Some flowers are selective regarding which insects they attract. Many wild pollinators like sitting on flowering “spikes” that have a flat top: Fennel, Angelica, Cow Parsley, Achillea, Parsnips, Carrots, Cardoon, and Sunflowers. Bumblebees have long tongues and are attracted to trumpet-shaped flowers like Foxgloves, Campanula, and Nasturtium. Bees with medium-sized tongues like honeybees sometimes chew a hole at the base of tubular flowers to steal the nectar.

In early spring, it is too cold for bees to fly very far, Pussy Willow and Hazel don’t help bees unless they are within a few hundred metres from your apiary. On a warm spring day, Cherry creates a buzz, and a Judas tree is lovely in May. Self-seeding plants like Borage make life easy. Later in the year, nothing beats Lavender and Nepeta. I’ve known moths drawn out of their daytime hiding places by Hyssop. Sedum and Buddleia flower for an extended period in late summer, attracting hover flies and butterflies, but not honey bees. Simple things can make a difference. Reducing the frequency of mowing your grass; leaving it at least three inches high makes it a home for bugs and allows dandelions and clover to flourish.

Plants growing in a sunny position are far more attractive to bees. For example, Ivy in the shade will be ignored, but it hums with activity if it is flowering in the sun. I’ve created a photo gallery of some popular nectar sources for Honey bees.

The only disappointment of encouraging pollinators into your garden is that once some flowers, like Allium, are pollinated they lose their shine.

Modern hives

Bee hives are commonly made of wood, but dense polystyrene is becoming increasingly popular. They are designed to suit how bees organise their honeycombs and how beekeepers keep bees. So we’re all happy. There are many designs of hives, but upright ones are the most popular. As well as hives, you’ll need equipment. All this doesn’t come cheap. The history of modern hives.

Gentle

I sometimes wonder whether women are better beekeepers, as kindness comes more naturally to them than war. If a calm colony is mistreated, it can become cantankerous for the rest of the year. Without being over-sentimental, consider bees to be dogs. If a dog poohs on the carpet, you clear it up and show them kindness and forgiveness. Likewise, when a bee stings you, you must be equanimous to other bees.

Knowledge

One of the pleasures of beekeeping is there is always more to learn. This site echoes what I’ve learnt over a decade. Some parts are unnecessary or too tricky for starters. If I have not pointed this out in the text, skip through the text highlights or refer to the BBKA basic Assessment curriculum topics to find out what you need to know.

The BBKA Basic Assessment

Consider taking the British Beekeeping Association test once you have kept bees for a year. After passing it, most people feel more confident and proficient. It mainly tests practical skills and knowledge of bee diseases. Hardly any people fail.

BBKA  Basic Assessment Syllabus

This website states exam topics in brown text and this size and font.

Honeysuckle nectar

If you fancy drinking nectar, choose a warm day, preferably in the evening when bees have not been visiting, and the flowers push out scent. Pick a flower from a cultivated variety in its prime. The pick has to be just right so that when you suck at the stalk end, you'll taste the elixir of the gods. It’s not easy, but it is possible.

Learn more with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and about insect pollinators at the National History Museum