Humming with life

Having just recently finished listening to ‘Dancing With Bees’ audio book by Brigit Strawbridge Howard I’ve been on the lookout for different species of bee (not that I can identify many of the species that I find). Today though I heard them before I spotted them. The lavender could be heard several steps away by a distinct humming sounds followed by little puffs of black, white and yellow buzzing happily from one flower to the next.

The Bombus Locorum is a white tailed species of the Bumblebee and is widespread and very common in Europe.

There was once a time when bumblebees scared me. I’d run from them through fear of being stung. Its only in recent years and a little more understanding of them that I have come to love them. Watching them and listening to them as they flit about in my garden or when I’m out walking is a simple joy and pleasure that everyone can and should experience. Even as I stood invading their space to take a photo today I didn’t in the least bother them. That is what I have found to be the problem in the past. And it probably stems from the time I got stung. They won’t bother you too much if you don’t bother them first. I can completely understand why I got stung as a child. I was running bare foot in the garden and stood on the poor bee who was enjoying the nectar of a clover in the grass. Unfortunately for me the bee stung the bottom of my foot, but I did stand on him so I can’t blame him for that. Since then and certainly since I’ve had a child of my own I have tried to help him be more understanding that bees will only sting if they need to. Plus if they do they injure themselves in the process. Which in all honesty just goes to show that they are not going to use their sting unless they have to.

Bees have seen a decline over the last few years with the use of pesticides, habitat loss and pollution. But without these clever little buzzing beauties many plant species would not be pollinated and therefore this means a loss in not only flora but certain foods that we as humans rely on. So I ask you today to give these little guys a break. Plant beed friendly plants and flowers in your garden and help them to thrive again. A buzzing garden is a healthy and happy garden 🐝

Thanks for reading,

Charlotte x

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