Honey bees used to cover 70% of our pollination needs due to decline now they only pollinate one third. Bumble bees, solitary bees and other pollinators cover two thirds of our pollination needs.

http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=996

what doesn't work.....

http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=975

how to attract / help bumble bees ....

http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=957

If you have any mouseholes in the garden please leave them to see the bees homed for the winter.

I have a nest box in one of my trees, used every year by great tits or blue tits - but not this year - it was taken over by a colony of white-tail bumble bees. I missed the little featherd friends, but was compensated by the busy comings and goings of my bees!

Good to be reminded of this NB.

Several years ago, there was a movement to try & encourage people to set up nest boxes for solitary bees like Mason Bees. At the time, the Oxford Bee Company marketed these, but they've now ceased trading.

However you can still get supplies from this company

I should warn that I haven't bought anything from them, but I did buy replacement cardboard tubes for our nest last year. Virtually every tube in my two mini hives have been used by Mason bees this year. I agree that a twin-pronged approach to encourage as many different types of bees can only be a good thing.

Colin, good point, I tie bundles of thick hollow stems for insects to overwinter in, lovage, teasel stems, or pampas grass etc work well.

We had a pile of straw covering a banana plant for winter protection. When beginning to remove it in spring bumble bees were found to have nested.

We had the same happen a few years ago. We had used straw to protect dahlia tubers. Over the straw was placed a sheet black polythene to keep the tubers dry.

On removing the polythene we could hear buzzing coming from amongst the straw. The bees had also chewed up some of the straw to make finers particles. No doubt it was lovely and warm for them.

In both cases we left the straw where it was until the bees moved on.

I think I will cover my artichokes with straw, and other tender plants, maybe we will have some bumbly visitors too, the ground nesting bees love the fact I don't dig.