The honey bee is one of the busiest creatures on the planet. It pollinates more than 90 of the crops we rely on for food and contributes an estimated £1 billion per year to UK agriculture and horticulture. But UK honey bee numbers have dropped - by as much as 80 per cent in some areas. Attacks by a parasite known as the varroa mite, loss of habitats, intensive farming and overuse of pesticides and herbicides have all been blamed. As a responsible business Anglia Co-operative is taking the issue very seriously and has forged a link with the Peterborough and District Beekeepers Asociation to spread the word about the threat to the honey bee and what we can all do to help.

We are…
• Maintaining four hives at our headquarters in Peterborough
• Fundraising for the Peterborough and District Beekeepers
• Association to help further their valuable work
• Providing free educational visits for hundreds of schoolchildren each year
• Promoting the honey bee to schools, groups and at events all over our business area

You can…
• Become a beekeeper – find out more at www.peterboroughbees.co.uk
Avoid using pesticides in your garden
• Plant traditional cottage flowers like rosemary, bluebells, foxglove and comfrey in your garden
• Let your lawn grow a little longer between cuts so that bees can feed on the clover for nectar
• Leave water out for the bees
• If you are a farmer, plant bee-friendly pollen and nectar strips alongside hedgerows