Gardeners are being asked to stop weeding and even mowing this spring as dandelions are an important lifeline for one struggling species that Britain desperately needs. April is often one of the hardest months for bees to survive, as they are just beginning to recover from winter, but need to start foraging quickly to rebuild their hives. However, there are still not many flowers blooming in the UK at this time of year, and any plants that are growing are often too young to provide bees with the pollen they need.
Helen Keating, a botanist with the Woodland Trust, is urging gardeners to rethink tidying up gardens at the moment, as weeds are one of the only food sources bees can rely on in early spring to stay alive. She said: “Lawn weeds such as dandelions are excellent bee plants, providing vital pollen early in the season. White clover attracts masses of honeybees, while the longer tongued bumblebees prefer red clover.
“If you can’t bear to let your lawn grow, consider leaving a patch that’s less frequently mown to give them a chance to flower.”
Keeping a garden filled with weeds might be unpopular, but if bees struggle to find enough nectar now, then it can have devastating effects on ecosystems.
Queen bees are more likely to starve alone in early spring if they cannot find any food, which means a great number of colonies will never exist.
Any hive colonies that have already been established will be low on energy and greatly stressed out, which means they will produce much weaker bees later in the year.
Flowers, fruit and vegetable plants rely heavily on pollination and without it their ability to grow will drop sharply, which not only harms gardens but on a larger scale makes farming more difficult.
Having fewer plants growing will have a chain reaction on wildlife like birds and other insects who will also struggle to find food and more likely to die out as well.
Mowing less, keeping a few weeds around or even letting a small part of your lawn grow wild is one of the easiest ways to help your local bee population thrive in spring.
Dandelions in particular are fantastic for bees as they are rich in protein so simply leaving them alone is a effortless way to help support wildlife.
It will also greatly help to grow wildflowers in your garden at this time of year and there are certain crops that will also grow fully at this time of year for bees to pollinate like apple and wild cherry trees.
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