British families may soon have to wave goodbye to the idyllic summer sound of wild
buzzing bees.
A poll of British families has revealed that 20% of children under 10 have never even seen a wild bee.
The research showed that 20 per cent of the 2000
UK parents surveyed are unaware of any drop in British wild bee numbers and 46% of parents are unaware that the decline in bee numbers will have an adverse effect on the economy, as they do not realise the bees contribution to agriculture and the food industry.
Despite the catastrophic forecast predicted for both the
environment and economy, 19% of parents admit they would find
summertime more enjoyable without bees, with 16% admitting they
find bees a massive inconvenience. This is so sad. Maybe they are confusing bees with wasps? I love to see bumble bees buzzing around the flowers. It's always been something synonymous with British Summertime and it is a tragedy that this is under threat.
We can do something to help the bees and a fabulous campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the plight of the bee with Disney’s The Hive toys in association with bee charity Adopt-a-Hive.
Tony Gray, Beekeeper and founder of Adopt-a-Hive, commented : “The popularity of the characters from Disney’s The Hive can play a key role in
educating children – and their parents - on the plight of bees. This campaign
is all about raising awareness and helping to educate people on ways they can
do their bit to save the British bee.”
Using the popularity of bees amongst children, the campaign will be aimed at families, hoping to educate and offer tips on how to save bees. Throughout, the spring and summer months, The Hive toys will be offering a host of prizes, including beehives and playsets.
The Hive playsets, from Mookie Toys, portray the characters from the hit Disney TV, allowing children to re-enact their favourite scenes or make up their own imaginative games. Freddy was sent the Slide Playset which is part of the playground collection, which consists of a swing set, merry-go-round and see-saw that can all interlock together. All the playsets, characters and items are compatible with each other. The Slide Set came with everyone's favourite bee Buzzbee and his friend Jasper. The two friends can whizz down the slide and buzz up the ladder. The colourful playset is fun for little fans of The Hive and Freddy enjoyed playing with it, making Jasper and Buzzbee go up and down the slide! (RRP £14.99)
The playset has a sticker on it directing parents to visit the website where, every month until August 16th, someone will win a bee hive adoption which includes all the lovely honey that the bees make! Runners up will receive a share in a hive and a jar of the honey or a toy from The Hive collection. The site also has lots of information about bees and what we can do to help them.
Tips on how to make bees welcome in your garden!
- Plant colourful clusters of differently shaped and sized native flowers in your garden.
- Have a range of plants flowering all season.
- Do not use pesticides.
For more information, or to win a hive for your family, please visit www.thehiveadopt.co.uk