee Society (SNHBS) formed in 2017, whose mission to save Scotlands native Honeybee.

*Bee's on a Thistle at the foot of Edinburgh Castle.

It is widely accepted that the loss of habitat, use of pesticides, hybridisation (in-breeding between species) and attacks by parasites are the main causes behind this decline.

It is no secret that the humble bee is behind much of our food production and Forbes business magazine estimates that bees are responsible for pollinating between $235 and $577 billion (U.S.) worth of annual global food production.