Bee-ing curious

Do you think it’d be cool to have wings … to be able to take off from the ground and soar high up into the sky - at a moment’s notice?  Imagine flying around your neighbourhood, what would you be able to see … an aerial view of your school playground … the roof of your house or block of flats … the very highest tips of the trees?  What birds or insects have you spotted flying around recently?  Follow them through the air with your eyes and see where they land.

This week it’s time to 'bee' curious … what insects can you spot fluttering, humming, buzzing, hovering, flitting?  Don’t get too close, or else it might fly away … and it’s important that you don’t touch the insect, or make it feel threatened (please act responsibly and with the agreement of your parent/carer).  However, take a look … what is it?  A butterfly or moth, a wasp or a bee, a fly, a hoverfly or even a daddy long-legs? These are all types of invertebrates that can fly - check out this simple identification site.  See what you can find this week, and try and work out what they are!

Have you spotted a bee – what colour is its tail?  Check out the identification sheet and see if you can work out what it is …  some of them are named after the colour of their tail! … white-tailed, red-tailed, buff-tailed.  Honey bees live in hives, however lots of bees are actually ‘solitary bees’ – they like living by themselves – maybe in pre-existing holes in branches or tree trunks, or nesting in the ground under plants.

Bees are struggling with climate change – on top of already having to deal with less wild spaces to live in, and the increased use of chemicals on our land.  Longer periods without rain – droughts – can reduce the number of flowers with nectar to feed on.  Stormy weather is also problematic – whilst bees can forage in light rain or showers they can’t do so in heavy rain.  So what can we do … this week?

It's National Insect Week … time to #standtallforthesmall!  One of the best ways to help bees, is to provide them with more opportunities to eat, drink and live.  If you have some outside space … can you make some ‘mini meadows’ - flower pots for your balcony or doorstep?  Bees love collecting nectar from rosemary, thyme, oregano and mint – which you can also use in your cooking!  Can you leave a saucer of water – with a couple of stones in for insects to perch on and drink?  If you have a garden can you leave some of the ‘weeds’ – buttercups, daisies, clover … our native wildflowers provide a delicious meal for our bees.  If you spot some ‘wild’ and ‘messy’ areas – on your way to school or in the park, talk about how valuable they are to our bees - bees love long grass, or making nests in piles of compost or under hedgerows. Maybe you could ask your school if you can make some bee hotels?

Watch this short video if you’d like to learn more about how bees talk to each other and their ‘waggle dance’, and click here if you’d like to learn how to draw a bee.  Email Kate – hello@youngclimatewarriors.org – and tell us what flying insects you’ve spotted and where you found them!