Deutschland – Bees, bumblebees and numerous other insects are not having an easy time at the moment. Little green space, monocultures with pesticides and gardens without a single wild flower are the reality.

It is all the more important to give wild bees, honey bees, bumblebees and many other insects back a bit of their habitat. The good thing is that there is a lot that can be done on a balcony or terrace to help bees, bugs and the like. Find out what you can do here.

Even in the smallest of spaces, you can help make the world a bit more bumblebee and bee-friendly. If this succeeds, many other insects such as beetles or butterflies, which also play important roles in the ecosystem, will also benefit.

Wild bees in particular are under threat. And that, although they are very frugal and make only few demands on their environment.

This makes it possible to create a small oasis for insects even on balconies, terraces and the smallest green spaces.

Home & Garden Guide
Bleeding the heating: This is how it works in no time

Here are four tips on what you can do to protect bees, bumblebees and other beneficial insects.

In spring and in the hot summer months, wild bees, honey bees and many more depend on water. But this is often in short supply, especially in the city.

In order to quench the insects’ thirst, it is a good idea to provide a flat bowl as a kind of bee waterer. It can be, for example, a coaster for flower pots.

It is important that the container is filled with flat stones, moss, wood or cork to protect the insects from drowning.

Home & Garden Guide
Gardening in February: This is what to do now!

The bowl filled with cold water is best placed in a sunny and windless place. A corner on your balcony or in a flower box is ideal for this. The only important thing is that bees and bumblebees can land well on the bowl. You should also change the water regularly and make sure that there are no dead animals in the vessel.

However, do without honey for the bees. While intended to be a well-intentioned food source, it can quickly become a source of competition among bees.

Wild bees, honey bees and bumblebees are particularly dependent on wild plants. From March to October they need plants rich in flowers, pollen and nectar.

Even if only a balcony or terrace is available, small oases for bees, beetles, butterflies and the like can still be created. Window boxes and flower boxes are ideal for sowing some wildflowers.

Another advantage: The wild plants are usually very frugal, so they need little care and are a beautiful sight everywhere with their colorful flowers.

Most bee-friendly seed mixtures are already commercially available.

Here are some plants that are suitable for a bee-friendly balcony:

• Lavender
• sunflowers
• Cosmea
• marigold
• bluebell
• Kornblume
• catnip
• Margeriten
• bee pasture
• blue pillow
• Bartblume
• Wilde Malve
• Common Adderhead
• Fetthenne

Before planting wildflowers and shrubs, find out how much space and sun they need.

Herbs for humans and bees

But even your own small raised bed with herbs sometimes offers the insects a tasty selection.

Here are a number of herbs and crops that bees and bumblebees benefit from:

• peppermint
• chives
• Parsely
• True sage
• Oregano
• Thymian
• Basil
• Rosemary
• lemon balm
• blackberry
• raspberry

If you have a bit of green space, it’s also worth planning a little space for bee-friendly plants. A narrow strip that is not mowed is enough to provide the hard-working pollinators with a source of food.

If you want to do wild bees a big favor, then it is worth investing in a nesting aid or an insect hotel.

You can either buy these in different sizes or you can simply make a suitable dwelling yourself. Up to 40 different wild bee species can use such an insect house.

Together with a sufficient supply of food, this is a very easy way to settle wild bees in your own area.

BUND offers simple construction instructions for wild bee nesting aids for those who want to build them themselves.

For many it goes without saying, but in order to protect the important pollinators, chemical insecticides and pesticides should be avoided.

These are used, for example, when flies, mosquitoes or ants are to be kept away. Unfortunately, not only the “pests” but also numerous other insects are damaged by the chemical club. In most cases, natural home remedies and alternatives are available to keep unwanted insects away.

If you heed one or more of these four tips, you too will soon be welcoming the first bees, bumblebees or butterflies on your balcony or terrace.