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Orange tip butterfly - male and female

Bees, butterflies and pollinators

How you can help

How to help bees, butterflies and pollinators

We have pollinators to thank for every third mouthful we eat. They're an essential part of the ecosystem, helping plants to reproduce. Unfortunately, pollinators are under threat due to the intensification of agriculture which has led to the destruction of habitat.

The most important thing to remember is that simple actions, such as planting for bees and butterflies, can help pollinators and anything you do will make a difference. You can find some suggestions below. 

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Buff-tailed bumblebee
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How to attract bumblebees to your garden

The best plants for bumblebees! Bees are important pollinating insects, you can help them by planting bumblebee-friendly flowers.
Orange tip butterfly - male and female
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How to attract butterflies to your garden

Choose nectar-rich plants for butterflies and you’ll have a colourful, fluttering display in your garden for many months.
Globe thistle and bees in Peter Rabbit Garden © The World of Beatrix Potter, Bowness-In-Windermere
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The best plants for bees and pollinators

Set up a ‘nectar café’ by planting flowers for pollinating insects like bees and butterflies
A meadow full of wildflowers on a sunny day
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How to grow a wild patch or mini meadow

Planting wildflowers provides vital resources to support a wide range of insects that couldn't survive in urban areas otherwise.
bee hotel
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How to make a bee hotel

Solitary bees are important pollinators and a gardener’s friend. Help them by building a bee hotel for your home or garden
Planter full of flowers in Melbourne View garden
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How to start a wildlife garden from scratch

Use the blank canvas of your garden to make a home for wildlife.
Common pipistrelle bats
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How to attract moths and bats to your garden

Plant flowers that release their scent in the evening to attract moths and, ultimately, bats looking for an insect-meal into your garden.
Susie Lane surveying Cumbrian hedgerows
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How to make a hedge for wildlife

Hedges provide important shelter and protection for wildlife, particularly nesting birds and hibernating insects.
Herbs
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Grow wildlife-friendly herbs

Planting herbs will attract important pollinators into your garden, which will, in turn, attract birds and small mammals looking for a meal.
Pollinator on daisy c Vaughn Matthews
Guide

A beginners' guide to wild pollinators in Cumbria

Cumbria makes a rich and diverse home for the varied wildlife, including the pollinators that thrive in our wet and cool climate.
Person holding a tray of plants in a garden
Guide

A beginners' guide to gardening for pollinators

This guide focuses on pollinators, offering practical tips and advice.
A top down view of magazines and guides on a wood background, with wildlife and people images on the front
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