When the UK bakes under a summer heatwave, it’s not just us humans who feel the heat — our wild pollinators do too. Pollinators like bumblebees, butterflies, and honeybees can struggle to stay cool, hydrated, and fed when the sun scorches and flowers wilt. But we can all do something to help – our garden, balcony, or even windowsill can become a mini oasis for these vital insects.
Here’s how to give them a helping hand as the temperature rises:
1. Offer a Bee Bar
Pollinators need water just like we do. In hot weather, natural sources can dry up fast so creating a safe place to drink can be important.
How to create a Bee Bar-
- Fill a shallow dish with clean water.
- Add pebbles or marbles so bees and butterflies can land safely without drowning.
- Place it in a shady, quiet spot and top it up daily.
- This simple “bee bar” can be a lifesaver.
We just found a pretty bowl from the charity shop and filled it with stones and broken pottery from our garden, but polished stones, gravel or marbles work well too.
2. Let your garden grow wild
During heatwaves, short-mown lawns dry out quickly and offer little shelter or food for pollinators. But a patch of longer grass or wildflowers!? Well that’s a pollinator paradise.
You can take inspiration from Plantlife’s No Mow May — and extend it into June, July and August. Letting wildflowers bloom, leaving seed heads, and resisting the urge to tidy. Even a small patch of unmown lawn can provide nectar, shade, and a cool place to rest.
3. Plant for shade and nectar
Providing shade with shrubs or taller plants. Some flowers cope better in heat and keep blooming when others wilt. When planning new plants in your garden, choose some drought-tolerant, nectar-rich plants like:
Scabious, Echinacea, Verbena bonariensis, Lavender and Marjoram
These stunning blooms survive the heat and keep feeding pollinators when other sources dry up. Group them together in sunny spots and water deeply but less often to encourage strong roots. Water saving tips for your garden can be found here.
4. Avoid pesticides or other chemicals
Avoiding pesticides or other chemicals in the garden, which can be even more harmful in hot weather.
5. Help “Lethargic” Bees
If you see a bee sitting still on a hot pavement or flower, it might just be resting or too hot to fly. You can help them out by offering a little sugar-water mix (50/50 sugar and water) on a spoon if they seem in trouble — but only as a last resort. Water is always better.
You can make your own mini bee bottle, filling up a small vial with a stopper which can fit in your pocket or purse ready to help out that exhausted bee.
Small Actions, Big Impact
Whether you’ve got a sprawling garden or a single window box, your space can make a difference. In a heatwave, every drop of water, every shady corner, and every blooming flower counts.