The Blog at Help Save Bees

A Not-for-Profit organisation set up to help inspire others, raise awareness & donate money to go towards research & conservation work that will aid the recovery of our humble British Bees. 
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November 12, 2009

Look beautiful and help save bees too!

       

Katy Downey, owner of Lotus Pad, has very generously offered to donate $20 from each purchase of this necklace to an organisation in the US that helps to save bees!

Honey Bee Gemstone Necklace

A silver bumblebee / honey bee flies within honey drop gemstones (citrine and hessonite garnets). Pendant is gorgeously detailed and crafted from Thai silver, which has a higher silver content than sterling.

Wear this necklace to support the world's bee population, which has been suffering from the devastating affects of Colony Collapse Disorder. Proceeds will be donated to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

Secure ball and socket clasp. Measures 18" long.

The necklace can be purchased online at Etsy http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34345869

Kindly donated by Katy Downy

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/lotuspad

Website http://www.lotuspadyogamats.com

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Filed under  //   Bee Jewellery  

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November 11, 2009

The Bumblebee & Poppy ...

In honour of all those who fell in battle on our behalf.

Photography by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

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Filed under  //   Bumblebee Photos  

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November 5, 2009

I've just seen the most humungous Buff-Tailed Queen Bumblebee 'Bombus terrestris' foraging in the glorious Autumnal sunshine

         

It has been a gloriously sunny, warm morning, and I’ve just spotted the distinct profile of the most humungous queen bumblebee coming in to land on the distinctive stalks of a flowering Fatsia japonica. The star burst flower heads, coming to an end, sit jutting out on their white stalks,  framed by the plants distinctive lime green leaves, still offering an opportunity for a much needed snack.

I am delighted by the sighting of this preposterously large ‘Buff-Tailed’ queen bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, and I hope that it is over-wintering near by, unfortunately, in my rush to grab my camera and dash into the garden, leaving much to be desired with my photography skills being overtaken by my excitement to capture the bee before it buzzed off!

 

Find out more about the Buff-Tailed Bumblebee ‘Bombus terrestris’

And this link to ‘Gardening with Wildlife in Mind’  

Here is a great selection of downloadable leaflets on 'Gardening to attract Wildlife'

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Filed under  //   Bombus terrestris  

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October 8, 2009

Win a pair of tickets to see the new film 'Vanishing of the Bees' on 13 October at a cinema near you

Vanishing of the Bees explores the mysterious collapse of the bee population across the planet and its greater meaning about mankind’s relationship with the natural world. In addition to studying our reliance on the honeybee as the cornerstone of modern agriculture, the documentary celebrates the ancient relationship between humans and bees.

See the Vanishing of the Bees trailer (1.11min)

Competition Rules

Help Save Bees, in conjunction with the film’s distributors, Dogwoof and the Co-Op’s ‘Plan Bee’ initiative, are offering one pair of tickets to each of the venues showing the new ‘Vanishing of the Bees’ film on the 13th October 2009. There will be only one pair of tickets available per cinema venue on that date, about 25 venues in total. Please see screenings schedule here to find a cinema near you - http://www.vanishingbees.co.uk/screenings/  

  • Only one entry per household address may enter.
  • The winners will be chosen on a first-come-first-served basis, in relation to their choice of cinema venue.
  • Simply chose your cinema venue and answer this question below. All entries must be received by email on or before 6pm BST (18.00hrs) on Sunday 11th October 2009.

Competition Question:

'What do Honey bees collect and eat?'

 

Email your answer to the above question to filmcomp@helpsavebees.co.uk with the name of the cinema you wish to attend on the 13th October, plus the names of the two people wishing to attend. Please write ‘Vanishing of the Bees Competition Entry’ in the subject/title line of your email.

Please also include your Twitter account name, if you have one.

N.B. All details will be treated in the strictest of confidence and will not be passed to third parties. The winners will be notified by email.

COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED

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Filed under  //   Competition  

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October 8, 2009

For Poetry Day - Virgil's Bees by Carol Ann Duffy

In December world leaders will gather in Copenhagen to try to reach a global deal to tackle climate change. To support the launch of the Climate Change10:10 campaign to reduce carbon emissions, the Guardian Review asked some of our greatest artists, authors and poets to produce new work in response to the crisis. Below is Carol Ann Duffy's piece.

Virgil’s Bees 

Bless air's gift of sweetness, honey
from the bees, inspired by clover,
marigold, eucalyptus, thyme,
the hundred perfumes of the wind.
Bless the beekeeper

who chooses for her hives
a site near water, violet beds, no yew,
no echo. Let the light lilt, leak, green
or gold, pigment for queens,
and joy be inexplicable but there
in harmony of willowherb and stream,
of summer heat and breeze,
each bee's body
at its brilliant flower, lover-stunned,
strumming on fragrance, smitten.

For this,
let gardens grow, where beelines end,
sighing in roses, saffron blooms, buddleia;
where bees pray on their knees, sing, praise
in pear trees, plum trees; bees
are the batteries of orchards, gardens, guard them.

by Carol Ann Duffy

Extract from Guardian 26th September 2009

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October 8, 2009

In honour of 'Poetry Day' - Eros and the Bees

A bee stung Eros on the nose
While he was smelling on a rose
"Mother Venus,  ay,ay,ay
Please help me or I’ll die
What a terrible disgrace
A dragon bit me on my face"!
Venus comforts first her son
then speaks to him with mocking fun:
The little bee's tiny sting
Is for you an earnest thing
But more painful and real hard
are your stings in human’s heart.

A. Dürer, 1514: Eros, Venus and the bees

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September 30, 2009

I stumbled upon this wonderfully humorous bee cartoon this afternoon called 'Bee-have'

An embarrassing moment for a young bee!

Posted onto PopJam by ‘Puzzler’

Web http://www.popjam.com/funny?p=84d1ba46f95

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September 23, 2009

As a bee lover it is hard for me not to also share these lovely quotes with you on the antics of Winnie the Pooh.

Pooh is scared of Heffalumps and Woozles. He loves eating honey, and he especially loves that moment just before you eat honey. He also loves counting honeypots & dislikes counting Heffalumps.

'For some minutes he lay there miserably, but when the five hundred and eight-seventh Heffalump was licking its jaws, and saying to itself "Very good honey this, I don't know when I've tasted better," Pooh could bear it no longer.'

Quotes taken from: http://www.winnie-pooh.org/winnie-the-pooh-quotes.htm

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September 7, 2009

Be inspired to create your own Bee & Bug House, by these great examples. Creating 'Mini Habitat Homes' for Bees, Bugs & Insects is crucial to their survival.

 

     

I recently found, discovered or was sent the above photos. They are just such extravagant examples of 'Bug Houses' at their grandest. They have also inspired me to create my own ‘Bee & Bug Tower’, which I’ll feature later on this week.

One of the easiest things one can do to help Bees, Bugs and other Insects to thrive is to create an environment that they will want to visit, whether you have a garden an allotment patch or bigger: Plants are crucial to their survival. See some fabulous Bee friendly plants here: http://tinyurl.com/n8o286

Once you have managed to attract them to your garden, they will need somewhere to live. You can encourage them to stay be creating ‘mini habitat homes’ using various plant materials, recycled pots, wooden creates, blocks of wood, logs, stem from plants you have pruned, old bamboos, etc…

Of course, they don’t have to be on this scale to still attract all types of bee, bug or insect.

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September 4, 2009

Who says Bumblebees aren't fashionable? Look at this delightful use of the Bumblebee in clothing design.

 

       

Silk Wrap ’Bumblebee’ Dress

“A pretty dress that is so versatile, hand printed in gorgeous Bumble Bees, in a pretty shade of blue! Wear alone or take it into the Autumn with a shirt or roll neck underneath & add a pair of jeans & you've got yourself a real 'Trans-seasonal' gem.”

I love this design, available from the ethical and sustainable fashion website, www.mygreenlipstick.com. Designed by Ciel, it uses Bumblebees as its motif and is extremely pretty, simple and chic.

Help Save Bees Followers will receive a 20% discount on the dress if purchased on or before 30th September. Enter HSB09 at the checkout http://www.mygreenlipstick.com/products/212/silkwrapdress/#
 
A small % will also be donated to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (www.bumblebeeconservation.org.uk/)

The dress retails at £169 and is made from the finest 100% silk.

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