Scientists have been sounding the alarm on pollinator loss for decades, highlighting their importance and the urgent need for us to reverse their decline. You may have noticed that your garden has gotten quieter, with fewer fluttering wings from butterflies or the hum from buzzing bees. Well, that is simply because there are fewer of them around.

Since 1987, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) has reported that pollinator numbers have decreased by almost 25%. As we continue to create a world suited for our needs, bees are losing vital habitats they rely on for food and nesting. Lush meadows are replaced with fields upon fields of single crops. Green spaces are traded for steel and concrete. Our wild, messy, species-rich gardens become neat, mown lawns. Slowly, but surely, bees are being squeezed out of the world they have been part of for millions of years. Understanding the impact of their decline is crucial to fully grasping how important bees are and what their loss means for the world around us.