Davies’ Colletes plasterer bee on Yarrow (Achillea), after bee-friendly planting introduced on the Public Roof Terrace
A year ago (July 2022), Urban Bees was asked to make a new public roof terrace in London – more bee-friendly. We didn’t put in bee hives, because they don’t boost biodiversity.
Instead we took 3 steps to help wild bees:
- Improve the food and nesting material throughout the year for different species of wild, solitary and bumblebees bee to feed on and use to construct their nests
- Introduce bee hotels for cavity-nesting solitary bees to check into and lay their eggs
- Provide signage to explain to visitors the solitary bees using the terrace – those checking into bee hotels, others foraging, why these bees are all so important and how they can help them at home. And importantly, that these bees don’t sting!
Spring flowering lungwort (Pulmonaria) and wallflowers (Erysimum) under cherry trees, which feed Hairy-footed flower bees
We began by working with the gardening contractors, Q&S, to make the planting more diverse and blooming sequentially throughout the year. Cherry trees were underplanted with crocuses, lungwort (Pulmonaria) and wallflowers for early flying bumblebees and solitary bees, including Hairy-footed flower bees. Yarrow (Achillea), Sedum and Lamb’s ear (Stachys byzantina) flower in mid summer – the latter for Wool carder bees. Other flowers will be coming out later in the year.
Wooden bee hotels attached to the wall and filled with a mixture of bamboo and cardboard tubes. Buff-tailed bumblebee on lavender (photo by Ryan at Q&S)
Once we were confident there was enough for spring flying solitary bees to eat, we installed three bee hotels for cavity-nesting bees to lay their eggs in. So far, Red mason bees (Osmia bicornis) have checked in and plugged a number of tubes with mud. We will see if any leafcutter bees arrive this summer. Buff-tailed bumblebees are visiting all year round and particularly like the summer-flowering lavender.
Finally, this week we put up three eye-catching information boards, designed by the talented Viola Wiebe and using Penny Metal’s fantastic photos of Red Mason bees, Patchwork Leafcutter bees and Hairy-footed flower bees. All these bees are a common sight in London at different times of the year – even 9 floors up.
Thanks to our client, who has been a keen advocate of feeding wild bees and providing them with nesting sites, since we explained why and how they need our help, rather than honeybees. And thanks also to garden contractors, Q&S, for working so well with Urban Bees on this project, in particular John Rodgers and Sean. We look forward to working on more projects with you.