This time of year is particularly great for encouraging bees as the sunshine and intermittent rain encourages rapid growth of weeds and flora and fauna in our gardens which in turn attract and help bees.

In fact, 57% of people have said how if an unkempt garden attracts and benefits insects and wildlife then they would be willing to leave their gardens wild and overgrown.

Kate Bradbury, author of The Wildlife Gardener, has said that the more we can learn about the different bees that visit our gardens, parks and open spaces the more we can do for them. I’ve certainly noticed lots of bees around my back garden this summer.

Now in its fifth year The Great British Bee Count encourages Britons to record the bees visiting their spaces using a free smartphone app. So why not get out into the open with your child or family and get counting…you can make it a really fun and exciting activity and even use it to help little ones count by turning it into a game.

If you’d like to join in then go to greatbritishbeecount.co.uk

where you can find information on how to get involved as well as a list of UK bee species and an insect-friendly plant guide. It has been estimated that 84% of EU crops and 80% of wildflowers are reliant on insect pollination.